Former winner's son may be entry

Arie Luyendyk is content trying to raise money for his son to compete in the IndyCar Series.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Unlike Al Unser Jr., who simply got bored with retirement, Arie Luyendyk has had plenty to keep him busy.
Unlike Michael Andretti, who wanted one more try in the Indianapolis 500 in his son Marco's rookie race, the elder Luyendyk would have way too many jitters to compete against Arie Jr.
Unlike Eddie Cheever, who never officially retired anyway, Luyendyk already made one comeback, which ended with a hard crash against the wall at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The two-time Indy winner is content running his own race team and trying to raise money to enable his 24-year-old son to compete full time in the IndyCar Series. The annual two-day rookie orientation begins at the track Sunday; full practice for the May 28 race starts Tuesday.
Goal
"Our goal is not just to race in the Indy 500, but to build on this program and hopefully become a permanent team owner the rest of the year or for the future," the elder Luyendyk said Tuesday. "It's never been easy. When I started racing in 1972 back in Europe, we were always fighting to find sponsors. So it's nothing new, and there's lots of competition out there."
Unser, also a two-time winner, last raced in 2004 and is coming back to Indy next week with Dreyer & amp; Reinbold Racing as a teammate of former winner Buddy Lazier.
Michael Andretti, who retired in 2003 to run his own team, Andretti Green Racing, won the 500 last year with IRL champion Dan Wheldon behind the wheel. When Wheldon departed for Ganassi Racing this season, Andretti decided to drive at Indy with his 19-year-old son, Marco, just as he began his Indy career 22 years earlier against his own father, Mario.
A new perspective
"From being the son in that equation to now being the father, that's a pretty big difference," Michael Andretti said. "It's going to be a little strange, I tell you. When you're out there as a rookie, you're just worrying about yourself. Now, I'm definitely going to be concerned about what's going on with him."
That's one reason the 52-year-old Luyendyk won't join the other racing graybeards in their return to the Brickyard.
"When you come in the pits and you think about, 'OK, what kind of change do I want to make to my car?' but automatically the first question comes up, like, 'OK, how's Arie Jr. doing?' now all of a sudden you have two things to worry about, not just yourself but your son," he said. "I think it's a very difficult task Michael will have mentally."
The elder Luyendyk was the Indy rookie of the year in 1985. He won the race in 1990 and 1997 and still holds track records for the fastest lap in practice (239.620 mph); the fastest speeds in qualifications (237.498 mph for one lap and 236.986 mph for four laps); the fastest average speed in the race (185.981 mph in 1990); and the most career winnings ($6,110,859).
Son bumped
Arie Luyendyk Jr. qualified for what would have been his rookie race last year but was bumped by Felipe Giaffone in the final minutes of qualification. His car, the only entry by his father's team, was obtained from Ganassi for Indy only.
"Currently, we only have the budget to run the second weekend and we're still trying hard to find the remaining amount of money to have me run the whole month," the younger Luyendyk said. "As of now, I'd like to get through the rookie test [Sunday and Monday] and show some good speed those two days and just kind of build from there, and try not to really set high expectations for myself. ... Hopefully all the pieces will fall in their place."
His father is one of only six drivers to win Indy's Triple Crown -- rookie of the year, the pole and the race -- although nobody's done all three the same year. The younger Luyendyk would settle for any one of those accomplishments.
"It's going to be hard qualifying on the second weekend," he said. "My goal is to walk away from the 500 with the rookie of the year award. I have all the pieces in place and the people around me to do it, so it's just a matter of executing."
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