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
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
, as a supplementary Indy-car series to the established
Indy Car World Series sanctioned by
Championship Auto Racing Teams
Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) was a Governing body, sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 1979 to 2003. It sanctioned the PPG Indy Car World Series from 1979 until dissolving after the 2003 CART season, ...
(CART) since 1979. It consisted of only three races, as the season concluded with the
80th Indianapolis 500 in May.
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
was completed in time to host the first ever event of the Indy Racing League (IRL), and
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona, near Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually including the final championship race since 2020. P ...
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
Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League.
E ...
and
Buzz Calkins
Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
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
American open-wheel car racing, also known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2022, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar.
Competitive events ...
that had lasting negative effects in the sport.
Series news
The series was the initiative of IMS president
Tony George
Anton Hulman "Tony" George (born December 30, 1959) is the former Chairman, President, and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman & Company, serving from 1989 to 2009. He was also formerly on the Board of Directors of both entities. ...
, who had left the CART Board of Directors in January 1994 after discrepancies over the direction of Indy car racing, and its potential effect on the
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 ...
. The new championship would feature the marquee race, effectively removing it from the Indy Car schedule, and was to be sanctioned by the
United States Auto Club
The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the List of USAC Championship Car seasons, United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the ...
, racing exclusively on oval tracks as a response to its perceived decline in recent Indy Car seasons. The Indy Racing League name was revealed on July 8, 1994, and its first set of rules was published later that year, but it encountered criticism and resistance from the established team owners that formed CART and its drivers, who derided the concept as a 'power grab' attempt from George.
On January 23, 1995, the IRL announced that the
Indy 200 at
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
would host the first event of the series on January 27, 1996, on a new temporary oval track at the
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park, previously known as Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (1971–1994) and The Magic Kingdom (1994–2017), is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, Florida. Owned and operated by The W ...
at
Walt Disney World Resort
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake, Florida, Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando ...
in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County, Florida, Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Greater Orlando, Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, acco ...
. On April 3, the IRL announced that
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix Raceway is a 1-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona, near Phoenix. The motorsport track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually including the final championship race since 2020. P ...
and the then-under construction
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada in Las Vegas, Nevada about 15 miles northeast of the Las Vegas Strip, is a complex of multiple tracks for motorsports racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is ...
would be on the 1996 schedule, its dates being finalized 10 days later. On May 30, 1995,
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a Oval track racing, oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire, which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1990, as well as the longest-running motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic. Nickna ...
also switched alliances from CART to IRL, completing the five races that would be held in 1996. Initially, IRL officials hoped that competitors from the rival CART series would choose to race in some or all of the IRL events, since there were no foreseen conflicts in their respective schedules.
Talks between both series in early 1995 resulted in the former delaying its new rules for 1997, instead adopting frozen regulations with 1995-and-older
CART
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people.
It is different from the flatbed tr ...
chassis with a fixed limit on how much a team could spend on its combination. However, CART would later adopt a lower-downforce philosophy for their new 1996 chassis that was similar to the delayed IRL rules (except for the initially planned engine downsizing), and announced a 1996 schedule that had multiple conflicts with the previously announced IRL dates. The race at
Road America
Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Champ ...
was scheduled for the same day as the IRL event at
Loudon, while the races at
Rio
Rio or RÃo is the Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Maltese word for "river". When spoken on its own, the word often means Rio de Janeiro, a major city in Brazil.
Rio or RÃo may also refer to:
Geography Brazil
* Rio de Janeiro
* Rio do Sul, a ...
and
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
were bookended around the IRL race at Phoenix, creating an impossible travel situation.
In a controversial move, on July 3, 1995, it was announced that the top 25 drivers in IRL points would secure guaranteed starting positions for the 1996 Indianapolis 500. The '25/8 rule', intended to encourage participation at Orlando and Phoenix, left only eight positions open for at-large competitors, which was interpreted by most Indy Car teams as a ''de facto'' 'lock out' for its 26-car field.
As a result, CART would later schedule a second 500-mile race at
Michigan International Speedway
Michigan International Speedway (MIS) is a moderate-banked D-shaped speedway located off U.S. Highway 12 on more than approximately south of the village of Brooklyn, in the scenic Irish Hills area of southeastern Michigan. The track is ...
in direct competition with the Indianapolis 500, and established that teams would be stripped of their voting rights in the Board of Directors if they competed in an IRL event. Therefore, almost all of Indy Car established drivers and teams stayed away from the upstart series, with
Galles and
Walker
Walker or The Walker may refer to:
People
*Walker (given name)
*Walker (surname)
*Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
Places
In the United States
*Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County
*Walker, Mono County, California
* ...
fielding additional cars at the Indy 500 without its regular drivers, in deference to their sponsors.
The IRL, nonetheless, had its sights on becoming a low-cost alternative for American drivers over the influx of foreign drivers attracted by Indy Car's increasing road racing focus, and for short-track open-wheel stars that had found the sport too expensive to compete in previous seasons, or had searched for a more viable option in stock-car racing. Only 11 of the 33 starters from the 1995 Indianapolis 500 were featured in the 1996 event, which had one Indy 500 champion (
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 Spe ...
), two former race winners, and only two full-time teams and drivers from the 1995 season. The rest of the IRL field was composed of new entrants, part-time drivers and a large contingent of rookies, which amounted for half of the starters (17 out of 33) at the Indianapolis 500, while leading detractors and most of the media to describe the event as a 'watered-down' affair.
On August 28, 1995, it was announced that the inaugural 1996 season would end at the Indianapolis 500, the plan being to spread subsequent seasons over two calendar years and award the IRL championships at the conclusion of every Indy 500. As a result, the announced races at New Hampshire and Las Vegas would in fact open the
1996–97 season in late summer. This scheduling format went against the traditional motorsports grain, and the idea was eventually scrapped in October 1996, with the 1996–97 season being expanded in order to bring the schedule back in sync with the rest of the motorsports world for 1998.
The IRL points system was to be staggered to adjust for the number of races each driver entered. The number of points awarded per race would be multiplied by the number of events the driver had participated in. If a driver entered all three events, the points awarded for that third race were multiplied by three. Despite the short season, only fifteen drivers competed in all three events, but all of them had a decent number of entrants due to the pool of older chassis made available by some of the teams with previous Indy 500 experience, as well as spare machinery being acquired from some CART teams.
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
Cosworth
Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industrie ...
supplied most of the field with its V8 engines, with the rest relying on stock-block V6 units, either
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
or
Menard
Menard may refer to:
Places
Canada
*Menard River, a tributary of the Wawagosic River in Quebec, Canada
United States
* Menard County, Illinois
** Menard, Illinois
* Menard County, Texas
** Menard, Texas
* Menard–Hodges site, archaeological s ...
-branded.
Confirmed entries
Team announcements/changes
*
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...
became the only Indy Car full-time team to join the Indy Racing League ranks for its 1996 inaugural season. The team would fill more than one car at every race for the first time since
Roger McCluskey
Roger McCluskey (August 24, 1930 – August 29, 1993) was an American IndyCar driver. He was from Tucson, Arizona.
He won championship titles in three divisions of the United States Auto Club: Sprints, Stocks, and Champ Cars. He won the USAC Spr ...
joined Foyt as teammate in the
1969 USAC Champ Car season.
*Indianapolis business man Fred Treadway formed an alliance with Andreas Leberle, owner of the
Project Indy team that had run 15 Indy Car races in two years, and Jonathan Byrd, who had lent support to a number of teams in the Indy 500 since 1985. The one-car team, initially known as
Byrd Byrd commonly refers to:
* William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance
* Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer
Byrd or Byrds may also refer to:
Other people
* Byrd (surname), includin ...
/
Leberle–
Treadway Racing 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 ...
, acquired a
Reynard
Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre was popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, as ...
95I acquired from
Walker Racing
Walker Racing was a racing team founded by Derrick Walker in 1991 racing originally in the CART Championship Car series. It last competed in the United SportsCar Championship under the name of Team Falken Tire until Falken Tire pulled out of not o ...
, and a 94I that had been used by
Team Green as a back-up car for
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various ot ...
,
which would eventually become the pole-sitting, record-breaking car at Indianapolis.
*Four teams that had competed in Indy Car in a part-time basis, mainly at the
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 ...
, also entered the competition:
**
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team that competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was owned by Menards founder, John Menard Jr.. Founded in 1980 to compete in CAR ...
, who had been running an Indy 500 one-off program with stock-block engines for a decade, planned to compete in the Indy Racing League with a two-car program. Since 1985, their only Indy Car race outside Indianapolis was the 1990 Autoworks 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, with
Jim Crawford. The team bought two brand-new Lola T95 to complement their effort.
**
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing is an American auto racing team owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team debuted in 1985, and competed in the CART and Indy Racing League ranks until the team originally shut down in 2010. The team returned to competition in 2015, and cur ...
also entered the Indy Racing League, competing outside Indianapolis for the first time since 1990. The team only employed
Ford Cosworth
Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industrie ...
powerplants, phasing out entirely the use of
Buick
Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...
engines after 10 years, and purchased two
Reynard
Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre was popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, as ...
chassis from
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the IndyCar Series, NTT IndyCar Series, International Motor Sports Association, IMSA WeatherTech ...
.
**
Pagan Racing, a team that had run a 3-race program in Indy Car in 1995, entered the series. The team bought a
Reynard
Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre was popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, as ...
95I chassis from
Forsythe Racing
Forsythe/Pettit Racing was an American racing team that competed in the Champ Car World Series owned by Gerald Forsythe and Dan Pettit. The Champ Car effort ceased operations after the 2008 unification of North American open wheel racing.
Histor ...
, and switched to
Ford Cosworth
Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream automotive industrie ...
powerplants, as Mercedes declined to lease their
Ilmor
Ilmor is a British independent high-performance motor racing engineering company. It was founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Mic ...
powerplants outside of the Indy 500.
**
Beck Motorsports
Beck Motorsports was a team in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series owned by Greg Beck. At times in its history the team was partnered with Curb Agajanian Performance Group and 3G Racing owners Stanton Barrett and Steve Sudler.
IndyCar
1995â ...
, a team that had debuted at the
1995 Indianapolis 500 after four years running entries for other teams, partnered with The Zunne Group, a company that tried to promote
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
as a racing hub, to compete in the IRL season.
*Two teams joined the IRL from junior series:
Bradley Motorsports Bradley Motorsports was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Colorado convenience store owner Brad Calkins. His son, Buzz Calkins, drove the bright red cars shod in the livery of Bradley Food Marts, Brad Calkins' company. Bradley won ...
, a family-run
Indy Lights
Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American 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 ...
team created by the owner of Bradley Petroleum, and
Della Penna Motorsports
Della Penna Motorsports was an auto racing team that competed in the Toyota Atlantic, IndyCar, and CART series from 1990–2000. The team was founded by Argentinian businessman and engineer John Della Penna, who himself raced in Formula Atlanti ...
, winners of the
1995 Atlantic Championship
The 1995 Toyota Atlantic Championship season was the 22nd season of the Atlantic Championship. It was contested over 12 races between March 4 and September 9, 1995. The Player's Toyota Atlantic Championship Drivers' Champion was Richie Hearn driv ...
, who also contested a partial Indy Car schedule. Both teams acquired
Reynard
Reynard the Fox is a literary cycle of medieval allegorical Dutch, English, French and German fables. The first extant versions of the cycle date from the second half of the 12th century. The genre was popular throughout the Late Middle Ages, as ...
95I machinery; Della Penna from
Arciero/Wells and
Forsythe, while Bradley bought
Christian Fittipaldi
Christian Fittipaldi (born 18 January 1971) is a Brazilian former racing driver who has competed in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, Champ Car, and NASCAR. He was a highly rated young racing driver in the early 1990s, and parti ...
's 2nd place machine at the previous year's Indy 500 from
Walker
Walker or The Walker may refer to:
People
*Walker (given name)
*Walker (surname)
*Walker (Brazilian footballer) (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
Places
In the United States
*Walker, Arizona, in Yavapai County
*Walker, Mono County, California
* ...
.
*
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
was an
IMSA GT
IMSA GT was a sports car racing series organized by International Motor Sports Association. Races took place primarily in the United States, and occasionally in Canada.
History
The series was founded in 1969 by John and Peggy Bishop, and Bill F ...
outfit led by driver
Andy Evans, who entered the IRL in a partnership with Indy Car team
Dick Simon Racing
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.
CART
The team was founded in 1983 when Simon decided to bring his spons ...
, on which both sides would provide a full-time car each. This union was dissolved in January when Evans took full control of the team, although Simon remained as team manager. The team competed as Scandia/Simon Racing in the first race, before switching to its original name.
*Two further teams also came from IMSA GT competition: Cunningham Racing, a team that also had experience at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
, and
Leigh Miller Racing Leigh Miller Racing was a team in the Indy Racing League and the IMSA GT Championship owned by sportscar driver Leigh Miller. After competing at the IMSA Supercar Championship in 1993, Miller stepped up to IMSA GT, first with a Porsche 968 and a Po ...
, a relatively novel team with two years of experience. Cunningham was one of the few teams to make use of a brand-new 1995 car during the season.
*Blueprint Aircraft Engines, an independent engine builder owned by former drag racer Ed Rachanski, entered the series as Team Blueprint, being later renamed to Blueprint Racing.
*Three weeks before the inaugural IRL race, long-time chief mechanics Paul Diatlovich and Chuck Buckman led the formation of a new race team, which would be known as
PDM Racing PDM may stand for:
Computing
* .pdm (disambiguation), several file formats
* Personal data manager - portable hardware tool enabling secure storage and easy access to user data
* Phase dispersion minimization, a data analysis technique for fi ...
. The team had bought the assets of the defunct Leader Card team, on which Diatlovich had been the Team Manager for its last three years.
*With the support of Frank and Dominic Giuffre, owners of a crane company and past Indy-backers, veteran driver
Bill Tempero
Bill Tempero (born January 16, 1944) is an American former racing driver from Milwaukee. He raced in the CART Championship Car series from 1980 to 1984 competing in full seasons his first two years and partial schedules thereafter. He failed to qua ...
was able to set-up his own team, Tempero–Giuffre Racing. Out of all the driver-owner teams coming from the
American Indycar Series
The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by Bill Tempero. It utilized used chassis and engines from the CART series and the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazie ...
, Tempero–Giuffre was the only one able to start an IRL race.
*On February, Beck Motorsports and Zunne Group ended their partnership. As Zunne Group was the legal owner of the cars employed by Beck, the team retained them to compete on their own, partnering with
McCormack Motorsports McCormack Motorsports is a former Indy Racing League team owned by Dennis McCormack that operated from 1996 to 2001. Based in Avon, Indiana, the team debuted at the 1996 Indianapolis 500 with a car for Randy Tolsma, however, it failed to make the f ...
to run the operation, and Beck had to sat out the Phoenix race while looking for new machinery.
*On February 13, Andreas Leberle stepped out of his partnership with Jonathan Byrd and Fred Treadway, as he desired to compete in selected events in the Indy Car World Series, while Treadway and Byrd wanted to concentrate exclusively on the IRL. From then on, the team was known as
Byrd Byrd commonly refers to:
* William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance
* Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer
Byrd or Byrds may also refer to:
Other people
* Byrd (surname), includin ...
–
Treadway Racing 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 ...
, while
Project Indy competed independently in the IRL.
*On February 26, ABF Motorsports was registered as a new team under the leadership of Canadian owner Art Boulianne, a former super-modified driver.
*At some point between the Phoenix and Indianapolis races,
Leigh Miller Racing Leigh Miller Racing was a team in the Indy Racing League and the IMSA GT Championship owned by sportscar driver Leigh Miller. After competing at the IMSA Supercar Championship in 1993, Miller stepped up to IMSA GT, first with a Porsche 968 and a Po ...
's assets were bought by
Beck Motorsports
Beck Motorsports was a team in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series owned by Greg Beck. At times in its history the team was partnered with Curb Agajanian Performance Group and 3G Racing owners Stanton Barrett and Steve Sudler.
IndyCar
1995â ...
in order to compete at the Indy 500.
*On April,
Galles Racing
Galles Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Rick Galles that competed in the CART series, Can-Am and the Indy Racing League. The team won the 1990 CART championship as well as the 1992 Indianapolis 500 with driver Al Unser Jr. The team ...
and
Walker Racing
Walker Racing was a racing team founded by Derrick Walker in 1991 racing originally in the CART Championship Car series. It last competed in the United SportsCar Championship under the name of Team Falken Tire until Falken Tire pulled out of not o ...
, two teams competing in Indy Car, entered the
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 ...
because of sponsorship commitments. Walker's main sponsor,
Valvoline
Valvoline Inc. is an American manufacturer and distributor of Valvoline-brand automotive oil, additives, and lubricants. It also owns the Valvoline Instant Oil Change and Valvoline Express Care chains of car repair centers. , it is the second la ...
, was also a sponsor of the race telecast on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
, while
Delco Electronics
Delco Electronics Corporation was the automotive electronics design and manufacturing subsidiary of General Motors based in Kokomo, Indiana, that manufactured ''Delco'' Automobile radios and other electric products found in GM cars. In 1972, Gene ...
, primary sponsor for Galles, was based in Indiana.
Galles would have the only
Mercedes-
Ilmor
Ilmor is a British independent high-performance motor racing engineering company. It was founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Mic ...
engine in the field.
*After supporting Dan Drinan's entry at Phoenix, Loop Hole Racing entered the IRL for an Indy 500-only effort. The team owned by David & Bud Hoffpauir had previously competed in the
Pikes Peak Hill Climb
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA. The track measures and has over 156 turns, climbing from the sta ...
and the American Indycar Series with the same machine they entered for the race, a formerly
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...
-powered Lola T91 bought from the defunct Leader Card team in 1994.
Driver announcements/changes
*On September 21, 1995,
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team that competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was owned by Menards founder, John Menard Jr.. Founded in 1980 to compete in CAR ...
became the first team to announce a driver for the IRL, selecting
Eddie Cheever
Edward McKay "Eddie" Cheever Jr. (born January 10, 1958) is an American former racing driver who raced for almost 30 years in Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 Formula One World Championshi ...
for one of their cars. Cheever had been out of a drive since losing his full-time seat with
A. J. Foyt Racing
A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...
a month prior.
*On October 3, 1995,
Scandia/Simon Racing announced that Eliseo Salazar would continue with the team as their driver for their 1996 program. Salazar remained at the wheel of the No. 7 Simon car, on which he had finished 21st in his debut Indy Car season. Salazar and Cheever were the lone competitors coming from full-time Indy Car status in 1995.
*On November 9, 1995,
Byrd Byrd commonly refers to:
* William Byrd (c. 1540 – 1623), an English composer of the Renaissance
* Richard E. Byrd (1888–1957), an American naval officer and explorer
Byrd or Byrds may also refer to:
Other people
* Byrd (surname), includin ...
/
Leberle–
Treadway Racing 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 ...
announced that
1990 Indianapolis 500 winner
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 Spe ...
would drive the No. 5 entry. Luyendyk was the most popular driver in the IRL roster, although he had only run a couple of oval races in 1995.
*On November 28, 1995, after the opening day of testing at
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
,
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...
announced
Davey Hamilton
David Jay "Davey" Hamilton (born June 13, 1962 in Nampa, Idaho) is a race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and Stadium Super Trucks. He has made 56 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second thr ...
as the driver of the No. 14 car. A multiple
supermodified champion in the Northwest, Hamilton had failed to qualify for that year's
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 ...
, after two scratched entries in years past.
*On November 29, 1995,
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team that competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was owned by Menards founder, John Menard Jr.. Founded in 1980 to compete in CAR ...
filled their two-car lineup with the announcement of
Scott Brayton
Scott Everts Brayton (February 20, 1959 – May 17, 1996) was an American race car driver on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event. Brayton was killed in practice after qualifying ...
, who would drive the No. 2 car. Brayton was
the reigning Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter, and would be the most-experienced Indy Car driver in the field at 148 starts.
*On December 2, 1995,
Della Penna Motorsports
Della Penna Motorsports was an auto racing team that competed in the Toyota Atlantic, IndyCar, and CART series from 1990–2000. The team was founded by Argentinian businessman and engineer John Della Penna, who himself raced in Formula Atlanti ...
announced their plans to field the No. 4 for 25-year old
Richie Hearn
Richie Hearn (born January 4, 1971) is an American former racing driver.
Hearn was born in Glendale, California. He ran in the Toyota Atlantic championship for two seasons, winning the title in 1995. In 1996, he began driving for John Della ...
, who had won the
1995 Atlantic Championship
The 1995 Toyota Atlantic Championship season was the 22nd season of the Atlantic Championship. It was contested over 12 races between March 4 and September 9, 1995. The Player's Toyota Atlantic Championship Drivers' Champion was Richie Hearn driv ...
with the team. Hearn would also compete in selected Indy Car World Series races with the same team.
*Testing continued at
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
from November 28 – December 8, 1995, with prospective and yet-to-be-announced drivers, leading to a tentative entry list with 18 drivers:
**
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing is an American auto racing team owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team debuted in 1985, and competed in the CART and Indy Racing League ranks until the team originally shut down in 2010. The team returned to competition in 2015, and cur ...
announced that
Stéphan Grégoire
Stéphan Grégoire (born May 14, 1969 in Neufchâteau, Vosges) is a French race car driver currently living in Zionsville, Indiana.
Gregoire is a veteran of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex Sports Car Series, the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Ra ...
would drive the No. 9 entry. Grégoire's only Indy car experience was a 19th-place finish at the
1993 Indianapolis 500.
**
Pagan Racing announced that
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza (born 16 November 1958) is a Colombian Americans, Colombian-American former race driver. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982, becoming the first Colombian to start a Formula ...
, the 2-time pole-sitter at the
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 ...
, would drive the No. 21 entry, the same he had driven at Indianapolis in 1994 and 1995 after losing his full-time status.
**
Bradley Motorsports Bradley Motorsports was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Colorado convenience store owner Brad Calkins. His son, Buzz Calkins, drove the bright red cars shod in the livery of Bradley Food Marts, Brad Calkins' company. Bradley won ...
fielded the No. 12 entry for
Buzz Calkins
Bradley "Buzz" Calkins Jr. (born May 2, 1971 in Denver, Colorado) is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motors ...
, who had finished 6th in Indy Lights. The team had been formed around him by his father, in order to aid his racing career.
**
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
, on their part of the Scandia/Simon partnership, arranged the signing of veteran driver
Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto (; 23 December 1956 – 25 April 2001) was an Italian racing driver. He was runner up to Alain Prost in the 1985 Formula One World Championship, as well as winning the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans and 2001 12 Hours of Sebring spo ...
in the No. 33 for a dual IRL/IMSA program. A former
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company built its first car in ...
driver with 15 seasons of
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
experience, he had last driven in the
DTM for
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...
. The Lola T95 he drove at Indianapolis was reported by IMS Radio to have belonged to
Team Green and
Jacques Villeneuve
Jacques Joseph Charles Villeneuve ( born 9 April 1971) is a Canadian professional racing driver and amateur musician who won the 1997 Formula One World Championship with Williams. In addition to Formula One (F1) he has competed in various ot ...
.
**
Leigh Miller Racing Leigh Miller Racing was a team in the Indy Racing League and the IMSA GT Championship owned by sportscar driver Leigh Miller. After competing at the IMSA Supercar Championship in 1993, Miller stepped up to IMSA GT, first with a Porsche 968 and a Po ...
entered the No. 17 for
Stan Wattles, a road-racer in SCCA and IMSA who had been 12th in the
1995 Atlantic Championship
The 1995 Toyota Atlantic Championship season was the 22nd season of the Atlantic Championship. It was contested over 12 races between March 4 and September 9, 1995. The Player's Toyota Atlantic Championship Drivers' Champion was Richie Hearn driv ...
, which would also contest in 1996.
**Cunningham Racing filled the No. 75 entry for
Johnny O'Connell
Johnny O'Connell (born July 24, 1962) is the most successful GM factory racing driver from the United States. He currently drives for Cadillac in the Pirelli World Challenge, winning the 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 GT driver's championship.
Caree ...
, who had raced for the team since 1991. O'Connell, champion of the Formula Atlantic Pacific division in 1987, was a consummate GT driver, having won the Le Mans 24 hour race in its class and finishing 5th in the IMSA GTS-1 class in 1995.
**Blueprint Racing submitted the No. 16 entry for 51-year old
Johnny Parsons
John Wayne Parsons1975 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast - Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (May 25, 1975) (born August 26, 1944 in Van Nuys, California) is an American race car driver. He is the son of 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner John ...
, with 11
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 ...
starts under his belt. Parsons had failed to qualify for the race since 1986, and his only Indy car race ever since had been in 1991.
**As owner of Tempero/Giuffre Racing, 52-year old
Bill Tempero
Bill Tempero (born January 16, 1944) is an American former racing driver from Milwaukee. He raced in the CART Championship Car series from 1980 to 1984 competing in full seasons his first two years and partial schedules thereafter. He failed to qua ...
, who ran 25 Indy Car races in the early 1980s with his own team, entered himself to drive the No. 15 car. Tempero was the reigning
American Indycar Series
The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by Bill Tempero. It utilized used chassis and engines from the CART series and the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazie ...
champion, which he owned and had won a record 4 times, but he had not run an Indy car race in 13 years.
**
Butch Brickell
William "Butch" Brickell (April 18, 1957 – October 13, 2003) was an American racing driver and stuntman from Miami, Florida. He was the great-grandson of Miami co-founder William Brickell.
Racing career
As a racer, Brickell participated in the 2 ...
entered the series as a driver-owner of Brickell Racing with the No. 77 entry, despite a lack of road racing experience. Brickell had been more proficient in off-road racing and offshore powerboat racing, and he worked full-time as a Hollywood stuntman. He broke two vertebrae in a January 13 testing crash, and never raced in the series.
**
Jim Buick
James Joseph Buick (born December 14, 1940) is an American former racing driver from Omaha, Nebraska who competed in the United States Auto Club (USAC) and Champion Auto Racing Team (CART) series in 1981.
His wife, Stacey Buick was the team owne ...
, a commercial airline pilot who used to double up as a racing driver in a variety of amateur series, entered the race at
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
with his own Buick Racing team, from the
American Indycar Series
The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by Bill Tempero. It utilized used chassis and engines from the CART series and the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazie ...
. Buick, who was 55-year old, had run four oval CART races in 1981. Despite being present at Orlando, he never took to the track.
**
Rick DeLorto
Rick DeLorto (born August 18, 1949 in Wood Dale, Illinois) is an American racing driver. He attempted to race in two CART Championship Car races in the fall of 1982 (during their split with USAC) at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America but failed t ...
was another driver with
American Indycar Series
The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by Bill Tempero. It utilized used chassis and engines from the CART series and the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazie ...
, midget and amateur racing experience that entered the Orlando event as a driver-owner. DeLorto, a 46-year old, had unsuccessfully tried to qualify for two CART races in 1982. He would fail his rookie tests at Orlando practice and Phoenix testing for being too slow.
**
Tony Turco, also of
American Indycar Series
The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by Bill Tempero. It utilized used chassis and engines from the CART series and the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazie ...
background, entered the Orlando race with his own team, but he withdrew two weeks before the race, as he had no sponsor to field his car.
*On January 8,
PDM Racing PDM may stand for:
Computing
* .pdm (disambiguation), several file formats
* Personal data manager - portable hardware tool enabling secure storage and easy access to user data
* Phase dispersion minimization, a data analysis technique for fi ...
, by then under a provisional name, announced
John Paul Jr. as the driver of the No. 18. Paul Jr., the 1983
Michigan 500
The Firestone Indy 400 was an IndyCar Series race held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. The event was most recently held in 2007. From 1981 to 2001, the event was better-known as the Michigan 500, and was held in high pre ...
winner, had been mainly an Indy 500 one-off driver during the decade, years after serving time for drug-related charges.
*On January 10,
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
announced that
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James (born Evelyn Gene Cornwall; March 13, 1947) is an American former race car driver. She competed in the IndyCar series, with eleven CART and five Indy Racing League starts to her name. St. James is one of nine women who have qualifi ...
would drive the No. 90 entry during the 1996 season. St. James had 11 Indy Car starts since 1992, four of them at the
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 ...
, where she qualified 6th in 1994.
*On January 12,
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing is an American auto racing team owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team debuted in 1985, and competed in the CART and Indy Racing League ranks until the team originally shut down in 2010. The team returned to competition in 2015, and cur ...
announced that
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier (born October 31, 1967) is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship.
Lazier began his career in the 1980s by competing in such s ...
would drive the No. 91 entry for the season. Lazier had been a perennial backmarker in Indy Car since his debut in 1990, with only 3 top-10 finishes in 55 starts.
*On January 12,
Beck Motorsports
Beck Motorsports was a team in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series owned by Greg Beck. At times in its history the team was partnered with Curb Agajanian Performance Group and 3G Racing owners Stanton Barrett and Steve Sudler.
IndyCar
1995â ...
announced that
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 Det ...
would drive the No. 54 entry. Buhl, the 1992 champion and 1995 runner-up in
Indy Lights
Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American 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 ...
competition, had contested 12 Indy Car rounds between 1993 and 1994. After Beck and The Zunne Group split, Buhl was allowed to run with Zunne at Phoenix in the No. 45 car, before returning to Beck Motorsports at Indianapolis.
*On January 15,
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...
announced that
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968) is an American professional racing driver in the United SportsCar Championship. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League.
E ...
would drive the No. 41 entry (later the No. 11). Sharp was a former
SCCA
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional r ...
champion who had run the
1995 Indianapolis 500 with the team, having also competed in the whole
1994 Indy Car season with 2 top-10 finishes.
*On January 19,
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team that competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was owned by Menards founder, John Menard Jr.. Founded in 1980 to compete in CAR ...
announced that
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
would drive the No. 20 entry for the season. Stewart had been the first driver ever to achieve the
USAC Triple Crown, and combined the IRL season with a partial schedule in the
NASCAR Busch Series
The NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS) is a stock car racing series organized by NASCAR. It is promoted as NASCAR's second-tier circuit to the organization's top level Cup Series. NXS events are frequently held as a support race on the day prior to ...
.
*On January 24,
Tempero/Giuffre Racing announced that
David Kudrave
David Kudrave (born March 10, 1966 in Los Angeles), is an American former open wheel racing driver. He raced in the 1993 CART season, with 8 career starts. His best finish came in his first race, the Valvoline 200 at Phoenix International Racew ...
would drive a second car for the team. Kudrave had started 7 races in the
1993 Indy Car season, scoring points at Phoenix and the Michigan 500. After running the No. 25 entry at Orlando, Kudrave ran the No. 15 car at Phoenix, and was scheduled to do so at Indianapolis.
*On January 25,
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...
announced that
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 ...
would drive the No. 41 car, just before the start of practice at
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
, and up to the
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 ...
. Groff had 53 IndyCar starts with 11 top-10 finishes under his belt since 1990, but he hadn't raced since losing his full-time ride at
Rahal-Hogan Racing at the end of 1994.
*On February 19, Blueprint Racing announced that
Jim Guthrie would drive the No. 27 entry from Phoenix onwards. Guthrie had finished 11th in the
Indy Lights
Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American 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 ...
standings the previous year.
*On February 26,
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
announced that
Michel Jourdain Jr.
Michel Jourdain Lascurain, better known as Michel Jourdain Jr. (born September 2, 1976), is a Mexican racecar driver, best known for winning two Champ Car races in 2003. He is the 2020 Super Copa GTM Champion.
Formula racing
Jourdain started rac ...
would drive the No. 22 car at Phoenix and Indianapolis, along a part-time program in the Indy Car World Series, becoming one of the youngest Indy car drivers ever at 19 years old. Jourdain Jr. was the son of former Indy Car driver
Bernard Jourdain
Bernard Jourdain (born August 16, 1950 in Brussels) is a Belgian born Mexican racing driver. Jourdain is the uncle of racer Michel Jourdain Jr., and a pivotal figure in Michel Jr.’s progression from novice to Champ Car race winner. Now retired ...
, having finished third in the
Mexican Formula 2 series.
*On March 8,
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
announced that
FermÃn Vélez
FermÃn Vélez (April 3, 1959 – March 31, 2003) was a Spanish sports car racing driver, two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring and two-time World Sportscar Championship Group C2 champion.
Vélez was a driver in the Indy Racing League, raci ...
would drive the No. 7 entry at Phoenix, replacing
Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela (born 14 November 1954) is a Chilean former racing driver. , he is the only Chilean to have participated in a Formula One World Championship. He made his Formula One debut on 15 March 1981, and ultimately contested 37 r ...
, who had been injured at
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway was a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando.
It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, an ...
. Vélez would later be entered as an additional entry for the
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 ...
, initially in the No. 43 car. Vélez was the reigning
IMSA GT champion with Scandia, and he last raced in an open-wheel car in the
1988 Formula 3000 season.
*On March 8, Blueprint Racing confirmed that
Dan Drinan would drive the No. 36 entry at Phoenix. His entry, as well as Guthrie's, was co-owned by Loop Hole Racing's owners, who would later enter Drinan for the Indianapolis 500 on their own. A former mechanic in CART in the 80's, Drinan had run the
USAC Silver Crown series in 1995, having been a midget racer the previous years.
*On March 15, ABF Motorsports announced 36-year old
Paul Durant
Paul Durant (born September 26, 1959), is a former American racecar driver from San Diego, California.
He first excelled in modified stock car racing, winning a number of regional championships. He then competed in the USAC Silver Crown Series in ...
as the driver of the No. 96 entry. Durant was a three-time SMRA champion in supermodifieds, and had raced in the USAC Silver Crown series.
*On March 22,
Project Indy announced that
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. Unse ...
would drive the No. 64 entry at Phoenix and Indianapolis. Unser had run five Indy Car races in 1993 and 1994, and finished 2nd in the GT2 class of the
1995 24 Hours of Le Mans.
*On March 22,
Tempero/Giuffre Racing entered
Racin Gardner
Racin Gardner (born February 25, 1972 in Buellton, California), is a former professional racing driver who most notably raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 for Simon/Team Scandia.
Previously, Gardner tested the Green Monster land speed car at Bo ...
in the No. 25 entry, vacant after
Bill Tempero
Bill Tempero (born January 16, 1944) is an American former racing driver from Milwaukee. He raced in the CART Championship Car series from 1980 to 1984 competing in full seasons his first two years and partial schedules thereafter. He failed to qua ...
failed to pass his rookie test at Orlando. Gardner had raced in the
American Indycar Series
The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by Bill Tempero. It utilized used chassis and engines from the CART series and the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazie ...
, and had been a test driver for
Project Indy in 1995. However, he couldn't pass his rookie test because of engine failures, and he was replaced the next day by
Billy Roe
Billy Roe (born 7 May 1957 in Indianapolis, Indiana), is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1997–1998 and 2000–2002 seasons with 16 career starts, including 2 at the Indianapolis 500. His best IRL finish was a ...
, a former racing mechanic that had sporadically driven in Super Vee,
Indy Lights
Indy NXT, previously Indy Lights, is an American 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 ...
and
Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic is a specification of open-wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club o ...
.
*On April 7,
Walker Racing
Walker Racing was a racing team founded by Derrick Walker in 1991 racing originally in the CART Championship Car series. It last competed in the United SportsCar Championship under the name of Team Falken Tire until Falken Tire pulled out of not o ...
announced that
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 ...
would drive the No. 60 entry at Indianapolis, with Groff switching from
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...
.
*On April 7,
Galles Racing
Galles Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Rick Galles that competed in the CART series, Can-Am and the Indy Racing League. The team won the 1990 CART championship as well as the 1992 Indianapolis 500 with driver Al Unser Jr. The team ...
announced that their test driver
Davy Jones, a noted sports car driver with 11 Indy car races behind the wheel, would drive the No. 70 entry at Indianapolis.
*As the entry list for the Indianapolis 500 was unveiled on April 15, a number of deals were made public:
**
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team that competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was owned by Menards founder, John Menard Jr.. Founded in 1980 to compete in CAR ...
fielded
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 Toyot ...
in the No. 30 entry. With four Indy Car starts, he had failed to qualify for the Indy 500 in 1991, suffering multiple injuries in a crash, and 1992, having run sporadically in the
Atlantic Championship
The Atlantic Championship is a formula race car series with races throughout North America. It has been called Champ Car Atlantics (after its former name), Toyota Atlantics (due to the series' previous history of using Toyota-powered engines) ...
since then. Dismore had also won the 1993
24 Hours of Daytona
The 24 Hours of Daytona, also known as the Rolex 24 At Daytona for sponsorship reasons, is a 24-hour sports car endurance race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is run on the Sports Car Course layou ...
for
Dan Gurney
Daniel Sexton Gurney (April 13, 1931 – January 14, 2018) was an American racing driver, race car constructor, and team owner who reached racing's highest levels starting in 1958. Gurney won races in the Formula One, Indy Car, NASCAR, Can-Am, ...
's
All American Racers
All American Racers is an American auto racing team and constructor based in Santa Ana, California. Founded by Dan Gurney and Carroll Shelby in 1964, All American Racers initially participated in American sports car and Champ Car races as well a ...
.
**
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing is an American auto racing team owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team debuted in 1985, and competed in the CART and Indy Racing League ranks until the team originally shut down in 2010. The team returned to competition in 2015, and cur ...
fielded
Brad Murphey
Brad Murphey (born December 27, 1955, in Tucson, Arizona), is a former American racecar driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1996 and 1996-1997 seasons for Hemelgarn Racing with 3 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 where h ...
in the No. 10 entry. Murphey had failed to qualify twice for a CART race in 1984, and hadn't raced since suffering a concussion in an SCCA Corvette Challenge crash in 1988, also his third year of
American Racing Series -Indy Lights- competition.
**
Beck Motorsports
Beck Motorsports was a team in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series owned by Greg Beck. At times in its history the team was partnered with Curb Agajanian Performance Group and 3G Racing owners Stanton Barrett and Steve Sudler.
IndyCar
1995â ...
fielded
Hideshi Matsuda
is a Japanese car racer and TV reporter. He has raced in several 24-hour races, including Daytona and LeMans. He also raced 4 times in the Indianapolis 500, in 1994-1996 and 1999, usually for Beck Motorsports. He also drove in one CART Champi ...
in the No. 52 entry. At the time, Matsuda was driving for
Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
in the
All Japan GT Championship
Super GT (stylized as SUPER GT) is a grand touring car racing series that began in 1993. Launched as the , generally referred to as either the JGTC or the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship, the series was renamed to Super GT in 2005. It is ...
, and had run twice in the Indy 500, finishing 15th in 1995.
**
McCormack Motorsports McCormack Motorsports is a former Indy Racing League team owned by Dennis McCormack that operated from 1996 to 2001. Based in Avon, Indiana, the team debuted at the 1996 Indianapolis 500 with a car for Randy Tolsma, however, it failed to make the f ...
fielded
Randy Tolsma
Randy Tolsma (born May 4, 1966) is an American former stock car racing driver. Tolsma began his racing career in go-karts at the age of nine, before moving into sprint cars, running as high as USAC, where he won four track championships. He fail ...
in the No. 24 car, although his entry would be later integrated under the Zunne Group Racing banner. Tolsma had been since 1993 a regular in the USAC Midget and Silver Crown circuits, finishing 3rd in the latter in 1994.
**
Scott Harrington entered the race as a driver-owner of the No. 39 entry, in an effort run by Larry Nash's LP Racing. The former motocross racer had one Indy Car start at
Road America
Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, United States on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, WeatherTech SportsCar Champ ...
in 1989, and had last competed at the
SCCA
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) is a non-profit American automobile club and sanctioning body supporting road racing, rallying, and autocross in the United States. Formed in 1944, it runs many programs for both amateur and professional r ...
Can-Am series in 1994. His Lola T92 was the same machine
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American retired auto racing driver who has raced in numerous genres of motorsports. His open wheel racing includes United States Automobile Club Champ cars, sprint cars, and midget cars. H ...
drove to a 9th place finish in his last Indy 500 start in 1992.
*At the start of practice, three additional drivers had signed to drive in the Indy 500.
**
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...
entered Brazilian driver
Marco Greco
Marco Greco (Born December 1, 1963 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and auto racing driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was third in 1996†...
in the vacant No. 41 car. Greco had been a regular of Indy Car's lower ranks for the past three years, with no top-10 finishes to his credit.
**
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
signed
Racin Gardner
Racin Gardner (born February 25, 1972 in Buellton, California), is a former professional racing driver who most notably raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 for Simon/Team Scandia.
Previously, Gardner tested the Green Monster land speed car at Bo ...
as a replacement to
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James (born Evelyn Gene Cornwall; March 13, 1947) is an American former race car driver. She competed in the IndyCar series, with eleven CART and five Indy Racing League starts to her name. St. James is one of nine women who have qualifi ...
, who had been unable to find enough sponsorship to keep her seat.
**
Tempero-Giuffre Racing entered
Joe Gosek Joseph Edward Gosek (born March 11, 1956 in Oswego, New York), is a Supermodified race car driver. He also raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy ...
to drive the No. 25 entry. 'Double-O Joe' had a cult following at grassroots level, being a Super-modified champion and a two-times track champion at the Oswego Speedway.
*On May 5, the first day of practice,
Tempero-Giuffre Racing put
Justin Bell
Justin Derek Bell (born 23 February 1968) is a British race car driver, who after a successful career behind the wheel, transitioned into the media world in front of the camera and established himself as one of the top US based automotive conte ...
in the No. 15 entry, replacing
David Kudrave
David Kudrave (born March 10, 1966 in Los Angeles), is an American former open wheel racing driver. He raced in the 1993 CART season, with 8 career starts. His best finish came in his first race, the Valvoline 200 at Phoenix International Racew ...
. Bell was a GT driver for multiple General Motors' brands, and had previously competed in the American Racing Series, precursor of Indy Lights. On May 16, he stepped out of the ride, as his chassis kept struggling for speed.
*On May 6,
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
announced a deal with
Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri (born 3 October 1969 in Brescia) is an Italian race car driver. He started three Indianapolis 500s (1995, 1996, and 1997).
Racing career
Zampedri was seriously injured in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, suffering severe foot a ...
to drive the No. 8 entry. Zampedri had run in Indy Car for two years, collecting five top-10 finishes in 28 starts.
*On May 7, Zunne Group Racing announced that
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James (born Evelyn Gene Cornwall; March 13, 1947) is an American former race car driver. She competed in the IndyCar series, with eleven CART and five Indy Racing League starts to her name. St. James is one of nine women who have qualifi ...
would drive the No. 45 entry at Indianapolis. Unlike Robbie Buhl in the previous race and Randy Tolsma, she competed with Goodyear tires.
*On May 14,
Pagan Racing announced that
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 champion ...
would attempt to qualify for the
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 ...
in the team's back-up car, the No. 99 entry. Boat was the reigning USAC Western Midget Series champion, and had won the prestigious
Turkey Night Grand Prix
The Automotive Racing Products Turkey Night Grand Prix is an annual race of midget cars. It is the third oldest race in the United States behind the Indianapolis 500 and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It has been held on Thanksgiving nig ...
. On Bump Day, Boat sampled the No. 84 entry for
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Racing, officially and historically known as A. J. Foyt Enterprises, is an American racing team in the IndyCar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le ...
to prevent a possible bumping, but he crashed before being bumped from the grid.
*On May 16,
Brickell Racing announced that
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 – February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver.
Ongais was the only native Hawaiian to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and ...
would drive the No. 77 entry at Indianapolis, as
Butch Brickell
William "Butch" Brickell (April 18, 1957 – October 13, 2003) was an American racing driver and stuntman from Miami, Florida. He was the great-grandson of Miami co-founder William Brickell.
Racing career
As a racer, Brickell participated in the 2 ...
had not been medically cleared to race. Ongais, who turned 54 on May 21, was the winningest driver in the field with 6 Indy car wins, but he hadn't raced since the 1987 Nissan Indy Challenge at the Tamiami Park street circuit.
*On May 16,
Project Indy announced that
Rob Wilson
Robert Owen Biggs Wilson (born 4 January 1965) is an English politician and political author. He was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for the Reading East parliamentary constituency in the 2005 general election, being re-elected in ...
would drive the No. 46 entry at Indianapolis. Wilson, who had run in Europe since the mid 1970s, was the 1990
Barber Saab Pro Series
The Barber Dodge Pro Series was a professional open-wheel auto racing series from 1986 to 2003. It was one of the first professional spec series for open-wheel racecars in North America. The races were primarily on road and street courses in No ...
champion, and had finished 12th in the
1994 Indy Lights season.
*On May 17,
Scott Brayton
Scott Everts Brayton (February 20, 1959 – May 17, 1996) was an American race car driver on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event. Brayton was killed in practice after qualifying ...
was killed in a crash during practice for the
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 ...
after suffering a basilar skull fracture. Two days later,
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team that competed in the Indianapolis 500, CART, Indy Racing League, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. The team was owned by Menards founder, John Menard Jr.. Founded in 1980 to compete in CAR ...
announced
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 – February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver.
Ongais was the only native Hawaiian to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and ...
as Brayton's replacement for the race. Brickell Racing replaced Ongais with
Tyce Carlson
Brendyn "Tyce" Carlson (born September 23, 1970, Indianapolis, Indiana), is a former driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He raced in the 1996–2002 seasons with 30 career starts, including 2 at the Indianapolis 500. His 2 career Ind ...
, a dirt racer who had run in the three USAC national series the previous year.
*On May 19,
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andy Evans that fielded a record 7 cars in the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Evans bought the team from Dick Simon during the 1996 season and Simon was listed as the owners of some of Scandia's ...
fielded their seventh Indy 500 entry for
Joe Gosek Joseph Edward Gosek (born March 11, 1956 in Oswego, New York), is a Supermodified race car driver. He also raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy ...
, who had left
Tempero/Giuffre Racing after passing his rookie test two days before. He drove the No. 43 entry, as
FermÃn Vélez
FermÃn Vélez (April 3, 1959 – March 31, 2003) was a Spanish sports car racing driver, two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring and two-time World Sportscar Championship Group C2 champion.
Vélez was a driver in the Indy Racing League, raci ...
was moved to the No. 34 car.
*On May 19,
Scott Harrington signed a last-minute deal to switch to the No. 44 back-up car for
Della Penna Motorsports
Della Penna Motorsports was an auto racing team that competed in the Toyota Atlantic, IndyCar, and CART series from 1990–2000. The team was founded by Argentinian businessman and engineer John Della Penna, who himself raced in Formula Atlanti ...
, after damaging his chassis in a practice crash on May 16.
Season summary
Schedule
All races were run on Oval/Speedway.
ABC Sports
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
televised all three races.
IMS Radio Network
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (known typically as the IMS Radio Network or the INDYCAR Radio Network), is an in-house radio syndication arrangement which broadcasts the Indianapolis 500, the NTT IndyCar Series, and Indy Lights to ...
was the broadcaster for all races on the radio.
Race results
:
Scott Brayton
Scott Everts Brayton (February 20, 1959 – May 17, 1996) was an American race car driver on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event. Brayton was killed in practice after qualifying ...
was the fastest qualifier for the 1996 Indianapolis 500, but was killed during practice. Hence, second-fastest qualifier
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne Stewart (born May 20, 1971), nicknamed Smoke, is an American semi-retired professional stock car racing driver, current NASCAR team co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing, and current co-owner of the Superstar Racing Experience. He is a ...
started from the pole.
Driver standings
Note:
Scott Brayton
Scott Everts Brayton (February 20, 1959 – May 17, 1996) was an American race car driver on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event. Brayton was killed in practice after qualifying ...
, 37, won the pole for the 1996 Indianapolis 500, but was killed in a crash during practice after qualifying.
See also
*
1996 Indianapolis 500
*
1996 Indy Lights season
*
1996 IndyCar season
The 1996 PPG Indy Car World Series season, the eighteenth in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing, consisted of 16 races, beginning in Homestead, Florida on March 3 and concluding in Monterey, California on September 8. Rookie of the Year was ...
*
1996 Toyota Atlantic Championship season
Footnotes
References
{{IndyCar Series on ABC
Indy Racing League
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...
IndyCar Series seasons
Indy Racing League
The IndyCar Series, currently known as the NTT IndyCar Series under sponsorship, is the highest class of regional North American open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of ...