1987 CART PPG Indy Car World Series

Last updated
1987 CART season
PPG Indy Car World Series
CART logo (1979-1991).svg
Season
Races16
Start dateApril 4
End dateNovember 1
Awards
Drivers' champion Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal
Constructors' Cup Flag of the United Kingdom.svg March 87C
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg March 86C
Manufacturers' Cup Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Cosworth DFX
Nations' Cup Flag of the United States.svg United States
Rookie of the Year Flag of Italy.svg Fabrizio Barbazza
Indianapolis 500 winner Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser
  1986
1988  
Defending champion Bobby Rahal Bobby Rahal 2004.jpg
Defending champion Bobby Rahal

The 1987 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 9th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 16 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Bobby Rahal was the national champion, winning his second-consecutive title. The rookie of the year was Fabrizio Barbazza. The 1987 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Al Unser won the Indy 500, his record-tying fourth victory at Indy.

Contents

Defending series champion and defending Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal and his Truesports team made a highly publicized switch from the March chassis to the up-and-coming Lola chassis. [1] Truesports, however, stayed with the proven Cosworth engine. For 1987, the Ilmor Chevrolet Indy V-8 expanded its participation, fielding cars with Penske Racing, Newman/Haas and Patrick. Mario Andretti scored the engine's first Indy car victory in the season opener at Long Beach. Also joining the series full-time was the Judd AV V-8 (badged initially as the Brabham-Honda), and later in the season Porsche made their Indy car debut. Penske resumed their in-house chassis program, but after dismal results with the PC-16, the cars were parked during practice at Indy in favor of the March 86C.

Roberto Guerrero won the second race of the season (Phoenix), starting from last position on the grid due to failing post qualifying inspection. Mario Andretti dominated the Indianapolis 500, leading 171 of the first 177 laps, but dropped out with engine failure with only 23 laps to go. Guerrero took the lead, but stalled during his final pit stop. Al Unser led the final 18 laps to win, one of the biggest upsets in Indy 500 history. Though Guerrero faltered at Indy, he would be a factor through most of the season. After winning at Mid-Ohio in September he was third in points. However he was sidelined with serious head injuries due to a testing crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was in a coma for seventeen days, missing the remainder of the season.

For the second year in a row, the championship battle came down to Bobby Rahal and Michael Andretti. Rahal took the points lead after back-to-back wins at Portland and the Meadowlands. Andretti won the Michigan 500, and drew within 9 points of Rahal. At Mid-Ohio, Rahal was dominating until he tangled with a backmarker. Andretti had a chance to make up ground in the points, but blew his engine two laps later.

Michael Andretti rebounded, winning in dominating fashion at the inaugural race at Nazareth. But Rahal charged to finish second, and with two races left, held a 25-point lead. In the next-to-last race of the season at Laguna Seca, Andretti dropped out with alternator trouble, and Rahal mathematically clinched the championship. It was Rahal's second-consecutive CART title, and Michael Andretti finished runner-up in points for the second year in a row.

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1987 Indy Car World Series season. All cars used Goodyear tires. [2]

TeamChassisEngineNo.Driver(s)RoundsNotes
A. J. Foyt Enterprises Lola T8700 Cosworth DFX 14 Flag of the United States.svg A. J. Foyt 3-4, 9-10, 13, 15
March 86C 41 Flag of the United States.svg Stan Fox 3
Flag of the United States.svg Davy Jones  R 9, 13, 15
443
Chevy V-6 84 Flag of the United States.svg George Snider 3
Alex Morales Motorsports March 87C Cosworth DFX 21 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Rutherford All
American Racing March 86C Buick V-6 2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jim Crawford 3 1
Flag of the United States.svg Gordon Johncock
Arciero Racing March 87C Cosworth DFX 12 Flag of Italy.svg Fabrizio Barbazza  R 1-13, 15 2
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ludwig Heimrath Jr.  R 14-15
March 85C
Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham McRae 15
Bettenhausen Motorsports March 86C Cosworth DFX 16 Flag of the United States.svg Tony Bettenhausen Jr. 1-5, 7-12
Centerline Wheels March Pontiac 59 Flag of the United States.svg Sammy Swindell 3
Curb March 87C
March 86C
Cosworth DFX 33 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Sneva 1-9 3
Flag of the United States.svg John Andretti  R 11-15
98 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Pimm 3, 9
Dale Coyne Racing March 86C Chevy
Cosworth DFX
19 Flag of the United States.svg Dale Coyne 1-2, 4-15 4
Dick Simon Racing Lola T8700 Cosworth DFX 22 Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 1-10, 13
Flag of the United States.svg Wally Dallenbach Jr.  R 11
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ludwig Heimrath Jr.  R 12
Flag of the United States.svg John Richards  R 14
Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Wood  R 15
23 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ludwig Heimrath Jr.  R 1-10
Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Wood  R 11-14
Flag of Italy.svg Fulvio Ballabio  R 15
Lola T8600
Lola T8700
27 Flag of the United States.svg John Richards  R 5-8 5
Lola T8600 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian Ashley 15
Doug Shierson Racing March 87C Cosworth DFX 30 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser Jr. All
Galles Racing March 87C
Lola T8700
Judd
Cosworth DFX
11 Flag of the United States.svg Jeff MacPherson All 6
March 87C Judd 15 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Brabham All
Gohr Racing March 86C Cosworth DFX 56 Flag of the United States.svg Rocky Moran 1
Flag of the United States.svg Gary Bettenhausen 2-4, 9-10
March 87C
March 86C
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Scott Goodyear  R 6-8, 11-12, 14-15 7
Granatelli Racing March 87C Cosworth DFX 4 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero 1-12
Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser 13
Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Raul Boesel 14-15
Hemelgarn Racing March 87C Cosworth DFX 71 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Arie Luyendyk All
Buick V-6 81 Flag of the United States.svg Rich Vogler 3
Cosworth DFX 91 Flag of the United States.svg Scott Brayton 3, 5-6, 9-10
March 86C Buick V-6 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Parsons 3
Interscope Racing Penske PC-16
March 86C
Chevy 265A
Cosworth DFX
25 Flag of the United States.svg Danny Ongais 3, 9, 13, 15 8
Intersport March 86C Cosworth DFX 17 Flag of the United States.svg Dominic Dobson 3
JP Racing March 86C Cosworth DFX 35 Flag of the United States.svg Spike Gehlhausen 3
Kraco Racing March 87C Cosworth DFX 18 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti All
Leader Cards Racing March 87C Cosworth DFX 24 Flag of the United States.svg Randy Lewis All
Los Angeles Drywall March 85C Cosworth DFX 19 Flag of the United States.svg Dick Ferguson 3
279
Machinists Union Racing March 87C Cosworth DFX 29 Flag of the United States.svg Pancho Carter 3, 9-15
March 86C 44 Flag of the United States.svg Chip Robinson 1, 6, 13
Flag of the United States.svg Tom Sneva 15
March 87C 55 Flag of Mexico.svg Josele Garza All
March 86C 59 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Nish 1-2
March 86C
March 87C
Flag of the United States.svg Rick Miaskiewicz 5, 7-8, 12 9
Newman Teamworks Lola T8600 Cosworth DFX 51 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Didier Theys  R 1, 11
Flag of the United States.svg Davy Jones  R 12
Newman/Haas Racing Lola T8700 Chevy 265A 5 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti All
NFW Racing March 86C Cosworth DFX 36 Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham McRae 11-12
Pace Racing March 87C Buick V-6 77 Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly 3
Patrick Racing March 87C Chevy 265A 7 Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Cogan 1-4, 6-15
20 Flag of Brazil (1968-1992).svg Emerson Fittipaldi All
Penske Racing Penske PC-16
March 86C [3]
Chevy 265A 3 Flag of the United States.svg Danny Sullivan All 10
8 Flag of the United States.svg Rick Mears All 11
March 86C Cosworth DFX 6 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser 9-10
Penske PC-16 Chevy 265A 915
March 86C Cosworth DFX 253
Porsche Porsche 2708 Porsche 6 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser 14
Flag of the United States.svg Al Holbert 15
Raynor Lola T8700 Cosworth DFX 10 Flag of the United States.svg Dennis Firestone 1-3
Lola T8600 Flag of the United States.svg Phil Krueger 3
Lola T8700 Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly 4-15
Truesports Lola T8700 Cosworth DFX 1 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal All
2 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Didier Theys  R 15
United Oil March 87C Cosworth DFX 87 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Chassey 3
Walther March 86C Cosworth DFX 76 Flag of the United States.svg Rocky Moran 3
WENS March 86C Cosworth DFX 97 Flag of the United States.svg Rick Miaskiewicz 3
Notes

(R)Rookie

1. ^ Crawford was injured on Pole Day, and replaced by Johncock. [4]
2. ^ All three drivers listed as entries at Miami. [5]
3. ^ Curb used March 86C Chassis at round 3 only.
4. ^ Coyne used a Cosworth engine at round 7 only.
5. ^ Richards used a Lola T8700 at round 6 only.
6. ^ MacPherson used a Lola T8600 at rounds 11 and 12 only, and used Cosworth at rounds 10, 13-15 only.
7. ^ Goodyear used a March 86C at round 7 only.
8. ^ Ongais practiced at round 3 with a PC-16/Chevy A combo, but did not attempt to qualify due to injury.
9. ^ Miaskiewicz used a March 87C at round 7 only.
10. ^ Sullivan used a PC-16 at rounds 1-2, 5-6 only while he used a March 86C at the other rounds. [6]
11. ^ Mears used a PC-16 at rounds 1-2, 5-8 only while he used a March 86C at the other rounds. [7]

Season Summary

Schedule

There would only be one race at Phoenix International Raceway and Michigan International Speedway from this season forward. Additionally Pennsylvania International Raceway had been paved and added to the schedule as a 200 mile event for the first time.

RdDateRace NameTrackCity
1April 5 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach  R  Long Beach Street Circuit Long Beach, California
2April 12 Checker 200 Presented by Phoenix International Raceway and the Fiesta Bowl  O  Phoenix International Raceway Phoenix, Arizona
3May 24 Indianapolis 500  O  Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana
4May 31 Miller American 200  O  Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin
5June 14 Budweiser/G. I. Joe's 200  R  Portland International Raceway Portland, Oregon
6June 28 Meadowlands Indy  R  Meadowlands Street Circuit East Rutherford, New Jersey
7July 5 Budweiser Cleveland Grand Prix  R  Burke Lakefront Airport Cleveland, Ohio
8July 19 Molson Indy Toronto  R  Exhibition Place Toronto, Ontario
9August 2 Marlboro 500  O  Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan
10August 16 Quaker State 500  O  Pocono International Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania
11August 30 LivingWell/Provimi 200  R  Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
12September 6 Escort Radar Warning 200  R  Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio
13September 20 Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix  O  Pennsylvania International Raceway Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania
14October 11 Nissan Monterey Grand Prix Featuring the Champion Spark Plug 300  R  Laguna Seca Raceway Monterey, California
NCOctober 31 Marlboro Challenge  R  Tamiami Park Miami, Florida
15November 1 Nissan Indy Challenge  R  Tamiami Park Miami, Florida

- Miami was supposed to run for 200 miles (322 kilometers) but was shortened due to rain.
 O  Oval/Speedway
 R  Road/Street course
  Non-championship event

Race summaries

Long Beach

Mario Andretti started on the pole position and dominated the Long Beach Grand Prix, his third win in four years at the circuit. It marked the first-ever victory in Indy car competition for the Ilmor Chevrolet Indy V-8 engine. Emerson Fittipaldi was a close second until he dropped out with turbocharger failure.

Phoenix

Roberto Guerrero qualified third, but failed post-qualifying inspection for being 2.5 pounds underweight. He was forced to start last on the grid. Guerrero quickly charged through the field, and was in the top five by lap 46. He dueled with Bobby Rahal for the lead on lap 62, and dominated the second half. Even a stop-and-go penalty for hitting a tire in the pits did not slow Guerrero's run.

Guerrero won by 8 seconds over Rahal, becoming only the fourth driver in modern Indy car history to win a race from the last starting position.

Indianapolis 500

Mario Andretti dominated the entire month of May at Indy. He ran the fastest practice laps, won the pole position, the pit stop contest, and led 170 of the first 177 laps. With only 23 laps to go, Andretti suddenly slowed with a broken valve spring which led to fueling and engine failure. Roberto Guerrero, the winner at Phoenix, stalled in the pits while leading due to a failing clutch, and came home second while Al Unser, who had entered the month without a ride took the lead with 18 laps to go, and recorded one of the biggest upsets in Indy history. [8]

Milwaukee

While leading the race on lap 149, Mario Andretti broke a rear wing, sending the car hard into the outside and inside walls. He was taken to the hospital with relatively minor injuries. Mario's son Michael Andretti took the lead after the accident, locked in a duel with Roberto Guerrero.

On lap 177, Guerrero suddenly blew his engine, leaving Michael Andretti in the lead. A late-race caution allowed Bobby Rahal to close the gap, but Michael held on for the victory. Rahal finished second.

Portland

Bobby Rahal won his first race of the season, passing Michael Andretti for the lead on lap 70 of 104. Rahal built up a 22-second lead late in the race, but slowed to conserve fuel over the final 10 laps. Andretti closed to within 6 seconds, but managed only second place.

Meadowlands

Bobby Rahal made it back-to-back victories, winning for the second time of the season at the Meadowlands. Rahal also took over the points lead.

Cleveland

Emerson Fittipaldi and Bobby Rahal pitted for the final time on lap 53, both hoping to stretch their fuel to the finish. Fittipaldi pulled out to an 18-second lead, and despite the fuel light flashing over the final five laps, held on to win his first race of the season.

Rahal finished a strong second, and increased his lead in the points standings.

Toronto

Emerson Fittipaldi looked to win his second race in a row, but a final lap mishap almost cost him the race. With Danny Sullivan running second on the final lap, Fittipaldi led by about 4 seconds at the white flag. Down the Lake Shore Drive backstretch on the final lap, however, Fittipaldi became mired in traffic. Through the hairpin, the track was essentially blocked by three backmarkers, which allowed Sullivan to dramatically close the gap. With two turns to go, Sullivan dove below Fittipaldi for the lead, but the two cars touched wheels. Fittipaldi's car stayed straight, but Sullivan spun out.

Fittipaldi went on to win, while Sullivan limped across the finish line to hold on to second. Bobby Rahal came home third and padded his championship lead.

Michigan 500

Just as at Indianapolis, Mario Andretti dominated the race. Taking the lead on lap 43, he led the next 114 laps and had a 1 lap lead on his son Michael, in second place, and a 2 lap lead on the rest of the field. But, just as at Indianapolis, his engine blew on lap 156, ending his day. [9]

With 8 laps to go, Michael Andretti led Indy 500 winner Al Unser and Bobby Rahal. Andretti needed to make his final pit stop, but a faulty clutch nearly cost him dearly. Andretti's car sputtered and nearly stalled as he pulled away, and he lost several seconds.

Back on the track, Michael maintained a 9-second lead to the finish, with Unser finishing second. Third place Rahal maintained a 9-point advantage over Michael in the points championship.

Pocono 500

Mario Andretti started from the pole and led 22 laps, but gets too low in turn one on lap 89, and crashed hard into the outside wall. He suffers a separated shoulder, his second injury of the season. The rough apron of turn one was stained by lime, which caused Andretti's car to lose traction. [10]

Rick Mears, who had not won a race in two years, led Geoff Brabham late in the race, but was low on fuel. Mears' car sputtered on the final lap, but he crossed the line under power to take the victory. It was the first 500-mile race victory for the Ilmor Chevy Indy V-8 engine. Brabham, meanwhile, scored a career-best second place, and the best finish yet for the new Brabham-Honda engine. Roberto Guerrero, who led with 17 laps to go, dropped to third when he was forced to pit for fuel five laps from the end.

Points leader Bobby Rahal came home 5th, and maintained a championship lead of 14 points over Michael Andretti.

Road America

After four months of disappointments and injuries, Mario Andretti finally found the winner's circle for the first time since the season opener. Despite recovering from a separated shoulder, Andretti won the pole and dominated the race wire-to-wire, leading all 50 laps. Geoff Brabham scored his second runner-up finish in a row.

The top two drivers in the points standings, Bobby Rahal and Michael Andretti, both finished out of the points.

Mid-Ohio

Bobby Rahal was leading by half a lap and looking for his third consecutive victory at Mid-Ohio. With about 12 laps to go, however, Rahal tangled with the lapped car of Rick Miaskiewicz, forcing him to pit with a punctured tire.

Roberto Guerrero blew by the limping car of Rahal to take the lead on lap 74, and Michael Andretti swept into second. Andretti had a golden opportunity to make up ground in the championship hunt, but a few laps later, blew his engine. Rahal climbed back up to second, while Guerrero won his second race of the season.

Four days later, Guerrero would be injured during a tire test at Indianapolis. He was struck in the head by a tire, leaving him in a coma, and sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Nazareth

CART made its debut at the newly reconstructed Pennsylvania International Raceway in Nazareth. Hometown driver Michael Andretti led 150 laps, looking to make up as much ground as possible in the championship hunt against Bobby Rahal.

Al Unser drove substitution for the injured Roberto Guerrero, charging to as high as second place late in the race. With seven laps to go, Unser touched wheels with Jeff MacPherson, and smacked the outside wall coming out of turn 4. Rahal, who had lost a lap after nearly stalling in the pits, moved up to second at the checkered flag. With two races remaining, Rahal held a 25-point lead.

Laguna Seca

With the championship down to two drivers, Bobby Rahal and Michael Andretti, Rahal needed to finish the final two races to hold on to his second-consecutive CART title. Rahal had won the Laguna Seca event three years in a row, going for four.

When Michael Andretti dropped out on lap 36 with alternator trouble, Rahal clinched the championship title, regardless of his finish at the final race in Miami. Later in the race, Mario Andretti dropped out, enabling Rahal to take the lead and win at Laguna Seca for a record fourth year in a row. Rahal celebrated in victory lane both the race win and the CART championship title.

Also making news at Laguna Seca was the debut of the Porsche Indy car team led by Al Holbert. A week after substituting for Roberto Guerrero, Al Unser was back on the track in another car, this time behind the wheel of the new Porsche. The effort started out on a sour note, however. The car was slow and dropped out after only seven laps with a broken water pump. It would be Unser's lone race with the team, and the only event the chassis would race. The following year the Porsche team would switch to March chassis.

Tamiami Park

With the championship title already decided, Michael Andretti dominated en route to victory, but still finished second in the points standings.

Rahal, who had won the exhibition Marlboro Challenge a day earlier, finished 7th.

Race results

RdNamePole PositionFastest LapWinning driverWinning teamRace timeReport
1 Grand Prix of Long Beach Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 1:05.886 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti Newman/Haas Racing 1:51:33 Report
2 Checker 200 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 21.832 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero Vince Granatelli Racing 1:26:26 Report
3 Indianapolis 500 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 2:47.139 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser Penske Racing 3:04:59 Report
4 Miller American 200 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero 23.544 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Kraco Racing 1:47:17 Report
5 Budweiser/G. I. Joe's 200 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero 59.207 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal Truesports 1:50:02 Report
6 Meadowlands Grand Prix Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 1:01.097 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal Truesports 1:57:18 Report
7 Cleveland Grand Prix Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero 1:05.509 Flag of Brazil.svg Emerson Fittipaldi Patrick Racing 1:32:40 Report
8 Molson Indy Toronto Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal Flag of Brazil.svg Emerson Fittipaldi Patrick Racing 1:54:35 Report
9 Marlboro 500 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti 33.406 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Kraco Racing 2:54:56 Report
10 Quaker State 500 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 44.795 Flag of the United States.svg Rick Mears Penske Racing 3:11:50 Report
11 Provimi Veal 200 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 1:52.687 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti Newman/Haas Racing 1:39:52 Report
12 Escort Radar Warning 200 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero 1:15.585 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero Vince Granatelli Racing 1:51:58 Report
13 Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti 21.926 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Kraco Racing 1:33:02 Report
14 Champion Spark Plug 300k Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 52.926 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal Truesports 1:33:58 Report
NC Marlboro Challenge Flag of Brazil.svg Raul Boesel Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal Truesports 0:41:20 Report
15 Miami Indy Challenge Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 1:54.630 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti Kraco Racing 1:56:12 Report

Driver Standings

PosDriver LBH Flag of the United States.svg PHX Flag of the United States.svg INDY Flag of the United States.svg MIL Flag of the United States.svg POR Flag of the United States.svg MEA Flag of the United States.svg CLE Flag of the United States.svg TOR Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg MIC Flag of the United States.svg POC Flag of the United States.svg ROA Flag of the United States.svg MDO Flag of the United States.svg NAZ Flag of the United States.svg LAG Flag of the United States.svg MIA Flag of the United States.svg Pts [11]
1 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Rahal 2322621*1*2335232*217188
2 Flag of the United States.svg Michael Andretti 4429125651*816131*221*158
3 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser Jr. 214452083201823323642107
4 Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero 121*216*19195*414371106
5 Flag of the United States.svg Rick Mears 9202321318710211*94335102
6 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti 1*59*17102101519191*171917*4100
7 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Arie Luyendyk 14318416619754411461198
8 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Brabham 16824129422DNS8227125390
9 Flag of the United States.svg Danny Sullivan 22111311112042417532221287
10 Flag of Brazil.svg Emerson Fittipaldi 191816714311*71818621201078
11 Flag of Mexico.svg Josele Garza 56172262416171211118881846
12 Flag of Italy.svg Fabrizio Barbazza  RY 1712314416241161482413DNS2842
13 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser 12151024DNQ39
14 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Sneva 31714132178630937
15 Flag of Ireland.svg Derek Daly 1531591116241026916142227
16 Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Cogan 182131181221132791955182125
17 Flag of the United States.svg John Andretti  R 610117824
18 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Rutherford 2391197119212826241220151623
19 Flag of the United States.svg Jeff MacPherson 1013881321172223202521992421
20 Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 2010620181423239211815
21 Flag of the United States.svg Randy Lewis 819321982312915161322DNQ191915
22 Flag of the United States.svg Scott Brayton 12510222514
23 Flag of the United States.svg A. J. Foyt 19626772514
24 Flag of the United States.svg Gary Bettenhausen 16515131310
25 Flag of the United States.svg Pancho Carter 2720614141712149
26 Flag of the United States.svg Chip Robinson 625158
27 Flag of Brazil.svg Raul Boesel 1668
28 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Scott Goodyear  R 22158201811157
29 Flag of the United States.svg Tony Bettenhausen Jr. 111510DNQ1320DNQ112215257
30 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Didier Theys  R 722176
31 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dennis Firestone 217DNQ6
32 Flag of the United States.svg Stan Fox 76
33 Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Wood  R 1015DNQ10236
34 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ludwig Heimrath Jr. 152230101217181925121523DNQ5
35 Flag of the United States.svg Davy Jones  R 28101914133
36 Flag of the United States.svg Rick Miaskiewicz DNQ221412161
37 Flag of the United States.svg Wally Dallenbach Jr.  R 121
38 Flag of the United States.svg John Richards  R 261314130
39 Flag of the United States.svg Rocky Moran 13DNQ0
40 Flag of the United States.svg Dale Coyne DNSDNQDNQ17152518DNS241720DNQ21DNQ0
41 Flag of the United States.svg Ed Pimm 21160
42 Flag of the United States.svg Danny Ongais Inj17DNQ270
43 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian Ashley 200
43 Flag of the United States.svg Rich Vogler 200
45 Flag of New Zealand.svg Graham McRae 21DNQDNQ0
46 Flag of the United States.svg Gordon Johncock 220
47 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Chassey 250
48 Flag of Italy.svg Fulvio Ballabio  R 260
49 Flag of the United States.svg Dick Ferguson DNQ290
50 Flag of the United States.svg George Snider 330
Flag of the United States.svg Mike Nish DNQDNQ-
Flag of the United States.svg Tom Bigelow DNQ-
Flag of the United States.svg Dominic Dobson DNQ-
Flag of the United States.svg Spike Gehlhausen DNQ-
Flag of the United States.svg Phil Krueger DNQDNQ-
Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Parsons DNQ-
Flag of the United States.svg Sammy Swindell DNQ-
Flag of the United States.svg Al Holbert DNQ-
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jim Crawford Inj-
PosDriver LBH Flag of the United States.svg PHX Flag of the United States.svg INDY Flag of the United States.svg MIL Flag of the United States.svg POR Flag of the United States.svg MEA Flag of the United States.svg CLE Flag of the United States.svg TOR Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg MIC Flag of the United States.svg POC Flag of the United States.svg ROA Flag of the United States.svg MDO Flag of the United States.svg NAZ Flag of the United States.svg LAG Flag of the United States.svg MIA Flag of the United States.svg Pts
ColorResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
Green4th-6th place
Light Blue7th–12th place
Dark BlueFinished
(Outside Top 12)
PurpleDid not finish
RedDid not qualify
(DNQ)
BrownWithdrawn
(Wth)
BlackDisqualified
(DSQ)
WhiteDid not start
(DNS)
BlankDid not
participate
(DNP)
Driver
replacement
(Rpl)
Injured
(Inj)
Race not held
(NH)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
ItalicsRan fastest race lap
*Led most race laps
 RY Rookie of the Year
 R Rookie

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The 78th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 29, 1994. The race was sanctioned by United States Auto Club (USAC), and was included as race number 4 of 16 of the 1994 PPG IndyCar World Series. For the second year in a row, weather was nary a factor during the month. Only one practice day was lost to rain, and pole day was only partially halted due to scattered showers. Warm, sunny skies greeted race day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 Indianapolis 500</span> 77th running of the Indianapolis 500 motor race

The 77th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 1993. Emerson Fittipaldi took the lead with 16 laps to go, and won his second career Indy 500 victory. The race was sanctioned by USAC and was part of the 1993 PPG Indy Car World Series. Several sidebar stories during the month complemented one of the most competitive Indy 500 races in recent years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 Indianapolis 500</span> 76th running of the Indianapolis 500 motor race

The 76th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 24, 1992. The race is famous for the fierce battle in the closing laps, as race winner Al Unser Jr. held off second place Scott Goodyear for the victory by 0.043 seconds, the closest finish in Indy history. Unser Jr. became the first second-generation driver to win the Indy 500, following in the footsteps of his father Al Unser Sr. He also became the third member of the famous Unser family to win the race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 Indianapolis 500</span> 75th running of the Indianapolis 500 motor race

The 75th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 26, 1991. Rick Mears won from the pole position, becoming the third four-time winner of the Indy 500, joining A. J. Foyt and Al Unser. During time trials, Mears also established an Indy record by winning his sixth career pole position. The month of May for Mears was tumultuous, as he suffered his first ever crash at Indy since arriving as a rookie in 1977. The wreck during a practice run totaled his primary car, and broke a bone in his right foot. Mears kept the injury mostly secret, and later admitted that the pain he experienced during the race was so bad, he had to cross his legs in the car and push the accelerator pedal down with his left foot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Indianapolis 500</span> 74th running of the Indianapolis 500 motor race

The 74th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 27, 1990. Dutchman Arie Luyendyk took the lead with 32 laps to go, and earned his first-ever victory in championship-level competition. It was the second consecutive year the Indy 500 was won by a foreign-born competitor, the first time that had occurred since 1965–1966. Luyendyk completed the 500 miles at an average speed of 185.981 mph (299.307 km/h), a record that stood for 23 years until 2013. In reference to the long-standing speed record, the 1990 race had often been referred to as "The Fastest 500."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Indianapolis 500</span> 72nd running of the Indianapolis 500 motor race

The 72nd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 29, 1988. Team Penske dominated the month, sweeping the top three starting positions with Rick Mears winning the pole position, Danny Sullivan at the center of the front row, and Al Unser, Sr. on the outside. Mears set a new track record, becoming the first driver to break the 220 mph barrier in time trials. On race day, the Penske teammates proceeded to lead 192 of the 200 laps, with Rick Mears taking the checkered flag, his third-career Indy 500 victory. The race represented the milestone 50th victory in Championship car racing for owner Roger Penske and Penske Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Indianapolis 500</span> 71st running of the Indianapolis 500 motor race

The 71st Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 24, 1987. After dominating practice, qualifying, and most of the race, leader Mario Andretti slowed with mechanical problems with only 23 laps to go. Five laps later, Al Unser Sr. assumed the lead, and won his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory. During the month of May, an unusually high 25 crashes occurred during practice and qualifying, with one driver in particular, Jim Crawford, suffering serious leg injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michigan 500</span> IndyCar race at Michigan

The Michigan 500 was an IndyCar Series race held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Held from 1981 to 2001, the event was held in high prestige, constituting part of Indy car racing's 500-mile "Triple Crown".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio</span> IndyCar Series race

The Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio is an IndyCar Series race held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Professional open wheel races at the facility date back to 1970. The U.S. Formula 5000 series ran from 1970 to 1976, and the revived Can-Am series ran from 1977 to 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Bryan Memorial</span> Former IndyCar Series

The Jimmy Bryan Memorial was an IndyCar Series race held at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, United States. USAC moved the fall race and added a spring race to the newly built Phoenix International Raceway in 1964. The race became a CART event in 1979, and joined the Indy Racing League in 1996. It was held continuously through 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Prix of Portland</span> IndyCar Series race held in Portland, Oregon, United States

The Grand Prix of Portland is an Indy Car Series race held at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The race was held every year from 1984 through 2007 first as a CART series race, then as part of Champ Car World Series. After a ten-year absence, the race returned to the IndyCar Series for the 2018 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Prix of Road America</span> Sport event

The Grand Prix of Road America, also known as the Sonsio Grand Prix at Road America for sponsorship reasons, is an IndyCar Series race held at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. For twenty-five years, the event was part of CART/CCWS, with the first race being held in 1982. The event was put on hiatus in 2008 after the unification of Champ Car into the Indy Racing League.

The 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 7th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 15 races. Al Unser Sr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Arie Luyendyk. The 1985 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Danny Sullivan won the Indy 500, in dramatic fashion, a race that became known as the "Spin and Win."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 CART PPG Indy Car World Series</span> Sports season

The 1986 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 8th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 17 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Bobby Rahal was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Chip Robinson. The 1986 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Bobby Rahal won the Indy 500, and would later become the first driver since 1980 to win Indy and the CART championship in the same season.

The 1988 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 10th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 15 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Danny Sullivan was the national champion, winning for Team Penske. The rookie of the year was John Jones. The 1988 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Rick Mears won the Indy 500, his third victory at Indy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IndyCar Monterey Grand Prix</span>

The Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey is an IndyCar Series race held at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca near Monterey, California. The event dates back to 1960, and became an American open wheel race in 1983. The race was part of the CART/Champ Car series from 1983 through 2004. After a fifteen-year hiatus, the event returned in 2019 as part of the IndyCar Series, replacing Sonoma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1995 PPG Indy Car World Series</span> Sports season

The 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the seventeenth in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) era of U.S. American open-wheel car racing. It consisted of 17 races, beginning in Miami, Florida on March 5 and concluding in Monterey, California on September 10. The PPG Indy Car World Series Drivers' Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Jacques Villeneuve. Rookie of the Year was Gil de Ferran. This was the last season before the formation of the Indy Racing League by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner, Tony George, and the last time the United States Auto Club-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 would appear in the Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1994 PPG Indy Car World Series</span> 16th national championship season of American open wheel racing

The 1994 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 16th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART under the name "IndyCar". The season consisted of 16 races. Al Unser Jr. was the national champion, his second CART title, and the rookie of the year was Jacques Villeneuve. The 1994 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Al Unser Jr. won the Indy 500 from the pole position, his second career victory in that event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1996 Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix was a CART race which happened at the Nazareth Speedway on April 28, 1996. It was the 5th round of the 1996 IndyCar season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 Michigan 500</span> Motor car race

The 1985 Michigan 500, the fifth running of the event, was held at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, on Sunday, July 28, 1985. The event was race number 7 of 15 in the 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series. The race was won by Emerson Fittipaldi, his first Indy Car victory. The race was delayed for one week over concerns about Goodyear's new radial tires.

References

  1. Miller, Robin (December 7, 1986). "Financial crunch will continue to plague Indy-car racing teams". The Indianapolis Star. p. 104. Retrieved October 18, 2016 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  2. Åberg, Andreas. "PPG Indy Car World Series 1987". Driver Database. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  3. "1987 PPG Indy Car World Series".
  4. Cash, Phil (1987-05-11). "Johncock attempting Indy comeback". The Milwaukee Sentinel. Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  5. "1987 Nissan Indy Challenge". ChampCarStats. Archived from the original on 2012-09-23. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  6. "Driver Season Stats".
  7. "Driver Season Stats".
  8. "Official Box Score: 71st Indianapolis 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
  9. "Race Results".
  10. Andrettis Glad This Race Day Is History Pocono Quaker State 500
  11. "1987 PPG Indy Car World Series". Champ Car Stats. Retrieved 2013-06-20.

See also