David Kudrave

Last updated
Kudrave driving for Euromotorsport in the 1993 PPG IndyCar World Series David.kudrave.indy.png
Kudrave driving for Euromotorsport in the 1993 PPG IndyCar World Series

David Kudrave (born March 10, 1966 in Los Angeles), is an American former open wheel racing driver. He raced in the 1993 CART season, with 8 career starts. His best finish came in his first race, the Valvoline 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kudrave also raced in the 1996 and 1996-1997 Indy Racing League seasons, with 3 starts. Coincidentally, his best IRL finish was in 10th position in the 1996 Dura Lube 200, also at PIR. Currently, David is out of racing and is in the real estate brokerage business in Southern California.

Contents

Early life

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Kudrave and his father would annually journey from their family home to the now defunct Ontario Motor Speedway where they would watch racing legends like Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, and others compete. He has described this experience by saying "Those drivers were thrill-seekers and I knew then that I wanted to get into it. [1] " This led Kudrave to begin racing at just 12 years old. He attended the Jim Russell British School of Motor Racing at 15 years old, lying about his age in order to be eligible for the program, but still beating the older attendees in most of the races that he participated in. He began competing in a racing series sponsored by Russell after finishing the program and then moved up to the Formula Ford Circuit, a class generally regarded as the most competitive amateur open-wheel class in the nation. Kudrave also attended the University of Southern California, majoring in Economics.

Early career

In 1985, Kudrave officially became a professional open-wheel race car driver by moving up to the Super Vee Series, which features cars with 200 horsepower engines. Just one year after he entered the series, he finished the season in sixth place. In 1987 he won three races, one pole position, and led for more laps and miles than any other competitor. He finished the series in second, just 20 points behind series champion Scott Atchinson. [2] His worst race finish that year was fourth place, and he was voted the series "Most Improved Driver". That year Kudrave was publicly praised by then Formula One driver Dan Gurney, who said "He's talented, no doubt about it."

CART

1993 season

Kudrave made his CART debut in 1993, racing for the Euromotorsport team. His first start was in the Valvoline 200 in Phoenix Arizona. Throughout his first season he had 7 starts, with his best finish in eighth place. He finished the season with 6 points.

1994 season

With growing tension and criticism of the CART Series, the 1994 season was plagued by rumors that the series was going to fall apart. Kudrave did not start in any races that year, but would return to racing the following year in the newly-formed Indy Racing League (now called the IndyCar Series).

IndyCar

1996 season

Kudrave's return to racing with Tempero-Giuffre Racing started in the Indy 200 at the Walt Disney World Speedway, where he finished in twentieth. This was then followed by a tenth-place finish in Phoenix. In the third round of the season, he was set to race in the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, before a complication within his team prevented him from being able to participate in the race. After the third round, Kudrave would not start another race until the following season. He finished the season with 80 points, ranked 19th overall.

1996-1997 season

Kudrave participated in just one race in the 1996-1997 Season in the Indy 225, which took place at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He finished the race in 17th place, giving him 18 points for the season. At the end of the season he was ranked 47th overall. The 1996-1997 Indy Racing League Season would be his final season of his racing career.

Racing record

American Open Wheel

(key)

CART

YearTeam12345678910111213141516RankPoints
1993 Euromotorsport SRF PHX
8
LBH
DNS
INDY MIL
24
DETPOR
23
CLETORMIC
12
NHA
23
ROAVANMDO
23
NAZ
14
LS27th6
1994 Euromotorsport SRF
Wth
PHX
DNQ
LBH
DNQ
INDY MILDETPORCLETORMICMDONHAVANROANAZLSNC0

IndyCar

YearTeam12345678910RankPoints
1996 Tempero-Giuffre Racing WDW
20
PHX
10
INDY 19th80
1996-97 Tempero-Giuffre Racing NHM
17
LVS WDW PHX INDY TXS PPIR CLT NH2 LV2 47th18

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bobby Rahal</span> American racing driver

Robert Woodward Rahal is an American former auto racing driver and team owner. As a driver he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500. He also won the 2004 and 2020 Indy 500s as a team owner for Buddy Rice and Takuma Sato, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Andretti</span> American racing driver

Michael Mario Andretti is an American semi-retired auto racing driver and current team owner. Statistically one of the most successful drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, Andretti won the 1991 CART PPG Indy Car World Series and amassed 42 race victories, the most in the CART era and fourth-most all time. Since his retirement from active racing, Andretti has owned Andretti Autosport, which has won four IndyCar Series championships and five Indianapolis 500 races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roberto Guerrero</span> Colombian-American racing driver

Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a Colombian-American former race driver. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982, becoming the first Colombian to start a Formula One Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Ongais</span> American racing driver

Danny Ongais was an American racing driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Andretti</span> American racing driver

Jeff Andretti is a former American race car driver. He competed in CART, and was the series' Rookie of the Year in 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Carpentier</span> Canadian racing driver

Patrick Carpentier is a retired Canadian professional auto racing driver. In the Champ Car World Series and the IndyCar Series, he achieved five wins and 24 podiums, as well as two third place championship finishes in 2002 and 2004. The long-time Champ Car driver switched to the IndyCar Series in 2005, and moved on to Grand Am Road Racing in 2007. After a few NASCAR races in 2007, he moved full-time into the series in 2008. Since 2009, he has only had part-time drives, so became a contractor and renovator in Montreal, trading in real estate in Las Vegas, as well as being a color commentator for television coverage of various racing series. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, driving the No. 32 Ford Fusion for Go FAS Racing. Carpentier is now the president of a home construction firm in Quebec.

Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American developmental automobile racing series sanctioned by IndyCar, currently known as Firestone Indy NXT Series for sponsorship reasons. Indy Lights is the highest step on the Road to Indy, a program of racing series leading up to the IndyCar Series.

Gregory Ray is an American former race car driver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 Indy Racing League</span> Sports season

The 1996 Indy Racing League was the first season in the history of the series, which was created and announced on March 11, 1994 by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as a supplementary Indy-car series to the established Indy Car World Series sanctioned by Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) since 1979. It consisted of only three races, as the season concluded with the 80th Indianapolis 500 in May. Walt Disney World Speedway was completed in time to host the first ever event of the Indy Racing League (IRL), and Phoenix International Raceway switched alliances from CART to the IRL, in order to host the second event of the season. At the conclusion of the three-race schedule, Scott Sharp and Buzz Calkins ended up tied for first place in the season championship. With no tiebreaker rule in place, the two drivers were declared co-champions. Its creation, and the opposition of Indy Car's teams and drivers to take part in it, marked the start of 'the Split', a 12-year period of competition between rival series at the top level of American Open Wheel racing that had lasting negative effects in the sport.

Michael Dennis Groff is a former race car driver who competed in CART and the IRL IndyCar Series and was the 1989 Indy Lights champion. His younger brother Robbie was also a CART and IRL driver from 1994 to 1998.

Gordon Eugene Smiley was an American race car driver who was killed in a single-car crash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He was inducted into the Nebraska Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Alsup</span> American open-wheel racing driver (1938–2016)

Bill Alsup was an American race car driver. He was the first Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Rookie of the Year in 1979 and competed in the 1981 Indianapolis 500, finishing 11th. He made 57 CART & USAC Champ Car starts in his career. His best race finish of third came 3 times and he was the 1981 CART Championship runner-up, putting in a winless but consistent season for Penske Racing, his only effort with a top-level team. He returned to his own team the next year and struggled until leaving Champ Car following the 1984 Sanair Super Speedway race.

Bernard Jourdain is a Belgian born Mexican racing driver. Jourdain is the uncle of racer Michel Jourdain Jr., and a pivotal figure in Michel Jr.’s progression from novice to Champ Car race winner. Now retired from racing, Bernard runs a restaurant in California, as well as other business projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howdy Holmes</span> American racing driver

Howdy Holmes is a former racing driver in the CART Championship Car series. He began racing in the early 1970s and was based in Stockbridge, Michigan, about 36 miles (58 km) southeast from downtown Lansing and 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Chelsea, Michigan where his family owned a milling company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 PPG Indy Car World Series</span> Sports season

The 1993 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 15th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART under the name "IndyCar". The season consisted of 16 races. Nigel Mansell was the national champion as well as the Rookie of the Year. The 1993 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Emerson Fittipaldi won the Indy 500, his second career victory in that event.

The 1983 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 5th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 13 races. Al Unser was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Teo Fabi. The 1983 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but an arrangement was made such that it counted towards the CART points championship. Tom Sneva won the Indy 500, after three previous runner-up finishes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 CART PPG Indy Car World Series</span> Sports season

The 1989 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 11th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 15 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Emerson Fittipaldi was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Bernard Jourdain. Fittipaldi became the second driver after Mario Andretti to win the Formula One World Championship and the CART championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 PPG Indy Car World Series</span> Sports season

The 1992 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 14th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 16 races. Bobby Rahal was the national champion, his third and final career CART title. Stefan Johansson was named the Rookie of the Year. The 1992 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Al Unser Jr. won the Indy 500 in the closest finish in the history of that event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Álex Palou</span> Spanish racing driver

Álex Palou Montalbo is a Spanish racing driver who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing in the IndyCar Series, where he won the 2021 series championship. He is the first Spanish racing driver to win a National Championship in American open-wheel racing history and also the first Spaniard to win in the GP3 Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stuart Crow</span> American racing driver

Stuart Crow is an American former racing driver. Crow won the 1990 United States Formula Super Vee Championship and the 2000 United States Formula 3 Championship.

References

  1. KLEIN, GARY (1989-07-13). "FINISHING SCHOOL : Kudrave Hopes Successful ARS Season Leads to Chance to Drive Indy Cars". Los Angeles Times. ISSN   0458-3035 . Retrieved 2017-06-14.
  2. Brown, Allen. "US Formula Super Vee 1987". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 22 September 2017.