Here’s List That Indy Drivers Would Just as Soon Not Make

Recipients of the Jigger Award, given each year by the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Assn. to the person or organization who had the worst luck, or the worst time, in the month before the 500:

1969--Jigger Sirois, who started it all.

1970--Tony Adamowicz, who had three good laps and was on his way to a solid qualifying run when a yellow light flashed on momentarily by mistake. Adamowicz slowed and ultimately missed the race.

1971--John Mahler, who qualified his car and was later replaced as driver by car owner Dick Simon “because of sponsor commitments.”

1972--Art Pollard, who broke his leg during practice after having qualified his car in 10th position.

1973--Johnny Parsons Jr., who passed his driver’s test but never got his car on the track.

1974--Al Loquasto, an aging rookie who was next in line with a fast car when qualifying ended.

1975--AARWBA, for losing the Jigger Award trophy, which was later found in a dark corner of the Indy Hall of Fame Museum.

1976--Salt Walther, who was bumped from the field, then left on the starting line in another car because Jim McElreath continued to drive slowly through four laps as the 6 p.m. closing time approached.

1977--Vern Schuppan, who ran out of gas on his final qualifying lap after three fast laps. In accepting, Schuppan said, “I owe this to my crew.”

1978--Larry Cannon, who hit the wall after a 190.476 first qualifying lap, and Roger Rager, who crashed on his warmup lap.

1979--The United States Auto Club, for surviving a month that included a lawsuit by Championship Auto Racing Teams drivers to get into the race. The inscription read: “For the month of May, may it rest in peace.”

1980--Janet Guthrie, who was waved off by her car owner after three qualifying laps that would easily have put her in the race.

1981--Bob Frey, whose car stalled three times on the line at 6 p.m. the final day, preventing him from attempting to qualify.

1982--Geoff Brabham, dropped to the back of the qualifying lineup by a forgotten rule change prohibiting too long a warmup.

1983--Three-time winner Johnny Rutherford, who crashed twice in practice and whose inscription read: “Who wound up in the hospital with the cars in a junk yard, and a rookie (Teo Fabi) on the pole!”

1984--Bill Alsup, who “Finally got something for being next in line.” He was next up when the track closed.

1985--Chet Filip, who first crashed, then was “mashed by a bumper.”

1986--Mike Nish, who went 211, then hit the wall: “The Nish wish went swish!”

1987--Phil Krueger, a mechanic and driver who “had a May to forget.”

1988--Pancho Carter, who had a lap at 209, then crashed twice and was left on the line for his third attempt.

1989--TBA, but no one wants it.