Columnist Ron Kantowski: Racing fan gets ride of his life

Monday, May 14, 2001 | 10:17 a.m.

Ron Kantowski's notes column usually appears Tuesday. Reach him at ron@lasvegassun.com or 259-4088. Regular columnist Dean Juipe has the day off.

Forget about the drivers who posted qualifying speeds in excess of 225 mph for the Indianapolis 500. The guy who experienced the biggest thrill over the weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway went only about 160.

For one turn, at least.

Further proof that the day the Average Joe will be able to experience the thrill of participating in big league sports in exchange for a nice chunk of change is not that far away (as regular Sun columnist Dean Juipe suggested in this space last week), Scott Schroepfer of McHenry, Ill., paid $1,000 to take a few laps around the hallowed Brickyard Friday in a special two-seat Indy car.

His guest driver was to be none other than Roberto Guerrero, the 1992 Indy 500 polesitter who has qualified to race in the storied 500 some 16 times.

The thrill of a lifetime for Schroepfer was just around the corner. Literally.

As the two roared down the front stretch, the rear wing on the ride-along car fell off. By the time observers urgently radioed Guerrero to slow down, he already was spinning through turn one. The car did two complete spins before kissing the wall with the nose.

But instead of counting his lucky stars or asking for a refund, Schroepfer was ready for more.

"That was amazing," Guerrero said. "As soon as I stopped he said 'Oh, man, that was awesome!' "

According to the Detroit Free Press, the wreck may have brought the Indy Racing League's ride-along program to a screeching halt. Earlier in the week, the promotional cars -- identical to a machine used in the CART 101 program at Las Vegas Motor Speedway -- suffered a blown engine and a broken suspension.

On Saturday night, in a performance every bit as erratic as Ankiel's, the Marlins' A.J. Burnett walked nine, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch. Only Burnett was the toast of the town.

That's because on the few occasions Burnett threw the ball within the same area code as the strike zone, the Padres couldn't hit it. Thus, Burnett's American Legion-type pitching effort will go into the books as a no-hitter.

Only Jim Maloney, who scattered 10 walks in a 10-inning 1965 "gem" against the Cubs, issued more free passes in a no-hitter.

Pittsburgh's Dock Ellis was one of four pitchers who walked eight men in a no-hitter, but he was on drugs. Long after the fact, Ellis admitted he used hallucinatory agents prior to taking the mound against the Padres on June 12, 1970.

There have been more pro football variants than foreign-born field goal kickers. None has survived. The XFL's only chance was to become football with flying folding chairs.

In retrospect, all they got right was the folding part.