Traditional 33 appear within reach

At least six drivers will be competing today for the final seven slots.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Tradition might yet triumph at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Going into the final round of time trials today, it's going to take seven drivers to fill the traditional 33-car lineup for the May 30 race. By the end of Saturday's practice, six had rides and had turned laps on the 21/2-mile oval.
There are more cars and drivers, if 11th-hour deals can be made.
"I think there will be 33," said Sam Schmidt, who made a deal this week to lease a car from Penske Racing and hired Richie Hearn on Thursday to drive it. "There's so much gossip here, but I think it will get there."
There have not been fewer than 33 starters in the 500 since only 30 took the green flag in 1947, and the track opened May 9 with considerable doubt about keeping that streak alive.
Twenty-six of 27 drivers who practiced during the first week qualified last weekend, during the first two days of time trials. That left only 46-year-old rookie Marty Roth, who was trying to get up to speed and has yet to make a four-lap, 10-mile qualifying attempt.
Better prospects
The track was closed Monday and Tuesday and there were no non-qualified drivers on the track Wednesday when practice resumed. Since then, though, the prospects of a full field have improved with 1996 Indy winner Buddy Lazier, P.J. Jones, Hearn, Robbie McGehee and rookie Jeff Simmons all finding rides.
All of them were on the track Saturday, with Lazier the fastest at 214.414 mph, followed by Roth at 213.097 and Hearn 212.617.
Simmons, Jones and McGehee all got out for the first time late in the day, with Simmons hitting 209.821 in 21 laps, Jones 208.342 in 38 laps and McGehee barely warming up at 175.934 in five laps before the practice ended.
"I'm getting the opportunity of a lifetime," said Simmons, who was offered a second Morris Nunn Racing entry Saturday after finishing second in the Infiniti Pro Series race at the speedway.
"I just had a great run in the Pro Series and, to be honest, that helped give me the chance," Simmons said. "It goes to show that IndyCar Series team owners are watching the Pro Series races and they are looking for new talent. Once upon a time, you couldn't get there without bringing a whole lot of money, but that's starting to turn around."
Last-minute deal
For the second year in a row, Schmidt was able to make a last-minute deal for a car with the elite Penske team, winners of 13 Indy 500s, including the last three.
Hearn also drove the car last year, starting 28th and working his way into the top 10 in the race before a crash relegated him to a 28th-place finish.
"Within five laps, I felt pretty comfortable," said Hearn, lamenting his late start. "Unfortunately, I've done this a few times and I know how hard to push. I'd love to change that and get at least a full-month deal."
Looking ahead to qualifying, Hearn said he wouldn't be taking any chances.
"I can go out there and run 214 or 215," he said. "I don't want to be the slowest guy in the field, but I want to get it done and get to work on race setup. At this point, I just want to be respectable."
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