Dick Simon Racing

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Dick Simon Racing was a race team owned by racer Dick Simon that competed in the CART Championship Car series from 1983 to 1995 and the Indy Racing League from 1999 to 2001.

Contents

CART

Dick Simon's March 84C at Laguna Seca in 1984. DickSimon.jpg
Dick Simon's March 84C at Laguna Seca in 1984.

The team was founded in 1983 when Simon decided to bring his sponsorship from Vermont American to a new team of his own creation. He saw an immediate boost in performance as he qualified for the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 1980 and was noticeably more competitive than he was with the Leader Card team. In 1985 Simon brought in Brazilian Raul Boesel to drive full-time as he scaled back his own racing to a part-time schedule, occasionally joining Boesel in a second car. Simon only competed in four races in 1986 as Boesel drove the team's primary car to 17th in points and was competitive in nearly every race. A number of other drivers made part-time appearances in Simon's other entry as Dick Simon Racing became one of the premier teams for pay drivers. This trend continued in 1988 which would be Simon's final year of racing as Arie Luyendyk replaced Boesel in the team's full-time entry. In 1989 Scott Brayton joined Luyendyk as the team fielded a pair of full-time fully funded entries for the first time. Luyendyk finished 10th in points while Brayton finished 15th. Luyendyk left the team for 1990 and was replaced by Japanese rookie Hiro Matsushita while Brayton again finished 15th. Matsushita took his Panasonic funding elsewhere for 1991, leaving Brayton to drive a single Simon entry to a respectable 12th-place points finish. Brayton, Matsushita, and Boesel returned to the team in 1992 and Boesel finished 9th in the championship while Brayton finished 15th again. The team also fielded a car in the Indy 500 for female rookie Lyn St. James who became the second woman to compete in the race. St. James returned for a partial schedule in 1993 while Brayton and Boesel drove the full-time cars to 15th and 5th-place points finishes respectively, with Boesel capturing 3 runner-up finishes. In 1994 Matsushita again returned to the team as Boesel continued in the other car, this time finishing 7th in points. In 1995 the team signed Dean Hall and Formula One veteran Eliseo Salazar to drive the team's two cars and they were joined in April by rookie Carlos Guerrero. Hall left the team after failing to qualify for the Indy 500 while Salazar and Guerrero managed 21st and 30th-place points finishes respectively.

The team finished its years in CART without winning a race, but captured two poles, both by Boesel at the Milwaukee Mile in 1993 and 1994. The team had six second place finishes, one with Arie Luyendyk in 1988, and the rest with Boesel.

As an owner, Simon had a stellar record of his rookie drivers successfully qualifying for the Indy 500. As a tradition, Simon cars frequently made the effort to be "first car(s) on the track" at Indy on the opening day of practice, a popular ceremonial honor.

Indy Racing League

In 1996 Dick Simon sold much of the team's cars and assets to Team Scandia founder Andy Evans and Simon was listed on many of the team's entries in the new Indy Racing League as Simon/Scandia Racing. It was during that year that Scandia set a race record by having 7 of their cars qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

Dick Simon returned to the IRL in 1999 with Stephan Gregoire who competed in a full schedule but failed to qualify for the Indy 500 and finished 15th in points. Gregoire returned in 2000 and finished 14th in points and was joined in the Indianapolis 500 by Lyn St. James who began her IndyCar career with Simon 8 years earlier. Both cars made the race and while St. James wrecked early in the race, Gregoire finished 8th. Gregoire was set to return for a full season in 2001, but after the team again failed to qualify for the Indy 500, the team shut down in May of that year.

When his own team failed to qualify at the 2001 Indy 500, on race day Simon was hired to be the team strategist for Robby Gordon at A. J. Foyt Enterprises.

NASCAR

At the 1994 Brickyard 400, Dick Simon was the co-owner of Jim Sauter's entry. The car failed to qualify.

Drivers

CART

IRL

* indicates car was entered as Simon/Scandia Racing

Complete Racing Results

PPG CART Indycar World Series

(key)

YearChassisEngineDriversNo.1234567891011121314151617Pts PosPos
1983 ATL INDY MILCLEMCHROAPOCRIVMDOMCHCPLLAGPHX
March 83C Cosworth DFX Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 22DNQ15111419142329th2
Eagle 83132515
Flag of Peru.svg Jorge Koechlin (R)191541st0
1984 LBHPHX INDY MILPORMEACLEMCHROAPOCMDOSANMCHPHXLAGCPL
March 84C Cosworth DFX Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 2219423132024DNQ1215122412152114DNQ25th15
Flag of the United States.svg Mike Nish (R)2315DNQ40th0
1985 LBH INDY MILPORMEACLEMCHROAPOCMDOSANMCHLAGPHXMIA
March 85C Cosworth DFX Flag of Brazil.svg Raul Boesel (R)2220111112823202330th10
231828
Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 22261325101719DNQ36th3
2317
March 84C Flag of the United States.svg Mike Nish DNQNC
1986 PHXLBH INDY MILPORMEACLETORMCHPOCMDOSANMCHROALAGPHXMIA
Lola T8600 Cosworth DFX Flag of Brazil.svg Raul Boesel 221319131482367557915814131913th54
Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 231422232042nd0
Flag of the United States.svg Chip Robinson (R)14726th6
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian Ashley 1592328th4
1987 LBHPHX INDY MILPORMEACLETORMCHPOCROAMDONAZLAGMIA
Lola T8700 Cosworth DFX Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 222010620181423239211820th15
Flag of the United States.svg Wally Dallenbach Jr. 1237th1
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Ludwig Heimrath 2634th5
2315223010121718192512
Flag of Italy.svg Fulvio Ballabio (R)2648th0
Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Wood 1015DNQ1033rd6
2223
Flag of the United States.svg John Richards (R)1338th0
Lola T860027261314
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ian Ashley 2043rd0
1988 PHXLBH INDY MILPORCLETORMEAMCHPOCMDOROANAZLAGMIA
Lola T8800 Cosworth DFX Flag of the Netherlands.svg Arie Luyendyk 791010152*182020282625199221414th31
Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon 2291272024th11
Lola T87001919
Flag of the United States.svg Scott Pruett (R)1838th0
Lola T8800 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Didier Theys 109182110238315th29
Lola T8700 Flag of Italy.svg Fulvio Ballabio 2325171839th0
Flag of Finland.svg Tero Palmroth (R)191842nd0
Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Jean-Pierre Frey (R)131937th0
1989 PHXLBH INDY MILDETPORCLEMEATORMCHPOCMDOROANAZLAG
Lola T8900 Cosworth DFS Flag of the Netherlands.svg Arie Luyendyk 717766397246238413910th75
921
Flag of the United States.svg Scott Brayton 22151218DSQ1328101411141513102015th17
Buick 3300 V6 t 6
1990 PHXLBH INDY MILDETPORCLEMEATORMCHDENVANMDOROANAZLAG
Lola T8900 Cosworth DFS Flag of Japan.svg Hiro Matsushita (R)1019DNQ19121615231718212331st1
Lola T9000 Flag of Finland.svg Tero Palmroth DNS33rd1
2312
Lola T89002827
Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Rutherford DNQNC
Flag of the United States.svg Joe Sposato (R)1739th0
Lola T9000 Flag of the United States.svg Scott Brayton 2213972010252291416129813122415th28
1991 SFR LBHPHX INDY MILDETPORCLEMEATORMCHDENVANMDOROANAZLAG
Lola T9000 Cosworth DFS Flag of Japan.svg Hiro Matsushita 7211410141423rd6
Lola T910013141215191416141212
Buick 3300 V6 t 16
Chevrolet 265A 20
Flag of the United States.svg Scott Brayton 226813176915796916101311192712th52
Lola T9000 Cosworth DFS Flag of Finland.svg Tero Palmroth 232348th0
1992 SFR PHXLBH INDY DETPORMILNHA TOR MCHCLEROAVANMDONAZLAG
Lola T9200 Chevrolet 265A Flag of Japan.svg Hiro Matsushita 11DNQ1610DNQ24141318141527th3
Flag of Brazil.svg Raul Boesel 729101839th80
23226811766
Flag of the United States.svg Scott Brayton 222091712223171710211281081015th39
Buick 3300 V6 t 22
Lola T9100 Chevrolet 265A Flag of France.svg Philippe Gache (R)442860th0
Flag of the United States.svg Lyn St. James (R)901133rd1
1993 SFR PHXLBH INDY MILDETPORCLETORMCHNHAROAVANMDONAZLAG
Lola T9306 Ford XB Flag of Brazil.svg Raul Boesel 9821242*27774214949115th132
Lola T9200 Flag of the United States.svg Scott Brayton 2216251415th36
Lola T9306246617181911672491524
Lola T9200 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Didier Theys 231542nd0
Buick 3300 V6 t Flag of France.svg Stéphan Grégoire (R)361946th0
Chevrolet 265A Flag of the United States.svg John Brooks 44DNQNC
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Gary Brabham (R)901440th0
Ford XB Flag of the United States.svg Lyn St. James 131736th0
Lola T930625DNQ202322
Flag of France.svg Bertrand Gachot (R)1234th1
Flag of the United States.svg Eddie Cheever 617th21
Flag of Brazil.svg Maurício Gugelmin (R)211337th0
1824
1994 SFR PHXLBH INDY MILDETPORCLETORMCHMDONHAVANROANAZLAG
Lola T9400 Ford XB Flag of Brazil.svg Raul Boesel 5278421828236129*84236427th90
Flag of Japan.svg Hiro Matsushita 221527DNQ1423DNQ21151861817DNQ14162326th8
Flag of the United States.svg Lyn St. James 901948th0
Lola T9306 Flag of the United States.svg Dennis Vitolo 792653rd0
Flag of Finland.svg Tero Palmroth DNQNC
Flag of Japan.svg Hideshi Matsuda (R)992452nd0
1995 MIA SFR PHXLBHNAZ INDY MILDETPORROATORCLEMCHMDONHAVANLAG
Lola T9400 Ford XB Flag of Chile.svg Eliseo Salazar (R)72421st19
Lola T950017101512416201518211018131313DNQ
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Arie Luyendyk 222526th6
Flag of Mexico.svg Carlos Guerrero 113315242417261816151830th2
Lola T9400142119
Lola T9500 Flag of the United States.svg Davy Jones 772343rd0
Flag of the United States.svg Lyn St. James 90321739th0
Lola T940020
Flag of Finland.svg Tero Palmroth DNQNC
Lola T9500 Flag of the United States.svg Dean Hall 991212171716DNQ31st2
1996 MIA RIO SFR LBH NAZ 500 MIL DET PORCLE TOR MCHMDOROAVANLAG
Lola T9600 Ford XB Flag of Brazil.svg Marco Greco 7251223nd1
Flag of Chile.svg Eliseo Salazar 2118111530th2
Flag of Mexico.svg Carlos Guerrero 2220201433rd0
Flag of Mexico.svg Michel Jourdain Jr. (R)2323DNS22162637th0

Indy Racing League results

(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearChassisEngineDriversNo.12345678910111213
1996 1 WDW PHX INDY
Lola T95
Lola T94 [N 1]
Lola T93 [N 2]
Reynard 95I [N 3]
Ford Cosworth Flag of Chile.svg Eliseo Salazar 7Wth6
Flag of Spain.svg Fermín Vélez 19
3421
Flag of Italy.svg Alessandro Zampedri 84
Flag of Mexico.svg Michel Jourdain Jr. 222013
Flag of Italy.svg Michele Alboreto 334830
Flag of the United States.svg Joe Gosek [N 4] 4322
Flag of the United States.svg Lyn St. James 90821
Flag of the United States.svg Racin Gardner 25
1999 WDWPHXCLT INDY TXSPPIRATLDOVPPIRLSVTXS
G-Force GF01C Oldsmobile Aurora V8 Flag of France.svg Stéphan Grégoire 71610C 2 DNQ411241414815
2000 WDWPHXLSV INDY TXSPPIRATLKTYTXS
G-Force GF05 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 Flag of France.svg Stéphan Grégoire 71882881187520
Flag of the United States.svg Lyn St. James 9032
2001 PHXHMSATL INDY TXSPPIRRIRKANNSHKTYGATCHITXS
Dallara IR-01 Oldsmobile Aurora V8 Flag of France.svg Stéphan Grégoire 7212215DNQ
Flag of Colombia.svg Roberto Guerrero DNQ
17DNQ
  1. ^ Run in conjunction with Team Scandia.
  2. ^ The 1999 VisionAire 500K at Charlotte was cancelled after 79 laps due to spectator fatalities.
  1. Used by Alessandro Zampedri, Joe Gosek and Racin Gardner.
  2. Used by Lyn St. James at Walt Disney World
  3. Used by Michele Alboreto at Walt Disney World and Lyn St. James at Phoenix.
  4. Switched from Tempero-Giuffre Racing (car #15) during practice for the Indy 500.