With his victory Sunday in the Miller 200, Michael Andretti jumped from eighth to third in the PPG IndyCar World Series standings. Jimmy Vasser, despite his 10th-place finish, still holds the lead with 97 points, followed by Al Unser Jr. (75), Andretti (51), Scott Pruett (50) and Greg Moore and Paul Tracy (each with 46). “This one was great to have,” said Andretti. “We needed it to get back in the race.”
It’s no joke: The new surface at The Milwaukee Mile not only led to quick speeds in Sunday’s race, but it also led to questions about what other changes could be made to further improve the track. “Softer walls,” said Gil de Ferran, who finished ninth.
That elicited the expected laughter from all but Andretti, who explained that the idea was nothing to laugh at. “Seriously,” he said, “I think one area that the people who own these tracks need to start looking at is some sort of an energy-absorbent wall.
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“That should be the goal for the next century, to have ovals that have this sort of thing. The technology is out there to do it.”
New track, new race: The PPG IndyCar World Series is adding a new race to its schedule next season. It will go off in mid-September, ending the 1997 season, and will be held at the new track Roger Penske is building in Fontana, Calif.
Pit stops: Though 35 of its 200 laps were run under the yellow flag, there were no crashes of note in the Miller 200. . . . Twenty-four of the 28 cars that started Sunday’s race were still running at its finish. But only five were on the lead lap. Roberto Moreno, who finished 25th, was an astounding 21 laps behind. . . . Andretti’s victory Sunday was the 32nd of his Indy-car career. . . . And finally: Vasser is scheduled to be one of David Letterman’s guests Monday night.