MOTOR RACING / SHAV GLICK : Groff Gave Up One of the Best 33 Seats in House

Mike Groff didn’t like being bumped from the Indianapolis 500, but he understands the situation, so he is not complaining.

“I hope what I did, putting the car in the field at a respectable speed, opened a few eyes and will help down the road,” Groff said Wednesday at Derrick Walker’s Motorsports team garage. “I’m not happy to be out of the race, but I’ll be out there tomorrow for Carburetion Day in case something happens to one of the other cars.”

Groff, who gave up his ride to Walker’s No. 1 team driver, Scott Goodyear, is the first alternate for Sunday’s race.

“I’m not super excited about running, but I’ll get some more lap time in, and you can’t discount that here,” he said.

Alternates don’t usually get in the race, but Dick Simon did in 1986 after Dennis Firestone’s car was damaged in an accident during practice.

“I’ve been racing for 20 years and I think I have proven that I can drive a race car, but in this day and age a driver needs more than that,” Groff, 29, said. “It’s tough. A driver can only control so many things, and the hardest ones seem to be off the track. You can’t muscle your way into the Indy scene on talent alone.”

Groff, a resident of Studio City, was the fastest rookie in history last year when he qualified one of Euromotorsports’ Lola-Cosworths at 219.015 m.p.h. For the second half of the Indy car season, he drove the last four races in A.J. Foyt’s car when Foyt’s leg injuries kept him off road circuits.

“I thought I was set to be back with A.J. this year, and when it didn’t happen, it was another lesson for me in racing politics,” Groff said. “Nothing had been said about my racing with him this year. I just assumed we had a commitment. Then, two days before we were to leave for Australia (for the opening Indy car race), I found that (Gregor) Foitek had the ride. I had put all my eggs in one basket and learned too late it was a mistake.

“By then, it was too late to find a seat for a season-long ride, so I decided to concentrate on getting to Indianapolis. There are a lot of one-race efforts here, and I felt I could get one, but I wanted it with a solid team, a team going somewhere.”

Groff passed up several opportunities early in the month to drive marginal cars. When he got a ride offer from Walker, even though it meant protecting Goodyear, he jumped at it.

The situation was this: When Goodyear’s primary car, a ’92 Lola-Chevy, developed engine problems during warmups for time trials, the Canadian driver switched to his backup, a ’91 model, and put it in the field at 219.054.

Walker then hired Groff to qualify the primary car, which he did, at 221.80. Had Ted Prappas not knocked the car out of the race with a last-minute qualifying effort, Goodyear and Groff were planning to switch cars.

“I felt more comfortable in the ’92 car, and that’s the one I wanted to race,” Goodyear said.

Said Walker: “It’s a team effort. Mike was unselfish and stood in for us and got the car in the field. Two cars, twice the money. Mike drove in three cars for us and his presence helped immensely.”

Then along came Prappas to foul up Walker’s plans, but not before Groff collected $25,000 for being the fastest third-day qualifier.

One Los Angeles driver sent another to the sidelines when Prappas eliminated Groff.

“I can’t tell you how happy I was to make the race, but I’m really sorry that Mike was the guy that got knocked out,” Prappas said. “He and I go back a long ways, and he’s been a good friend for years.”

After the race, it’s back to the telephone where Mike Groff the salesman will try to find a ride for Mike Groff the driver.

Briefly

JET SKIS--The Performance Jet Ski Western Nationals, sanctioned by the International Jet Sports Boat Assn., opens its 10-event season with racing starting at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Alamitos Beach in Long Beach. Pro women’s champion Christy Carlson of Long Beach will be going for a fourth consecutive championship, and Jeff Jacobs of El Cajon is seeking a sixth consecutive men’s title.

BOAT RACING--After a 15-year absence, K-Boat racing returns to the Long Beach Marine Stadium. The Memorial Day schedule of racing begins at 10 a.m.

SCCA--An eight-race program, featuring 33 classes and more than 250 drivers, begins Saturday at Willow Springs International Raceway. Practice and qualifying is scheduled for Saturday. The races start at 10:30 a.m. Sunday and Monday.