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00:00:00It's a record crowd, over 85,000 strong, that line the streets of Long Beach, California,
00:00:26ready for that most famous command in racing.
00:00:29Here's Toyota's George Borst.
00:00:33Gentlemen, start your engines!
00:00:38Now the engine's fired, up and down shoreline drive here in Long Beach, California.
00:00:56The IndyCars are ready to go racing.
00:01:02Aluncer Jr. sits on the pole, looking for his third straight win here.
00:01:06Picture of concentration.
00:01:09All the cars up and down this tremendous venue, lined up, the engines roaring, and we're ready
00:01:15to go racing in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
00:01:20That was moments ago.
00:01:22We're live now at Long Beach, looking down on the streets, just jammed with people, and
00:01:27we're on the pace lap and ready to go racing here.
00:01:31Tremendous crowd, a tremendous field, and we're looking forward to a great day on board
00:01:36there with Bobby Rahal.
00:01:37Rahal will start back in the ninth starting position in the field, already beginning to
00:01:42pick up as we take a look at the starting grid.
00:01:44Allens are on the pole.
00:01:45A bit of Paulding to the outside, Rick Mears and Danny Sullivan, Michael and Mario Andretti
00:01:49make up the third row.
00:01:51Then we move down through this entire starting field.
00:01:54Willie T. Ribbs will be making his first start here, as will hero LaSchusta, so there's some
00:01:59history being made here today at Long Beach.
00:02:02The field now moves on to seaside as we look down through the 10th, the 11th, the 12th
00:02:06rows.
00:02:07All the cars still trying to scrub their tires in, get the brake temperatures up, looking
00:02:12at their cockpit gauges to make sure that everything is ready to go.
00:02:17This is the pole sitter, Aluncer Jr.
00:02:19You look over his right shoulder as he leads the field around.
00:02:23I'm Paul Page with Sam Posey and Bobby Unser, Jack Aroon and Gary Gerald are in the pits
00:02:28for us.
00:02:29We're set to go.
00:02:30The last of the 11th turn, the hairpin that brings them on to shoreline.
00:02:34All eyes on the P.P.T.
00:02:35Pace car, which has pulled off into the pit area.
00:02:36The field is in the control of the pole sitter, Aluncer Jr.
00:02:37Emerson Fittipaldi to the outside.
00:02:38The green flag comes out from Nick Furnaro, and we're racing as Fittipaldi in a drag race
00:02:39with the P.P.T.
00:02:40Pace car.
00:02:41A very tight right-hander.
00:02:42Everybody springs out.
00:02:43Danny Sullivan ducks in behind, but it's little Al that wins the battle to the turn, followed
00:02:44by Fittipaldi, then Sullivan, then Andretti.
00:02:45Well, little Al was behind at the start, but he certainly out-accelerated Fittipaldi down
00:02:46in turn one, and that was really an important move on his part.
00:02:47Very hard to pass here on this track.
00:02:48He's got to be careful.
00:02:49He's got to be careful.
00:02:50He's got to be careful.
00:02:51He's got to be careful.
00:02:52He's got to be careful.
00:02:53He's got to be careful.
00:02:54He's got to be careful.
00:02:55He's got to be careful.
00:02:56He's got to be careful.
00:02:57He's got to be careful.
00:02:58He's got to be careful.
00:02:59He's got to be careful.
00:03:01Well, little Al was behind at the start, but he certainly out-accelerated Fittipaldi down
00:03:06in turn one, and that was really an important move on his part.
00:03:09Very hard to pass here on this track.
00:03:11Both of the Penske cars, the two brightly colored machines, number one, number seven,
00:03:16that's Fittipaldi and Sullivan.
00:03:18They are battling with one another already, as it is little Al, Al Unser Jr., that begins
00:03:23to pull away.
00:03:25Lap number one here at Long Beach.
00:03:27They come to the backside of the course.
00:03:28Single file through here.
00:03:29Very difficult to pass.
00:03:30Now we come into a passing area.
00:03:31Watching especially little Al, but we'll keep an eye on that battle for second place.
00:03:35Paul, right now they'll have to be a little bit careful because the racetrack will be
00:03:38slippery from all the other races that have been running previous to this one, so they'll
00:03:42first, about three laps, they'll all be a little bit careful, which is what they're
00:03:46doing right now.
00:03:47Fittipaldi is able to hold his position.
00:03:49Michael Andretti closes right behind the number seven car of Danny Sullivan as they come onto
00:03:53shoreline once again and begin to accelerate to their top speed on this course.
00:03:58It's a long, sweeping, right-hand curve.
00:04:00Very difficult to see around at these speeds.
00:04:03As you see, the two cars of the Penske team, Fittipaldi and Sullivan, Sullivan now coming
00:04:08out, and Sullivan touches, and there's Michael.
00:04:12He comes to a stop.
00:04:13Mario comes past, as does Rick Rahal.
00:04:16These two cars, both of them, are they under power?
00:04:18Well, Danny certainly is, but it looks like Michael may have killed the engine.
00:04:22That could end the day, couldn't it, Bobby?
00:04:23Yes, that would be very hard for Michael.
00:04:25Even if he gets a starter, one of the trucks may give him a pull to get him out of the
00:04:28way, and he may get the engine started, but he's not going to be competitive the rest
00:04:31of the race now.
00:04:32I was just going to say, there is no cooperation in this race between teammates.
00:04:36To be a teammate merely means that he's another rival for you.
00:04:40That was too early a move.
00:04:41Right here, you can see it.
00:04:43He made a last, desperate attempt to pass Emerson, and that just didn't work, obviously.
00:04:48Boy, the Penske team looks so powerful coming in here, and now two teammates, Sullivan and
00:04:53Benapoldi, tangled on board now as we work our way around this circuit.
00:04:58That thing is a neglected Michael Andretti, and he wasn't really a part of that, Bob.
00:05:03So it is Allenser Jr. who jumped from the pole into the lead, and look at him, that
00:05:08bright, babbling car.
00:05:10As he screams down shoreline, Michael tries to play catch-up now.
00:05:18A watch ahead, the first turn, down hard on the brakes, slamming down through the gears,
00:05:22then the course gets very tight and very narrow.
00:05:25You know, remember, as we mentioned earlier, this thing is run between concrete walls,
00:05:28so the guys can't see far enough ahead to really see what's happening.
00:05:31They have to rely on the flagman if something does happen ahead of them.
00:05:35And often, when they make passes, boy, it has to be pre-planned.
00:05:38On board with Bobby Rahal, he runs now, trying to battle for fourth place.
00:05:42That's Rick Mears just ahead, the Pennzoil car, as they begin a battle.
00:05:46Watch Rick Mears today, you see him there.
00:05:49Although he's been dominant on the ovals, he has never won on a street course like this one.
00:05:54There are seven street courses on the calendar this year.
00:05:57Rick Mears, if he's going to be champion, he's leading the championship now,
00:06:01must be competitive on them.
00:06:04Battle for fourth place, we watch it now.
00:06:07Rahal closes down on Rick Mears, but Rick has had a nice little string of wins,
00:06:13including his first win on a road course since 1984 in the final race of the season last year.
00:06:18So, if there's any question as to whether or not Rick can run on a road course,
00:06:22he seems to be solidly backed.
00:06:24His problems on road courses date from a crash he had in Canada in 1984,
00:06:28when he badly broke his legs and his feet.
00:06:30He was unable to do the shifting involved.
00:06:32For example, you see Bobby Rahal here, Mears just ahead of him.
00:06:36Mears will have to make, like the other drivers, over 28 shifts a lap here,
00:06:40and if your feet don't coordinate right, that's very tough.
00:06:43Keep in mind, that sixth gear that he was popping, Sam, 180 miles an hour down shoreline drive.
00:06:48The line-up, Ballenger Jr., Fittipaldi, then Mario Andretti, Rick Mears,
00:06:52Bobby Rahal, Tao Pabdi, Rahul Bhoysal, Ari Leyendai, and Scott Brayton.
00:06:56But let's watch this tremendous battle as they work their way around,
00:06:59battling for fourth place.
00:07:07This is a key passing area that they're in now.
00:07:10You pass under braking here, watch Rahal as he closes.
00:07:16So three laps are now complete.
00:07:18Ballenger Jr. has won, led right from the green flag.
00:07:27Brought to you by your Toyota dealers,
00:07:29and their quality line of cars and trucks.
00:07:32Toyota, I love what you do for me.
00:07:35By Goodyear Eagle Radios,
00:07:37By Goodyear Eagle Radios,
00:07:39the best-selling performance radios in the world.
00:07:43By Valvoline Motor Oil,
00:07:45people who know use Valvoline.
00:07:47And by A.C. Delco,
00:07:49automotive parts that don't just fit, they match.
00:07:57We're back at Long Beach, California,
00:07:59the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
00:08:01Tremendous race already with a lot of action there.
00:08:04Danny Sullivan, he's running back in about 10th place right now,
00:08:08after his confrontation with his own teammate, Emerson Fittipaldi.
00:08:12He spun out going into Turn 1.
00:08:14Fittipaldi was able to continue on and stay in 2nd place,
00:08:17chasing Al Unser Jr.
00:08:18But now Danny has his hands full,
00:08:20trying to catch up and move back through the field.
00:08:22Well, at least he can still catch up, Paul.
00:08:24He's hurt him a lot, but he didn't kill his engine
00:08:26when he spun out or when he bumped his teammate,
00:08:28but he's still running.
00:08:30He can still do it by the end of the race.
00:08:32He's ready, by the way, finally got restarted as well
00:08:34and has begun rolling.
00:08:35He's well back in 23rd position right now,
00:08:39trying to play catch up.
00:08:40His father, Mario, rides in 3rd place,
00:08:42but Danny Sullivan has his work cut out for him.
00:08:45Zamposi, on one hand,
00:08:47boy, did you see Boesel as he came off that corner,
00:08:49just flat sideways there.
00:08:51On one hand, you've got a situation
00:08:53where he's faster than everybody in front of him,
00:08:55but you also have a course that it's very difficult to pass on.
00:08:58We ride the Liondyke number 30 car
00:09:00and he's chasing Raul Boesel in the 8 car.
00:09:02And Sullivan, the reason he contacted his teammate,
00:09:06Fittipaldi, was he seemed to have
00:09:08some kind of a brake problem.
00:09:09Wouldn't you agree, Bobby?
00:09:10The tail of his car is swerved out under braking,
00:09:13so it may be even tougher for him
00:09:15to make the overtaking maneuvers that he wants to.
00:09:18Michael Andretti has clicked off a couple of positions
00:09:21just in the last few laps
00:09:22as he's now moved up to 20th,
00:09:24trying to work his way back through
00:09:26after getting restarted.
00:09:27It's really hard, I'm starting to say,
00:09:29to pass in the backside of the track.
00:09:31For Mike, for example,
00:09:32number two turn, clear around
00:09:34through number eight turn call.
00:09:35It's not only rough,
00:09:36they go from pavement to cement,
00:09:38back to pavement,
00:09:39and it's a few little bumps there.
00:09:41Very difficult to pass.
00:09:43Here's Danny Sullivan
00:09:44as he works his way up behind the 30 car.
00:09:46That's the Shearson team car.
00:09:49Ari Lyondyke driving that.
00:09:51Chevrolet power there.
00:09:53Sullivan has Chevy power,
00:09:55so you'll see similar type cars,
00:09:56but Lyondyke has been having
00:09:58a lot of problems with that machine
00:10:00trying to get it going.
00:10:01They just haven't found a secret
00:10:02to make him handle real good yet.
00:10:04Ari is trying very hard.
00:10:05I watched him during practice.
00:10:06He was very fast.
00:10:07But as you notice,
00:10:08when Danny came underneath him
00:10:09in a defensive pass
00:10:10at the end of shoreline drive,
00:10:11he didn't make a desperate pass
00:10:13like he did before with the season.
00:10:15No, exactly.
00:10:16And remember that Danny,
00:10:17who you see last in this group here
00:10:19as they're coming down the back straight,
00:10:21is a veteran.
00:10:22There's Boesel,
00:10:23and there we're now looking
00:10:24at Ari Lyondyke.
00:10:25Danny is a veteran
00:10:26of racing this kind of race.
00:10:28He's raced at Monaco and Europe.
00:10:30He will be calm.
00:10:31He will do everything he can,
00:10:33but it's not easy
00:10:34to make your way past people
00:10:35that are running 7th and 8th
00:10:36that are that good.
00:10:37Well, he's not holding
00:10:38Sullivan up right now, Sam,
00:10:39and Sullivan's gonna be trying
00:10:41to pass on him pretty soon.
00:10:42Danny'll get his confidence back
00:10:44and start making passes
00:10:45because he's too fast here
00:10:47not to be doing it.
00:10:48Boesel and Lyondyke
00:10:49are among the drivers
00:10:50who are very good in this series
00:10:52who have never managed
00:10:53to win one of these races.
00:10:54So they are very aggressive men
00:10:56still looking for their first win.
00:10:58Sullivan, of course,
00:10:59has not only won races,
00:11:00he's been champion
00:11:01in one indy.
00:11:02We're watching a battle,
00:11:03actually, 6th, 7th, and 8th.
00:11:05That's Boesel sitting there
00:11:07in the Budweiser car,
00:11:08followed by Lyondyke,
00:11:10and then sits Danny Sullivan,
00:11:12who's trying to carve his way
00:11:13back through the field.
00:11:14He's using a slightly different
00:11:15line than the other two, Bobby.
00:11:17Well, he certainly is
00:11:18because, first thing,
00:11:19let's remember,
00:11:20all of those cars are Lola's
00:11:21with the exception of one
00:11:22that's right there,
00:11:23the number 7 car
00:11:24of Danny Sullivan.
00:11:25That's a pin's kick.
00:11:26He was very fast
00:11:27from the start of the field.
00:11:28The confrontation at the start,
00:11:29the bad pass he made
00:11:30on Emerson Tito-Pauly
00:11:31has really hurt him.
00:11:32This battle is closing down now
00:11:33on the number 4 Porsche.
00:11:34That's Tao Bobby,
00:11:35and they're beginning
00:11:36to catch him,
00:11:37while at the same time,
00:11:38Tao is beginning to catch up
00:11:39to Bobby Rahal,
00:11:40who's sitting right behind
00:11:41Rick Mears.
00:11:42So the whole front end
00:11:43is coming forward
00:11:44and closing on the leaders.
00:11:45Ari Lyondyke,
00:11:46who you see
00:11:47in the center of the screen,
00:11:4836-year-old Dutchman.
00:11:49He wears his hair
00:11:50very, very long
00:11:51in a sport
00:11:52that is really known
00:11:53more and more
00:11:54for their button-down collars.
00:11:55Here comes Danny
00:11:56at the end
00:11:57of the straightaway.
00:11:58Still unwilling
00:11:59to make a bid
00:12:00under braking.
00:12:01He's apt to do it
00:12:02pretty soon.
00:12:03That is the favorite place
00:12:04to pass on the track.
00:12:05That,
00:12:06at the end
00:12:07of the back straightaway.
00:12:08Always under braking.
00:12:09After Danny got burned,
00:12:10he's a little bit afraid
00:12:11to try it again.
00:12:12Is he going to make
00:12:13it?
00:12:14He's going to make it.
00:12:15He's going to make it.
00:12:16He's going to make it.
00:12:17He's going to make it.
00:12:18He's going to make it.
00:12:19He's going to make it.
00:12:20He's going to make it.
00:12:21He's going to make it.
00:12:22He's going to make it.
00:12:23He's going to make it.
00:12:24He's going to make it.
00:12:25He's going to make it.
00:12:26He's going to make it.
00:12:27He's going to make it.
00:12:28He's going to make it.
00:12:29He's going to make it.
00:12:30He's going to make it.
00:12:31He's going to make it.
00:12:32He's going to make it.
00:12:33He's going to make it.
00:12:34He's going to make it.
00:12:35He's going to make it.
00:12:36He's going to make it.
00:12:37He's going to make it.
00:12:38He's going to make it.
00:12:39He's going to make it.
00:12:40He's going to make it.
00:12:41He's going to make it.
00:12:42He's going to make it.
00:12:43He's going to make it.
00:12:44He's going to make it.
00:12:45He's going to make it.
00:12:46He's going to make it.
00:12:47He's going to make it.
00:12:48He's going to make it.
00:12:49He's going to make it.
00:12:50He's going to make it.
00:12:51He's going to make it.
00:12:52He's going to make it.
00:12:53He's going to make it.
00:12:54He's going to make it.
00:12:55He's going to make it.
00:12:56He's going to make it.
00:12:57He's going to make it.
00:12:58He's going to make it.
00:12:59He's going to make it.
00:13:00He's going to make it.
00:13:01He's going to make it.
00:13:02He's going to make it.
00:13:03He's going to make it.
00:13:04He's going to make it.
00:13:05He's going to make it.
00:13:06He's going to make it.
00:13:07He's going to make it.
00:13:08He's going to make it.
00:13:09He's going to make it.
00:13:10He's going to make it.
00:13:11He's going to make it.
00:13:12He's going to make it.
00:13:13He's going to make it.
00:13:14He's going to make it.
00:13:15He's going to make it.
00:13:16He's going to make it.
00:13:17He's going to make it.
00:13:18He's going to make it.
00:13:19He's going to make it.
00:13:20He's going to make it.
00:13:21He's going to make it.
00:13:22He's going to make it.
00:13:23He's going to make it.
00:13:24He's going to make it.
00:13:25He's going to make it.
00:13:26He's going to make it.
00:13:27He's going to make it.
00:13:28He's going to make it.
00:13:30We'll give you an update on the Danny Sullivan situation.
00:13:31They brought out a brand new wing set because, indeed, the brakes did lock up, and they're
00:13:35a little concerned.
00:13:36But you see the computer here, what they've discovered, they're monitoring lap-by-lap
00:13:40the fuel mileage because that's their major concern in this race.
00:13:43They've discovered they're getting excellent fuel mileage, and they also said, hey, we've
00:13:46spun in one before.
00:13:47Let's check in with Gary Jarrell further down pit road.
00:13:50Well, Jack Moray cranes Debbie Rahal and the entire Cranko team watching Bobby Rahal with
00:13:56intent because he could be the chief beneficiary of the problems that were encountered early
00:13:59between Fittipaldi and Sullivan.
00:14:01Rahal started ninth.
00:14:02He had turbo problems in qualifying yesterday.
00:14:04He's jumped up to fifth, and he was very fast in the final practice session with full fuel
00:14:09load yesterday.
00:14:10So he's in a good position now to challenge.
00:14:12Oh, and Moray cranes, the bearded gentleman there who is now working in conjunction with
00:14:18the Gallus team.
00:14:19You can see that here comes Sullivan as Leyendijk got past Voisel, and now it's Sullivan that
00:14:26comes past as well.
00:14:27So that battle continues, and Sullivan's picked up an advantage, as has Leyendijk.
00:14:31Now, you could see Sullivan that time.
00:14:33He knew the pass was going to happen.
00:14:35Now, no question about it, his competitors know it when he gets that series because he
00:14:38set that up way down the straightaway.
00:14:42So we're live, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, watching what really is a battle for
00:14:47seventh, eighth, and ninth.
00:14:49And just ahead lies Tao Bobby in sixth place.
00:14:52The leader of the race is Al Unser, Jr.
00:14:55He's a full three seconds out in front of Emerson Fittipaldi.
00:14:58You ride now with Mario Andretti.
00:15:01Al Unser, Jr. led 84 of 95 laps last year and won the race.
00:15:06Can he do it again?
00:15:07We'll be back.
00:15:11I love what you do for me
00:15:14One of the toughest-fought miles in the history of motor racing.
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00:15:29Now you can live and drive the Indy 500 for only $19.98 plus $3 shipping and handling.
00:15:36To order your video, call 1-800-4-ABC-VCR.
00:15:41We're back live at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
00:15:46And you look backwards from just under the wing of Bobby Rahal's car.
00:15:50That little white blur well back there at well over 160 miles an hour is Tao Bobby in the Porsche as he closes down.
00:15:58Now, Leyendijk and Sullivan have gotten past Rahal.
00:16:02So, Rahal is struggling with his car, which is a surprise.
00:16:05We really expected a great deal more out of Bobby Rahal and his team at this particular track.
00:16:10And now he's trying desperately to hold on to the position from a charging Tao Bobby.
00:16:15And right behind Bobby is Loisel and an Achiever has now closed in as well.
00:16:20So, this is a tremendous little battle. Rahal sits in 7th place right now.
00:16:24He's not working his normal Bobby Rahal Long Beach.
00:16:27He hasn't had much luck here, Paul, but he's definitely holding up the whole deal right there.
00:16:32He knows that, but he's been having trouble all too fast.
00:16:34Watch Tao Bobby. Bobby comes under braking, slams those brakes, gets there first, gets past Bobby Rahal.
00:16:40Loisel drives Rahal to the outside.
00:16:42This is going to be a tight corner because it narrows down very quickly, but Loisel gets past as well.
00:16:47Now, it's Achiever that's sitting right behind, and there's Scotty Brayton in the Amway car.
00:16:51They got Rahal out of phase right there, and boy, he was history.
00:16:54Two spots within two turns right there.
00:16:56Now, he doesn't like that. He's going to have to pick back up.
00:16:59You can look for him getting some adjustments to his car in the first pit stop.
00:17:02On board the STP Crankle Machine, we're on Shoreline Drive now, as Bobby Rahal, struggling with this car.
00:17:08There's Eddie Cheever sitting to the right, the target car, as they come into the first turn, swinging back into the left.
00:17:13So, Eddie Cheever moves around Rahal, and it looks like Scott Brayton, who just watched the front end a little bit,
00:17:19may be the next guy to set Rahal up as a target.
00:17:22You know, when you're being passed by this many cars as Rahal is, you know there's something wrong with the car.
00:17:28Only two weeks ago, in Phoenix, Rahal was a triumphant second, behind Mears only,
00:17:34and beating his teammate, Allenser Jr., who is now leading this race.
00:17:38So, you can assume something's wrong with the car.
00:17:40Rahal's mental state is probably, wait for that pit stop, try to get something changed.
00:17:44You get a good idea, too, as we watch this battle with Bobby Rahal, Scotty Brayton just behind him.
00:17:49The difference, there comes Michael, as Michael's finally worked his way back up,
00:17:54and is coming in contention in the top ten, he's fallen all the way back to 23rd,
00:17:58because of that incident between Sullivan and Fittipaldi,
00:18:01that also involved Michael, before he just got on the brakes, got the car stopped,
00:18:05no damage to the car, so obviously it's working, and he's moving back up.
00:18:08Eddie Cheever, right there, now, he's a road racer, Formula 1.
00:18:12He did very good in Phoenix, first over race track, first over race he's ever run.
00:18:17This is his specialty. He's come up a long ways in his practice,
00:18:21everybody's looking for great things from Eddie today.
00:18:23The leader, Allenser Jr., the Valvoline machine, out in front,
00:18:27by about a second and a half now over Fittipaldi.
00:18:30Allenser Jr., of course, encountered Mario Andretti last year on this course,
00:18:36very near the end of the race, put him out of the race,
00:18:39and what happened next is interesting to me.
00:18:42That's John Andretti in the pits, one of the Porsche entries,
00:18:45that would not be on the schedule, as he comes back out into the action.
00:18:50What happened next, last year, after Little Al put Mario out of the race,
00:18:54that was just a racing incident, but the interesting thing is that
00:18:57Little Al went to Mario's house and apologized to him.
00:19:01That's unusual.
00:19:02A.J. Point is struggling. Let's go to Jack Arute.
00:19:04Well, Paul, remember two weeks ago, A.J. Point said he was back and back for the vengeance.
00:19:08Well, it won't be today, as well.
00:19:10They've had a problem with one of the cylinders.
00:19:12What they've done is they've changed the fuel monitoring device.
00:19:14You know the black box on the side?
00:19:16You can see one of the crew members making that exchange right now.
00:19:19But A.J. Point is, for all intents and purposes, out of this event today.
00:19:22Let's check in with Gary Gerald, who's down in the Graco pits.
00:19:25Well, Jack, it's a very concerned Barry Green, the crew chief,
00:19:28for Bobby Rahal and his crew.
00:19:30He had gained the ground up to fifth, but now dropping back is tenth.
00:19:33They know it's a brake problem.
00:19:35Rahal has indicated he's having difficulty with his brakes.
00:19:37They knew that brakes would be a major concern.
00:19:39You get temperatures here close to 800 degrees on your brake calipers.
00:19:43They have wrenches on the pit wall,
00:19:45but if they have to come in to try to approve the braking,
00:19:48it's going to be a very costly stop for Bobby Rahal.
00:19:51Well, you ride with Bobby Rahal right now,
00:19:53who is not in contest with anyone.
00:19:55Sitting back now has fallen all the way to the tenth place.
00:19:59If you go around, you watch the tires from the inboard camera.
00:20:02We're just on Rahal.
00:20:04You'll see a black stripe in the middle of the tire.
00:20:06That tells you how hot and how hard the tires are being worked.
00:20:09You can even see it when it's up to speed sometimes.
00:20:11One of the factors here, too, is as you look at these different shots,
00:20:14you'll see changing surface color.
00:20:16What that is is part of the course is asphalt.
00:20:19Part of it, there's a concrete section.
00:20:21They've just come out of what normally is a parking lot area.
00:20:23Now they're on the shoreline drive.
00:20:25That's all concrete.
00:20:27Then they'll go to some asphalt that's brand new, that's a year old.
00:20:30Different surfaces.
00:20:31That makes it really tough to set up the tires.
00:20:33Plus, there's no banking here, Paul.
00:20:35It's all flat.
00:20:36And you've got to remember,
00:20:37the city streets aren't always the smoothest thing.
00:20:39Look at the car jumping around there.
00:20:41Look at little Al just bouncing.
00:20:43Allenser Jr. looking for three in a row.
00:20:46There are big signs around here suggesting a three-peat for little Al.
00:20:49Well, it's looking that way right now.
00:20:51But look at Fittipaldi closing down.
00:20:54He was as far as three seconds back.
00:20:56But he seems to be catching little Al.
00:20:58Elmo just like a bulldog.
00:21:00When he gets that close, he's going to be tough.
00:21:02He's going to work little Al.
00:21:03Little Al, of course, would like to be backing off just a little bit now
00:21:06to save his car because it's a long race here.
00:21:08But Elmo's not going to let him do it.
00:21:10Big feature in the L.A. Times back on Thursday
00:21:13about Emerson Fittipaldi's diet.
00:21:15It described it in great detail.
00:21:17What it did not describe is his favorite drink
00:21:19mixed by his wife, Teresa, vodka and lime juice.
00:21:22I doubt if he's thinking about that now.
00:21:24And I doubt if there was any vodka and lime juice in the diet this week.
00:21:27Elmo's very careful about his physical preparation for a race
00:21:31right down to a very special diet.
00:21:33And he is now closing in on the leader, Al Unzer, Jr.
00:21:38He's in his 40s, of course,
00:21:40at an age in which diet becomes more important.
00:21:43Al Unzer still leads it.
00:21:45We'll return with more of ABC's coverage
00:21:47of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach after this message.
00:21:49And a word from our...
00:21:55We're back.
00:21:56The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
00:21:58Al Unzer, Jr., the leader, is in traffic.
00:22:01And right behind him, there comes Fittipaldi.
00:22:04They move up and engage Roberto Guerrero, the avatar.
00:22:08They're separated by one car now.
00:22:10And through the past few minutes,
00:22:12it's gotten to be a traffic jam on the streets of Long Beach.
00:22:15This part of the race is so important, Paul,
00:22:17because now's when they're starting to lap some of the cars.
00:22:20That was Guerrero.
00:22:21A little Al just went by.
00:22:22It's Elmo right behind him.
00:22:23Now that's holding him up.
00:22:24Elmo would have really liked to have gotten behind Roberto
00:22:26going into Turn 1.
00:22:27Then he could have stayed right on little Al's tail.
00:22:29As we watch Emerson, put yourself in his shoes.
00:22:32He is now leading the three-car Penske team.
00:22:35He has become the emotional leader of that team.
00:22:37Danny Sullivan is in fifth.
00:22:39Rick Mears is in fourth.
00:22:40And there, it looks like he's going to make a move
00:22:42right now on Guerrero.
00:22:43A clean one, easily.
00:22:45He and he alone has a chance in the Penske team right now
00:22:48to take the lead in this race.
00:22:50And he's going to push it for all it's worth.
00:22:52It was nice of Guerrero to move out of the way, Sam.
00:22:55You watched him pull right to the right
00:22:57and make it easy for Elmo to go by.
00:22:59Now, that was really nice.
00:23:00Yeah, but he blocked him down shoreline drive.
00:23:02I think he knew he owed it to him.
00:23:04Did you notice that Emerson slipped there a little bit?
00:23:06There's no question.
00:23:07He's pushing it as hard as he can.
00:23:09Traction can be a tangible quantity here,
00:23:12and they're having a lot of trouble finding it.
00:23:14It seems that with all of the racing we've seen so far
00:23:17this weekend, that there's been a lot of debris,
00:23:20a lot of oil get down on this course,
00:23:22and it's made this course a little slippery
00:23:24for most of these cars.
00:23:25Well, they're so powerful.
00:23:26They get wheel spin.
00:23:27They do zero to 105 seconds.
00:23:29Now, watch the difference as we go along.
00:23:31That's a Penske.
00:23:32That's Emerson Fittipaldi's number one car.
00:23:33That's a Penske car, a new model.
00:23:35There's he's right behind.
00:23:36There's Danny Sullivan behind Rick Mears.
00:23:38Both of those are Penske cars.
00:23:40The comparison is watch them against the Lola's.
00:23:43Mears, as I said, really must demonstrate
00:23:45his capabilities on this type of course.
00:23:47He is not able to do that right now.
00:23:49In fact, Sullivan has made up all that ground
00:23:51after the spin and is now pressuring Mears,
00:23:53who does not look good right here.
00:23:55Sullivan challenges his teammate, Rick Mears.
00:23:57Remember what happened the last time
00:23:59the Penske team was involved in a challenge.
00:24:01That's John Andretti in the second Porsche
00:24:03running just behind Sullivan's number seven car,
00:24:06the Rick Mears car, the bright yellow machine,
00:24:09out in front as they come to the one section
00:24:11of the course where passing surely is possible,
00:24:13but you really have to know the braking to do it.
00:24:15Sullivan moved to the inside kind of to tell Rick
00:24:17that maybe he was going to try there and then didn't.
00:24:19They come around a very tight section.
00:24:21They have to stay in single file here.
00:24:23There's not a really good chance to pass.
00:24:24And now we come up to a key passing area,
00:24:26off of this hairpin and onto the fastest section of the track.
00:24:29And Rick is not going to make it any easier
00:24:31just because that's his teammate.
00:24:33In fact, if anything, he'd like to show
00:24:35that he's as good a road racer as Sullivan is.
00:24:37True in one sense. You see Danny Sullivan there.
00:24:40But Sullivan, through the years,
00:24:41has taught Rick a lot about road racing
00:24:43just as Rick has taught Danny a lot about oval.
00:24:45And I think this cooperation between these two men,
00:24:48we'll see if it manifests itself
00:24:50in Rick allowing Danny to go by.
00:24:52Keep in mind, Sam, that Rick Mears
00:24:54was one of the finest road racers I ever saw
00:24:56before he got his feet hurt.
00:24:58So I think in those days,
00:24:59he could have probably taught Danny a little bit.
00:25:01Ongoing battle for fourth place.
00:25:03Rick Mears, Danny Sullivan.
00:25:04Sullivan fakes to the inside.
00:25:06Now they move into, again,
00:25:08a very difficult section to pass.
00:25:10But we have seen passing in some of these areas,
00:25:12and both of them are running right at the limit.
00:25:14You can see the cars slip around
00:25:16as they continue their pursuit.
00:25:17Remember the top of the order.
00:25:19Allenser Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi,
00:25:21then Mario Andretti, and then this battle.
00:25:23Remember that Mears leads,
00:25:24but here comes Sullivan down the inside at the end,
00:25:27and it's a clean out break.
00:25:29Mears did let him by.
00:25:31Well, that's where Sullivan telegraphed
00:25:33the pass on the last lap.
00:25:34And this time, he moves solidly to the inside
00:25:37and moves past Rick Mears.
00:25:38That's one of the favorite places to pass.
00:25:40Remember, there's two main places.
00:25:41The front straightaway down Shoreline Drive,
00:25:43and we saw that pass right there on the back straightaway.
00:25:46Bobby, why are they favorite?
00:25:47Well, because the streets are so narrow here.
00:25:50They're seen out on the both sides.
00:25:51The guy can't see far enough ahead
00:25:53to really know that this is the time to pass.
00:25:55The cars, as you watch them,
00:25:56they go high to low, staying in the groove,
00:25:59making the track the straightest that you can make it.
00:26:01So the easiest place, hey,
00:26:03outbreaks the guy going into the dirt.
00:26:05And on a circuit like this,
00:26:06perhaps more than any other
00:26:07because of those concrete barriers,
00:26:10the drivers refer to it
00:26:11as running down a concrete canyon.
00:26:13You can't afford any mistake at all
00:26:15because any one would be catastrophic.
00:26:17Well, notice that the driver's eyes
00:26:18are actually below the top of those concrete barriers.
00:26:21I mean, it's one thing for us.
00:26:22We're looking down on them,
00:26:23but if you're down in that car,
00:26:25you don't see anything.
00:26:26It's not true, Sam.
00:26:27And we remember last year when Little Al
00:26:29was attempting to pass on Mario
00:26:31and instead of passing him, he hit him.
00:26:33That wasn't on purpose.
00:26:34That's a racing accident.
00:26:35But this place really leads you to things like that.
00:26:38Let's go to the pits now.
00:26:40Jack Arood has an update.
00:26:41Well, Paul, already there's a concern in Emerson
00:26:43for the Baldi's Pit
00:26:44to have enough fuel to go the distance.
00:26:46They've already radioed back to him
00:26:47to begin the short shift here at Long Beach
00:26:49in order to conserve enough fuel to go
00:26:51the entire distance here.
00:26:53Well, Jack Arood,
00:26:54suffering from some laryngitis there.
00:26:56Had some ocean breezes last night, I think.
00:26:58I hope you make it through the day, Jack.
00:27:00We continue to watch the run down shoreline.
00:27:03There are the traffic lights not in use here today,
00:27:06and we watch young John Andretti.
00:27:08That's the Quaker State Porsche machine.
00:27:10A new ride for him
00:27:11and an excellent run ride for young John.
00:27:13Watch those front wings of his shaking, Paul.
00:27:16Now, a lot of the cars have wires
00:27:18that go from the center of the nose
00:27:19out to the outside of the front wing.
00:27:21This car doesn't apparently have them,
00:27:23and the wings are shaking violently.
00:27:25There's a good chance, as rough as this is,
00:27:27that he could break a wing before the day's over.
00:27:29Well, John Andretti, with a good ride here,
00:27:32running in 20th, though, right now.
00:27:34He had that unscheduled pit stop
00:27:36and is now trying to make up time.
00:27:38He's one of the other Andretti family,
00:27:41though he's a Mario nephew.
00:27:43His father is Aldo Andretti,
00:27:45who is Mario's paternal twin.
00:27:48And, by the way, his godfather is none other than A.J. Boyd.
00:27:51I don't think I'd mess with him on a racetrack.
00:27:53A lot of racing blood there.
00:27:55Michael Andretti closes in
00:27:57as he continues to work his way up through the field.
00:27:59Michael, remember, had his problems early on
00:28:02and has had to struggle his way back up
00:28:04and is now trying to cut his way through the top ten.
00:28:07And he runs in seventh at this moment.
00:28:09Michael Andretti, throughout the practice and qualifying,
00:28:12probably had the most colorful style of anybody,
00:28:15controlling the car in simply huge slide.
00:28:18But he knew very well that would use up too much fuel in the race
00:28:21and he's going to be much more cautious here than he was then.
00:28:25Michael went into quite a physical training program over the winter, too.
00:28:29He's really in excellent shape,
00:28:31but it's not manifest in the record thus far.
00:28:33He crashed in practice for the Phoenix race
00:28:35and then he was out of that race early with engine trouble.
00:28:38He killed the engine on the second lap here.
00:28:40And here is Tao Fabi trying to communicate something to his crew
00:28:43as he comes into the pits now.
00:28:45They changed tires, refueled the car,
00:28:47and this, theoretically, should be a bit early.
00:28:50So I would not suspect that this is scheduled for them either.
00:28:53Remember, the other car came in early as well.
00:28:55Disappointment, in a sense, for Porsche,
00:28:57but remember, this is their year-old car,
00:28:59their 1989 car, their 1990 car on the drawing board,
00:29:02almost ready to go now.
00:29:04Here we are back aboard with Bobby Rahal
00:29:09as he pursues Raul Bosel.
00:29:12Bosel, who got the ride.
00:29:14There's Rahal trying to outbrake him,
00:29:16maybe starting to get some confidence back in his brakes.
00:29:18Bosel, ahead of him there in the red car,
00:29:20got this ride when Scott Pruitt,
00:29:22the regular driver of that car,
00:29:24was badly injured, his legs badly, badly hurt earlier this season.
00:29:28So Bosel got this ride very much at the last minute.
00:29:30He's done a decent job with it so far.
00:29:32By the way, I've had a chance to spend some time with Scotty.
00:29:34He's recuperating in Indianapolis.
00:29:36We wish him well, and we know he's watching here today.
00:29:39And he hopes to be back in a race car in January.
00:29:42Bobby Rahal on shoreline, moving for the inside line,
00:29:45ready for a braking battle with Bosel.
00:29:47Can't get it done, doesn't come to the inside,
00:29:49drops back single-file.
00:29:51Remember, he's got brake problems,
00:29:53so he can't get in as deep as he'd like, Paul.
00:29:5528 laps of the scheduled distance now complete here.
00:29:58Aluncer Jr. continues his dominance of the past two years.
00:30:01We'll be back.
00:30:05Hey, Mark.
00:30:06Here on beach, I'm Paul Page with Sam Posey,
00:30:08Bobby Unser, Jack Arood, and Gary Gerald.
00:30:11R.A. Lyondyke was battling with Michael Andretti.
00:30:15Michael was able to get past just seconds ago
00:30:17and continues to carve his way up.
00:30:19Michael moves up now into 6th place.
00:30:21That's Dominic Dobson in the Texaco car just behind him.
00:30:25As they sweep now through Turn 10 here in Long Beach, California.
00:30:30And the fight is between these two cars,
00:30:32though not necessarily for position.
00:30:34At the moment, Lyondyke sits in 7th,
00:30:37and Dominic Dobson is well down in the order.
00:30:40Dobson, who you see in the black and red car,
00:30:42crashed in Phoenix two weeks ago.
00:30:44He's a very methodical man, a calculating man.
00:30:47He's running in 19th place right now.
00:30:49He'd hoped for a better showing here in Long Beach.
00:30:51The leader of the Valvoline car, number 5,
00:30:53blue and white car of Al Unser Jr.
00:30:56He won last year, he won the year before,
00:30:58the last year in some controversy.
00:31:00He started on the pole.
00:31:01He's got good air.
00:31:03The 11 car comes out of the pits after a stop,
00:31:05and we now do expect the stops to begin
00:31:08on the regular schedule, Bobby Unser.
00:31:10Yes, we do.
00:31:11We're looking for around 35 laps at most of him.
00:31:13You watch how smooth he is down the straightaway.
00:31:16Paul, if we watched him during practice and qualification,
00:31:19he just looks smoother.
00:31:21Looks like he's not using his car as hard as most of them here.
00:31:24For example, we compared him to Michael Andretti.
00:31:27They were running nearly the same speed.
00:31:29Al was very smooth.
00:31:30Michael was sliding around, leaving black rubber marks.
00:31:33All this is going to help his car stay together during the race.
00:31:36You look over little Al's right shoulder.
00:31:38He's the leader of the race by a full 6 seconds now.
00:31:40Over Emerson to Napoli, Mario is in 3rd,
00:31:43Danny Sullivan 4th, then Rick Mears,
00:31:45then Michael Andretti.
00:31:47These onboard cameras give you a phenomenal opportunity
00:31:50really to see exactly what the different drivers are doing.
00:31:53How little little Al actually has to move his hands on that steering wheel
00:31:57compared to what we've been watching from Bobby Rahal.
00:32:00And here we are in the pits with...
00:32:02I'm sorry, Lion-Dyke.
00:32:03Lion-Dyke beats a car as he makes what should be a routine stop.
00:32:07And arrows on the tire, Bobby.
00:32:09What are they doing that for?
00:32:10Well, that tells you that it's a left front.
00:32:12Make sure it goes on.
00:32:13You don't get the left and the right.
00:32:14If you took that left front and put it on the right front,
00:32:16it would be reading backwards.
00:32:18The tires are actually made with a rubber on them
00:32:20that go a certain direction.
00:32:21Eighteen and a half seconds for Lion-Dyke.
00:32:23Tire is a difficult problem here.
00:32:25If you watch on these onboard shots as we ride with the leader,
00:32:28watch that right front tire.
00:32:30Watch how the surface of the tire changes from point to point
00:32:33as it goes through different areas of traction
00:32:35and has different levels of heating.
00:32:37You can tell by the color of it.
00:32:38You can see the color changing as we go through different turns,
00:32:41and that shows you where the heat is actually changing the adhesion on the tire.
00:32:45We look down from the airship Columbia based in Carson, California.
00:32:49One of the Goodyear blimps giving us excellent coverage here.
00:32:52This camera operation onboard this airship is the new GyroCam 360.
00:32:57It's operated by remote control, and it can go 306 degrees around
00:33:01and has a 44-to-1 lens, so we actually use it from time to time in the coverage.
00:33:06Makes for some great pictures as well.
00:33:08Looks nice in that pretty crystal blue sky over Long Beach, California, right now.
00:33:12Onboard Bobby Rahal.
00:33:14Rahal continues to stay in the fight, running in seventh.
00:33:17His brake troubles have gotten just a little bit better, Paul,
00:33:20because he's been going a little bit faster,
00:33:22probably getting used to the problems that he has with the brakes
00:33:25and can make up for it a little bit.
00:33:27Well, A.J. Boyd continues to struggle.
00:33:29He just got a pit message to come in the pit in two laps.
00:33:33Remember, A.J. has been struggling to keep that car out,
00:33:36and at Phoenix he declared he was back,
00:33:38and, boy, his fans began to root after they heard that.
00:33:41Certainly everyone hopes that.
00:33:43I ran into him in the elevator the other day, and he told me, he says,
00:33:46This is the Penske pit.
00:33:48Fittipaldi's crew, as they are ready for Emerson Fittipaldi to come in and make a stop.
00:33:53There is Eddie Cheever, the target car, roaring out of the pits.
00:33:57And he comes down to stop in the far, far end of the pits
00:34:01where his team, the Ganassi Racing Team, is positioned.
00:34:05Cheever, interestingly, is a vegetarian.
00:34:08A real kelp duck, much like Emerson Fittipaldi.
00:34:13He's a good road racer, Sam.
00:34:15They say that he's supposed to really shine good.
00:34:17That's supposed to be his specialty.
00:34:19Back on board, Al Unser, Jr., as Eddie Cheever moves in for a routine stop.
00:34:24In and out very quickly, ten years in the Formula 1.
00:34:26He has raced here before in Formula 1.
00:34:28He did say that the course has changed somewhat.
00:34:30And Little Al makes that dart for the pits, so he's down to get some service.
00:34:34And the question is, what will Fittipaldi do?
00:34:36As Little Al comes into the pits right behind him,
00:34:39Emerson Fittipaldi comes in for a stop.
00:34:41So it's a stop between first and second.
00:34:43Let's go to Gary Gerald.
00:34:44Oh, Emerson, I'm sorry.
00:34:46Little Al came in one lap earlier than they showed on the board.
00:34:49He's getting fresh rubber and fuel.
00:34:50Everything appears to be routine.
00:34:52He's rolling in under 15 seconds, and they're delighted in this pit.
00:34:57Oh, and they should be.
00:34:59A spectacular stop for the Ganassi Team.
00:35:01Only now does Emerson Fittipaldi roll away at 16.5 seconds.
00:35:05And Danny Sullivan is on the main stretch,
00:35:07so they'll come out almost side by side.
00:35:09That's Teresa Fittipaldi right there,
00:35:11showing a little apprehension on the left of your screen,
00:35:13and we're on board now with the new leader.
00:35:15That is Mario Andretti.
00:35:16He did not stop.
00:35:17He stayed out and picked up the lead as first and second came in.
00:35:21Now, they won't be far behind.
00:35:23They'll have to pit pretty quick,
00:35:24because most of the cars we're looking at there have Chevrolet engines in them.
00:35:28Their mileage will be pretty close to the same, Paul.
00:35:31So Mario Andretti, who's now lined up behind Leyendijk,
00:35:34is the leader of the race.
00:35:36That's Didier Thies in the Granatelli car sitting just behind him.
00:35:40Consider how important this race is to Mario,
00:35:42who you see right there in the light blue and white car.
00:35:45He has not won a race since the summer of 1988,
00:35:48and this race here, a race that he has won three times
00:35:52and on which he has led more than half of all the laps,
00:35:56maybe offers him the best chance to win a race in 1990.
00:36:00He's driven smoothly there.
00:36:01Scotty Brayton in the 22 Amway car makes a routine stop.
00:36:04He wants him to make a wing adjustment.
00:36:06You saw the gesture,
00:36:07and they can just twist a bolt and readjust the front wing.
00:36:10Good stop for that crew, 17 seconds.
00:36:12But they didn't make the adjustment, did they?
00:36:14No, it doesn't look like they got it done.
00:36:16And as we suspected,
00:36:18Fittipaldi and Sullivan together on the track.
00:36:20Sullivan has not yet stopped,
00:36:22but as Emerson came out of the pits,
00:36:25Danny was right there,
00:36:26and now they're back battling again.
00:36:28I suspect they're going to be a little more careful this time.
00:36:30Boy, that looked like it could have been early in the race, doesn't it?
00:36:33The passes would have been amazing.
00:36:34Rick Mears, the Petsky team, in the pits making his first stop.
00:36:37Two stops, the expectation here at Long Beach.
00:36:40Roberto Guerrero, the Alpha car,
00:36:42as they're in making their stop,
00:36:44all going smoothly in the Petsky pits
00:36:46as Richard Buck and the crew
00:36:47rolls Rick back into the action in 17.1 seconds.
00:36:51Smoothly in a sense, Paul,
00:36:52but they made no changes to Rick's car,
00:36:54which means the problems he has been having
00:36:56were not correctable in the pits.
00:36:58He is not having the kind of day that he looked to have
00:37:02if he's going to be a major contender in the championship.
00:37:04Not correctable or corrected themselves.
00:37:06He seemed satisfied with him to overcome him, perhaps.
00:37:09Perhaps, or perhaps it was something that couldn't be fixed that fast.
00:37:12Hiro Mashusta now just in front of Emerson Fittipaldi
00:37:15as Fittipaldi tries to hold off
00:37:17charging Danny Sullivan,
00:37:19who needs to fight to come back,
00:37:21but Sullivan should be heading for the pit road just any time.
00:37:24Will this be the occasion?
00:37:25In fact, it is.
00:37:26The third and final car in the Petsky team
00:37:28rolls in for a stop.
00:37:29We go to Jack Arute.
00:37:30We have Paul Timbukts, the crew chief of the car,
00:37:32going to work on the left-front tire.
00:37:34They're going to change all four tires.
00:37:36A very quick stop just a lap ago
00:37:38by his teammate, Emerson Fittipaldi.
00:37:40Danny Sullivan, in contrast,
00:37:42while Sullivan is getting good gas mileage,
00:37:45we've already told you that Fittipaldi's having bad.
00:37:47Let's go to Gary Gerald.
00:37:50And just up the line, Michael Andretti
00:37:52getting in so not to disrupt the rhythm for Mario
00:37:55is off, and he's off in 48 and a half seconds.
00:37:57The engine bobbles, but he's away.
00:37:59Fresh rubber and fuel. Paul?
00:38:01I'll tell you what.
00:38:02We are seeing some wonderful work by these crews
00:38:04here at Long Beach.
00:38:05They're really doing a magnificent job.
00:38:07Perhaps part of the incentive
00:38:09is the new Texaco-Haviland pit stop contest
00:38:12for the top ten qualifiers.
00:38:14Now, Rick Mears' team won that contest
00:38:16as a result of their quick work.
00:38:18They measured time from pit in to pit out,
00:38:21and the fellow with the shortest interval of time
00:38:23accumulated through the race wins.
00:38:25And at the end of a race, they win $5,000,
00:38:28and they'll be a prize again at the end of the season.
00:38:30Remember, Paul, that's from coming in to the pits,
00:38:33not actually being in where the crew is,
00:38:35but coming in, so that means braking,
00:38:37and coming out of the pits, which means acceleration.
00:38:40Gives you a little better idea of the effect
00:38:42of the entire pit stop when they measure it that way.
00:38:44Because it's not only the mechanics,
00:38:46it's the driver, too.
00:38:47It's everybody involved.
00:38:48On a course like this, the team
00:38:50and the work made on the pit stops
00:38:52is so absolutely critical.
00:38:54The 31 car, that John Beekes,
00:38:56former ARS champion.
00:38:58They're making their first pit stop.
00:38:59This team has never made a pit stop in competition before.
00:39:02All of the men on the crew, you see in action.
00:39:05This is not a team like Penske's with 50 men.
00:39:07They only have a handful.
00:39:08Beekes, young man, has done a wonderful job here this weekend.
00:39:12Well, he surprised a lot of people.
00:39:14He qualified very well in the 11th starting position,
00:39:17doing very well in the run here.
00:39:19They're taking it carefully.
00:39:20They don't want to be flashy.
00:39:21They just want to stay in and learn,
00:39:23and that is a good attitude.
00:39:24Mario Andretti cuts into the pits.
00:39:26He's ready.
00:39:27Let's go down to Jackaroo.
00:39:35They're changing the tires.
00:39:36All four tires.
00:39:37Fuel going.
00:39:38Kind of interesting, gentlemen,
00:39:39that he's been able to go a lap longer
00:39:41than many of the front runners.
00:39:42Big move from Mario Andretti
00:39:45in trying to win this race.
00:39:46Let's go back to you.
00:39:47Well, the fact that he was able to carry a little longer,
00:39:50Bobby Unser could be critical
00:39:51coming to the end of the race.
00:39:52He looks like he's getting pretty good mileage.
00:39:54Historically, Mario's always done better
00:39:56than anybody here,
00:39:57but remember, like with little Al and like Emil
00:40:00when they came in early,
00:40:01they have to have the guarantee more than anybody.
00:40:03They can't afford to gamble
00:40:04because they are running number one, too, in the race.
00:40:07Well, as they cycle their way through,
00:40:09the number five car, El Unser Jr.,
00:40:11the Valvoline Machine,
00:40:12now comes back to the lead of the field.
00:40:14Mario Andretti came out of the stop in second place,
00:40:17but as he builds up speed,
00:40:18will struggle just a bit to hold on.
00:40:20A bit of quality sits in third place.
00:40:22So the first of what should be two scheduled stops
00:40:25complete at Long Beach.
00:40:27And the question is,
00:40:28will Al Unser Jr. continue to dominate this race?
00:40:31The answer to the moment seems to be yes.
00:40:34We'll be back with more.
00:40:38What can a Toyota one-ton truck do?
00:40:40Back at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach,
00:40:4241 of the 95 laps are complete.
00:40:44Al Unser Jr., after his pit stop,
00:40:47was able to move back into the lead,
00:40:49followed by Emerson Fittipaldi,
00:40:50as we take a look down through the top ten.
00:40:52But there seems to be, Bobby Unser,
00:40:54some concern on Fittipaldi's fuel mileage.
00:40:56There does, Paul.
00:40:57And the fuel, as we always note here in Long Beach,
00:41:00becomes a very big factor.
00:41:02Now, M.O. is short-shifting.
00:41:04That means he's getting better mileage.
00:41:05There's Didier Thaise.
00:41:06He runs in 12th place in the tune-up master's car,
00:41:09that bright orange or day-glow number nine.
00:41:12That belongs to Vince Granatelli
00:41:14of the Granatelli Racing family.
00:41:16He's doing a nice job.
00:41:17New ride for him this year.
00:41:18Yesterday at the tune-up master's,
00:41:20that's Andy Granatelli,
00:41:21the guy that I used to drive for in Indianapolis.
00:41:23And that's Eddie Cheever that's coming down to the inside
00:41:27and picks up the position on Thaise.
00:41:29Cheever working his way up and picks up 12th place.
00:41:32That's a Chevrolet passing a Buick engine car there,
00:41:36the V8.
00:41:37Some people are asking,
00:41:38and they seem to think,
00:41:40they don't seem to think,
00:41:41it seems rather obvious
00:41:42that the Buick engine is somewhat penalized,
00:41:45and they have asked to give it more boost,
00:41:47more turbocharger pressure,
00:41:48but that's been denied.
00:41:50The reason they're running the car,
00:41:51for no other reason,
00:41:52is to get ready for Indianapolis,
00:41:54because they have a definite advantage there.
00:41:56Yeah, so what it is,
00:41:57it's a stock block V6 with a turbocharger on it.
00:42:00And they, in part,
00:42:01they don't allow more boost,
00:42:02but in Indianapolis,
00:42:03they allow a whole bunch more.
00:42:04There's Emerson Fittipaldi,
00:42:06struggling now, apparently,
00:42:07with a fuel problem.
00:42:09Let's go to Jack O'Road and get an update.
00:42:11He is with Fittipaldi's crew chief.
00:42:13And Paul, I'm with Rick Reinemann,
00:42:15who's the crew chief on Emerson Fittipaldi's car.
00:42:17You're short-shifting,
00:42:19not by choice, but by necessity.
00:42:21Right, we're just a little bit low on fuel,
00:42:23but right now, after the last stop we found,
00:42:27we have a little bit more fuel in the tank
00:42:28than what we thought we did, so...
00:42:30Yeah, but have you got enough to go the distance?
00:42:32Well, we'll keep running at these times now,
00:42:35and then hopefully build up a cushion,
00:42:37and then after our next stop,
00:42:38we'll turn it up.
00:42:39You need 1.8 miles to the gallon
00:42:41in order to go the distance
00:42:42with the amount of fuel that you have in the tank,
00:42:44and right now, they're getting 1.74 miles to the gallon.
00:42:50Now, Paul, what you would think after that is,
00:42:52is these cars are computer-controlled,
00:42:54and the Bensky cars and the Chevrolet engines
00:42:56have telemetry systems,
00:42:57which means that they transmit by radio
00:42:59what the car is doing back to the pit.
00:43:01Now, in this particular case,
00:43:03they found out that that wasn't exactly true,
00:43:05so there may be something in that computer system
00:43:07not working.
00:43:08Nothing is more agonizing
00:43:10as we look at Emerson Fittipaldi there
00:43:12right behind the Porsche
00:43:13for a driver who is in second place
00:43:15and desperately wants to be trying to catch the leader
00:43:18than to having to be taking conservation measures
00:43:21with his fuel,
00:43:22short-shifting, possibly leading the mixture out.
00:43:24Right now, Emerson Fittipaldi wants to go for it
00:43:27and start catching little Al, and he can't.
00:43:29I have no idea how they do it.
00:43:30It must require just incredible discipline.
00:43:32All he does is watch the tach
00:43:33and make sure he doesn't exceed a point.
00:43:35Self-discipline.
00:43:36You would be absolutely right on that.
00:43:38I mean, the amazing driver
00:43:40is a much more complex person than most people realize.
00:43:43As you see Emerson dart out and around the Porsche there,
00:43:47you have to be a man who is both extremely aggressive
00:43:50and yet extremely careful.
00:43:52What they'll do, Sam,
00:43:53is just cut it back about 500 RPM.
00:43:55That's what he's talking about.
00:43:56Short-shifting just means every time they shift,
00:43:59they'll drop it back like 500 RPM.
00:44:01If the fuel mileage is really bad,
00:44:03they'll drop it down 1,000 RPM every time they shift.
00:44:08All right, Emerson Fittipaldi works his way around the course.
00:44:11Of course, here at Long Beach,
00:44:13there's a great deal more of racing.
00:44:15One of those was yesterday's professional drivers
00:44:17and celebrities in the Toyota Pro Celebrity.
00:44:20It's a popular fantasy to drive a race car.
00:44:23This weekend, the Toyota Pro Celebrity race
00:44:25gave that chance to a handful of notables,
00:44:28including former Miami Dolphin Larry Zonka.
00:44:31I have the guts to go around here once in a while,
00:44:34but the intestinal sprain,
00:44:36I would develop ulcers if I did this for a living.
00:44:39I mean, everyone's fighting for their space,
00:44:41and everyone's trying to pass each other,
00:44:43and you're in survival mode.
00:44:46A couple of my ABC colleagues
00:44:48took on the streets of Long Beach and each other.
00:44:51Paul Page, for as long as I've known him,
00:44:54has told the American viewing public
00:44:56all they need to know about auto racing.
00:44:58Folks, today, you're going to finally get to see
00:45:01just how little he truly knows.
00:45:04Would you like me to reply to that, Paul?
00:45:06Just want you to keep watching.
00:45:08There's the before.
00:45:10The after, that smile won't be nearly that big.
00:45:15Then it was time to race.
00:45:17At the drop of the green flag,
00:45:19Peter Satira, Chicago's lead singer,
00:45:21spun up the straight.
00:45:23A Route 2 would hit the wall,
00:45:25proving Page's prophecy.
00:45:27And as the race developed,
00:45:29Page raced with the leaders,
00:45:31including former Indy winners Johnny Rutherford
00:45:33and Bobby Rahal,
00:45:35who passes here for the lead.
00:45:43At the checkered flag, it was Rahal.
00:45:46Then-actor Stephen Baldwin of the Young Riders,
00:45:49Paul Page was third.
00:45:51For winner Rahal,
00:45:53hopes of a clean sweep this weekend.
00:45:55I got through traffic and just learned a lot
00:45:58from just watching these guys in the past.
00:46:00You just can't lean on them.
00:46:02You got to drive them very smoothly.
00:46:04It was a lot of fun. I had a kick.
00:46:06I hope it's a good omen for tomorrow.
00:46:08Congratulations.
00:46:10When this guy passes you,
00:46:12it feels so good you want him to do it one more time.
00:46:15Paul, I think in two races of that Toyota deal,
00:46:18Bobby Rahal better start watching out for Paul Page.
00:46:21He did a good job.
00:46:23It was a lot of fun.
00:46:25On board once again, Mario Andretti
00:46:27works his way around the track.
00:46:30Followed by Emerson Fittipaldi.
00:46:32It means a lot to have the pressure
00:46:34of this team on Mario's shoulders.
00:46:36It has so often in the last few races
00:46:38been on Michael's instead.
00:46:40I think Mario wants that responsibility,
00:46:42wants to feel that he is leading the team again.
00:46:44This is a good day for Mario Andretti.
00:46:46Keep in mind also that Michael's not very far back.
00:46:48He didn't spend much time
00:46:50stuck down in that turn one
00:46:52when he got kind of captured
00:46:54in that first lap problem.
00:46:56He's up and running and doing quite well.
00:46:59Mario Andretti rides in third place
00:47:02as he chases Fittipaldi and Allenger Jr.
00:47:05We'll return with more of ABC's coverage
00:47:07of the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach
00:47:09after this message and a word from our ABC stations.
00:47:13We're back riding with the third place car,
00:47:15Mario Andretti, as we take a look
00:47:17at the summary after 45 laps.
00:47:19Allenger Jr. has been the dominant factor
00:47:22and is running a record pace right now.
00:47:24Only one lead change.
00:47:26That was when Mario picked up the lead
00:47:28when Al went into the pits.
00:47:30Then when Mario went in, Al went right back in front.
00:47:32They're back in the same order again.
00:47:34Allenger Jr., Emerson, Fittipaldi.
00:47:36Then Mario Andretti, Danny Sullivan,
00:47:38Michael Andretti is up in fifth now,
00:47:40followed by Rick Mears, Ari Leyendijk,
00:47:42Bobby Rahal, Raul Boisel,
00:47:44Scotty Brayton rounds out the top ten.
00:47:46You take a look at the Porsche.
00:47:48That's Teo Bobby.
00:47:50Bobby is running down now in 12th place.
00:47:52He has been fighting with Eddie Cheever
00:47:55for the past couple of laps.
00:47:57Let's go down to the pits. Here's Gary Gerald.
00:47:59As Teo battles down there in that number 12 spot,
00:48:03John Andretti is out of this competition
00:48:05and is alongside.
00:48:06John, what turned out to be the problem for you?
00:48:08We had a bad understeer problem all weekend,
00:48:11so we added more and more flaps on the front.
00:48:14Obviously, we closed off too much to the radiators.
00:48:18At least that's what we initially think.
00:48:20The temperatures were going up and up and up.
00:48:23I'm surprised it stayed together.
00:48:25It speaks well for the team,
00:48:27the Porsche engine, and the Quaker State oil.
00:48:29I know it's been a tough couple of weeks,
00:48:31first Phoenix and now here,
00:48:32but Indianapolis, you've got a lot of time
00:48:34to go to work in the month of May.
00:48:35We wish you well.
00:48:36Thanks a lot.
00:48:37Indianapolis is my hometown,
00:48:38so maybe we'll get the Andretti bad luck away.
00:48:40Still a touch of optimism, Paul.
00:48:42John Andretti, his Porsche car failing him.
00:48:45He's out of the race here,
00:48:46but looking ahead to the Indianapolis 500.
00:48:49Paul, I've just got to mention,
00:48:51he's a sprint car driver.
00:48:52He came up through sprints and midgets,
00:48:54and he's going to be a good driver.
00:48:56He really is a young, aggressive one,
00:48:58and he loves the Porsche.
00:49:00There's the 25 car.
00:49:01That's Willie T. Rivs.
00:49:02He is running 14th now.
00:49:04This is his first IndyCar start,
00:49:06and, Bobby, he's playing a conservative run here,
00:49:09and that's probably a very bright way to approach it.
00:49:11Yeah, so we watched.
00:49:12There he is, right there,
00:49:13going down the shoreline driving.
00:49:14We watched when he first got here.
00:49:16He was lost.
00:49:17He didn't understand the car and how to change it,
00:49:19but, boy, they made that car a lot faster.
00:49:21That's a Raynor garage door car.
00:49:23It's a good car, and Willie's certainly doing better.
00:49:25Originally, this team had announced
00:49:27that they intended to run at Indianapolis,
00:49:29but then they finally decided the car arrived too late.
00:49:32They just didn't have the operation together,
00:49:34and so they will not race Indianapolis this year.
00:49:37While Willie may not be willing to admit it,
00:49:39it probably hurt a lot that he couldn't do that.
00:49:42What makes this historic is that Willie T. Rivs is a black man.
00:49:46He's a black racing driver, a very, very fine one,
00:49:48but he has been dogged throughout his career
00:49:50by a really hot temper,
00:49:52manifesting itself mostly off the track,
00:49:54but sometimes on the track.
00:49:56I think it's hurt him.
00:49:57I think it's something he has completely under control
00:49:59as of the last couple of years.
00:50:01I hope so.
00:50:02I believe he's a man of immense talent,
00:50:04and I would like to see that talent
00:50:06have an opportunity to shine in a race car.
00:50:08Running just ahead of Willie T. Rivs,
00:50:10you get an occasional view
00:50:12of that yellow and blue number 10 car,
00:50:14and that is Hiro Mashusta.
00:50:17So if you're considering new things in IndyCar racing,
00:50:20the first Oriental to sit behind the wheel of an IndyCar
00:50:23drives in this race as well.
00:50:25Interesting thing on the pronunciation,
00:50:27as we watch Scott Goodyear in the 11 car,
00:50:29on the pronunciation there,
00:50:31while when you see it written,
00:50:33it looks like it ought to be Matsushita,
00:50:35the Japanese, when you ask them,
00:50:37say it really should be pronounced Mashusta,
00:50:39so I think we'll stay with that for a while.
00:50:41Good fight here as Eddie Cheever
00:50:43comes across the front of Scott Goodyear
00:50:45and picks up the position.
00:50:46Scott Goodyear, by the way, is a Canadian,
00:50:48and he's really been looking good at IndyCar racing.
00:50:50Come out through these smaller open-wheel cars
00:50:52like the Birmingham Manning.
00:50:54Could be a good driver, folks.
00:50:56Scott Goodyear works his way around the course,
00:50:58in behind Eddie Cheever now
00:51:00in that red and white number 15 machine.
00:51:02Of course, in Canada, they are looking for a man
00:51:04to fill the shoes of the great Gilles Villeneuve,
00:51:06the great Canadian champion.
00:51:08Will it be Scott Goodyear? Who knows?
00:51:12Mario Andretti once again.
00:51:14Mario Andretti looking ahead
00:51:16to try and find Emerson Fittipaldi
00:51:18running in 2nd place,
00:51:20but Emo is a good 10 seconds ahead of this car,
00:51:22and then 20 seconds ahead
00:51:24is the leader, Al Ensor, Jr.
00:51:26Because of the onboard camera,
00:51:28you cannot look and see how smooth Mario is.
00:51:30Very similar to little Al.
00:51:32They're both Mola cars, and I suspect
00:51:34they both set up pretty close to the same
00:51:36because they're extremely smooth.
00:51:38Look at his hands and how little work he really has to do.
00:51:40Running down through the starting field
00:51:42after 50 laps for you.
00:51:44Keep an eye on Mario Andretti.
00:51:46Race at speed is really how you win,
00:51:48especially on a road course,
00:51:50most certainly at the Indianapolis 500.
00:51:52He barely moves the wheel.
00:51:54It's almost a light touch of a lover
00:51:56with this car as he just gently
00:51:58pulls the wheel around,
00:52:00and yet places the car in exactly the right place
00:52:02at hundreds of miles an hour.
00:52:04Whoa! What rhetoric was that?
00:52:06It seems to me, as I recall,
00:52:08these cars actually have very heavy steering.
00:52:10Men have to be extremely fit
00:52:12to do what looks so easy to us here.
00:52:14Remember the G-forces,
00:52:16and we don't see the camera
00:52:18as they slam from corner to corner.
00:52:20Wellinger, Jr. is still out in front
00:52:22in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
00:52:24He is going for career win number 10,
00:52:26which would put him in line
00:52:28with guys like Peter DiPaolo
00:52:30and Louis Chevrolet
00:52:32on the all-time win list.
00:52:34We'll be back.
00:52:37Paul Page with Sam Posey,
00:52:39Bobby Unser, Gary Gerald,
00:52:41and Jack Arood watching Mario Andretti
00:52:43riding in third place right now
00:52:45as he works his way around this circuit,
00:52:47and we ride on board with Mario.
00:52:49Now let's just sit back and let Mario
00:52:51take us for a Sunday afternoon drive
00:52:53in Long Beach.
00:53:07Let's go!
00:53:27Now down inside the cockpit,
00:53:29looking up,
00:53:31you get an idea
00:53:33how much vibration actually exists
00:53:35these cars. He's now on Seaside.
00:53:52It's Machusta that he comes to the inside. And we've completed a lap there. Bobby Enzo,
00:53:59perhaps you can give us an idea of some of the driving at some of these corners as he
00:54:04comes around again as we ride with third place Mario. Yes, what you're seeing now is coming
00:54:09down the front straightaway. This is 180 miles an hour approximately. Now it's the other
00:54:14end. There's Danny Sullivan. Even though you see a turn and an ace of them, it's a wide
00:54:19open straightaway. There's Danny. There's a real close up. Watch how smooth Danny's
00:54:23wings are, how smooth the car is. Danny Sullivan runs in fourth place right now behind Mario
00:54:29and Ready. Remember, he had that problem at the early part of the race. You look back
00:54:33from Bobby Ray Hall's car as Bobby Ray Hall sweeps across into turn one just in front
00:54:37of Sullivan. Not a battle for position, but a great fight on the track. A top driver like
00:54:42Sullivan, though, learns to put a mistake out of his mind and behind him. He won't be dwelling
00:54:46on that mistake he made earlier. You'll think about it later. Not now. Boy, did you see
00:54:50him pitch the back end, though, as there comes Sullivan closing up on Ray Hall right now.
00:54:55It is Ray Hall running back in eighth place. Let's go to check a route. During that crash,
00:55:00we said that Danny Sullivan was a little concerned about his fuel consumption, but
00:55:03they seem to be doing well. The reason for that was they had turned the boost down just
00:55:07enough. Just one lap ago, the crew radioed Danny Sullivan go back to full boost. And
00:55:13right now, by our calculations, he's one of the fastest things out there. Well, he's looking
00:55:18spectacular, and Bobby Ray Hall is supplying the footage here as we look back live. You
00:55:23can really get a feel. Oh, he's right in there. Oh, he is. You get a feel how he's
00:55:28got better braking, a lot better braking than Bobby Ray Hall does. Obviously, that's where
00:55:33Ray Hall has been giving up a lot today. Watch as they come down into the first turn now.
00:55:38Sullivan is pitching the car all over the place. The back end really getting loose.
00:55:41180 miles an hour. Look at that. Now he's just really good, and he did a pass on him
00:55:45right there, and you saw it from the back how he really came up and went after Ray Hall.
00:55:50Flying Pegasus, Danny Sullivan. Boy, he is out and beginning to burn this race course
00:55:55up, trying to catch up to the top three, Al Unser, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Mario Andretti.
00:56:00One of the best shots we ever saw right there. You see how the drivers really go for it when
00:56:05they decide to go for it. Bobby Ray Hall's STP Craco machine runs in eighth place. That's
00:56:11continuing to chase Sullivan, but of course, he is a lap off of the pace and still struggling
00:56:17with the car. He's had problems with it right from the green flag.
00:56:19Well, if you have brake problems at Long Beach, you've got major problems, and that's apparently
00:56:23what he's had. He's not going to be able to overcome it. Make up for it a little bit,
00:56:27but not overcome it.
00:56:28Does that say something about how he uses the car? He, by the way, ran out of brakes
00:56:33in the Toyota Pro Celebrity race as well.
00:56:36Not really, Paul. The brakes on these cars should be infallible. The guy really shouldn't
00:56:41be able to go fast enough to hurt these brakes. They're just really special any way you want
00:56:45to look at it.
00:56:46Sullivan closes up behind the number 10 Panasonic car. Maschusta comes to the outside, and that
00:56:51easily goes past, but Hero wisely saw that was Danny Sullivan and said,
00:56:55Now, I've just got here to learn for a little bit. I'm not going to play that game.
00:56:58It's a sign of a good rookie when he moved out of the way and let the pass happen like
00:57:02that, because he definitely ordered to Sullivan to let him go fast.
00:57:05All right, we continue to watch here at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Danny Sullivan
00:57:10in front is Al Unser, Jr. In second place is Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti is in
00:57:15third, then this car, the number seven, Danny Sullivan, then Michael Andretti, who had
00:57:20his problems early on and has carved his way back up to fifth from falling as far behind
00:57:24as 23rd place. Rick Mears runs in sixth.
00:57:28Now, next Saturday, we'll start off professional bowling's crown jewel, the $250,000 Firestone
00:57:33Tournament of Champions, and ABC's Wide World of Sports will present women's gymnastics.
00:57:38United States and East Germany meet head-to-head for the first time. We'll also have a report
00:57:44from Churchill Downs on the Derby Trial and a Kentucky Derby preview. That's all live
00:57:49next Saturday on ABC's Wide World of Sports.
00:57:54Back with Mario Andretti, the third-place car.
00:57:57And just remember that it is Danny Sullivan behind Andretti now on the road. That's Fittipaldi,
00:58:02Sullivan's teammate. Fittipaldi in second, Sullivan in fourth, catching Andretti.
00:58:09The story of this race has been the fact that there's no contest for Al Leiser Jr.
00:58:14Three in a row. It appears to be something that has been in hand right from the green
00:58:18flag as he continues to run away from the second-place Fittipaldi you saw. There went
00:58:23Fittipaldi around Didier Thies in the tune-up master's car.
00:58:27Easy, easy pass, though Fittipaldi should be able to get around that car because of
00:58:31the difference in power he's here.
00:58:33But you can watch Didier point to it. In other words, that's really being a gentleman, being
00:58:37a class and saying, hey, go by the right side. I'm going to make it easy on you.
00:58:41Emerson won the championship last year by driving hard and taking chances. He's won
00:58:45a lot of races, and he's starting to do that again now. He's starting to really push. He's
00:58:50only ten seconds back and is not out of reach. If he could start putting the pressure on
00:58:54little Al up front, even if it's a few seconds back, little Al may. You see him slide there.
00:58:59May have to start using more fuel and pushing harder through traffic than he would like.
00:59:03Remember, Sam, they told him, turn up the boost. Computer, maybe it was a little bit
00:59:07wrong. They had a little bit more fuel than they thought, so they're running the full
00:59:1045 inches allowable on the PC90 with Chevrolet engines in it.
00:59:14So we watch the second-place car of Emerson Fittipaldi, 11 seconds back from the leader
00:59:19Al Unser, Jr., as they work their way through these streets in Long Beach, California.
00:59:24Al Unser still dominates. We'll be back.
00:59:28In the history of motor racing, to live and drive the Indy 500, three decades of ABC Sports
00:59:35at Indy. A brand-new videocassette that tells the whole Indy experience from an unbelievable
00:59:41point of view. Now you can live and drive the Indy 500 for only $19.98, plus $3 shipping
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00:59:55This is Corey McFerrin in New York.
00:59:57Coming off of the hairpin, and fortunately, everybody was able to get around him. He called
01:00:03for help from these two course marshals to try and get him back down toward the pit area.
01:00:07The pit entrance is only a few feet away.
01:00:09Well, for a while, Paul, he was right in the middle of the groove, and you can see how
01:00:12bad he wanted somebody to get out there and help him get out of the way, because that's
01:00:16the worst place that you can fit him.
01:00:18Here's what happened. He was on board, coming into the corner.
01:00:25The engine just quit. Probably ran out of fuel, maybe had a fuel pickup problem, Paul.
01:00:30Look at the tire pick up all the crud from the racetrack. That's a really bad place.
01:00:34That's in the hairpins. It's really the narrow place on the track to have it quit.
01:00:38But the good news is, it's also where they're moving the slowest, so they were able to kind
01:00:42of get the cars under control and not get into the back of Rahal when he just stopped
01:00:46on the course.
01:00:47And the course marshals, of course, put out the yellow, so the drivers knew there was
01:00:50something wrong. Little Al, Rick, everybody got by nice and easy.
01:00:53Looking down now from the Goodyear blimp as we chase the leader on shoreline.
01:01:01We'll try and watch him most of the way around here.
01:01:04He comes into traffic. Very careful.
01:01:07Moves to the inside. Two cars in trouble. Goodyear and the 19 car of Dean Hall.
01:01:14As the course marshals, and it takes a lot of them to run this race, and they do a spectacular job
01:01:19out trying to get the cars clear.
01:01:21Look at them, though, as they have to dodge cars coming through there.
01:01:24Hall gets going again. Nice job by the corner workers here.
01:01:27Well, they've got to be brave to get out.
01:01:29That's actually in traffic.
01:01:31You know, the drivers don't see, as we've mentioned so many times, because of the concrete
01:01:35wall, they don't see much.
01:01:36So it's really brave court marshals to get out and do that.
01:01:39And they have called. You see those yellow flags.
01:01:42I wondered why they were at the hairpin.
01:01:44It is because they have called for a full course yellow.
01:01:47They're going to send the pace car out.
01:01:49Apparently, they feel that Goodyear's car is in an uncomfortable position.
01:01:52Now, look for all the cars to come in right now and get fuel.
01:01:55The fast cars should be diving in just as soon as things pack up, Paul.
01:01:58Well, it's coming in at a time that may not be advantageous to some,
01:02:02as Al Unser Jr., the leader, heads for the pits under the full course yellow.
01:02:07On board with Mario Andretti.
01:02:13Here comes Fittipaldi in.
01:02:14The second-place car is in.
01:02:16Just ahead of him, Al Unser Jr. is in the pits as well.
01:02:19There's Al Unser Jr.'s car.
01:02:21They make a stop.
01:02:22He darted into the pits very quickly.
01:02:24Comes out in 16.7 seconds.
01:02:26The second-place car, Fittipaldi.
01:02:28They work on his car.
01:02:29The Penske team pushes that machine away.
01:02:31But he is still chasing little Al as they come out of the pits.
01:02:34Mario Andretti comes in to stop.
01:02:36Now, remember, the idea is first in, first out.
01:02:39When it's an off-course yellow, hey, they've had to all come in.
01:02:42There's Emo leaving the pits right now.
01:02:44He's got Rahal between him.
01:02:46He would like to be right up little Al's bumper, but it isn't going to happen right now.
01:02:49And he wants to get around Rahal just as fast as he can.
01:02:52As they come out, they join the course in the first turn.
01:02:58The full-course yellow will keep them from passing one another,
01:03:01so that will control the racetrack.
01:03:03There's the safety vehicle out.
01:03:04Full-course yellow came out, obviously, because the track was more than 50% blocked.
01:03:09And that's what Wally Dallenbeck would describe.
01:03:11First full-course caution since 1988 here at Long Beach.
01:03:14We'll return with more of ABC's coverage of the Grand Prix
01:03:17after a word from our ABC station.
01:03:20Caution, the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
01:03:23Let's go down to Jackaroo.
01:03:24Paul, I'm in the Emerson Fittipaldi pit with Rick Reineman.
01:03:27This is the break that you people needed.
01:03:29No more short-shifting now.
01:03:30Well, it still depends on how long this stays yellow.
01:03:33Because right now, we're right at the limit,
01:03:36and Emerson wants to win the race.
01:03:40But see, what they were doing, Paul, as we said,
01:03:42was you were short-shifting throughout the race,
01:03:44and now you've taken all the fuel that you can get.
01:03:46But under this full-course yellow, it should change your miles per gallon to the end.
01:03:50Well, that is definitely going to help us.
01:03:52Again, depending on how long this stays yellow.
01:03:54If it stays a few laps, we'll be able to race,
01:03:57but Junior's going to run, too.
01:04:01They're really crossing their fingers right now, Paul,
01:04:03that they think they can make it a race.
01:04:05So, Bobby Unser, you have a question for Jackaroo.
01:04:07Yes, Jack.
01:04:08Maybe you can ask the people, are they full of fuel?
01:04:11That'll make the difference in what we're going to see.
01:04:13Bobby, what they've done is they had about 35 gallons left in the tank.
01:04:17I checked on the tank before we came on here,
01:04:19and they are totally empty.
01:04:21So, they have put on 35 gallons.
01:04:23Now, what they actually had on board when they came in for that stop,
01:04:26they had elected to come in another four stops, another four laps.
01:04:30So, assume it would be about maybe 10 gallons in the tank.
01:04:33All right, well, Al Unser Jr. was on a record pace at 87.9 miles an hour,
01:04:38but this full-course yellow is going to affect that.
01:04:41You know, the biggest change in IndyCar racing the last 10 years
01:04:44has not been the drivers or the cars.
01:04:46It's where they race.
01:04:48It all began here, as Sam Posey reports.
01:04:51The streets of Long Beach, California.
01:04:54Very much like the streets of any American city,
01:04:56except that since 1975, they have become once a year a racetrack.
01:05:01And with racing in the streets have come crowds of people to watch.
01:05:05And with the people and the money they spend here
01:05:07has come the economic revitalization of downtown Long Beach.
01:05:11Once grimy and industrial, today flourishing and fun.
01:05:15The race has become a springtime ritual,
01:05:18the focus for a 10-day festival of race-related events
01:05:21such as a charity ball and this auto expo.
01:05:24Total attendance, more than a quarter of a million people.
01:05:27What has happened here has not gone unnoticed in other North American cities.
01:05:32Last year, IndyCars raced in Detroit, New York, Cleveland, Toronto.
01:05:36And this year, new races are planned in Denver and Vancouver.
01:05:40IndyCar racing, once identified with ovals and fairgrounds,
01:05:44has taken to the streets.
01:05:46And it all started here in Long Beach.
01:05:51Boy, this place really, since the first Formula 5000 race in 1975,
01:05:56it's grown up. Those buildings weren't even here then.
01:05:59Now they have a beautiful marina alongside the track
01:06:02and so many excellent restaurants. We really had a good time here in Long Beach.
01:06:05And it's all because of the inspiration of one man, whose name is Christopher Poop.
01:06:09He had the vision, he knew what to do, and he made it happen. It's fabulous.
01:06:12And it's dramatically impacted the city itself.
01:06:15While this was a decaying, slow, old town when they first started racing here,
01:06:20it's a vibrant and alive, self-fulfilling prophecy.
01:06:23Let's go down to the pits with Gary Gerald.
01:06:25Well, Paul, before the green comes back out, we're wondering about if all the fuel's gone among the leaders.
01:06:29We're in the little Aluncer pit. Mike Arnold with his back to us right here is the fueler.
01:06:34The telltale sign, the helmet is off. All the fuel is gone.
01:06:38His duties are done for this day.
01:06:40We talked to Rick Gallis briefly. He also indicated they haven't had a short-shifting problem at all.
01:06:45They haven't had to go to that. They've been good with their fuel all day.
01:06:48They've been cruising, and he gives you that little smile that says,
01:06:51could this be three in a row?
01:06:53Oh, boy, it's looking very strong.
01:06:55By the way, if little Al continues his domination,
01:06:58he'd head into the Indianapolis 500 with the points lead.
01:07:01The airship Columbia, the Goodyear Blimp, stays just up the 405 freeway, not far from here.
01:07:07John Creighton from Redondo Beach, California, is the pilot,
01:07:10and it's got that great camera on board.
01:07:12As the pace car comes off, the green flag flies again.
01:07:15On this road course, they just pick up the lead car in the serial,
01:07:19not necessarily the leader of the race.
01:07:21So there will be a scramble as Al Unser Jr. and the No. 5 Valvoline car comes inside
01:07:25as Eddie Cheever tries to thread his way through traffic.
01:07:28Boy, you can see that Cheever didn't expect that pass right there, Paul,
01:07:31because he didn't move over a little bit.
01:07:33He knew little Al was trying to pass, but he didn't think it would be quite
01:07:35toward his No. 1 turn, because both of them have Chevrolet engines in them.
01:07:38Little Al once again will try to separate himself, put as much traffic between himself
01:07:43and that No. 1 car that just flashed past of Emerson Fittipaldi,
01:07:47currently running in 2nd place.
01:07:49He needs the clean air. Little Al wants to get out so he has the clean air to run in,
01:07:53exactly what he had before we had the full-course yellow.
01:07:56It looks like he's accomplished that, Paul.
01:07:58Al Unser Jr. now leads the field around. He has no traffic ahead.
01:08:02That will help him. Bobby Rahal moves around Willie Ripps.
01:08:05Here comes Emerson Fittipaldi out alongside Scott Creighton
01:08:08as they come slamming to the turn at Linden at the end of Seaside.
01:08:12The Mario Andretti and Danny Sullivan fight one another.
01:08:15As they come through the field, Danny takes a wide line coming off the corner
01:08:19as he continues his pursuit.
01:08:21So, once again, the top of the field, because of that full-course caution,
01:08:24has bunched up a bit and turned this back into a race.
01:08:27Boy, it's going to be a heck of a race. Just look at the cars.
01:08:30Nose and tail all the way around from the front to the back.
01:08:33Now, everybody got their tires cool, got new fuel.
01:08:36Always makes a good race at night.
01:08:38Bobby, the pit stop story should be over.
01:08:40As Gary Gerald suggested, at least with one crew,
01:08:43they have put everything they can in the cars, so now it's totally up to the drivers.
01:08:47Other than the Penske cars, we really haven't heard of anybody having any fuel problems this year.
01:08:51Now, remember, the aerodynamic package is different on the cars.
01:08:54The tunnel to the ground effect is slower than last year.
01:08:57The wings, generally speaking, are a little bit bigger.
01:09:00But the gas mileage seems to be the same.
01:09:02Mario is under terrific pressure here. He's got Danny Sullivan right behind him
01:09:05and Michael Andretti, his son, right behind Danny.
01:09:08So you're starting to see Mario, who had a strong third situation going on before that yellow,
01:09:13now under extreme pressure.
01:09:15They sweep under the convention center,
01:09:18comes into the front of the center here, on the seaside.
01:09:21And there comes Michael moving out and coming around.
01:09:25Boy, look at all of them. Boy, that guy crowded there.
01:09:28That should be a figophile corner there.
01:09:30There's Mario, and Sullivan comes past.
01:09:32Mario's the one who came out loser on that.
01:09:34He didn't really think Sullivan was going to come by.
01:09:37He was more concerned that Lowe was up in front,
01:09:39and Sullivan came by just as he was thinking about that.
01:09:42They got to that corner, and everybody tried.
01:09:44And now you can see Michael is lined up behind Michael.
01:09:47And so they're together.
01:09:49Michael behind Mario.
01:09:50I talked about how important, emotionally, this race is for Mario Andretti,
01:09:53who you see here ahead of his son.
01:09:55The reality is that Michael, you see here, spun early in the game
01:09:59and has now made up all this distance.
01:10:01Really, the verdict is he must be faster right now than his dad.
01:10:05It's being proved right here.
01:10:06And when he spun, Sam, as we mentioned earlier,
01:10:08he got a start right away.
01:10:10The course marshals couldn't see it,
01:10:11but they must have given him a little push start,
01:10:13got him started because he didn't lose very much.
01:10:15Look at the brakes smoking as he comes in there,
01:10:17trying hard to get by his father,
01:10:19but they can't gamble on having a record.
01:10:21Because Michael is thinking ahead.
01:10:23He's trying to get by dad in order to resume his battle with Danny Sullivan,
01:10:26who he may very well have a chance to beat.
01:10:29A battle for fourth place within the Andretti family.
01:10:32That's Scott Brayton that sits just ahead.
01:10:34He is out a little bit in the way.
01:10:35Michael tries to find an advantage
01:10:37as they work their way inside Willie Rims.
01:10:40Does Mario now say,
01:10:41I understand the situation, I'm going to let my son by
01:10:44to go on and battle with Danny Sullivan?
01:10:47The answer, no.
01:10:48I think they're going to just fight amongst themselves
01:10:50and it's going to be resolved by the best man.
01:10:52Dangerous always to wonder what might have been,
01:10:54but at the speed Michael has shown coming back up from 23rd,
01:10:57now to run in fifth place,
01:11:00one wonders if he'd never had that problem,
01:11:02which really wasn't caused by him,
01:11:04where he would be relative to the leader, Allens or junior.
01:11:07Here comes Michael slamming down to the inside,
01:11:09but it is Mario that comes across the front
01:11:11and maintains the position.
01:11:13The battle continues for fourth place.
01:11:15Michael and Mario Andretti,
01:11:17as they continue to battle.
01:11:19And there is a car off,
01:11:20that's Boycelle and the Budweiser car,
01:11:22as he's off in one of the runoff areas,
01:11:24but would like to get the car restarted.
01:11:26No indication as how he got there.
01:11:28So Boycelle with his problems,
01:11:30we look down on the Queen Mary,
01:11:32the ship of dreams here in the harbor at Long Beach.
01:11:3474 laps are complete,
01:11:36and Allens or junior is still out in front.
01:11:39We'll be back.
01:11:41Long Beach, Michael and Mario Andretti
01:11:43continue to battle one another.
01:11:45Mario is in fourth place, but look at Michael,
01:11:47he's closing right in, that's 13th place,
01:11:49Bobby Ray holding the Krakow STP machine.
01:11:51He's got two of those Kmart cars,
01:11:53that team sitting right behind him.
01:11:55Michael has been charging from time to time on Mario.
01:11:58Remember, originally they didn't want to be teamed together.
01:12:01Here's Mario about the experience of being teamed with his son.
01:12:04The hope and satisfaction,
01:12:06there's so much satisfaction of seeing someone else
01:12:09in the team do well,
01:12:11which is very, very strange and very different
01:12:14from what I've ever experienced before.
01:12:16Usually if it's a teammate that does well,
01:12:19you have tremendous envy,
01:12:21and so on and so forth,
01:12:23and yes, I'd like to be the one,
01:12:26but I said, boy, it's not all love.
01:12:29I have to spill my blood out there, you know.
01:12:32He's holding the Czech flag in his hand,
01:12:35and that's still a big part of me that's there,
01:12:38and I want him to succeed,
01:12:40so he's got to have his days,
01:12:43and in many, many ways, to be honest with you,
01:12:46I find a lot of inspiration there,
01:12:48so it's helpful.
01:12:50Michael, on the other hand, was of the opinion
01:12:52that now they can at least talk to one another
01:12:54over the dinner table,
01:12:56they don't have any secrets any longer.
01:12:59Mario Andretti is experiencing in his car
01:13:01what's called a long brake pedal.
01:13:03When he goes into a corner
01:13:04and he has to go into a hard braking,
01:13:06the pedal stays stuck
01:13:08down towards the bottom of the pedal.
01:13:10It doesn't pop back up the way it should,
01:13:12so he has to fish around a little bit,
01:13:14and that's creating some problems,
01:13:16and he goes into some heavy braking
01:13:17here in the corners.
01:13:22Second place, Emerson Fittipaldi.
01:13:24Bobby Unser, you've been watching him,
01:13:26and he's closing in.
01:13:27He is now in sight of Al Unser Jr.
01:13:29The battle develops for the lead.
01:13:31And you know, this is a dangerous place
01:13:33to have ammo as far as little Al is concerned.
01:13:35The closer ammo gets,
01:13:37or in other words, when you see little Al this close,
01:13:39he's going to try like you'd never believe
01:13:41a human being's going to try.
01:13:42Recall the end of the Indy 500 last year
01:13:45when these two men,
01:13:46there's Emerson's wife, Teresa,
01:13:47when these two men came together,
01:13:49collided with each other.
01:13:50Both are fighters.
01:13:51Neither will give an inch.
01:13:53There's a lot left in this race.
01:13:54Very much the same situation.
01:13:5678 laps complete.
01:13:57Emerson Fittipaldi runs in second place,
01:14:00driving for the Penske organization,
01:14:02but closing down on little Al.
01:14:04He's actually gaining on him.
01:14:05He's been watching the last several laps,
01:14:07and he's been closing up on little Al.
01:14:09Now, little Al knows this
01:14:10because he can see him in his mirrors by now.
01:14:12Do you think if he could keep him
01:14:14from getting this close, he could,
01:14:15or is ammo actually definitely a contest?
01:14:18Ammo is in a contest,
01:14:19and he's absolutely pulling up on him.
01:14:21Now, he's not running away with it,
01:14:23and if he caught him right now,
01:14:24the pass would be very difficult.
01:14:26And, of course, that's what we saw.
01:14:27They brought it up in Indianapolis last year.
01:14:30When the race resumed
01:14:31after the yellow flag situation,
01:14:33little Al's lead was 3.2 seconds.
01:14:36It then shrunk to about 2.
01:14:38Now it is 1.4.
01:14:40And he has to be conscious of that.
01:14:43He's seen it off his board.
01:14:44He's hearing it on his radio.
01:14:45Yes, and, you know, you think,
01:14:46well, he did have the pole position here.
01:14:48Fine, he was fastest in practice,
01:14:50but that was just one lap that he did
01:14:52to achieve the pole.
01:14:53The rest of his laps were on the pole
01:14:55slower than Emerson Fittipaldi's laps.
01:14:58So, really, when you take an average,
01:15:00Emerson has been faster.
01:15:01We're seeing that now.
01:15:03Remember, this part of the race,
01:15:04the latter part of the race,
01:15:05tires are playing a big factor.
01:15:07How hard have they used them, Sam?
01:15:09How much have they abused them?
01:15:10Maybe little Al doesn't have
01:15:11quite as good of tires right now
01:15:13as Ammo does.
01:15:14Goodyear brought out a new tire
01:15:16for this racetrack
01:15:17in addition to their Speedway Eagle radio.
01:15:21And they are using it here.
01:15:22Slightly softer compound
01:15:23in one position on the car.
01:15:25Everyone seemed to be appreciative
01:15:26of that change.
01:15:27Of course, the radials have been
01:15:29in effect in IndyCar racing
01:15:30for some time now.
01:15:31It's a definite animal
01:15:32that everyone knows,
01:15:33and they say it's a much better tire
01:15:35because they can accelerate
01:15:36in a better line
01:15:37and brake very, very hard.
01:15:39We've certainly seen that here
01:15:40as we've watched the Toyota Grand Prix
01:15:42of Long Beach.
01:15:43Well, Aluncer Jr.
01:15:44is still out in front
01:15:45and in a perfect position
01:15:46to go to Indianapolis,
01:15:47but Fittipaldi wants to continue
01:15:49to go to Indianapolis,
01:15:50but Fittipaldi wants to contest it.
01:15:54♪♪
01:16:00All of these championship-winning drivers
01:16:02have one thing in common.
01:16:04Goodyear Racing Eagles.
01:16:06The race-winning technology
01:16:07that's found in the
01:16:08Goodyear Racing Eagles
01:16:09can also be found
01:16:10in the world's best-selling line
01:16:12of high-performance street tires.
01:16:14Goodyear Eagle Street Radials.
01:16:16The champions know,
01:16:18and it's why we say
01:16:19the best tires in the world
01:16:21have Goodyear written all over them.
01:16:24♪ To the good life ♪
01:16:27To live the good life,
01:16:29you have to pay the price.
01:16:32Today, the average new car
01:16:33costs over $15,000,
01:16:36but relax.
01:16:37Long Beach, the battle is for the lead.
01:16:38Fittipaldi is climbing
01:16:39all over the back end
01:16:40of Aluncer Jr.
01:16:41They're lapping this course
01:16:42at better than 87 miles an hour,
01:16:45and it is a replay
01:16:46of last year's
01:16:47Indianapolis 500.
01:16:48Teresa Fittipaldi
01:16:49watches on from the pitch.
01:16:50There's Shelly Unser,
01:16:51both hoping that their husbands
01:16:53can come safely
01:16:54to the end of this race,
01:16:55but they're in conflict once again
01:16:57on this very, very tight circuit
01:16:59where passing is all but impossible.
01:17:00Bobby Unser, if there is a pass,
01:17:02where will they try?
01:17:03Well, most likely,
01:17:04little Al's carrying
01:17:05a little bit more rear wing
01:17:06than him, though, Ed.
01:17:07Most likely,
01:17:08it's gonna be at the end
01:17:09of the front straightaway,
01:17:10which is what we're coming to
01:17:11right now.
01:17:12He's there.
01:17:13Let's see if he's gonna try a pass.
01:17:14That was the reaction
01:17:15in the Fittipaldi pitch
01:17:16when they realized
01:17:17that Embo was right up
01:17:18on the back end of little Al
01:17:19for the first time.
01:17:20The emotional leadership
01:17:21of the Penske team
01:17:22has now shifted,
01:17:23no, to Emerson Fittipaldi,
01:17:25who just wanted to show
01:17:26little Al that he was there.
01:17:27Realized that just two weeks ago,
01:17:29there's Shelly Unser,
01:17:30two weeks ago,
01:17:31Teresa Fittipaldi at Phoenix,
01:17:33it was Rick Mears
01:17:34who led the Penske team.
01:17:36Now that has shifted,
01:17:37and it was, of course,
01:17:38Emerson, who last year rivaled.
01:17:41Traffic just ahead,
01:17:42but fortunately,
01:17:43Hero moves out of the way,
01:17:44though little Al does
01:17:45snap a brake on pretty hard,
01:17:47and Fittipaldi closes in
01:17:48once again.
01:17:49I think what happened is
01:17:50little Al's tired,
01:17:51maybe not quite as good
01:17:52a shape as Embo's are right now.
01:17:53You can watch,
01:17:54when he goes through the corners,
01:17:55the tight corners,
01:17:56he's pushing a little bit,
01:17:57but when he comes off the turns
01:17:58and we're in snapping up,
01:17:59little Al,
01:18:00that means his tires
01:18:01are down a little bit, Paul.
01:18:02Tremendous fight
01:18:03at the front of the field.
01:18:04Let's just watch it.
01:18:05First and second,
01:18:06Al Unser Jr.,
01:18:07Emerson Fittipaldi.
01:18:10Let's get this update
01:18:11from Gary Gerald.
01:18:12Gary?
01:18:13Well, just to back up
01:18:14what Bobby was asking about
01:18:15with the tire situation
01:18:16for little Al,
01:18:17Rick Gallis says
01:18:18there is no tire problem.
01:18:20He said,
01:18:21just look at the time
01:18:22and the speed we're running.
01:18:23We're running almost as fast
01:18:24as people qualify.
01:18:25We've got one heck of a race.
01:18:27Those are Gallis' words.
01:18:28All he can do
01:18:29is nervously watch
01:18:30from the wall, Paul.
01:18:3111 laps to go.
01:18:32Willie T. Ribbs
01:18:33just ahead of Emerson.
01:18:34He's got a little bit
01:18:35of a lead.
01:18:36He's got a little bit
01:18:37of a lead.
01:18:38Willie T. Ribbs
01:18:39just wobbled
01:18:40coming down the front stretch
01:18:41and has pulled off the course
01:18:42so he is out of the race.
01:18:43We continue to watch
01:18:44the fight for the lead.
01:19:00Little Al
01:19:01breaks the last lap
01:19:02at 88.3 miles an hour.
01:19:09They are now
01:19:10actually racing at speeds
01:19:12faster than 19 of the cars
01:19:14qualified here.
01:19:15Ben Pauly comes
01:19:16onto the main stretch.
01:19:17They continue to cheer him on.
01:19:39The final 10 laps
01:19:40of the run.
01:19:420.68ths of a second
01:19:44separates first and second.
01:19:48So Al Unser Jr.
01:19:49continues to try to hold off
01:19:52a line.
01:19:53Emerson Fittipaldi
01:19:54will be back with a finish
01:19:56right after this.
01:20:00Pull away from
01:20:01Emerson Fittipaldi
01:20:02but they move into traffic now
01:20:03and that will become critical.
01:20:05Al Unser Jr.
01:20:06just cracked the lap
01:20:07at 88.83 miles an hour.
01:20:09He's blind.
01:20:10He comes up
01:20:11behind Scott Goodyear.
01:20:12Emerson Fittipaldi
01:20:13continues to try to close in.
01:20:15Big Al, Al's father,
01:20:17when he was so involved
01:20:19with his own career
01:20:20when Little Al was getting started
01:20:21that he couldn't take the time
01:20:22to work with him.
01:20:23He turned him over
01:20:24to a 50 year old mechanic
01:20:26named Walter Judge
01:20:27and told Judge
01:20:28you make a street fighter
01:20:29out of him
01:20:30I'll do the fine tuning.
01:20:31It looks to me as if Judge
01:20:32did his part of the bargain here.
01:20:34The problem for Little Al
01:20:36is he is going to have to
01:20:37work his way
01:20:38through some traffic.
01:20:39That will give
01:20:40Emerson Fittipaldi
01:20:41a slight advantage
01:20:42because Emo can pace
01:20:43a little bit better
01:20:44into the traffic
01:20:45but has to hope
01:20:46that he doesn't get
01:20:47locked up behind him.
01:20:48Remember
01:20:49these two men fought
01:20:50at the end of last year's
01:20:51Indianapolis 500.
01:20:53The result there
01:20:54was a crash for Little Al.
01:20:55A million dollar win for Emo.
01:20:57We ask Al Unser Jr.
01:20:58Do you think about
01:20:59Indianapolis very much?
01:21:01It's something that has been
01:21:02well forgotten
01:21:03and is in the past
01:21:05and so it was a race and accident
01:21:08and Mario was upset
01:21:12and all that sort of stuff
01:21:13because I think
01:21:14that he likes Long Beach
01:21:16an awful lot too
01:21:18and just the way it came down
01:21:20he was disappointed
01:21:23and upset in me
01:21:25and Mario
01:21:28I look at him
01:21:29almost like my father.
01:21:32He's my favorite
01:21:34race car driver
01:21:36and idol
01:21:37and all that kind of stuff
01:21:38and so when he was mad at me
01:21:41it was very disappointed
01:21:44for myself.
01:21:47Al Unser Jr.
01:21:48still runs in front here
01:21:50remembering last year's
01:21:51contact with Mario Andretti
01:21:53in a season that saw
01:21:54a great deal of contact
01:21:56in the Indy cars.
01:21:58Now Little Al
01:21:59tries his best
01:22:00to pull away from Fittipaldi
01:22:02and succeeds to some degree
01:22:03in doing so.
01:22:04Paul you just imagine
01:22:05at the end of the race
01:22:06where we're close to the end
01:22:07right now
01:22:08Little Al is turning speeds
01:22:09up to 5th quick
01:22:10and qualifying.
01:22:11In other words
01:22:12you hardly ever see cars
01:22:13go this fast
01:22:14right at the end of the race
01:22:15and Emerson is not
01:22:16letting up one little bit.
01:22:17Emerson like I said earlier
01:22:19is like the bulldog.
01:22:20Fittipaldi right back on top
01:22:22of Al Unser Jr.
01:22:23The Penske power team this year
01:22:25with cars now in 2nd, 3rd
01:22:28and Rick Mears runs in 6th
01:22:30Danny Sullivan is not
01:22:31that far behind
01:22:32Emerson Fittipaldi.
01:22:33Little Al won only
01:22:34one race last year.
01:22:36This was it.
01:22:37And after Indianapolis
01:22:38and that confrontation
01:22:39with Emerson on the next
01:22:40and the last lap
01:22:41he didn't seem to lose his steam.
01:22:43It's good to see him
01:22:44getting it back.
01:22:45He was of course 3rd in Phoenix
01:22:46two weeks ago.
01:22:47He may win this one
01:22:48and lead the championship.
01:22:50Only one second
01:22:51one and a quarter second
01:22:52varies each lap.
01:22:54They're just running
01:22:55exactly the same speed
01:22:56but remember
01:22:57the demo gets a little
01:22:58bit closer.
01:22:59Little Al be messing up
01:23:00the air to his front wing.
01:23:01That hurts you a lot
01:23:02on a road course
01:23:03as well as it doesn't
01:23:04overtread.
01:23:05They're tired
01:23:06almost to the point
01:23:07of exhaustion.
01:23:08It's a warm day
01:23:09in Southern California.
01:23:10A beautiful day
01:23:11but very very hot
01:23:12in these cockpits.
01:23:13And this is a point
01:23:14at which they can make
01:23:15no mistake
01:23:16even the slightest hesitation
01:23:18on the shifting of a gear
01:23:20or over braking
01:23:21or under braking
01:23:22and that other car
01:23:23is going to be right there
01:23:24in past.
01:23:25Well what you hate
01:23:26is seeing that
01:23:27and see traffic there
01:23:28because that's what
01:23:29really could screw you up.
01:23:31So you have to be
01:23:32I mean if it's just
01:23:33a clear track
01:23:34Al is going to win it.
01:23:37Rick Gellis
01:23:38the team owner
01:23:39from Al Lenser Jr.
01:23:41Five laps to go
01:23:42let's ride with the battle
01:23:43for the lead.
01:23:56There's the fight
01:23:57at the front of the field
01:23:58as they come through
01:23:59turn three.
01:24:01This gives you
01:24:02an excellent idea
01:24:03of the interval
01:24:04and the closing under braking.
01:24:05We watch the fight
01:24:06for the lead.
01:24:07The blue and white cars
01:24:08little Al
01:24:09the bright almost white car
01:24:10from above
01:24:11is Emerson Fittipaldi
01:24:12as they sweep through
01:24:13under the parking garage.
01:24:27And there is the worry.
01:24:29Traffic lies just ahead.
01:24:36When Teresa Fittipaldi
01:24:37throws her hand like that
01:24:38she's trying to throw
01:24:39as she says
01:24:40energy to Emo's car
01:24:42to give him more force
01:24:43to move on.
01:24:45Bobby, you think
01:24:46Shelly is worried?
01:24:47She is.
01:24:48She takes the racing
01:24:49just as serious
01:24:50as little Al does.
01:24:51As well as Emo's wife does.
01:24:53There's not much
01:24:54these girls can do
01:24:55to help these drivers
01:24:56and these cars.
01:24:57They're just tricky bystanders
01:24:58like we are right now.
01:25:00We are the pit crew
01:25:01everyone.
01:25:02It's totally in the hands
01:25:03of Emerson Fittipaldi.
01:25:04We are the pit crew
01:25:05everyone.
01:25:06It's totally in the hands
01:25:07of Emerson Fittipaldi.
01:25:08We are the pit crew
01:25:09everyone.
01:25:10It's totally in the hands
01:25:11of Emerson Fittipaldi.
01:25:12We are the pit crew
01:25:13everyone.
01:25:14It's totally in the hands
01:25:15of these two men.
01:25:43On shoreline drive
01:25:44once again.
01:25:45This is a speed
01:25:46again 180 miles an hour.
01:25:47The cars look like
01:25:48they're a little ways apart
01:25:49there.
01:25:50But they're not.
01:25:51In the turns
01:25:52they close right up
01:25:53on each other.
01:25:54Al Unser Jr.
01:25:55has not won
01:25:56an IndyCar race
01:25:57since this event
01:25:58one year ago.
01:25:59And the Penske team
01:26:00has never won a race
01:26:01on this kind of racetrack.
01:26:02Much on the line
01:26:03and a massive
01:26:04pit crew
01:26:05and a massive
01:26:06pit crew
01:26:07and a massive
01:26:08pit crew
01:26:09and a massive
01:26:10pit crew
01:26:11and a massive
01:26:12and a massive
01:26:13and a massive
01:26:14and a massive
01:26:15and a massive
01:26:16and a massive
01:26:17and a massive
01:26:18and a massive
01:26:19and a massive
01:26:20and a massive
01:26:21and a massive
01:26:22and a massive
01:26:23and a massive
01:26:24and a massive
01:26:25and a massive
01:26:26and a massive
01:26:27and a massive
01:26:28and a massive
01:26:29and a massive
01:26:30and a massive
01:26:31and a massive
01:26:32and a massive
01:26:33and a massive
01:26:34and a massive
01:26:35and a massive
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01:26:38and a massive
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