If the fastest field in Indianapolis 500 history weren't quite so fast, three-time winner Johnny Rutherford might be in his 25th race next Sunday.
And, if qualifications for the 74th Indy 500 had lasted two minutes longer on Sunday, the Andretti family might have put a record four members in the starting lineup.Instead, Rutherford, bumped from the lineup for the second year in a row, was 2 mph too slow in his final chance to regain a starting position. And Jeff Andretti, an Indy rookie who was also bumped, will again watch father Mario, brother Michael and cousin John race, rather than compete with them on the 2 1/2-mile oval.
"There were a lot of things to be done, and we just didn't have enough time to get 'em all finished," said Rutherford, who completed a deal to get another car only hours before qualifying closed on Sunday.
The 33-car field, headed by record-setting pole winner Emerson Fittipaldi at 225.301 mph, averaged 217.437, breaking the record of 216.588 set last year. When Rutherford made his final attempt, he needed only to average above Salt Walther's 210.558 mph, the slowest qualifying speed at that point.
But Rutherford called off his final attempt after turning laps of 208.889 and 209.074. After Rutherford pulled off the track, Rocky Moran had just enough time to qualify and bumped Walther with a four-lap average of 211.076.
"Last year was the first time (being bumped), so that one was a little more devastating than this one," Rutherford said. "This one we kind of could see coming with all the problems we've had all month. It's never easy to take. But of the two, I guess last year might have been more (disappointing)."
Rutherford crashed twice in practice, suffering concussion and demolishing one car. After he was bumped on Saturday in his other car, he talked to four-time winner A.J. Foyt about the possibility of getting one of Foyt's backups.
"His contract wouldn't let him run his second car, which would have been an ideal situation," Rutherford, 52, said. "So it was not to be this year. We're starting now on our program for next year. Hopefully we'll be back with proper equipment and enough time to test it and have it all ready to go."
Moran was the third driver to get in on Sunday by bumping an earlier qualifier. John Paul Jr., who since his only Indy start in 1985 served almost 21/2 years in prison in connection with a drug smuggling operation headed by his father, bumped rookie Buddy Lazier 75 minutes before qualifications ended.
Then Walther, trying for his first start at Indianapolis since 1979, bumped Andretti, youngest son of 1969 winner Mario Andretti.
Rutherford said if he had any advice for 26-year-old Jeff Andretti, it would be, "Hang in there. It's not an easy game."
Andretti, virtually certain his Saturday qualifying speed of 210.268 wouldn't stand up, went out in a new car and spun. Luckily, he did not hit any walls and was able to drive onto pit road.
Later, the youngster got the car up over 210 in practice and was next in line, with the engine revving, when Moran went by on his third qualifying lap and the gun sounded, ending qualifications.