Columnist Davey Hamilton: G Force chassis just not fast enough to win pole

Davey Hamilton

Friday, May 15, 1998 | 10:18 a.m.

DAVEY HAMILTON of Las Vegas is bidding to start his third Indianapolis 500 in a G Force/Oldsmobile Aurora V8 fielded by Nienhouse Motorsports of Albuquerque, N.M. This is the second in a series of five columns he will write for the Sun during the two weeks of practice, qualifying and the race.

AFTER FIVE days of practice, I hate to admit that the Nienhouse Motorsports G Force/Oldsmobile Aurora V8 is not up to the task of attaining one of our goals -- winning the pole for the 82nd running of the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday.

I have run more than 200 laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway after five days and we firmly believe we are getting all that we can from the G Force chassis. The car is consistently turning laps at 216 and 217 miles an hour, and Thursday we even made it above 218. The car is stable and comfortable at that speed, but the real fast guys are going 222 or even 223.

In NASCAR, it's a battle between Ford and Chevrolet and here it's a battle between the G Force chassis and the Dallara. Right now, the teams that have the Dallara are winning the battle. The G Force is capable of going 220 mph, but it has not been consistent at that speed.

The Nienhouse Motorsports team will do the best we can to qualify this weekend for a good starting position. There is more speed to be attained. But realistically we are looking at a starting spot in the middle of the 33-car field.

We plan on qualifying on the first day (Saturday). And we will continue to look for more speed. If we find something, we will not jeopardize what we have accomplished to date.

While I am hoping to start as far up in the field as possible, I am also praying for my grandfather Leonard Hamilton, who is in the hospital in a coma after suffering a stroke earlier this week. I got the telephone call Monday night at the apartment around midnight, so things are a little tense.

After I learned of my grandfather's grave condition, I consulted Indianapolis Motor Speedway medical director Dr. Henry Bock for his input and advice. It does not look good. My prayers are with him and everyone back in Idaho. This is not a good time to be away from family.

My dad, Ken, had planned on being in Indianapolis for the qualification weekend, but he is going to remain at home where he is needed. My grandfather is a rancher and a cattleman -- a real cowboy. He is a very big part of my life.

When I was little I would spend a lot of time on his ranch. We are a very close family. I do not like to be this far away from them. When I moved from Idaho to Las Vegas nearly two years ago, I discovered that I missed being around my grandfather and father very much. But you learn to live with that distance by keeping them close to your heart all the time.

As a race car driver, I have been able to block out my grandfather's condition while I am in the car. Once you are behind the wheel you have to concentrate on the task at hand. Going more than 210 miles an hour at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway demands your fullest attention.

I do not think about my grandfather's condition when I am on the track. It's when I come into the pits that I begin to think about him again. That has happened when I sit on the pit wall while the crew makes adjustments on the car. It goes through my mind that he is struggling for his very life. My prayers are with him.