Success at Der Brickyard

By SHAV GLICK

Sept. 25, 2000 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

INDIANAPOLIS — It could have been Hockenheim, or Monza, or Magny-Cours, the way Formula One fans reacted Sunday to the first United States Grand Prix on the hallowed grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Inside a stadium built for oval racing, the capacity crowd of more than 225,000 roared its approval--European-style, with flags waving, horns tooting and screaming in a variety of languages--of the first road race held in the Brickyard.

The winner’s trophy will have Michael Schumacher’s name on it, but the real winner was Tony George.

It was George, president of the family-owned Speedway, who took the gamble to bring Grand Prix racing to the heartland of America, spending $60 million to prepare the circuit the way the foreigners wanted it. Even he could not have envisioned the unbridled enthusiasm that the race received on a cold and damp day that began in a drizzle.

It might not have been the greatest race, but as a spectacle the day was one to remember.

Wet or dry, on rain tires or slicks, Schumacher was in command for the entire 73 laps around the 2.606-mile course and how the Ferrari fans loved it, waving their gigantic red flags with the same gusto they did two weeks ago when the German star won at Monza. It was a Ferrari day as Schumacher’s teammate, Rubens Barrichello of Brazil, finished second, 12.1 seconds back.

“It’s something really, really nice, the welcome we received,” said Schumacher on the winner’s podium. “We never really expected such a great welcome from the American fans. But not only the Americans, but all the fans from around the world. Seeing so many people celebrating victory here with us for the Formula One race, it’s the best.”

After building up leads of as much as 44 seconds, Schumacher gave himself and the fans a thrill four laps from the finish--and nearly gave Ferrari officials a stroke--when he clipped the wet grass in the infield and spun three-quarters around before gathering in the car and continuing.

“I wasn’t concentrating anymore because I was just cruising,” Schumacher said, grinning. “The team kept asking me to go slower and slower, and I did, and I just caught enough grass that it spun me around. The team mentioned that I should concentrate and I said, ‘Don’t worry, I’m awake now.’ ”

Said Ferrari team manager Jean Todt: “Michael always makes us nervous when he has a big lead, but we know him well by now. He’s like that. He finds it hard to drive slowly!”

The win, which took 1 hour 36 minutes 30.833 seconds, was Schumacher’s seventh in 15 races this year.

As happy as the day was for Ferrari, it was doomsday for the McLaren Mercedes duo of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard.

Hakkinen, the series points leader going into the race, dropped out early with engine failure and saw his two-point lead become an eight-point deficit (88-80) with only two races remaining. The two-time champion from Finland had been steadily making up ground on Schumacher when fire suddenly erupted from the rear of his car.

After the leaders had pitted to change from rain tires as the track surface began to dry, Hakkinen was 10.9 seconds behind. Eight laps later the margin was down to 4.1 seconds when smoke began to pour from the McLaren’s exhaust.

“It looks like the engine just failed,” said the disappointed Hakkinen. “They took the engine cover off and looked at it, and it definitely has some really bad damage to the engine. What caused the failure, I do not know. I think I could have won it. I was gaining on every lap. I was really good.”

Coulthard, who took the lead from pole-sitter Schumacher when he jumped the start, was ordered to the pits for a 10-second penalty and was never a challenger after returning to the race. The Scotsman finished fifth, 28 seconds behind the winner. Heinz-Harald Frentzen of Germany was third and former Indianapolis 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve of Canada fourth.

“I knew I jumped the start,” said Coulthard. “It’s unfortunate. I was ready to go and they weren’t, and you have to pay the penalty. You set a rhythm of when you expect [the starting lights] to change. Obviously, you’re trying to anticipate. I moved and I had to accept the punishment.

“I say, thumbs up to Indianapolis for the American Grand Prix. It’s a fantastic circuit. I look forward to coming back.”

Even though Coulthard pulled away with his illegal start, Schumacher ran him down and took the lead on the seventh lap.

“We were aware that he might get [a penalty], but before that he was slowing it down enough to make Hakkinen give a go at me,” explained the winner. “Obviously, the two are teammates, and that’s perfectly legal. On the overtaking side, I think although he [Coulthard] is not really in the championship, he tried a little bit too much, in my view. He just pushed me wide and touched me.”

Schumacher’s 42nd career victory moved him into second on the all-time list after having been tied with the late Ayrton Senna at 41. Alain Prost leads with 51 victories.

It was the third time the Ferraris had finished one-two this year and the 43rd time since the series began in 1950. It also enabled the Italian car builder to regain the constructors’ point lead, 143-133, over McLaren.

“It’s not over, but it will be very difficult now and getting tougher,” acknowledged Hakkinen, who had led for three races after overtaking Schumacher at Hungary. “We have two races to go [Japan and Malaysia], and it’s going to be a fight to the end.”

Schumacher also hedged, although he knows he is closer than expected to his third title.

“I can finish second twice and still win the championship,” he said. “But I prefer to win the next race. To be ready, I am heading back to Italy and will be testing Thursday and Friday. I’ll start to think about the championship once it is over, not before.”

Not everyone went away from the race happy.

Jarno Trulli, who started fifth, tangled with Jenson Button in the first turn of the second lap and dropped out 10 laps later.

“Jenson Button, he is really an idiot,” said the Italian driver. “He is driving me like a crazy. He is pushing me hard and tried to overtake me, but it was too late. He collided with me and then went off. My race was already over.”

Said Button: “I was alongside him, and we touched wheels.”

The two Minardi drivers, Marc Gene and Gaston Mazzacane, both hit crewmen while pitting.

Said Gene: “When I came in I made a bad mistake and I apologize to the lads. Unfortunately, that caused a massive loss of valuable time which jeopardized the rest of my race.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

THE FINISH

1. Michael Schumacher

Germany Ferrari

2. Rubens Barrichello

Brazil Ferrari

3. Heinz-Harald Frentzen

Germany Jordan-Mugen Honda

THE STANDINGS

1. Michael Schumacher 88 points

2. Mika Hakkinen 80 points

The Formula Works

Results of the inaugural U.S. Grand Prix on the 2.606-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, with starting position in parentheses, driver, country, car, laps completed and winner’s time and speed:

1. (1) Michael Schumacher, Germany, Ferrari, 73 laps

1 hour 36 minutes 30.883 seconds, 118.203 mph.

2. (4) Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Ferrari, 73.

3. (7) Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Germany, Jordan-Mugen Honda, 73.

4. (8) Jacques Villeneuve, Canada, BAR-Honda, 73.

5. (2) David Coulthard, Scotland, McLaren-Mercedes, 73.

6. (12) Ricardo Zonta, Brazil, BAR-Honda, 73.

7. (17) Eddie Irvine, Ireland, Jaguar-Cosworth, 73.

8. (9) Pedro Diniz, Brazil, Sauber-Petronas, 72.

9. (16) Nick Heidfeld, Germany, Prost-Peugeot, 72.

10. (11) Alexander Wurz, Austria, Benetton, 72.

11. (19) Johnny Herbert, England, Jaguar-Cosworth, 72.