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1989 Pocono 500
The 1989 Pocono 500, the 19th running of the event, was held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, August 20, 1989. The race was won by Danny Sullivan, his second Pocono 500 (IndyCar), Pocono 500 victory. It was the last American open-wheel car racing, Indy car race at Pocono until 2013 Pocono IndyCar 400, 2013. Background Following the 1988 race, Pocono received much criticism from drivers over the condition of the track, focusing on the bumpy racing surface and condition of its steel wall. In 1987 and 1988, Quaker State was the title sponsor of the Pocono 500. For 1989, the oil company did not renew their two-year contract for the sponsorship of the race. Spokesman for Quaker State, Ben Faulkner, said the reason for the withdrawal was budgetary. "We had to bring costs under control. We dropped this and a drag race we sponsored for budgetary reasons." However, Pocono track owner, Joseph Mattioli, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, claimed the withdrawal was due to the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2013 Pocono IndyCar 400
The 2013 Pocono IndyCar 400 fueled by Sunoco, the twentieth running of the event, was an IndyCar Series race held on July 7, 2013, at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The race was the eleventh in the 2013 IndyCar Series season. The event made a return to the IndyCar schedule after a 23-year hiatus. Marco Andretti of Andretti Autosport won the pole position, while Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon won the race. Report Background Pocono Raceway held an IndyCar race from 1971–1989, though as a 500-mile race, with the event ending after Pocono owner Joseph Mattioli chose not to return, citing the rivalry between the United States Auto Club, USAC and Champ Car, CART as a factor. The final race at the track was won by Danny Sullivan. On October 1, 2012, IndyCar announced that the Pocono race will make a return for 2013. However, the race was shortened by 100 miles to 400, as a request by ESPN on ABC, ABC to fit the time window. The race became a part of the Triple C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pocono 500 (IndyCar)
The ABC Supply 500 was an IndyCar Series race held at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, located in the Pocono Mountains. The first American Championship car racing, Indy car race at Pocono was held in 1971. It was the first major event held at the track, shortly after its completion. The race was sanctioned by United States Automobile Club, USAC from 1971 to 1981, and then by Champ Car, CART from 1982 to 1989, and was known as the Pocono 500. The race was removed from the CART calendar following the 1989 running, due to poor track conditions, as well as poor revenue for the promoter. After a 23-year hiatus, the event was revived by the IndyCar Series in 2013 IndyCar Series season, 2013. Following management changes at the facility, and after comprehensive safety improvements were completed at the track, the race was scheduled for Independence Day (United States), Independence Day weekend. For 2013, the race was scheduled for 400 miles, and was part of the IndyCar Triple Cr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lake Speed
Lake Chambers Speed (born on January 17, 1948) is an American retired stock car racing driver. He formerly competed in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, scoring one career win in 402 starts. Background Lake was named after the best friend of his father, Bob Lake. Lake's father, Leland S. Speed, took office as the Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, in 1948, the same year that Lake was born. He started his racing career at the age of thirteen racing karts, much to the displeasure of his family. Over the years, Speed won the International Karting Federation (IKF) National Championship six times and in 1978 he won the prestigious Karting World Championship over, among others, future three-time Formula One champion Ayrton Senna. Speed had been the only American to win the World Karting Championship until 2015 when 14 year-old Logan Sargeant of Florida won the KFJ World Karting Championship on September 27, 2015. NASCAR career 1980–1984 In 1980 after considering racing in other series suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luijendijk (anglicised as Arie Luyendyk; born 21 September 1953), 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.Arie Luyendyk at the Luyendyk won a total of seven Indy car races, including three in the CART ser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Salt Walther
David "Salt" Walther (November 22, 1947 – December 27, 2012) was a driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He also drove NASCAR stock cars and unlimited hydroplane boats, and was a car owner in USAC. Walther is best remembered for a crash at the start of the 1973 Indianapolis 500 that left him critically injured. He recovered from his injuries, returned in 1974, and placed 9th in the 1976 race. He also co-drove a car with Bob Harkey to 10th place in 1975. He was the son of George Walther Jr., owner of Dayton Steel Foundry, who fielded Indy 500 cars for Juan Manuel Fangio in 1958 and Mike Magill in 1959. His German-born grandfather George Walther Sr. established the foundry and was a prominent inventor and industrialist. His brother, George "Skipp" Walther III, was fatally injured while trying to qualify as an Unlimited driver at Miami Marine Stadium, in 1974. David Walther was given the nickname "Salt" during his teen years, owing to his boat racing. He is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Tracy
Paul Anthony Tracy (born December 17, 1968) is a Canadian-American former professional auto racing driver who competed in CART, the Champ Car World Series and the IndyCar Series. He is known by the nicknames "PT" and "the Thrill from West Hill". He was a color commentator on NBC's IndyCar coverage from 2014 to 2021. Since 2021, he competes full time in the Superstar Racing Experience. Racing career Early years Fascinated by cars since boyhood, Tracy raced go-karts at Goodwood Kartways near his hometown until he was 16. At age 16, in 1985, he became the youngest ever Canadian Formula Ford Champion. He was also the winner of the final Can-Am race in series history at the age of 17; in that same race, he achieved the record of the youngest winner in Can-Am history. In 1988 Tracy raced in the New Zealand Formula Pacific series driving a Graeme Lawrence entered Ralt RT4, his best result was to win both races and the round at Timaru Raceway. Tracy worked his way up through the Nor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Groff
Michael Dennis Groff (born November 16, 1961 in Van Nuys, California) 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. Racing career Formula Super Vee and Indy Lights Groff made his professional debut in 1984 competing in the Valvoline/Robert Bosche Formula Super Vee series. He finished third in the series in 1985 and second in 1986. In 1986 he also made his American Racing Series debut (later renamed Indy Lights). Driving for a family team, he captured wins at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America and finished third in points. In 1987 he won at Nazareth Speedway and finished fifth in points. In 1988 he only competed in three Indy Lights races for three different teams, but finished second at Nazareth. In 1989 he competed full-time for Leading Edge Racing and captured four wins on his way to the championship. CART Champ Car Groff attempted ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tommy Byrne (racing Driver)
Thomas Byrne (born 6 May 1958) is a former racing driver from Ireland. He participated in two Formula One Grands Prix in with the backmarker Theodore team, failing to qualify for another three. He failed to finish in either of the Grands Prix he started and scored no Formula One championship points. After performing well in the Irish Formula Ford Championship in 1981, Byrne won the 1982 British Formula 3 Championship even though he missed some races while he competed in Formula One. At that time, he also tested a McLaren MP4/1 Formula One car in October 1982 against Marlboro-backed Spirit Racing's European F2 drivers like Stefan Johansson and Thierry Boutsen. After a brief return to Formula Three in 1983, where he raced for Eddie Jordan, Byrne moved to the United States and began racing in the American Racing Series in 1986, where he won ten races in 55 starts, both second place in the series record books. He also was the championship runner-up in 1988 and 1989. He raced in t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indy NXT
Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American Minor league, 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. The Indy Lights series has been promoted by Anderson Promotions since 2014, which also manages the Road to Indy program. A similar series named Indy Lights filled the developmental role for the Champ Car, CART series, and ran from 1986 to 1993 as the American Racing Series and Dayton Indy Lights from 1991 to 2001. The current IndyCar sanctioned series was founded in 2002 Infiniti Pro Series season, 2002 as the Infiniti Pro Series as a way to introduce new talent to IndyCar, with the moniker Indy Lights returning in 2008 when CART and IndyCar unified. The Indy Lights champion was awarded a $1M scholarship toward the IndyCar Series, and guaranteed three races including the Indi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Greenfield (racing Driver)
Michael Greenfield (born 15 April 1963) is an American former owner-driver in the CART series. Born in Whitestone, New York. In 1985, his first season of SCCA Formula Atlantic racing, Michael finished 2nd in the SCCA National Championship Run Offs at Road Atlanta. During the years 1986 and 1987 he competed in the ECAR Formula Atlantic Championship with a total of 5 wins, finishing 3rd in points in 1987. He made 6 Indy Lights starts in 1988 with Chip Ganassi Racing with one win on his series debut at Pocono. In 1989, with Bettenhausen Racing's 1987 Lola chassis, he attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 but failed to do so, as did teammate Tony Bettenhausen. The same year at the Pocono Raceway event Michael crashed heavily in practice, failing to qualify there as well. In 1990, teamed with his father Peter, they placed first in the Camel Lights division at the 24 Hours of Daytona. He also returned to the CART series that year with a 1987 Lola chassis and competed in 7 races, hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1989 Michigan 500
The 1989 Michigan 500, the ninth running of the event, was held at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, on Sunday, August 6, 1989. Branded as the 1989 Marlboro 500 for sponsorship reasons, the race was won by Michael Andretti. He is the first driver to win Michigan 500 twice. The event was race number 10 of 15 in the 1989 CART PPG Indy Car World Series. Background Emerson Fittipaldi won the 1989 Indianapolis 500. For the second straight year, Marlboro offered the Marlboro Million, offering a one million dollar prize should a driver win the Marlboro Grand Prix at the Meadowlands, the Marlboro 500 at Michigan, and the Marlboro Challenge. Three weeks before the Marlboro 500, Bobby Rahal won the Marlboro Grand Prix and entered Michigan still eligible for the Marlboro Million. Practice and Time Trials The opening day of practice was led by 50 year-old Al Unser at 221.450 mph. Rick Mears suffered a crash when his rear brakes licked up and he spun into ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1989 Indianapolis 500
The 73rd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1989. Two-time World Drivers' Champion Emerson Fittipaldi of Brazil became the first foreign-born winner of the race since 1969, and first non-American winner since 1966. Though Fittipaldi started on the front row and dominated much of the race, he found himself running second in the waning laps. Michael Andretti passed Fittipaldi for the lead on lap 154, then led until his engine blew. Al Unser Jr. moved up to second, but trailed Fittipaldi by a big margin. Gambling on fuel mileage, Unser Jr. caught up to Fittipaldi after a fortuitous caution period on lap 181, and subsequently took the lead on lap 196. On the 199th lap, Al Unser Jr. was leading Emerson Fittipaldi, at which time the two leaders encountered slower traffic. Down the backstretch, Unser and Fittipaldi weaved through the slower cars, then Fittipaldi dove underneath going into turn three. The two cars touched w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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