Dick Simon Racing was a race team owned by racer
Dick Simon
Richard Raymond Simon (born September 21, 1933) is retired American auto racing driver and racing team owner. Simon drove Indy cars in USAC and CART, and made 17 starts at the Indianapolis 500. At the 1988 Indianapolis 500, Simon set a record ...
that competed in the
CART Championship Car
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 event ...
series from 1983 to 1995 and the
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 o ...
from 1999 to 2001.
CART
The team was founded in 1983 when Simon decided to bring his sponsorship from Vermont American to a new team of his own creation. He saw an immediate boost in performance as he qualified 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 ...
for the first time since 1980 and was noticeably more competitive than he was with the Leader Card team. In 1985 Simon brought in Brazilian
Raul Boesel
Raul de Mesquita Boesel (, born 4 December 1957) is a Brazilian former racing driver who raced for the March and Ligier Formula One teams and later raced in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.
He won the 1987 World Sportscar Championship and t ...
to drive full-time as he scaled back his own racing to a part-time schedule, occasionally joining Boesel in a second car. Simon only competed in four races in 1986 as Boesel drove the team's primary car to 17th in points and was competitive in nearly every race. A number of other drivers made part-time appearances in Simon's other entry as Dick Simon Racing became one of the premier teams for
pay driver
A pay driver is a driver for a professional auto racing team who, instead of being paid by the owner of their car, drives for free and brings with them either personal sponsorship or personal or family funding to finance the team's operations. Th ...
s. This trend continued in 1988 which would be Simon's final year of racing as
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 Sp ...
replaced Boesel in the team's full-time entry. In 1989
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 ...
joined Luyendyk as the team fielded a pair of full-time fully funded entries for the first time. Luyendyk finished 10th in points while Brayton finished 15th. Luyendyk left the team for 1990 and was replaced by Japanese rookie
Hiro Matsushita
, also known by , is a Japanese businessman and former racing driver. Matsushita is the first and only Japanese driver to win the Toyota Atlantic Championship (Pacific) in 1989 and also the first Japanese driver to race at the Indy 500. He is th ...
while Brayton again finished 15th. Matsushita took his Panasonic funding elsewhere for 1991, leaving Brayton to drive a single Simon entry to a respectable 12th-place points finish. Brayton, Matsushita, and Boesel returned to the team in 1992 and Boesel finished 9th in the championship while Brayton finished 15th again. The team also fielded a car in the Indy 500 for female rookie
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 became the second woman to compete in the race. St. James returned for a partial schedule in 1993 while Brayton and Boesel drove the full-time cars to 15th and 5th-place points finishes respectively, with Boesel capturing 3 runner-up finishes. In 1994 Matsushita again returned to the team as Boesel continued in the other car, this time finishing 7th in points. In 1995 the team signed
Dean Hall and
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, ...
veteran
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 ...
to drive the team's two cars and they were joined in April by rookie
Carlos Guerrero. Hall left the team after failing to qualify for the Indy 500 while Salazar and Guerrero managed 21st and 30th-place points finishes respectively.
The team finished its years in CART without winning a race, but captured two poles, both by Boesel at the
Milwaukee Mile
The Milwaukee Mile is a oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectato ...
in 1993 and 1994. The team had six second place finishes, one with
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 Sp ...
in 1988, and the rest with Boesel.
As an owner, Simon had a stellar record of his rookie drivers successfully qualifying for the Indy 500. As a tradition, Simon cars frequently made the effort to be "first car(s) on the track" at Indy on the opening day of practice, a popular ceremonial honor.
Indy Racing League
In
1996 Dick Simon sold much of the team's cars and assets to
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 ...
founder Andy Evans and Simon was listed on many of the team's entries in the new
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 o ...
as Simon/Scandia Racing. It was during that year that Scandia set a race record by having 7 of their cars qualify for the Indianapolis 500.
Dick Simon returned to the IRL in
1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 Ä°zmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
with
Stephan Gregoire who competed in a full schedule but failed to qualify for the Indy 500 and finished 15th in points. Gregoire returned in
2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...
and finished 14th in points and was joined in the Indianapolis 500 by Lyn St. James who began her IndyCar career with Simon 8 years earlier. Both cars made the race and while St. James wrecked early in the race, Gregoire finished 8th. Gregoire was set to return for a full season in
2001, but after the team again failed to qualify for the Indy 500, the team shut down in May of that year.
When his own team failed to qualify at the 2001 Indy 500, on race day Simon was hired to be the team strategist for
Robby Gordon
Robert Wesley Gordon (born January 2, 1969) is an American auto racing driver. He has raced in NASCAR, CART, the IndyCar Series, the Trans-Am Series, IMSA, IROC and the Dakar Rally. He is active in top-tier off road motorsports such as BITD, N ...
at
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 ...
.
NASCAR
At the
1994 Brickyard 400
The 1994 Brickyard 400 was held on Saturday, August 6, 1994, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The race marked the nineteenth race of the 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season. It was the first NASCAR stock car race at the famous Speedway and ...
, Dick Simon was the co-owner of
Jim Sauter
Jim Sauter (June 1, 1943 – October 31, 2014) was an American stock car racing driver from Necedah, Wisconsin. He formerly raced in all three of NASCAR's national series, and is best known for having been a test driver for the International Ra ...
's entry. The car failed to qualify.
Drivers
CART
*
Ian Ashley
Ian Hugh Gordon Ashley (born 26 October 1947 in Wuppertal, Germany) is a British-German racing driver who raced in Formula One for the Token, Williams, BRM and Hesketh teams.
Driving career
Ashley began racing in 1966 when he took a course ...
(1986-1987)
*
Fulvio Ballabio
Fulvio Ballabio (born 8 October 1954) is a race car driver born in Milan, Italy. He raced in Formula Two in 1983, in Formula 3000 in 1986 and 6 starts in CART from 1987 to 1989 for Dick Simon Racing and Dale Coyne Racing. More recently he drove ...
(1988)
*
Raul Boesel
Raul de Mesquita Boesel (, born 4 December 1957) is a Brazilian former racing driver who raced for the March and Ligier Formula One teams and later raced in Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.
He won the 1987 World Sportscar Championship and t ...
(1985-1986, 1992-1994)
*
Gary Brabham
Gary Thomas Brabham (born 29 March 1961) is a former professional racing driver and a convicted child sex offender from Australia.
He is the son of three-time World Formula One Champion Sir Jack Brabham and the brother of Le Mans winners Geof ...
(1993)
*
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 ...
(1989-1993)
*
Jean-Pierre Frey
Jean-Pierre Frey (born January 6, 1955) is a former Swiss racing driver from Baselgia, Medel (Lucmagn). He competed in full seasons of the FIA Formula 3000 Championship in 1986 and 1987 but failed to qualify for a single race in a time when the s ...
(1988)
*
Philippe Gache (1992)
*
Bertrand Gachot (1993)
*
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†...
(1995)
*
Carlos Guerrero (1995)
*
MaurÃcio Gugelmin
MaurÃcio Gugelmin (born 20 April 1963) is a Brazilian former racing driver. He took part in both Formula One and Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). He participated in 80 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting in for the March team. Gugelmin achi ...
(1993)
*
Dean Hall (1995)
*
Ludwig Heimrath Jr.
Ludwig may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Ludwig (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Ludwig (surname), including a list of people
* Ludwig Ahgren, or simply Ludwig, American YouTube live streamer and ...
(1987)
*
Jorge Koechlin (1983)
*
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 Sp ...
(1988-1989, 1995)
*
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 ...
(1994)
*
Hiro Matsushita
, also known by , is a Japanese businessman and former racing driver. Matsushita is the first and only Japanese driver to win the Toyota Atlantic Championship (Pacific) in 1989 and also the first Japanese driver to race at the Indy 500. He is th ...
(1990, 1992, 1994)
*
Mike Nish (1984)
*
Tero Palmroth (1988-1990)
*
Tom Phillips (1986)
*
Scott Pruett (1988)
*
John Richards (1987)
*
Chip Robinson
Chip Robinson (born March 29, 1954, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is a retired race car driver. He won the 1987 IMSA Camel GT series championship and the 1987 24 Hours of Daytona (with Al Holbert, Derek Bell, and Al Unser Jr. in a Porsche an ...
(1986)
*
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 ...
(1995)
*
Dick Simon
Richard Raymond Simon (born September 21, 1933) is retired American auto racing driver and racing team owner. Simon drove Indy cars in USAC and CART, and made 17 starts at the Indianapolis 500. At the 1988 Indianapolis 500, Simon set a record ...
(1983-1988)
*
Joe Sposato (1990)
*
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 ...
(1992-1995)
*
Didier Theys
Didier Theys (born 19 October 1956) is a Belgian sports car driver. He is a two-time overall winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona (1998 and 2002); a winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring (1998); the Sports Racing Prototype driver champion of the Grand ...
(1988)
*
Dennis Vitolo
Dennis Vitolo (born December 18, 1956) is an American former race driver who competed in the CART series. He raced in the 1988 and 1991-1999 seasons with 36 career starts, including the 1994 Indianapolis 500. He was involved in a crash in that ...
(1994)
*
Jeff Wood (1987)
IRL
*
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 ...
(1996*)
*
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 ...
(1996*)
*
Stephan Gregoire (1999-2001)
*
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 ...
(1996*)
*
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 ...
(1996*)
*
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 ...
(1996*, 2000)
*
Fermin Velez (1996*)
*
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 ...
(1996*)
* indicates car was entered as Simon/Scandia Racing
Complete Racing Results
PPG CART Indycar World Series
(
key)
Indy Racing League results
(
key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
# Run in conjunction with
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 ...
.
# The 1999
VisionAire 500K
The VisionAire 500K was an Indy Racing League race held at Charlotte Motor Speedway from 1997 to 1999. During the 1999 event, three spectators were killed when debris from a crash on the track went into the grandstands. The race was stopped and c ...
at
Charlotte
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
was cancelled after 79 laps due to spectator fatalities.
{{Champ Car teams
1983 establishments in the United States
2001 disestablishments in the United States
American auto racing teams
Champ Car teams
IndyCar Series teams
Indy Lights teams