John Andretti and Robby Gordon announced several weeks ago their intention to compete in this year’s Indianapolis 500. But both are being reminded of the significant gap between planning and doing. It takes money to bridge that gap, and neither is having luck finding it. The two Winston Cup regulars said this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway that time is quickly running out on hopes of pulling double duty May 25, racing in both the Indy 500 in the day and the Coca-Cola 600 in Concord, N.C., that night. It is particularly disappointing for Andretti, an Indianapolis native who wanted to return to the 500 in what cousin Michael Andretti has said will be his last race. John Andretti was counting on General Mills, his Winston Cup sponsor, to fund his Indy program, but the company now is telling him that given the economy and world situation, it is inclined to wait a year. He hasn’t given up and even has talked to one potential sponsor about a package deal for himself and another open-wheeler turned stock car driver, Petty Enterprises teammate Christian Fittipaldi. One thing he won’t do is ask his cousin, in his first year as an Indy Racing League team owner, for help. Michael already has plans to run four cars at Indy. “He’s got his hands full,” John Andretti said of his cousin. “I don’t want to be the guy he comes up to afterward and says, ‘I lost because of you,’ because he split up one of his pit crews to help me out.” Complicating matters for Gordon and Andretti is the IRL has all new cars this season with few extras available. But Gordon said all he has to do is turn on CNN to see the real problem. “It’s hard to find money when there’s a war going on,” Gordon said. “I don’t have a deal and I don’t see one opening up.”( Indianapolis Star )(4-1-2003)
