Lazier Standing At Top

Buddy Lazier, a 28-year-old veteran of 53 IndyCar races, took the top qualifying spot for today’s Indy 200, the inaugural race of the Indy Racing League, turning a lap of 181.388 mph on the new Walt Disney World Speedway’s 1-mile oval.

Rookie Richie Hearn, the 1995 Toyota-Atlantic Series champion, qualified on the outside of the front row for his first IRL race at 180.905. Two hours later, he was sitting dejectedly in the team trailer wondering what went wrong after being involved in a two-car crash with Eddie Cheever.

Hearn slammed into the rear of Cheever’s car as the latter attempted to pass during the final practice session prior to the 200-lap race. Both cars were too heavily damaged to race this weekend, but only Cheever had a backup car.

The 25-year-old Hearn crashed his backup in testing a week ago at Phoenix and it appeared for awhile he would be forced to miss the race. Instead, team owner John Della Penna made a deal with Pagan Racing to use one of that team’s 1995 Reynards.

Hearn will join Cheever at the rear of the field.