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1997 Samsonite 200
The 1997 Samsonite 200 (also referred to as the Colorado 200 on ABC's TV coverage) was the seventh round of the 1996–1997 Indy Racing League. The race was held on June 29, 1997, at the Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado. Qualifying # Couldn't qualify after his chassis had been damaged in a practice crash. He was allowed to start the race at the back of the field. Failed to qualify or withdrew * Jim Guthrie for Blueprint Racing - crashed during Friday's first practice session and was hospitalised with a fractured vertebra. * Robbie Buhl for Team Menard - suffered a concussion during testing on June 13 and was unable to compete. * Mike Groff for Byrd-Cunningham Racing - entered for the race, but not cleared to drive because of the injuries suffered at Texas. Replaced by Johnny Unser * John Paul Jr. for PDM Racing - entered for the race, but not cleared to drive because of the injuries suffered at Indianapolis. Replaced by Billy Boat * Alessandro Z ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pikes Peak International Raceway
Pikes Peak International Raceway (PPIR) is a racetrack in the Colorado Springs area within the city limits of Fountain, Colorado, that by October 12, 1997, was "the fastest 1-mile paved oval anywhere". The speedway hosted races in several series including the Indy Racing League and two NASCAR series ( Busch and Truck) until operations were suspended from 2005–08. A wide variety of amateur racing groups use PPIR for racing and training as the circuit is now closed to sanctioned professional auto racing due to the purchase of the track by PPIR LLC from NASCAR/ISC in 2008 after the track was put up for sale in 2006. The sale included a clause that prohibited sanctioned professional auto racing, as well as the need for additional safety upgrades at a cost of $1 million+ for professional racing series that the new ownership had no interest in implementing with the clause in place. History Racing in the Pikes Peak Region included 19th century horse tracks (e.g., to the west of Color ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Affonso Giaffone
Affonso Giaffone Neto (born April 6, 1968 in Santos, São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian former racing driver. He is one of several racing drivers in his family; he is a cousin of Felipe Giaffone, and a cousin-in-law of Rubens Barrichello. His father Affonso Giaffone Jr. was also a racing driver. Giaffone raced in the 1996–1997 Indy Racing League season with eight career starts, including the 1997 Indianapolis 500, 1997 Indianapolis 500. His best career finish was in fourth position at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1997. Before the IRL he finished third in the 1995 Indy Lights championship behind Greg Moore (race car driver), Greg Moore and Robbie Buhl. He was the 1991 Formula Three Sudamericana Champion with five victories. Motorsports Career Results American open–wheel racing results (Template:American Open Wheel driver results legend, key) Indy Lights Indy Racing League References 1968 births Living people Sportspeople from Santos, São Paulo IndyCar Seri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl (born September 2, 1963) is an American former race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League. He was a color commentator for the IndyCar races on Versus. In 2016, Robbie, along with his brother Tom Buhl, starteBuhl Sport Detroit a motorsports marketing company, professional race team, and teen driving program based in Detroit, MI. Buhl's current race team, Racing4Detroit, is the first professional race team based in Detroit, and most recently ran in the 2019 Americas Rallycross Championship. He also created and acts as lead instructor oTeen Street Skills an advanced teen driver training program also based and operating in Detroit. He won the 1992 Indy Lights championship and caught the eye of John Menard's Team Menard in 1996, running as team mate to Tony Stewart for two seasons succeeding the late Scott Brayton. He scored his first win in what was once the closest finish in series history when he beat ex-MasterCard Lola F1 driver Vincenzo Sospiri by 0.06 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jim Guthrie (racing Driver)
Jim Guthrie (born September 13, 1961 in Gadsden, Alabama) is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He debuted in the Indy Racing League in 1996 with moderately successful results. When the IRL moved to purpose-built chassis in 1997, Guthrie was forced to take out a second mortgage to purchase a new chassis. With no sponsorship and the prospects of losing his house if his venture was unsuccessful, he won the second race in the new chassis at Phoenix International Raceway. He got sponsorship from Jacuzzi for the Indianapolis 500 and was able to finish the season (placing 12th in season points) winning Rookie of the Year honors and kept his house. Jim contested four races in 1998, but then during the Indianapolis 500, he was seriously injured in a multi-car crash, but he returned later in the season for two different teams. He attempted the 1999 Indianapolis 500 but failed to qualify his Coulson Racing entry. Jim was later an owner of Guthrie Meyer Racing in the Firestone Indy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marco Greco
Marco Greco (Born December 1, 1963 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian people, Brazilian former Grand Prix motorcycle racing, Grand Prix motorcycle road racing, road racer and auto racing driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 in IRL, 1996 to 1999 in IRL, 1999. His best finish in the season points was third in 1996–1997 Indy Racing League season, 1996–1997. He made four starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 14th in 1998. He previously competed in the Champ Car, CART World Series in full seasons in 1993 for Sovereign Motorsports and in 1994 for Arciero Racing and partial seasons in 1995 and 1996 for Dick Simon Racing, Galles Racing, and Team Scandia. Career results Career summary Grand Prix motorcycle racing Races by year (Template:Motorsport driver results legend, key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) Complete International Formula 3000 results (:Template:Motorsport driver results legend, key) ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore (born October 12, 1956 in Greenfield, Indiana) is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones. He made 3 CART starts in 1991 but was badly injured in a practice crash for the Indianapolis 500, when his car veered sharply towards the entrance of pit road at the exit of Turn 4 and back-ended the fence, only to careen across the pit lane and smash virtually head on at sizeable speed against the edge of pit wall; this second impact tore off the front of the car leaving Mark's legs exposed. Amongst the injuries he suffered, the most severe was a broken neck. He was largely out of open wheel racing until the 1996 Indy 500 where he drove for Team Menard though he did try to qualify in the 1992 Indianapolis 500 for Concept Motorsports in an outdated Lola/Buick. In 1997 he drove a second ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jack Miller (racing Driver)
Jack Miller (born June 14, 1961, in Indianapolis), usually known as Dr. Jack Miller, is an American retired racing driver. He drove in the Indy Racing League from 1997 to 2001 and the Indianapolis 500 from 1997 to 1999. Miller is a practicing dentist and was accordingly "The Racing Dentist." For much of his racing career, he was sponsored by dental product companies including Crest and Water Pik. Miller's best IRL finish was a 9th in 1998 at Charlotte. His best finish in the Indianapolis 500 was a 20th his rookie year of 1997. During his stay in Indy Lights he won the 1993 B-series championship. This class of racing was only run in 1993 and consisted of drivers using the previous March chassis as the rest of the series introduced new Lola chassis. Miller won the championship by virtue of being the only driver to compete in every race in a B-series car. Miller's final IRL start came at Atlanta in 2001. Miller was involved in a 13-car crash, and suffered injuries that ended his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Johnny Unser
Johnny Unser (born October 22, 1958) is a former race car driver. He is the son of open wheel driver Jerry Unser Jr., cousin of Al Unser Jr. and Robby Unser, nephew of Al Unser and Bobby Unser, and first cousin once removed of Alfred Unser. Unser's father, Jerry, died in a racing accident when Unser was seven months old. He made 5 starts in CART in 1993 and 1994 with a best result of 15th. He joined the Indy Racing League in its inaugural 1996 season but had a transmission failure during the pace lap of what would've been his first Indianapolis 500 and was not credited with completing any laps. In 1997 he made his first start in the Indy 500 starting in the 35th position after League and Speedway owner Tony George added his and Lyn St. James' car to the field because slower cars than theirs were guaranteed starting positions because of prior races. He went on to finish 18th, his best "500" result in 5 starts. Unser drove the majority of his IRL races for Hemelgarn Racing and in hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vincenzo Sospiri
Vincenzo Sospiri (born 7 October 1966) is an Italian former racing driver. Early career In 1981, at the age of 15, Sospiri started racing in the Italian 100cc karting championship. In a karting career described by Michael Schumacher as 'dominating', Sospiri won several Italian and European karting championships and finished runner-up in several more, eventually winning the 100cc World Karting Championship in 1987. In 1988 Sospiri progressed to Formula Ford, before working through to Formula 3000 in 1991, as teammate to Damon Hill in the Middlebridge Lola T91/50 Cosworth. In an uncompetitive car, he was only capable of 9 points all season, including a second place at the German round of the championship at the Hockenheimring. He stepped back down into the Italian F3 series in 1992, before making a return to Formula 3000 in 1993, driving a Reynard 93D Judd for the Mythos team. He moved to the Super Nova team for 1994 and mounted a challenge for the championship despite not winnin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Ray
Gregory Ray (born August 3, 1966) is an American former race car driver. After winning the SCCA national Formula Atlantic championship in 1993, he moved up to the CART-sanctioned Toyota Atlantic series in 1994. In 1997 he made his Indy Racing League debut driving for Thomas Knapp in an unsponsored black #97 car. He made his mark on the series a year later during qualifying for the 1998 Indianapolis 500. Driving the same, plain, black #97, he qualified second behind A. J. Foyt's driver Billy Boat. The car attracted sponsorship from local businesses and the national anti-tobacco campaign, and became known as Ash Kicker Racing. Though he failed to finish that race, he scored several good results in subsequent races and caught the eye of successful businessman and team owner John Menard Jr. In 1999 he won the IRL championship on the strength of three victories. However, 2000 was a difficult season with only one victory. He qualified on pole for the Indianapolis 500 but subseq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robbie Groff
Robbie Groff (born January 31, 1966 in Mission Hills, California), is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and CART Championship Car series and is brother of Mike Groff. He raced in the 1994 CART season and 1997-1998 IRL seasons with 9 combined starts. His best career finish was in his first race, a ninth place at the 1997 Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi .... Motorsports Career Results American Open-Wheel racing results ( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) American Racing Series / Indy Lights CART Indy Car World Series Indy Racing League External linksDriver DB Profile 1966 births Champ Car drivers Indianapolis 500 drivers Indy Lights drivers SCCA Formula Super Vee drivers IndyCar Series drivers 24 Hours of Daytona d ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Boat
William Leonard Boat (born February 2, 1966) is an American former open-wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League. Racing career Boat began his career in USAC where he won 11 straight Western Series races on his way to the 1995 championship. He won the Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race in 1995. He was a three-peat winner in the event after winning in 1996 and 1997. He made his first IRL start in the 1997 Indianapolis 500 driving for A. J. Foyt Enterprises. In 1998 he won 6 poles, including 5 in a row, both league records, and won his first race at Texas Motor Speedway. It was his only official IRL victory. He is one of the few drivers with the distinction to have started from both the pole (1998) and final 33rd (2000, 2001) starting position in the Indy 500. He has not appeared in an IRL race since the 2003 Indianapolis 500. Personal life Boat is a graduate of Arizona State University. In 1986 he founded Billy Boat Performance Exhaust, a company that makes perform ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
