May 30, 1999
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Race 4 of 11 in the Indy Racing League season

TV: ABC, Noon EDT
Laps: 200
Track length: 2.5 miles
Race length: 500 miles
Banking: 9 degrees
Qualifying record: Arie Luyendyk, 236.986 mph, 1996
Pole record: Scott Brayton, 233.718 mph, 1996
Race record: Arie Luyendyk, 185.981 mph, 1990

Drivers to Watch
Billy Boat – Captured his first career pole here last year, but was forced out due to mechanical problems and placed 23rd; is currently sixth in the point standings after two top-10 scores; fourth was a best showing in Phoenix; qualified third for Sunday's race.

Kenny Brack – Defending IRL champion has had a poor start this season; results of 22nd and 24th, both due to accidents, places him outside the top 20; started from the outside third spot of the front row last year and ran to a respectable sixth-place finish; this year he qualified eighth to start in the middle of Row 3.

Eddie Cheever – A hard-luck driver for much of his career, turned it around and enjoyed much success by winning last year's Indianapolis 500; crew members from all race teams lined up to salute him on the drive to victory lane; led six times for 77 laps to win by 3.1 seconds over 1996 champion Buddy Lazier; will start 16th on Sunday; started this year with a bang by winning at Walt Disney World; is the only owner/driver on the circuit; is third in the points battle with 63.

Scott Goodyear – Will he finally do it this year, can he claim that unfinished order of business; if he does, he will do it from the ninth position of the grid; after a close runner-up score in 1997, last season a clutch problem ended his day early and placed 24th; in 1995 he appeared to be a sure winner but a black flag for passing the pace car on lap 191 restart ended his bid for victory; the scoring was stopped on the car after lap 195; furthermore, he finished second in the closest Indy 500 ever in 1992; the current IRL points leader (93) looks to be the early favorite following strong results in the first two races; runner-up in the Indy 200 and a victory in the MCI 200.

Davey Hamilton – Improved last year to a fourth-place finish from a sixth position the previous season at Indianapolis; was runner-up in the overall standings in the last two seasons – to Tony Stewart in 1997 and Kenny Brack in 1998; had nine top-10s in 11 races last season, but ended without victory; managed to get the middle of row 4 to start 11th.

Buddy Lazier – A slow start this year with finishes of 10th and 18th in the first two races; usually performs well at Indianapolis; the 1996 champion will start 22nd; had scores fourth in 1997 and second last season; 32 points accumulated places him 11th in the standings.

Arie Luyendyk – Announced he will retire after the running of the 83rd Indianapolis 500, and will at least start it in style; won the pole for the third time at the famed track; will compete in car owned by Fred Treadway; is the only driver to win the Indy 500 in both CART and IRL series; is one of only 15 drivers to have won the race more than once; won from the pole in 1997; has led 125 laps in 14 starts; the Flying Dutchman holds four track records, highlighted by fastest qualifying mark of 237.498 mph set in 1996.

Scott Sharp – One of the candidates for the title; finishes of fourth and eighth places him on track for the championship; has 61 points, good for fourth in the standings; was 16th in 1998, while the year before, he suffered a concussion in practice which put him out for two races; has position six in the starting grid.

Jeff Ward – After two races completed this year, ranks second in the driver points with 75 (the VisionAire 500 was not complete due to fatal accidents in the stands); finishes of third at Orlando and second in Arizona; ran 13th in last year's big race; was Indy 500 Rookie of the Year in 1997 with his third place finish; qualified 14th in the middle spot of row 5.

1998 Top Finishers
1. Eddie Cheever Jr. (51), Dallara-Aurora
2. Buddy Lazier (91), Dallara-Aurora
3. r-Steve Knapp (55), G-Force-Aurora
4. Davey Hamilton (6), G-Force-Aurora
5. r-Robby Unser (52), Dallara-Aurora
6. Kenny Brack (14), Dallara-Aurora

Average Speed: 145.115 miles per hour
Time of Race: 3 hours, 26 minutes, 40 seconds
Margin of Victory: 3.1 seconds
Cautions: 10 for 77 laps