INDIANAPOLIS (AP - Feb 10, 1996) -- Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve, who defected to Formula One this season, says the war between the established IndyCar series and the new Indy Racing League could result in "mayhem" at the Brickyard. Indy 500 winner sees
possible trouble in MayVilleneuve, who won the 500 last May, left Team Green to join the Williams team on the Formula One circuit.
"It was a big door-opener, a great opportunity that if you don't take it, the door's going to be closed and 10 years down the road you're going to regret it. At the same time, every top driver was renewing contracts, changing teams and so on, so it was the best time to move in," he said Friday.
Villeneuve was in Indianapolis to receive the annual "Winners Drink Milk" award from the American Dairy Association of Indiana. The award normally is presented in May but was moved up to accommodate Villeneuve's schedule.
"You never want to be involved in politics and games. That wasn't the reason for my leaving, but it probably came at the right time," he said of the feud in American racing.
The IRL, organized by Speedway president Tony George, is running a series of five oval races this year. After George announced a change in qualifying at Indianapolis, where 25 of the 33 starting spots will be reserved for IRL regulars, IndyCar said it would boycott the race and stage its own 500-miler at Michigan on May 26, the same day as the 500.
IndyCar is made up of most of the top teams and drivers.
"I've been out of it since the championship finish," said Villeneuve, who also won the season points title last year. "I've been in Europe and I didn't pay much attention to it. I just find it sad when a series is so good to start to battle. That's all.
"The 500 will remain what it is, but of course if 20 of the top drivers are missing, there's going to be something missing."
Only a handful of Indy veterans, including former Indianapolis winner Arie Luyendyk and former pole-starter Scott Brayton, are driving the IRL series.
"I've been a rookie myself on an oval," Villeneuve said. "It's one thing to get up to speed, but it's another thing to react to something going awry. If you have two or three rookies on the track, then all the experienced drivers can work around it, but if you have 15 rookies, it could create mayhem."