Luyendyk uninjured after practice crash

The former Indy 500 winner was released in good condition after being treated for back pain after his car backed into the wall after coming out of the first turn. He is expected to try to qualify the car Saturday.

"I'm hurting between the shoulder blades pretty bad right now," Luyendyk said. "Fortunately, nothing is broken. No fractures, cracks - nothing. That's the good news. The bad News is that I have to walk around with my arms folded to keep from hurting as much."

Luyendyk's crash was just the third serious incident of the week. Shigeaki Hattori sustained a concussion and a broken finger when he crashed Tuesday. A.J. Foyt IV was unhurt when he crashed Thursday.

Elsewhere, Robbie Buhl grabbed the first qualifying position for Pole Day in the traditional Friday night draw. Buhl, Al Unser Jr., Tomas Scheckter's backup car, Marlboro Team Penske's No. 66 car and Scheckter's primary car filled the first five spots for Saturday's seven-hour qualifying session.

Weather is expected to play a role Saturday. Unstable, humid air might create thunderstorms - some possibly severe - in central Indiana. "We'll see where it the No. 1 draw takes us," Buhl said.

At the other end of the spectrum, A.J. Foyt IV, Billy Boat, Scott Sharp, Sarah Fisher and Boat's backup car had the last five draws.