Brack

INDIANAPOLIS -- Kenny Brack didn't feel right sitting at home a year ago watching the Indianapolis 500 on television.

He knew he should have been at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Now, Brack, the 1999 Indy 500 winner, is back at the track for the first time in three years.

"I've always said I'd like to come back," he explained. "I never made any secret about that. This place is a great place."

Brack had his best practice time of week Thursday, finishing second at 229.025 mph.

Brack, part of Chip Ganassi Racing, made the switch to CART in 2000. He finished fourth in the standings and was Rookie of the Year driving for Team Rahal.

"The first year I felt OK about not being here because I had my hands full learning about CART," Brack said. "Last year there was a gap in the schedule for the Indy 500 and with all the people from CART going over it was kind of like you were on vacation if you weren't at Indianapolis.

"That was hard last year, I must admit, not to be here."

Brack dyed a thin black strip down the center of his hair for good luck. He said it was a tradition he began last year in Germany.

He's hoping for more luck again on May 26.

"That's the biggest race you can win in the world, so that has meant a whole lot to me," he said. "You don't know how much it means until you actually win it. It means a lot to a driver's career."

Brack is one of six former winners in the field. The others are defending champion Helio Castroneves, Eddie Cheever, Arie Luyendyk and Buddy Lazier.

If all six former champs qualify it would be the most in the race since 1993.

Walker Racing
Team owner Derrick Walker has picked Oriol Servia to drive Walker Racing's No. 15 car.

Spaniard Servia was the 1999 Indy Lights series champion. Since 2000 he has been competing in CART, posting 19 top-10 finishes.

Servia could be only the second Spaniard to compete in the Indy 500.

"He was available and he could do a good job for us," Walker said.

Walker had been without a driver since releasing Sarah Fisher last month. Fisher has since signed with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing.

Walker is looking for sponsor.

"We're still working on that," he said. "With the weather as it's been, it pays to get out and get ready for the weekend. We're still working on the commercial side, but from a competitive standpoint we've got to get some track time."

On Target
Three of the top five practice speeds Thursday came from Ganassi's team. After Brack, Jeff Ward was fourth at 228.571 and Bruno Junqueira fifth at 228.510.

Ganassi boasts one of the more experienced teams in the field.

Junqueira, who won the Bridgestone Potenza 500 three weeks ago in Tokyo, finished fifth at Indy as a rookie a year ago. Ward was the 1997 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year and finished 24th last year.

Owner Chip Ganassi won with Juan Montoya in 2000 and was part owner of Emerson Fittipaldi's team in 1989. Ganassi said he would rather come to the speedway with veteran drivers.

"It's the first time we've shown up here in a long, long time that we don't have a rookie driver," he said. "It's great to have these three guys and when they come back with experience, it's a huge, huge help for the team."

Pit stops