1996 Indianapolis 500
			Wednesday May 8, 1996

Chief Steward Keith Ward closed the track at 2:35 p.m. today because of
rain. Today was the second day of the month washed out by rain.  The last
time two days of the month were entirely washed out was in 1990. The most
complete days washed out by rain since 1982 is three in 1989. To date, a
total of 24 hours, seven minutes of scheduled practice has been washed out.

Speedway construction for 1996:

	--The new high-density, hard asphalt track surface was placed in October,
1995. The top three inches of the previous surface were milled off and
replaced by three inches of new compound. The rumble strips were removed.
The width of the backstretch was extended 30 feet along the inside. New
concrete walls and catch fencing was installed along the inside back
straightaway. The old asphalt was recycled in other areas on the grounds. A
new "yard of bricks" was installed at the finish line (replaced former
bricks with different original paving bricks).

	--In the Northeast Vista, Stands L, L South and M were removed and the
Northeast Vista was enlarged and extended beyond the existing locations into
the backstretch from Turn 3.

	--Stand J in Turn 4 was taken apart, refurbished and rebuilt.

	--North Terrace and Fourth Turn Terrace inside Turn 4 were removed.

	--A new viewing mound for general admission seating was created inside Turn 4.

Speedway President Tony George will be available for general information and
question-and-answer on a national teleconference at 10 a.m. Thursday in the
Trackside Conference Room.

Today is the annual USAC Promoter's Day, as the sanctioning body for the
Indianapolis 500 entertains promoters from around the country. Among the
promoters who attended were Bill Hopton of the Terre Haute Action Track,
host of this Friday night's 26th annual Terre Haute First National Bank Tony
Hulman Classic sprint-car race and Mike Lewis of Indianapolis Raceway Park,
host of this Saturday night's Skoal Racing Indyana Sprint Classic, featuring
both the Stoops Freightliner sprint cars and Skoal midgets.

The Bank One Rookie of the Year Committee, composed of Speedway and USAC
officials and media representatives, will meet with 1996 first-year driver
candidates at 8:30 a.m. Thursday in Bank One's second turn suite.

Roberto Guerrero practiced in both of Pagan Racing's WavePhore/Pennzoil
Reynard-Fords Tuesday with a top speed of 232.336. Alan Pagan, the team's
owner, said today he plans to run Guerrero as a one-driver effort.

The Speedway started the month of May for the first time in more than 40
years without Speedway historian Bob Laycock manning the front office of the
press room. Until his death last November at age 81, Mr. Laycock had
attended every Indianapolis 500 since he was born with the exception of the
1995 race.  His grandson, Josh, son of Bob Laycock Jr., joined the Speedway
press room staff for the month of May on Opening Day and assumed some of the
press room's historical and detail duties long associated with his family name.

Don Hutson, a fireman at the Speedway since 1965, died March 31 after a long
illness. His most recent assignment was driving the Turn 2 safety truck. At
his request, he was buried in a Speedway firesuit. "He loved the place and
he lived for the place," said Larry Davidson, an equipment coordinator for
the track's fire crew. A small baseball-card size magnetized photo of Hutson
is mounted behind the driver's door on the 14 Speedway fire trucks for the
month of May. And a sign hangs from the fence near the Turn 2 fire truck
station. It reads: "In Memory of Don Hutson, Fireman & Friend. Turn 2 won't
be the same without you."

A total of 45 cars are at the track, 40 have passed technical inspection and
none are in the process. 33 drivers have been on the track to date. At 2:43
p.m., the temperature was 66 degrees and winds were calm.

				--IMS--