Treadway Racing is a former auto racing team that competed in the early seasons of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. The team was owned by Indianapolis business man Fred Treadway. Prior to the IRL's inaugural season in 1996, Treadway was able to sign former Indianapolis 500 Champion Arie Luyendyk to drive for his freshman team. Additionally, two long time backers of IndyCar teams, Bryant Heating & Cooling Systems and Jonathan Byrd's Cafeteria, were secured as sponsors.
Luyendyk brought home the team's first win in their second race together, winning the Dura-Lube 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Later that season Luyendyk would set two qualifying records at the Indianapolis 500. Luyendyk would run 236.986 mph (381.392 km/h) over the four lap run, [1] during this run he also set the one-lap record of 237.498-mph. [2] This run would not put Luyendyk on the pole position however, as the run was on the second day of time trials. Luyendyk's attempt on the first day of qualifications was disallowed when he failed technical inspection although it was good enough for the pole. His day two attempt was faster than his day one attempt. Ultimately Luyendyk was knocked out of the race in an accident.
The following year, good fortunes would continue to the race into the race as Luyendyk would win the 1997 Indianapolis 500 for Treadway Racing from the pole; new teammate Scott Goodyear finished second, making it a 1-2 sweep for Treadway Racing. Luyendyk would follow up by winning the True Value 500 at Texas Motor Speedway a fortnight later. The race is best remembered for the scoring controversy [3] that would lead to USAC being removed from sanctioning duties by the IRL. [4] Goodyear's more consistent results would put him one spot ahead of Luyendyk in the final season standings for 1997 despite not collecting a win.
For 1998 Goodyear left Treadway Racing, leaving Luyendyk as the sole driver. Luyendyk won the final race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway before retiring from full-time racing.
Sam Schmidt was signed to replace Luyendyk for 1999 season. He would deliver the team a win at Las Vegas as Luyendyk had the prior season. This late season win combined with finishing 5th in the final season standings gave the team high hopes for 2000. An opportunity to achieve this success would not occur as a devastating pre-season testing injury [5] at Walt Disney World Speedway would leave Schmidt paralyzed. The accident would leave Robby McGehee who had been signed to partner Schmidt as the team's sole driver. McGehee would only last one season.
Felipe Giaffone would take the team's seat in 2001, bringing with him personal sponsorship from Hollywood Cigarettes. Ross & Diana Hubbard also joined the team as partners to Fred Treadway. Giaffone and the Hubbards would also last only one season.
For 2002 Treadway's son Rick Treadway drove for the team for the first half of the season with Will Langhorne competing select events at the season's end. As teams from the CART World Series began to enter the IRL costs began to rise and squeeze out small teams such as Treadway Racing. The 2002 Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway was Treadway Racing's final race in the Indy Racing League's top series.
Full-Time Drivers
Felipe Giaffone (2001)
Scott Goodyear (1997)
Arie Luyendyk (1996-'98)
Robby McGehee (2000) Sam Schmidt (1999) Rick Treadway (2002)
Part-Time/Indy-Only Drivers
Raul Boesel (2000) Will Langhorne (2002) Jason Leffler (2000) Arie Luyendyk (1999, 2001-'02)(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
| # | Season | Date | Sanction | Track / Race | No. | Winning Driver | Chassis | Engine | Tire | Grid | Laps Led |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996 | March 24 | IRL | Phoenix International Raceway (O) | 5 | Arie Luyendyk | Reynard 95i | Ford-Cosworth XB | Firestone | Pole | 122 |
| 2 | 1996-97 | May 27 | IRL | Indianapolis 500 (O) | 5 | Arie Luyendyk (2) | G-Force GF01 | Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | Firestone | Pole | 61 |
| 3 | June 7 | IRL | Texas Motor Speedway (O) | 5 | Arie Luyendyk (3) | G-Force GF01 | Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | Firestone | 11 | 20 | |
| 4 | 1998 | October 11 | IRL | Las Vegas Motor Speedway (O) | 5 | Arie Luyendyk (4) | G-Force GF01B | Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | Goodyear | 14 | 88 |
| 5 | 1999 | September 26 | IRL | Las Vegas Motor Speedway (O) | 99 | Sam Schmidt | G-Force GF01C | Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | Firestone | Pole | 35 |
Arie Luijendijk, nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," is a Dutch former auto racing driver, and winner of the 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 races. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 2009, and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2014.
Scott Goodyear is a Canadian former race car driver. He ran the Indy Racing League and Champ Car series during his career from 1987, winning the Michigan 500 in 1992 and 1994.
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.
The 1996–97 Indy Racing League was the second season contested by the Indy Racing League. Tony Stewart was the champion, while Arie Luyendyk won the Indianapolis 500. The lengthy season was a result of the league abandoning the concept of ending each season with the Indianapolis 500. The 1996–97 season would ultimately consist of the two races that followed the Indy 500 in the calendar year of 1996, and all events contested in the calendar year of 1997. It also saw the introduction of a new chassis and engine package.
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The Curb Agajanian Performance Group is an American motorsports team, currently competing as a co-entrant in IndyCar and IMSA. It is owned by record executive Mike Curb and racing personality Cary Agajanian; son of the late J. C. Agajanian, a race promoter and race car owner. It has fielded an IndyCar entry or co-entry in various races since 2001. Curb also was involved with NASCAR in both the Xfinity Series and Sprint Cup Series, owning Curb Racing from 1984 to 2011. Curb had several business partners in the NASCAR operation over the years, including Agajanian from 1998 to 2006.
The 86th Indianapolis 500-mile (800 km) race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 26, 2002. It was the seventh Indianapolis 500 held as part of the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series schedule, and was part of the 2002 Indy Racing League season.
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