The roots of the problem: an Indycar TL

[kinnikuniverse]

Marlboro indycar 1993

Schedule

1. Valvoline 200 - Atlanta Motor Speedway (O) - March 21st
2. Jimmy Bryant Memorial - Phoenix International Raceway (O) - April 4th
3. Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (S) - April 18th
4. Indianapolis 500 (O) - May 30th
5. Rex Mays Classic - Milwaukee Mile (O) - June 6th
6. Budweiser Grand Prix of New York at the Glen - Watkins Glen International (R) - June 13th
7. GI Joe's 200 - Portland International Raceway (R) - June 27th
8. New England 200 - New Hampshire (O) - July 11th
9. Molson Indy Toronto (S) - July 18th
10. Marlboro Michigan 500 (O) - August 1st
11. Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland (S) - August 8th
12. Miller Genuine Draft 200 - Mid-Ohio (R) - August 15th
13. Texaco Havoline 200 - Road America (R) - August 22nd
14. Texas 500 - Texas World Speedway (O) - August 29th
15. Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix of Pennsylvania- Nazareth (O) - September 12th
16. L.A Times 500K - Riverside (R) - September 19th
17. California 500 - Ontario Motor Speedway (O) - October 3rd.

Texaco-Havoline Newman-Haas
Lola T93/00-Ford Cosworth XB
#1 Michael Andretti
#2 Mario Andretti

After barely scrapping by the title in 1992, Newman-Haas and Michael Andretti have only one goal in mind in 1993: a third consecutive title, an achievement that hasn't been done in Indycar racing since Ted Horn in the late 40s. With the backing of Ford and the ever reliable Lola chassis, it looks as if we might just witness history. However, pre-season testing saw the team actually end in 2nd behind their main competitors this year.

Marlboro Team Penske
Penske PC-22-Chevrolet Ilmor
#7 Paul Tracy
#5 Emerson Fittipaldi

The Captain retains Emerson Fittipaldi and Rick Mears's replacement Paul Tracy, and continue on with their longstanding partnership with Chevrolet and Ilmor, but that's about the only thing similar to last year. The team's chief designer, Nigel Bennett, offers a radical departure from previous Penske Chassis of years gone by with the PC-22. With bigger wings on the ovals and a more rigid suspension system, PT and Emmo took the pre-season testing by storm, easily outshining all the other teams. Only Newman-Haas could rival them, which gives us perhaps a preview of what's to come this year.

​

Miller Genuine Draft Team Rahal-Hogan
Trusports 93C-Chevrolet Ilmor
#12 Bobby Rahal

A frustrating, anticlimatic end for Rahal's title challenge at the 1992 finale prompted him, Carl Hogan and Steve Horne to spemd the entire winter working on the 1993 Trusports chassis. The results, however, judging from pre-season twsting, seems to indicate that more work needs to be done, for they only achieved 4th overall in both Ovals and Road Courses. With ressources starting to run a bit low, Rahal's driver-owner operation might need to cut down on their ambitions in future seasons.

​

Budweiser Patrick Racing
Lola T93/00-Ford Cosworth XB
#20 Scott Pruett

An up-and-down season for Pat Patrick ended on a high note with Scott Pruett winning the season finale at Ontario, and the team looks set to ride the momentum heading into the new season. Armed again with the current Lola-Ford package that Newman-Haas is using, the former sports car ace looks to add more Ws on his resume.

Galles racing
Galmer G93-Chevrolet Ilmor
#3 Al Unser Jr - Valvoline
#18 Wally Dallenbach Jr - Kraco
#94 Adrian Fernandez (R) (part-time) - Tecate - Galmer G92

Little Al's brave late season charge saw him barely lose out on the title by only one point. The team, however, was throughly satisfied with the Galmer's performance, and they feel they have made the new chassis, the G93, easier to set up than last year's, which will help them tremendously this year.

Wally Dallenbach comes back on the abck of an exemplary job as Little Al's number 2, while Indy Lights runner-up Adrian Fernandez makes his debut in a part-time capacity, driving last year's Galmer Chassis

​

Target chip ganassi racing
LolaT93/00-Ford Cosworth XB
#28 Eddie Cheever
#6 Robby Gordon

A breakthrough season for the young Target outfit, for Eddie Cheever scored his and the team's first win at Phoenix and a podium at Indianapolis, while rookie Robby Gordon, despits a few mistakes, earned Indy rookie of the year honors by finishing 4th. This outfit are the main darkhorses this year, according to many experts.

Panasonic Dick Simon Racing
Lola T93/00-Buick
#11 Raul Boesel
#22 Hiro Matsushita
#90 Lyn St. James (part-time) - Lola T92/00

Raul Boesel had the best season of his Indycar career in 1992, with a best finish of 2nd place at Watkins Glen firmly making him Dick Simon's number 1 driver. As usual, Hiro Matsushita is here to provide the lucrative Panasonic sponsorship and ESPN analyst and Sports car racer Lyn St. James will compete part-time.

​

Pennzoil Hall VDS Racing
Lola T93/00-Chevrolet Ilmor
#4 Jeff Gordon (R)

With John Andretti leaving, many expected Jim Hall to hire drivers from a similar pedigree. However, the longtime veteran team owner surprised everyone by going with a rookie, a first since John Paul Jr. In 1983. While Jeff Gordon is no ordinary rookie, being 1992 Indy Lights champion and possibly the most hyped prospect in american racing since Michael and Little Al, questions remains over his lack of experience on both road courses and having to handle significantly more horsepower than he is accustomed to in Indy Lights and British F3 and F3000. Nonetheless, the young man from Vallejo, California turned heads with his performances at pre-season testing, and a media following is slowly forming around him.

AJ Foyt Enterprises
Lola-T93/00-Chevrolet Ilmor
#14 Davy Jones - Copenhagen
#48 Davey Hamilton (Ovals) (R) - Duracell
#48 Ross Cheever (3, 6-7, 11-13, 16) - Duracell
#48 Ross Bentley (10, 500 milers) - Duracell - #87 Canadian Tire Lola T92/00 for the 500 milers

AJ Foyt, in his first full time year as team owner, will use a similar set up as he did last year, with Davy Jones now driving the full time #14 car and a handful of drivers splitting duties in the #48. Ross Cheever comes back to do almost all the road courses save for Toronto, which clashes with an All Japan F3000 round on the same date. Ross Bentley, who will compete in the 500 milers for Foyt this season, will substitute for the younger Cheever in his home country. Finally, sprint car ace Davey Hamilton makes his debut in the series as the #48's oval specialist

Walker Racing
Lola T93/00-Ford Cosworth XB
#15 Scott Goodyear - Mackenzie Financials
#17 John Andretti - Molson
#68 Willy T. Ribs (500 milers) - Lola T92/00-Ford

Following the sacking of the declining and underwhelming Willy T. Ribs, Derrick Walker signed one fo the breakout drivers of the past 2 seasons in John Andretti to a three-year deal. With Indy 500 winner Scott Goodyear alongside John, and increased funding from additional Canadian Sponsors, Walker will run the current-spec Lola-Ford package, while Ribs, who will spend the season mainly with Dan Gurney's IMSA outfit, will drive last year's Lola-Ford package for the 500 milers only.

Alumax Bettenhausen racing
Penske PC-22-Chevrolet Ilmor
#16 Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp had a very impressive rookie season, with a highest finish of 2nd place at the Texas 500 and earning rookie of the year honors. The Bettenhausen outfit is looking to confirm that they are a team on the rise, with an upgrade in their relationship with Roger Penske allowing them to run the PC-22.

Visa Pacwest Racing
Galmer G92-Chevrolet
#30 Mauricio Gugelmin (R)

A brand new outfit for this year, Bruce McCaw, a communications expert from Seattle, Washington, opens up his new Indycar team witha solid foundation, securing sponsorship from Visa and renting one of the 1992-spec Galmer chassis from Galles Racing. Mauricio Gugelmin comes from Formula 1, where he was part of the famed 1-2 finish for Leyton House March at the 1990 French Grand Prix behind winner Ivan Capelli. He brings lots of money from Brazilian cigarette maker Hollywood.

Craftsman Tools Arciero-Wells Racing
Penske PC-21-Chevrolet
#10 Mark Smith (R)

Lotsof change sat Arciero after a woeful 1992. In comes Indy Lights standout Mark Smith as well as a new partnership with Roger Penske, running the PC-21-Chevy from the Captain. Results in the pre-season testing drastically improved, with Smith looking like a spoiler in the works for the top teams.


King racing
Lola T92/00-Chevrolet Ilmor
#26 Scott Brayton- Quaker State
#36 Dave Kudrave - Mac Tools

Roberto Guerrero left the team despite scoring the pole at Indy last year, meaming that the Skoal Bandit money is now gone. Scott Brayton comes in to drive the Quaker State car, while Dave Kudrave has Mac Tools as new sponsor.

Barilla Euromotorsports
Lola T91/00-Ford Cosworth XB
#42 Mike Groff
#45 Andrea Montermini (R) (Road Courses)

Antonio Ferrari continues with Mike Groff, and this time, at the request of Barilla, they brough in Italian F3000 journeyman Andrea Montermini to tag along for the road courses.

Chesterfield Indy Regency
Lola T92/00-Chevrolet Ilmor
#31 Robbie Groff (R)

Robbie Groff, Mike Groff's brother, makes his debut along with his Indy Lights team Indy Regency. While not much is expected of this promoted outfit, it is still nice to see new american talent in Indycar.

Hemelgarn Racing
Lola T92/00-Buick
#81 Buddy lazier - Jack's Tool Rental

Buddy Lazier surprised many by sneaking into the points in 1992. He hopes to keep it going this year.

Della Pena Motorsports
Lola T92/00-Ford Cosworth XB
#47 Jimmy vasser - Ralphs

The 1991 Formula Atlantic champions had an okay year in 1992, with the expected growing pains from the promotion to Indycar. They hope for an improvement this year.

Dale Coyne Racing
Lola T91/00-Buick
#19 Robbie buhl - Mi-Jack
#39 Éric Bachelart - Lease Plan

Dale Coyne soldiers on with Robbie Buhl and Éric Bachelart as the drivers this year, hoping to continue sneaking points finishes.

 

[Huey Louis IX]

Soooooooooo with Nigel presumably staying in F1, does that open the door for another Grand Prix legend to cross over to Indycar in the near future? Perhaps a Brazilian of some renown?

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Soooooooooo with Nigel presumably staying in F1, does that open the door for another Grand Prix legend to cross over to Indycar in the near future? Perhaps a Brazilian of some renown?

We still got an entire season to run before silly season starts

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Ah, shit, i completely forgot about the snowstorm in Atlanta in march of that year...i guess they could move the race to Ontario, i guess...

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Marlboro Indycar 1993


Round 1: Valvoline 300 - Ontario Motor Speedway

March 21st, 1993

It was that time fo the year again. The labor of winter and the rigorous testing is now over, and it is now the moment of truth for the teams and drivers competing in the 1993 Marlboro Indy Car World Series season. However, it won't be at the traditional grounds of the opening round in Atlanta, for a massive snowstorm engulfed the state of Georgia with 35 inches of snow. Qucikly acting, the opening race would be hastily moved to Ontario Motor Speedway in California, with the distance being increased to 300 miles.

The Atlanta snowstorm of 1993

​

Michael Andretti, looking for a three-peat, puts his Newman-Haas Lola-ford on pole position, with Emerson Fitfipaldi and Paul Tracy not far behind, already giving the fans at Ontario and the millions watching on TV a preview of what was to come this year, while John Andretti and Robby Gordon confirms Walker and Ganassi's statuses as the main dark horses...


Yet the main attraction for the california fans, and certain members of the media, wasn't even on Michael's quest for a three-peat or the hectic last-minute switch from the snow-filled Atlanta to the wamr and sunny weather of California. It was the arrival of Jeff Gordon on the big stage. The local boy from up north in Vallejo got a standing ovation from the home crowd during the drivers parade, and the specialised magazines and local press hyped up his top prospect status earned from his 1992 Indy Lights title run. The hype only heightened in qualifying, where he showed off what he could do on the super speedways by qualifying 12th, beating none other than former 2-time series champion Bobby Rahal and Al Unser Jr, nonetheless. Such pressure would kill a young man his age, but Jeff was build different. And with Jim Hall, himself a superstar in his heyday, guiding him and giving him tips on how to handle the pressure, he was in good hands.


ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Emerson Fittipaldi

ROW 2
Paul Tracy
John Andretti

ROW 3
Robby Gordon
Mario Andretti

ROW 4
Scott Goodyear
Raul Boesel

ROW 5
Jimmy Vasser
Scott Pruett

ROW 6
Mark Smith
Jeff Gordon

ROW 7
Bobby Rahal
Al Unser Jr

ROW 8
Scott Brayton
Eddie Cheever

ROW 9
Robbie Buhl
Scott Sharp

ROW 10
Davy Jones
Davey Hamilton

ROW 11
Wally Dallenbach Jr
Mauricio Gugelmin

ROW 12
Dave Kudrave
Buddy Lazier

ROW 13
Robbie Groff
Mike Groff

ROW 14
Éric Bachelart
Hiro Matsushita


Already, a surprise for this opening round of the season, as Robby Gordon got off to a great start and passed PT and the Andretti cousins to gain second place, even matching the pace of Emmo as the race dwindled down to an epic three-way battle for the win between him, the brazilian veteran and Michael.

Michael wasn't one to abandon quickly, however, and he would have a great scrap against Robby for second before passing him at turn 4 exit to go after Emmo.

Further back, Al Unser Jr sadly had to retire due to electrical issues, while Bobby Rahal climbed up the ranks. Starting in a mediocre 13th, he clawed his ways through the flaws of the trusport chassis to get up into the top 6 and fight the like sof John Andretti, Eddie Cheever and the young Jeff Gordon. Rahal's battle with the young man got the California crowd rooting for their home boy and the old heads of the racing scene turning their heads at Jeff's feisty performance, not afraid at all at taking it to Rahal.

Back up front, Michael and Emmo battled for the win, trading places in daring overtakes, with the most spectacular being Michael goign three-wide with Emmo and backmarker Dave Kudrave to gain the lead and the win, starting off his three-peat bid with a bang. Robby Gordon wasn't too far away in third, but alas, he couldn't match the pace of the Texaco Lola and the Marlboro Penske, contenting himself with a well-deserved podium finish.

Mario Andretti beats out his nephew John for 4th, while Rahal ends a outstanding drive in 6th. Finally, Jeff Gordon ends his first ever Indycar race in a solid 9th place for Jim Hall.

Artist's rendition fo the battle for the win at the 1993 opening round in Ontario.​

Valvoline 300 Race finishers

1. Michael Andretti 20 pts
2. Emerson Fittipaldi 16 pts
3. Robby Gordon 14 pts
4. Mario Andretti 12 pts
5. John Andretti 10 pts
6. Bobby Rahal 6 pts
7. Eddie Cheever 4 pts
8. Raul Boesel 3 pts
9. Jeff Gordon 2 pts
10. Scott Goodyear 1 pts
11. Davey Hamilton
12. Scott Sharp
13. Wally Dallenbach Jr
14. Davy Jones
15. Al Unser Jr
16. Scott Brayton
17. Dave Kudrave
18. Mark Smith

​

Round 2: Jimmy Bryant Memorial - Phoenix International speedway

April 4th

The Arizona desert is unforgiving, and Michael Andretti learned that the hard way during practice. As he was doing his flying lap, his car spun and hit the wall in a blistering impact, a large fireball emitting from the percuted back of the car. While Michael came out of this crash alive, his back was severely impacted, and he will have to miss both the week-end's race and the upcoming Grand Prix at Long Beach, although he will thankfully most likely be cleared for Indy.

Michael's crash in Practice​

With Michael missing for the race, it meant the race was more open for the taking, as exemplified with reigning Indy 500 champion Scott Goodyear taking pole position for Walker ahead of a ressurgent Mario, while Jeff Gordon further improves his qualifying by sitting in 8th besides Bobby Rahal.


ROW 1
Scott Goodyear
Mario Andretti

ROW 2
Emerson Fittipaldi
John Andretti

ROW 3
Paul Tracy
Raul Boesel

ROW 4
Bobby Rahal
Jeff Gordon

ROW 5
Jimmy Vasser
Robby Gordon

ROW 6
Mark Smith
Scott Brayton

ROW 7
Al Unser Jr
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 8
Scott Pruett
Eddie Cheever

ROW 9
Davey Hamilton
Buddy Lazier

ROW 10
Scott Sharp
Davy Jones

ROW 11
Lyn St. James
Dave Kudrave

ROW 12
Robbie Buhl
Mauricio Gugelmin

ROW 13
Éric Bachelart
Robbie Groff

ROW 14
Mike Groff
Hiro Matsushita


Unfortunately for Goodyear, his run in the lead would be short-lived, for he would hit the wall on lap 10, barely when the race started, while his countryman Paul Tracy would showcase the huge potential that he and his Penske PC-22 had. The young Ontarian from West Hill would deliver perhaps the most dominant showing in Indycar in quite a long time, pulling off a daring three-wide pass on Mario and his teammate Fittipaldi and lapping the entire field twice en route to a star-making first win.

Mario Andretti, at the venerable age of 53, finishes in a brilliant 2nd place, while Jimmy Vasser of minnows Della Pena would stun the Indycar world by beating Al Unser Jr for the final podium spot, while Little Al himself would barely hold onto 4th against a very impressive Jeff Gordon, who scores his first career top 5 in only his second ever race.

PT, moments before his three-wide pass on Mario and Emmo.​

Phoenix Race Finishers

1. Paul Tracy 20 pts
2. Mario Andretti 16 pts
3. Jimmy Vasser 14 pts
4. Al Unser Jr 12 pts
5. Jeff Gordon 10 pts
6. Robby Gordon 6 pts
7. Scott Pruett 4 pts
8. Dave Kudrave 3 pts
9. Mark Smith 2 pts
10. Mauricio Gugelmin 1 pt
11. Hiro Matsushita
12. Éric Bachelart
13. Lyn St James

ROUND 3: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

The glitz and glamour of Hollywood took over Ocean Boulevard as the Indycars headed towards the Monaco of the west coast. The Newman-Haas team hired the services of 1983 Indycar champion and F1 veteran Teo Fabi to replace Michael for this race. Paul Tracy rode his momentum to his second career pole position, while John Andretti carried the andretti's honor in Michael's absence by qualifying 2nd on his Molson Walker Racing Lola. Jeff Gordon, racing once again in front of his home state, starts the race in 11th place, while Bobby Rahal and the trusports's woes continued as he qualifies outside of the 8th row in 16th place.

April 18th, 1993

ROW 1
Paul Tracy
John Andretti

ROW 2
Emerson Fittipaldi
Scott Goodyear

ROW 3
Scott Sharp
Mario Andretti

ROW 4
Teo Fabi
Al Unser Jr

ROW 5
Raul Boesel
Eddie Cheever

ROW 6
Jeff Gordon
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 7
Robby Gordon
Mark Smith

ROW 8
Scott Pruett
Bobby Rahal

ROW 9
Adrian Fernandez
Mauricio Gugelmin

ROW 10
Scott Brayton
Davy Jones

ROW 11
Jimmy Vasser
Dave Kudrave

ROW 12
Robbie Buhl
Andrea Montermini

ROW 13
Ross Cheever
Éric Bachelart

ROW 14
Lyn St. James
Buddy Lazier

DNQ
Robbie Groff
Mike Groff
Hiro Matsushita

The story of the race was Bobby Rahal's insane charge through the field. Rahal managed to squeeze the best out of the underperforming trusports chassis and somehow claw his way through the attrition-filled race to finish as runner-up behind a dominant PT, the canadian finally ending Al Unser Jr's 5-year reign in the streets of Long Beach. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the attrition and John Andretti suffering from damaged parts late in the race, Jeff Gorodon kept his cool and would continue turning heads, lifting the home crowd on their feet as he got on the podium for the first time in his career, a career start that was almost too good to be true for the 22-year old...

Bobby Rahal with potentially the drive of the year, finishing ahead of the impressive rookie Jeff Gorodn in the Pennzoil Lola of Jim Hall​

RACE FINISHERS

1. Paul Tracy 20 pts
2. Bobby Rahal 16 pts
3. Jeff Gordon 14 pts
4. Teo Fabi 12 pts
5. John Andretti 10 pts
6. Robbie Buhl 6 pts
7. Scott Pruett 4 pts
8. Wally Dallenbach Jr 3 pts
9th. Eddie Cheever 2 pts
10th. Mark Smith 1 pt
11th Robby Gordon
12th. Raul Boesel
13th. Emerson Fittipaldi
14th. Ross Cheever
15th. Éric Bachelart
16th. Lyn St. James
17th Buddy Lazier
18th. Andrea Montermini



During the month of April, Roger Penske was conducting his grand plan of entering a third car for the Indy 500. He had one man in mind for thsi job. An icon of motorsports, firmly considered the best in the world, a man who previously tested for him during the off-season.

Him and Emerson Fitfipladi had their eyes on booking Ayrton Senna to drive at the Indy 500 ever since that test. Senna, ever the extraordinary racing talent that he is, was right on pace with Emmo and PT during that testing session, and he was only racing on a race-by-race basis for McLaren. He was willing, the pieces were in place and Senna to Indy seemed like a formality at this point...

And then, Ron Dennis learned about this. Furious, he banned Senna from competing at Indianapolis, thus killing those plans for a third car dead.

...or so people thought. With their longstanding relationship with Chevrolet, along with their NASCAR team led by Rusty Wallace running Pontiacs allowed the Captain to execute his plan B. The phone call was made, and after some negotiating, the terms have been agreed, the papers were signed, and the second option for the third Penske car at Indy was signed.

No doubt, it was the second best thing to do after Senna, and it would most certainly bring as many eyeballs as Senna would, albeit with a different audience. For the man in question, it would be a brand new experience, and quite a strange one, indeed. It will not only be the first time he will skip his home race in Charlotte, but it will also be the first time he will race with a number other than his beloved #3 since 1983...

​

To Be Continued in the Month of May 1993...

 

[Huey Louis IX]

Hopefully he and Little Al play nice this time.

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Month of May 1993​

Racing fever has arrived at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and this year's Indy 500 has generated a lot of hype thanks to the announcement of NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt driving the third Penske car, becoming the first NASCAR driver to compete at the event since Cale Yarborough in the 70s. The 5-time Winston Cup champion had been testing extensively with the PC-22 in beteeen cup races in April to prepare for this event, and many media menbers who were there during the testing said that Dale was almost on the same pace as Emerson Fittipaldi and Paul Tracy, announcing a formidable trident that might take the speedway by storm should things go right. Dale was seen photographed alongside his good friend Al Unser Jr of Galles Racing. However, that friendship is gonna be put aside come race time, both assured.

Dale Eanrhardt, embarking on a new experience​

Among the favorites, outside the Penske trio, is the Newman-Haas lineup, with Michael Andretti coming back from the back injury he suffered at Phoenix. Questions remain over his fitness heading into the month, but Michael and the team are confident in their ability to bounce back.

Finally, Jeff Gordon will achieve his dream of taking part in the greatest spectacle in racing. The young rookie impressed a lot of people in the first three rounds of the season, already showing he can keep up with the big names in the sport, expertly guided by his team owner jim hall. In an interview with Racer magazine, The young man is said particularly enthusiastic having to race against the NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt.

Meanwhile, off-track, Indycar Inc. Has announced a major development concerning the track's safety features. Due to the death of Jovy Marcelo and the various crashes thatbended in serious injuries last year, Indycar Inc. Announced that they will implement a new type of foam barrier at the track. Known as the SAFER Barrier, it is currently being studied and tested at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for 3 years now, with implementation targeted for next year, with the long term goal being applying this new type of barrier on all tracks that the Marlboro Indycar World Series will race on in the future



PRACTICE
The first day of practice began the same as last year, with the Dick Simon Racing squad going out first. Raul Boesel was the firdt to complete a lap, while later, 1991 Indycar rookie of the year Jeff Andretti, now driving for the upstart Pagan Racing at the 500 milers, entered the warm-up lane in turn three too fast, and almost sent his Interstate Battery Lola ramming into Scott Brayton's Quaker State car.

Mario Andretti set the fastest lap of the first day with 222.124 MPH. Later on, the Penske trio of Paul Tracy, Emerson Fittipaldi and Dale Earnhardt, entered the melee on Monday May 10th, with PT being the fastest followed by Emmo, while Dale, despite taking a few laps to get up to speed with an open-wheel car, managed to be 6th fastest. By the end of the day. Nelson Piquet, still driving for Menard, managed to be 9th fastest.

Things heated up on Tuesday, when Eddie Cheever of Ganassi clocked ik at 225 mph. Michael Andretti finally began his return from injury, getting into the upper-midfield with 218 mph. Jeff Gordon, in his first Indy 500, got his Pennzoil car comfortably in the midfield, shosing flashes of pace on a few laps where he got to 220 mph.

Jeff Gordon during practice​

Time Trials

Time trials proper began on saturday may 15th. Mario got the provisional pole at 223.214 mph, but Cheever got the best out of his Target Lola, clocking in at 223.967 mph to clinch the pole. Dale Earnhardt got up to 220.851 mph, getting 10th place and becoming the fastest rookie qualifier this year.

Eddie Cheever of Ganassi, 1993 Indy 500 polesitter

​

The second day of time trials was for drivers who were waved off in the first day. Jeff Gordon comfortably qualified in the midfield, while on Bump Day, Bobby Rahal, 1986 winner, tried as he might with the Trusports 93C and his backup car, the 92C, he simply couldn't get it up to speed, and in the biggest surprise of the month, Rahal would DNQ fron Indianapolis.

Woes for Rahal.​

The stage was now set for the greatest spectacle in racing once more. As we go back home again in Indiana, who will come out of this great american race the victor?

77th Indianapolis 500 Starting Grid

ROW 1
Eddie Cheever
Mario Andretti
Raul Boesel

ROW 2
Scott Goodyear
Al Unser Jr
Scott Pruett

ROW 3
Paul Tracy
Michael Andretti
Emerson Fittipaldi

ROW 4
Dale Earnhardt (R)
Scott Brayton
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 5
Nelson Piquet
John Andretti
Mauricio Gugelmin (R)

ROW 6
Jeff Andretti
Jeff Gordon (R)
Robby Gordon

ROW 7
Jimmy Vasser
Buddy Lazier
Lyn St. James

ROW 8
Scott Sharp
Al Unser Sr.
Davey Hamilton (R)

ROW 9
Davy Jones
Hiro Matsushita
Robbie Stanley (R)

ROW 10
Mike Groff
Robbie Groff
Willy T. Ribs

ROW 11
Robbie Buhl
Stan Fox
Dave Kudrave


DNQ
Bobby Rahal
Adrian Fernandez (R)
Éric Bachelart
Didier Theys
Jeff Wood
Stéphan Grégoire (R)
Jim Crawford
Gary Bettenhausen
Mark Smith (R)

​

Start your Engines!

 

[Huey Louis IX]

Interesting, I noticed you dropped sprint car champ Robbie Stanley in the lineup. Did he ever attempt an Indy car race?

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Interesting, I noticed you dropped sprint car champ Robbie Stanley in the lineup. Did he ever attempt an Indy car race?

No. He died in 1994 as he was gunning for a 4th national championship. I thought it would be fitting to continue having sprint car drivers appear at Indy by including him. Sort of a modern day Stan Fox, if ya weel.

 

[Huey Louis IX]

No. He died in 1994 as he was gunning for a 4th national championship. I thought it would be fitting to continue having sprint car drivers appear at Indy by including him. Sort of a modern day Stan Fox, if ya weel.

I didn't think he had, except for Rich Vogler, Fox and Billy Vukovich III the sprint car pipeline had pretty much dried up by the late 80's-early 90's. Although I didn't mind the sprint car guys' Indy one-offs, I didn't think their absence was detrimental to the sport, much less worthy of starting up a whole new(and inferior) series.

What team will Stanley be racing for?

 

[kinnikuniverse]

I didn't think he had, except for Rich Vogler, Fox and Billy Vukovich III the sprint car pipeline had pretty much dried up by the late 80's-early 90's. Although I didn't mind the sprint car guys' Indy one-offs, I didn't think their absence was detrimental to the sport, much less worthy of starting up a whole new(and inferior) series.

What team will Stanley be racing for?

For Indy this year, it'll be the #27 car of Menard.

 

[kinnikuniverse]

The 77th Indianapolis 500 mile sweepstakes is GO!!​

At the green flag, polesitter Eddie Cheever and Raul Boesel drag-raced down the frontstretch, with Mario Andretti dropping back into third. Boesel got the edge, and grabbed the lead into turn 1. The entire field circulated through the first lap cleanly, and started to pick up the pace. Boesel began lapping the backmarkers on lap 8, meanwhile Andretti moved past Cheever to take second place. On lap 16, Rookie Robbie Stanley, reigning 2-time USAC Silver Crown champion, spun exiting turn 2. He flat-spotted his tires, but did not make contact. He drove back to the pits, and re-entered the race.

Robbie Stanley in the #27 Menard Lola.​

Under the caution, most of the leaders pitted. Dale Earnhardt stayed out, and inherited the lead, making the sold out crowd cheer loudly, especially the NASCAR fans who travelled to Indy to see their idol race in open-wheel cars.

In the pits, Raul Boesel was among those who pitted, and in the process, the crew was able to remove a hot dog wrapper that was blocking the radiator inlet. As Boesel was exiting his pit stall, he was momentarily blocked when Scott Goodyear pulled out of his stall. Further down the lane, Mario Andretti slowly pulled out of his pit box, and was ahead of Boesel. Both cars entered the warm up lane together. Boesel was going much faster and slipped by Andretti in the warm up lane. Boesel was unaware and was not informed by the officials that Mario had crossed the blend line first.

After the field went back to green on lap 21, the black flag was displayed for Boesel. A controversial stop-and-go penalty was assessed to Boesel. Confusion hovered over the reason for penalty. Owner Dick Simon was initially informed it was for speeding in the pits, but then it was changed to passing under the yellow. Boesel darted into the pits to serve the penalty, and fell all the way back to the rear of the field. He lost a lap in the process.

trouble for Boesel​

With Al Unser, Sr. leading on lap 31, Wally Dallenbach Jr, suffering from a pushing condition, went high in turn three and smacked the outside wall. A piece of the suspension pierced through the side of the tub, and narrowly missed puncturing his leg. Nelson Piquet, who returned to Indy after his bad crash in 1992, dropped out with a blown engine.

Mario Andretti led the field back to green on lap 36, Eddie Cheever ran second, and Emerson Fittipaldi third. Mario led comfortably for the next 15 laps. On lap 47, the leaders approached traffic, and Cheever passed Andretti to take the lead into turn one. Michael Andretti began showing strength, passing Fittipaldi for third, then closing in his father in second. The Andrettis would follow each other closely as they got closer and closer to Cheever, with Michael drafting his father all along.

Father and Son charging together​

On lap 56, the Andrettis made their move, sandwiching Cheever between them in a three-wide double team, shich allowed Michael to go through to 1st place on the outside. It wouldn't be for long, however, for the leaders to do their scheduled green flag pit stops. Michael's was notable, for he overshot his pit stall, and his crew had to wheel hom back to service him, costing him 40 seconds and making him fall donw in 6th place, while Mario inherited the lead.

​

On lap 128, Jeff Andretti and Dave Kudrave crashe dout together at turn three, prompting Mario to enter the pits...when the lane was closed! Mario was assesesed a stop and go penalty, thus putting him out of race contention.


On lap 182, the caution came out when Lyn St. James Stalled on turn 4. This led to a three-way showdown between Michael, Emmo and Eddie Cheever for the win. Michael had a nice restart, but Emmoe was right behind him. The two would play a deadly game of cat and mouse, with Michael desperately trying to hold on to the finish line. Emmo attempted to go on the outsid eat turn 4, but Michael squeezed him out as legally as he could, prompting emmo to back off and lose speed, with Cheever taking advantage to pass the Brazilian.

Michael amd Emmo battle for the win​

Michael could breath a sigh of relief, and he would cruise the last 3 laps on the way to his second ever Indy 500 victory, with Cheever and Emmo completing the podium.

Raul Boesel ends in 4th, Whike a disappointed Mario ended in 5th. Scott Brayton with the drive of the day, getting his Quaker State king Racing Lola in 6th place, ahead of Dale Earnhardt, who wins rookie of the year honor by winning a memorable three-way scrap agaisnt Al Unser Jr and the rookie Jeff Gordon. Dale would later praise the latter in the post-race interview, saying that the kid's got real talent.

Finally, Davey Hamilton scores his first career point and impresses for AJ Foyt.

Sadly couldn't find an appropriate picture.​

Race results
1. Michael Andretti 20 pts
2. Eddie Cheever 16 pts
3. Emerson Fittipaldi 14 pts
4th. Raul Boesel 12 pts
5th. Mario Andretti 10 pts
6th. Scott Brayton 6 pts
7th. Dale Earnhardt (R) 4 pts
8th. Al Unser Jr 3 pts
9th. Jeff Gordon (R) 2 pts
10th. Davey Hamilton (R) 1 pt

 

[kinnikuniverse]

...i only just realised that i completely forgot about Mark Smith and Arciero-Wells at Indy....oh well, we can just say they DNQ'd

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

On the subject of drivers to maybe add to the Indycar grid:

David Empringham - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Won the Atlantic Championship twice (beat Villeneuve in 1993!) and won Indy Lights in his debut season then just never made the step up to either of the feuding top flight series.

Perhaps Pedro de la Rosa goes to America rather than Japan in the late 90s?

Now this is waaay off in the future for this timeline but, Vettel to CART? He did do a champ car test in 2003...

 

[kinnikuniverse]

On the subject of drivers to maybe add to the Indycar grid:

David Empringham - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Won the Atlantic Championship twice (beat Villeneuve in 1993!) and won Indy Lights in his debut season then just never made the step up to either of the feuding top flight series.

Perhaps Pedro de la Rosa goes to America rather than Japan in the late 90s?

Now this is waaay off in the future for this timeline but, Vettel to CART? He did do a champ car test in 2003...

We'll see about those in due time...though i never heard about Vettel doing a champ car test. As a teenager, too, holy shit...

 

[Huey Louis IX]

1994 Indy Lights champ Steve Robertson would be a good addition down the road, maybe a two-car Tasman team with Andre Ribeiro for 1995?

 

[kinnikuniverse]

1994 Indy Lights champ Steve Robertson would be a good addition down the road, maybe a two-car Tasman team with Andre Ribeiro for 1995?

Speaking of Ribeiro, I always wondered why Penske chose him in 98...sure, he was...decent, i guess? But he wasn't, like, top driver material. Maybe because he also had marlboro as his personal sponsor, i guess...

 

[Huey Louis IX]

Speaking of Ribeiro, I always wondered why Penske chose him in 98...sure, he was...decent, i guess? But he wasn't, like, top driver material. Maybe because he also had marlboro as his personal sponsor, i guess...

Ribeiro wasn't a bad hire at the time, he was a proven winner with Tasman and he did bring (extra)Marlboro money along. I'm not sure any other driver available would've been able to get better results with Penske that year or the next.

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Marlboro Indycar World Series - Mid-Season report.

After another spectacular Indy 500 that sees Michael Andretti come back from injury and holding off Emerson Fittipaldi and Eddie Cheever for his second Indy win, The Marlboro championship trail heads out to the traditional post-Indy stop at the Milwaukee Mile for the Rex Mays Classic. The most notable news heading into the race was the Rahal-Hogan team dismissing their in-house Trusports Chassis for a Lola T93/00 following Bobby Rahal's DNQ at Indianapolis. The former 2-time Indycar champion and 1986 Indy 500 winner expressed his disappointment: "Obviously, it is a tough decision to make, we've spent a lot of money developing the old chassis, and it gave us a good title push last season, but when it's not working anymore, then you have to make a change."

Bobby Rahal in his new Lola chassis.


​

The biggest surprise at Milwaukee, however, was Dick Simon's Raul Boesel putting his Lola-Buick on the pole, while Michael Andretti starts only 7th on the grid. The Brazilian also was the fastest in the warm-up, which means there is a high chance that he might score his first career indycar win this afternoon.

Round 5: Rex Mays Classic - Milwaukee Mile

ROW 1
Raul Boesel
Emerson Fittipaldi

ROW 2
Scott goodyear
Paul Tracy

ROW 3
Mario Andretti
John Andretti

ROW 4
Michael Andretti
Robby Gordon

ROW 5
Bobby Rahal
Scott Pruett

ROW 6
Scott Sharp
Adrian Fernandez

ROW 7
Jimmy Vasser
Jeff Gordon

ROW 8
Mark Smith
Eddie Cheever

ROW 9
Wally Dallenbach Jr
Al Unser Jr

ROW 10
Dave Kudrave
Buddy Lazier

ROW 11
Scott Brayton
Davy Jones

ROW 12
Éric Bachelart
Mauricio Gugelmin

ROW 13
Robbie Buhl
Robbie Groff

ROW 14
Mike Groff
Davey Hamilton

DNQ
Hiro Matsushita

At the start, Boesel managed to pull away from the penskes and enters the first 45 laps of the race in the lead. The #11 Dick Simon Panasonic Lola is flying, but Scott Goodyear in theWalker Mackenzie Lola is matching his pace, and the 1992 Indy 500 winner passed the Brazilian on lap 46. The two would offer a refreshing duel for the indycar fans, as for once, it wasn't Penske and Newman-Haas fighting for the lead.

In the first pit stops, Goodyear pitted later than Boesel, and Robby Gordon, who was also hard charging, gained the lead durign Goodyear's pit stop, but had to conceded the lead bacl to Goodyear. However, Goodyear didn't hold onto the lead for long, for Paul Tracy caught up with him with fresh tires and looked set to win the race...


...only to unexpectedly crash at the turn two exit! Boesel inherited the lead on lap 142, but as the laps counted down, Michael Andretti, who was saving his tires and fuel all race long, put on the working boots and charged through the field, catching up with Boesel with only 20 laps to go.


What would follow would be a deadly game of cat and mouse, as Michael attempted to go both sides and overtake the Brazilian. Boesel, using his veteran savvy, used up all pf his strength to hodl off Michael, and with the reigning 2-time champion hot on his tail, Raul extracted all the juices left in his tires and fuel tank to pull away just enough to meet the checkered flag and score a very dramatic first career Indycar win for both himself, the Buick engine and the Dick Simon team!

one of the most consistent drivers in Indycar finally has his day​

Bobby Rahal, starting 9th in his new Lola, offered a much better performance and got 4th place ahead of Al Unser Jr and John Andretti, while Jeff Gordon, a bit off the oace of the leaders, finished nonetheless in 9th thanks to the attrition.

Milwaukee race results

1. Raul Boesel 20 pts
2. Michael Andretti 16 pts
3. Emerson Fittipaldi 14 pts
4. Bobby Rahal 12 pts
5. Al Unser Jr 10 pts
6. John Andretti 6 pts
7. Scott Brayton 4 pts
8. Jimmy Vasser 3 pts
9. Jeff Gordon 2 pts
10. Robbie Groff 1 pt

​

Round 6: Budweiser Grand Prix of New York at the Glen


ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Emerson Fittipaldi

ROW 2
Paul Tracy
Scott Sharp

ROW 3
Bobby Rahal
Scott Pruett

ROW 4
Al Unser Jr
Robby Gordon

ROW 5
Mario Andretti
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 6
Raul Boesel
Mark Smith

ROW 7
Mauricio Gugelmin
Eddie Cheever

ROW 8
Robbie Groff
Jeff Gordon

ROW 9
Scott Brayton
Dave Kudrave

ROW 10
Davy Jones
Ross Cheever

ROW 11
Adrian Fernandez
Scott Goodyear

ROW 12
Robbie Buhl
John Andretti

ROW 13
Andrea Montermini
Buddy Lazier

ROW 14
Hiro Matsushita
Mike Groff

DNQ
Éric Bachelart

A controversial race filled with penalties from start to finish. At the green flag, Emerson Fittipaldi jumped the start from the outside of the front row, beating pole-sitter Michael Andretti to the line by almost two car lengths. Instead of waving off the start, official assessed Fittipaldi a stop-and-go penalty. Later in the race, Paul Tracy was penalized for breaking the 80 mph pit road speed limit (clocked at 93 mph), and Michael was accused of blatant blocking. Wally Dallenbach took the lead on lap 28. In the closing laps, Galles Racing teammates Dallenbach and Al Unser Jr. were running 1st-2nd. On lap 49, Unser challenged Dallenbach for the lead, but spun into the run-off on turn one. On a restart with four laps to go, Robby Gordon, driving for Ganassi, tried to pass Dallenbach for the lead, but was squeezed down and had to back off. Moments later, Gordon spun out with a cut tire. Dallenbach went on to win the race, his first ever win in Indy car competition, 15 years after his father, Indycar chief stewart Wally Dallenbach Sr, last won a race. The celebrations between father and son in the pits after the race almost made interviewer Gary Gerould cry tears of joy.

The race is also notable for Mauricio Gugelmin's excellent performance in the Galmer G92-Chevrolet, finishing in an impressive 4th for the brazilian rookie.

Wally Dallenbach Jr. With an emotional first win at the Glen. Will there be more surprise winners to come?​

Watkins Glen results

1. Wally Dallenbach Jr 20 pts
2. Raul Boesel 16 pts
3. Scott Pruett 14 pts
4. Mauricio Gugelmin 12 pts
5. Bobby Rahal 10 pts
6. Al Unser Jr 6 pts
7. Adrian Fernandez 4 pts
8. Robby Gordon 3 pts
9. Paul Tracy 2 pt
10. Scott Goodyear 1 pt


Round 7: GI Joe's 200 at Portland

ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Emerson Fittipaldi

ROW 2
Scott Sharp
Paul Tracy

ROW 3
Mario Andretti
Mark Smith

ROW 4
Jeff Gordon
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 5
Al Unser Jr
Robby Gordon

ROW 6
Raul Boesel
John Andretti

ROW 7
Eddie Cheever
Scott Pruett

ROW 8
Bobby Rahal
Scott Goodyear

ROW 9
Scott Brayton
Ross Cheever

ROW 10
Lyn St. James
Hiro Matsushita

ROW 11
Robbie Groff
Jimmy Vasser

ROW 12
Dave Kudrave
Davy Jones

ROW 13
Adrian Fernandez
Andrea Montermini

ROW 14
Ross Bentley
Robbie Buhl

ROW 15
Buddy Lazier
Mike Groff

ROW 16
Éric Bachelart
Brian Till


The annual father's day spectacular at Portland, with its massive grid and beautiful green scenery, saw Michael Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi duel all race long for the win. After trying to outfox each other in the pits, Emmo and Michael settled it on the track, with Emmo, ever the sly veteran, took advantage of an early brake from Michael at the esses at the backstraight to get him heading into the final hairpin, and Emmo would then cruise to his first win of the season.

Michael Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi dueling for the win at Portland​

Race Results

1. Emerson Fittipaldi 20 pts
2. Michael Andretti 16 pts
3. Paul Tracy 14 pts
4. Bobby Rahal 12 pts
5. Al Unser Jr 10 pts
6. Mario Andretti 6 pts
7. Raul Boesel 4 pts
8. Robby Gordon 3 pts
9. Mauricio Gugelmin 2 pts
10. Eddie Cheever 1 pt



Round 8: New England 200

ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Raul Boesel

ROW 2
Scott Goodyear
Paul Tracy

ROW 3
John Andretti
Mario Andretti

ROW 4
Scott Pruett
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 5
Bobby Rahal
Jeff Gordon

ROW 6
Jimmy Vasser
Scott Sharp

ROW 7
Emerson Fittipaldi
Robby Gordon

ROW 8
Al Unser Jr
Davy Jones

ROW 9
Mauricio Gugeomin
Eddie Cheever

ROW 10
Robbie Groff
Mark Smith

ROW 11
Davey Hamilton
Robbie Buhl

ROW 12
Scott Brayton
Buddy Lazier

ROW 13
Mike Groff
Dave Kudrave

ROW 14
Hiro Matsushita
Éric Bachelart

The Loudon oval is the theater of an incredible one-man effort by Michael Andretti to hold off the two penskes. Throughout the grueling new england heat, Michqel and Tracy, who had become the main two contenders for the title, exchanged the lead many times and delivering some tight little passes that bordered on the edge of legality.

Finally, Michael, with only 4 laps to go, dived into the inside of Tracy at turn 3 and, in an exemplary display of car control, managed to make it stay in its line at turn four to complete the overtake. Tracy looked for any opportunities, but Michael held on and scored a precious win for his three-peat ambitions.

The two title rivals, moments before Michael passed Tracy.​

Race results

1. Michael Andretti 20 pts
2. Paul Tracy 16 pts
3. Emerson Fittipaldi 14 pts
4. John Andretti 12 pts
5. Robby Gordon 10 pts
6. Scott Pruett 6 pts
7. Bobby Rahal 4 pts
8. Al Unser Jr 3 pts
9. Jimmy Vasser 2 pts
10. Davey Hamilton 1 pt

Round 9: Molson Indy Toronto

ROW 1
Emerson Fittipaldi
Paul Tracy

ROW 2
Bobby Rahal
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 3
Scott Sharp
Raul Boesel

ROW 4
Al Unser Jr
Eddie Cheever

ROW 5
Michael Andretti
Scott Goodyear

ROW 6
Jeff Gordon
Robby Gordon

ROW 7
Mario Andretti
John Andretti

ROW 8
Scott Pruett
Mauricio Gugelmin

ROW 9
Jimmy Vasser
Davy Jones

ROW 10
Scott Brayton
Ross Bentley

ROW 11
Dave Kudrave
Mark Smith

ROW 12
Adrian Fernandez
Andrea Montermini

ROW 13
Buddy Lazier
Hiro Matsushita

ROW 14
Robbie Buhl
Robbie Groff

DNQ
Mike Groff
Éric Bachelart

In the streets of Exhibition place in Toronto, it was an all penske domination, and with Michael Andretti retiring mid race from a wastegate peoblem, the marlboro cars would cruise their way to victory lane, with Emmo retiring from a blown Chevy Ilmor engine, allowing Paul Tracy to win at home and catch up with Michael on top of the standings.

The real exciting news of that week-end, however, was the announcement of Honda joining Indycar for the first time ever. After their tremendous success in Formula 1 in the past, the Japanese giants looks to take on a new challenge, and are actively looking for an Indycar team to enter the series with for 1994. This announcement, along with Al Unser Jr's impending free agency after he announced that he won't be resigning with Galles in 1994, officially kickstarts the silly season.

​

Coming soon, in an Indycar chassis near you


TORONTO RACE RESULTS

1. Paul Tracy 20 pts
2. Wally Dallenbach Jr 16 pts
3. Bobby Rahal 14 pts
4. Al Unser Jr 12 pts
5. Robby Gordon 10 pts
6. Raul Boesel 6 pts
7. Mario Andretti 4 pts
8. Scott Goodyear 3 pts
9. Scott Pruett 2 pts
10. Jimmy Vasser 1 pt

Round 10: Michigan 500

ROW 1
Mario Andretti
Michael Andretti

ROW 2
Eddie Cheever
Raul Boesel

ROW 3
Paul Tracy
Scott Goodyear

ROW 4
John Andretti
Jeff Gordon

ROW 5
Robby Gordon
Lyn St. James

ROW 6
Scott Brayton
Hiro Matsushita

ROW 7
Willy T. Ribs
Scott Sharp

ROW 8
Emerson Fittipaldi
Bobby Rahal

ROW 9
Al Unser Jr
Buddy Lazier

ROW 10
Scott Pruett
Robbie Groff

ROW 11
Davey Hamilton
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 12
Ross Bentley
Mauricio Gugelmin

ROW 13
Davy Jones
Buddy Lazier

ROW 14
Mark Smith
Jimmy Vasser

ROW 15
Jeff Andretti
Dave Kudrave

Row 16
Éric Bachelart
Robbie Buhl

In the complete opposite of Toronto, the Marlboro Michigan 500 was a perfect week-end for the Newman-Haas team, while Team Penske suffered from mechanical issues. Mario and Michael Andretti lcoked up the front row, and never looked back, dominating proceedures in one of the most one-sided oval races in recent memory. Michael took the win and goes one win ahead of Paul Tracy in the standings.

Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon, after falling back down to earth with a string of subpar performances, finishes in a well-deserved 6th place, defeating the likes of John Andretti and Al Unser Jr for the top 6 finish.

the newman-haas crew hard at work

​

A tough stretch for the rookie from Vallejo, California, but a good top 6 finish at Michigan.



Results

1. Michael Andretti 20 pts
2. Mario Andretti 16 pts
3. Eddie Cheever 14 pts
4. Raul Boesel 12 pts
5. Scott Goodyear 10 pts
6. Jeff Gordon 6 pts
7. John Andretti 4 pts
8. Al Unser Jr 3 pts
9. Bobby Rahal 2 pts
10. Willy T. Ribs 1 pt


And Thus, silly season begins, two surprise winners, and an exciting duel between Michael Andretti and Paul Tracy for the title starts to form as the 1993 Marlboro Indycar World Series heads into its second half.

Coming up next: Our protagonist Jeff Gordon's own mid-season review, with a behind the scenes look into his first Indycar season so far...

 

[kinnikuniverse]

BONUS CHAPTER: Jeff Gordon's mid-season report.


It was, indeed, too good to be true.


When he first stepped into his Pennzoil Lola-Chevy at Ontario for his first Indycar race, Jeff Gordon couldn't believe it. The meticulous preparations alongside the legendary Jim Hall, the media following he got for his debut, getting to share the grid with the Andrettis, Unsers and Rahals of this world...Plus, debuting in his home state thanks to mother nature's tricks. It's as if hollywood wrote the script for his first Indycar season!

And in the beginning, it was a hell of a script. Scoring points in his first ever race, then a top 5 finish at Phoenix, and then, Long Beach. The legendary street race was the theater of Jeff's wildest dreams coming to life. Navigating Shoreline drive, the entire crowd behind him, battling John andretti and Bobby Rahal, and scoring a podium in only his 3rd race...

And then, Indianapolis. That is where he realised that he made it. Touching the brick, seeing the pit, the sold put crowd, racing with Dale Earnhardt... it has been a crazy first 5 months for Jeff, and he got a bit overwhelmed, what with him starting in 17th and being a bit wobbly in the early goings of his first Indy 500. Jim Hall, sensing the nervousness in his protege's driving, took it to himself and walked down to the Pennzoil car during its first pit stop, telling Jeff directly to his face that he ain't gonna last long if he keeps driving like a chicken.

This bit of tough love hurt Jeff's ego, but it is exactly what he needed. After that pit stop, Jeff calmed his nerves and got going, entering his zone and flying up to the top 8, where he would engage with Dale and Little Al for 7th place until the end of the race.

Sweat covered Jeff's face once he removed his helmet at the end of the race. The first person he saw was Jim Hall and the crew, who congratulated him, then it was Dale. As he shook hands with the NASCAR star, he couldn't help but praise Dale.

"It's incredible, sir." Jeff said. "You're, like, my idol. It's a honor to race against you!"

"Name's Dale, not sir." Dale said, prompting laughter from everyone. "You're pretty damn good, kid. I saw you racin' for Bill Davis in the Busch series. If ya want, i can call Richard so he can give you a car for some cup races when you're free."

"Depends on if Jim wants it." Jeff said.

"He's GM. There ain't gonna be any trouble." Dale said with a smile.


The following week-end, at Milwaukee, would become a rude awakening, however. The car wasn't up to snuff, and Gordon started in 14th place. The car wasn't fast enough, but Jeff still managed to take advantage of attrition and a judicious pit stop call by Hall to finish 9th.


Watkins Glen was where the troubles really started. The crew simply couldn't set up the car right, and Jeff would start in a meager 16th place before retiring to mechanical issues suffered from hitting the wall at turn three. Portland was better, for Jeff managed to qualify 7th and battled with Mario Andretti and Paul Tracy for 4th, but alas, an engine failure on lap 44 ended his hopes of a good result.

New Hampshire was a unique week-end for Jeff. During the week-end, he met Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt's car owner, and managed to sign a part-time deal to drive RCR's part-time 31 car, starting at Talladega at the end of the month. In the New Hampshire Indycar race, Jeff started 10th, and was pretty quick, battling with Mario and Scotf Goodyear for 4th. Sadly, Jeff was a bit too brave, an attempted an ill-fated three-wide pass into turn one, which ended in a big crash taking out all three men. Mario wasn't shy with his words: "that kid's talented, no doubt, but if i was Jim Hall, i would have a word with him."

Indeed. Jim wasn't too happy about Jeff's manoeuvre. Jeff tried as he might to convince Jim that he could've made the pass, but Jim wanted none of it. He made Jeff work with the mechanics on setting up the car for the next races.

In Toronto, Jeff qualified 11th and had an okay race. While he fought for points for most of the race, a hit in the wall on the esses clipped Jeff's front wing, costing him precious time and dropping him down to 14th, his final position.


July 25th. The mythical Talladega superspeedway hosts its traditional 500 mile race, one of the big 4 races on the NASCAR calendar along with Daytona, Darlington and Charlotte. As usual, it was an astonishingly hot Alabama day, with the sun planting itself onto the asphalt of the 2.6 mile oval, ready to welcome the NASCAR winston cup stars of today and, for the first time ever, Jeff Gordon, driving the 31 car of Richard Childress as Dale Earnhardt's teammate.

Goign back to his busch series roots, Jeff used the experience he gained in that series in 1991 to qualify for the event, albeit deep in the middle of the pack. In the race, he admittedly was a bit overwhelmed to go back to pack racing, but eventually, his racing instincts kicked in, and Jeff would make his way through the pack, eventually ending in a respectable 15th place as his teammate Dale won the race.

Jeff in the 31 car during qualifying​

Next week was traveling back to Michigan to work on the car some more for the Michigan 500. Jeff grew a liking to tuning the car alongside Jim and the crew, which ended up paying off, as he qualified 8th at Brooklyn. In the race, Jeff proved to be very fast and competitive, battling with the top 6 regulary throughout the race and even running as high as third. After the last pit stops, he ended up defending 6th place against the Molson Lola of John Andretti and the Galmer of Al Unser Jr in memorable scraps. One moment in particular saw Gordon and Little al almost making contact as Jeff sneaked into 6th place.

​

After the race, Little Al came up to Jim Hall's pits to meet the man himself.

"Hey, Al." Jim said.

"I got something to say." Al said.

"I'd love to sign you for next year, but only if we get the Honda engines." Jim joked.

"Nah, it's about the kid. He's hit everything but the pace car, this year." Al said. "Maybe you should talk to him about taking it easy a little."

"Come on, Al, you know damn well that we go hard or go home in this sport." Jim said as Jeff arrived to the pits.

"Hey, Al." Jeff said. "Sorry about earlier."

Al simply smiled at the yougnster as he calmed down.

"It's alright, kid. I would've done the same in your shoes." Little al said as he gave a friendly hug and left.

"What was that about?" Jeff asked.

"Oh, you know, the usual bitching about your driving and you not being a pushover." Jim said with a cheeky grin. "Don't worry, kid. this time, you did well."

"Yeah. That crash in Loudon is just a memory now." Jeff said. "By the way, have you heard about Honda?" Jeff asked.

"Indeed." Jim answered. "We are in discussion with them. Though, if i'm honest, we're gonna be a longshot. Especially with what they told me..."

"What did they tell you?" Jeff asked, curious.

Jim grabbed him by the shoulder and dragged him along for a walk, ushering to him information that made Jeff double take.

​

To be Continued...