Michigan Indy 400

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 prestige. During its heyday of the 1980s, the race was part of Indy car racing's 500-mile "Triple Crown".

Between 1968 and 2007, Michigan International Speedway hosted a total of 55 Indy car races, including twenty-two 500-mile events. In several seasons, the facility hosted two separate races annually. The races at Michigan became notorious for high speed, being rough on equipment, high attrition, and for devastating crashes. The 1990 race, won by Al Unser Jr. (189.727 mph) was the fastest 500-mile race in history at the time, a record that stood until 2002.

Two drivers ( Michael Andretti and Scott Goodyear) won the Michigan 500 twice, while Tony Kanaan won a 500-mile race and a 400-mile race. In addition, the track has produced many surprise winners, owing much to the frequently high attrition. Twelve drivers have scored their first - and in some cases only - Indy car race win at Michigan.

Race history

USAC

In 1968, American open wheel racing debuted at the circuit with a USAC Champ Car event. In 1970, USAC returned with what would become a traditional July race date. Indy car owner and promoter Roger Penske purchased the track in 1972, and it became a mainstay on the calendar.

In 1973, a second USAC race was added to the Champ Car schedule, a fall race usually held in September. Through 1980, all events were either 200 or 250 miles in length, with some events consisting of twin 125-mile races.

CART

In 1979, both 150-mile Michigan races switched to CART sanctioning.

In 1980, Ontario Motor Speedway closed, and thus Indy car racing's "triple crown" (Indianapolis, Pocono, Ontario) lost one of its 500-mile races. For 1981, the summer race at Michigan was expanded to 500 miles, replacing Ontario. NBC agreed to broadcast the race live, making it the first Indy race to be broadcast live.

In November 1986, Rick Mears set an Indy car closed-course speed record driving a March/ Ilmor Chevrolet with a lap of 233.934 mph. The lap was an Indy car speed record that would stand for a decade.

In 1987, the race began to be sponsored by Marlboro and became known as the Marlboro 500. On network television, however due to tobacco regulations, the race was still advertised as the "Michigan 500." From 1988-1991 the race was part of the Marlboro Million, a cash prize awarded to any driver who won the Marlboro Grand Prix, the Marlboro 500, and the Marlboro Challenge All-Star event in the same year. The prize was never won.

During the 1980s and early 1990s, the Michigan 500 was traditionally held in late July or early August. In 1994, the Brickyard 400 was scheduled for the first weekend in August, creating a conflict. The Michigan 500 was shifted to the last weekend in July for 1994 and beyond.

In several seasons (1987-1995, 1997), IROC was held as a support race to the Michigan 500. The Indy Lights series initially did not race at Michigan, but eventually made its first appearance in 1996.

Roger Penske sold the track to International Speedway Corporation in 1999. Over the next couple of seasons, attendance sharply declined for the CART-sanctioned race. In addition, the fast speeds were again raising safety concerns. The track had expanded its seating capacity (namely for its two NASCAR races) and the typical CART crowds of 50,000 spectators looked visibly unspectacular. Despite some of the most competitive CART events in the track's history, largely due to the use of the Hanford Device, fans continued to stay away. Series officials and track management were able to put together a deal to hold the 2001 race, but talks ceased and the contract was not renewed for 2002.

Indy Racing League / IndyCar

Starting in 2002, the race became an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series event. In addition, the race distance was changed from 500 miles to 400 miles. The race featured wheel-to-wheel racing, albeit at slower speeds than the CART-sanctioned events. In 2002, Sarah Fisher became the first female driver to pass for the lead under green flag conditions in an Indy-style race.

For 2007, the race had to move dates. The Brickyard 400 was moved by ESPN up one week, and created a conflict. The scheduling shuffle saw the race placed on the first weekend in August. The result was three races in close proximity (Mid Ohio, Michigan, and Detroit) within six weeks of each other. Citing low attendance, and an undesirable date, track management removed the race from the 2008 schedule and beyond. In addition, a twin 200-mile race format was requested, which was rejected by the league officials. As of 2023, the race has not been revived.

Second race

From 1973 to 1986, Michigan held a second Indy car race, the race was always shorter with the 1986 race being 250 miles. This fall race was held each season in September, about two months after the summer race. Following the 1986 CART season, the fall race was dropped from the schedule, leaving the Michigan 500 (in July or August) as the track's lone Indy car event.

In 1996, the CART series revived the second race at Michigan. They created a rival 500-mile race, the U.S. 500, to be held on the same day as the Indy 500. The event was discontinued after only one running. However, the moniker "U.S. 500" was kept, and for a period of time used for the traditional July 500-mile race. The name "Marlboro 500" subsequently was switched to the new 500-mile race at Fontana.

Safety concerns

Safety was always a concern at Michigan, primarily due to the high speeds and Armco barriers. The steep banking and rough pavement was treacherous on equipment, leading to frequent suspension failures, tire failures, blown engines, and crashes, many severe. Attrition in races at Michigan was always high, particularly in the 500-mile events. Crashes at Michigan ended – or effectively led to the end of – the driving careers of Chip Ganassi, Emerson Fittipaldi, Héctor Rebaque and Danny Sullivan. Likewise Merle Bettenhausen, Derek Daly, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser Jr., Gordon Johncock, Mario Andretti and Bobby Rahal, among others, all suffered injuries from crashes. After a horrendous crash in 1980 which split his car in two, Tim Richmond soon after quit Indy car racing and switched to the NASCAR circuit.

In 1987, a dogleg chicane was hastily built in the middle of the backstretch to slow the cars down, but it was never used in competition. After a couple of practice runs, it was deemed unsuitable, partially due to fear of gearbox failure, being too abrupt, and not necessarily serving its intended purpose. But it was also scrapped due to concern over fans' negative reactions. Instead, officials decided to reduce turbocharger boost for the race.

Despite the numerous serious crashes, no Indy car drivers have ever been killed as a result of crashes at Michigan. In the late 1980s and early 1990, safety upgrades were made the facility. The remaining Armco barriers were replaced with concrete walls, and the track was repaved in 1995. Though the track was still hard on equipment, the number of serious injuries to drivers noticeably declined. In the mid-2000s, SAFER Barriers were installed in the turns.

In addition to crashes that damaged or ended the careers of drivers, three spectators were killed in a 1998 CART racing incident. The 1998 U.S. 500 Presented by Toyota was marred by a crash on lap 175. Adrián Fernández slammed into the outside wall in the fourth turn. His right front wheel was torn off and hurled over the fence into the stands, killing three spectators (Kenneth Fox, Sheryl Laster, and Michael Tautkus) and injuring six others. Despite improvements made to the catch fencing, subsequent attendance declined greatly over the next few years.

First wins and best-career results

Due to the demanding nature of the course and high attrition, particularly in the 500-mile races, Michigan produced numerous surprise winners and was the site of several first-time winners on the Indy car circuit. During the USAC era, Michigan was site of the only championship car wins for Ronnie Bucknum and Bill Vukovich II, as well as the first career wins for Tom Sneva and Danny Ongais. In the CART era, the Michigan 500 was the site of the first career wins for Pancho Carter (only career win), John Paul Jr., Emerson Fittipaldi, Scott Goodyear, Scott Pruett, Tony Kanaan, and Patrick Carpentier. Furthermore, Tomas Scheckter notched his first career IndyCar win while the race was under IRL sanctioning.

Other "surprise" wins include Johnny Rutherford's 1986 Michigan 500 triumph - his final career victory, and Scott Goodyear's 1994 win, the lone win for King Racing in Indy car racing. Along with the first-time winners, a number of other drivers on the Indy car circuit achieved their career-best finishes at Michigan. Drivers include Dominic Dobson, Mark Smith, and Hiro Matsushita, who finished 3rd, 5th, and 6th, respectively in the 1994 race. Derek Daly, who suffered a devastating crash at Michigan in 1984, scored his final career top five at Michigan in 1989.

Two-time Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk twice finished second at the Michigan 500 (1991, 1994). Notably, both instances were with fledgling teams. His second place in the 1994 race marked the only top three ever achieved by the Indy Regency Racing team. The two drivers that won the Michigan 500 twice in their careers ( Michael Andretti and Scott Goodyear), have a similar footnote in that neither ever won the Indianapolis 500. Goodyear finished second twice at Indy, and likewise Andretti's best finish was only second place.

Past winners

Indy Lights winners

Race summaries

USAC

*1968: Mario Andretti won the pole position with a speed of 183.976 mph for the inaugural event at the brand new Michigan International Speedway. A crowd of 55,108 arrived for the 125-lap, 250-mile race on the high-banked oval. The race became a pivotal battle for the 1968 USAC championship, namely between Mario Andretti and Bobby Unser. On lap 74, Mike Mosley was leading when Bobby Unser blew his engine. In a controversial move, Mosley was called into the pits and ordered to relinquish the car to Bobby Unser, in order that Unser could salvage championship points. The move handed the lead to Ronnie Bucknum, and put Unser two laps down. Andretti finished second, and Unser brought the Mosley car home third - running enough laps to score 109 championship points for himself, and he ultimately won the championship by a slim margin.

Norton / Michigan 500

*1981: The inaugural Michigan 500 saw only 10 of 37 cars running at the finish. A total of 21 cars dropped out with mechanical failures, and crashes claimed four cars. A massive fire engulfed the pit area of Herm Johnson, stopping the race for over an hour. Pancho Carter survived the chaos to claim his first and only Indy car victory. A. J. Foyt suffered a serious compound fracture to his right arm after being pinned against the barrier at the exit of turn tw

*1982: Patrick Racing teammates Gordon Johncock and Mario Andretti finished 1-2, with Johncock winning by a margin of 15 seconds - a sharp contrast from his victory two months earlier at Indy. Andretti won the pole position, but wrecked his car in a practice run, and was forced to start last in a backup car. Driving in pain, and suffering handling difficulties, Andretti was unable to mount a challenge over the final 50 laps. For the second year in a row, A. J. Foyt was involved in a crash. On restart on lap 147, Héctor Rebaque swerved to avoid a slower car and lost control. He slammed into the path of Foyt, sending Foyt hard into the outside wall.
*1983: A spectacular battle to the finish was besmirched by rain and multiple big wrecks. Rookie Teo Fabi, who had won the pole position at Indianapolis, followed that up with a pole at Michigan. Heavy rain and severe weather swept through the region on race morning, prompting a delay of the start. On lap 75, Fabi had just slipped by Gordon Johncock for the lead, with Kevin Cogan close behind in third. Going into turn three, a CV joint broke on Johncock's car, sending him hard, nose first, into the outside wall. Going high to try to avoid the crash, Cogan was collected in the incident and crashed also. Johncock suffered a fractured ankle and broken kneecap, but Cogan was not seriously injured. Tom Sneva was also taken out in the crash after he clipped the car of Patrick Bedard who spun trying to avoid the crash. On the final lap, race leader Rick Mears was attempting to lap Chris Kneifel down the backstretch but had lost some momentum coming off of turn two. Second place John Paul Jr. drafted behind, and caught Mears going into turn three. The cars went three-wide as Paul slipped under Mears practically on the apron entering turn three. Seconds later, Mears lost control, spun and hit the outside wall, and was subsequently t-boned by Kniefel as Paul went on to win. It was John Paul Jr.'s first win in an Indy car, and came after he had charged from 6th to 1st after the final round of pits and final restart on lap 219.
*1984: The 1984 Michigan 500 was memorable for both its close finish, and for some of the most violent crashes in the history of the event. Phil Krueger and Chet Fillip both crashed hard around the halfway point of the race; Kruger was knocked unconscious but Fillip walked away; both drivers recovered. Chip Ganassi lost control coming out of turn two on lap 147, collecting Al Unser Jr. The two cars crashed hard into the infield guardrail, with Ganassi's car being launched into the air and tumbling upside-down along the backstretch infield, disintegrating into separate bits. Unser walked away with only minor injuries, but Ganassi was critically injured, and the accident curtailed his driving career. Polesitter Mario Andretti led the first five laps but dropped a cylinder and fell a lap down. Tom Sneva emerged as the leader late in the race, but Andretti had worked his way back to the front by lap 205, when Gary Bettenhausen spun in the middle of turn three. Howdy Holmes hit Bettenhausen's car and went partially underneath it. Bettenhausen's car spun on top of Holmes's car and nearly took Holmes's head off. Behind them, Bobby Rahal, who was leading the race, hit the brakes and was hit from behind by Al Holbert. All four drivers walked away. This moved Andretti into the lead, and when the green flag came out he battled nose-to-tail with Tom Sneva over the final ten laps. With the white flag waving, Sneva dove low for the lead in turn one, but Andretti held the position. Sneva regained the momentum, and coming out of turn four the two cars split a lapped car as they crossed the line. Andretti took the victory by 0.14 seconds. As the checkered flag waved, Pancho Carter was attempting to pass Rick Mears for third, but hit a bump and lost control. The car swerved into the guardrail and broke into two pieces, which then slid into the grass and tumbled violently down the backstretch. Carter suffered only minor injuries.
*1985: Radial tires were introduced at the track for the first time. Bobby Rahal won the pole position with a track record of 215.202 mph, but a massive practice crash the day before the race destroyed his machine. Moments later, Roberto Guerrero blew out a tire, and both incidents were blamed on possible tire deficiencies. The race was postponed until the following Saturday, and run with the old bias-ply tires. On race day, Emerson Fittipaldi led Al Unser Sr. in the closing laps. Mario Andretti wrecked hard on lap 243, suffering a broken collarbone. That set up a sprint to the finish with the green and white flags coming out for the final lap. Unser Sr. could not get past the lapped car of Tom Sneva, and Fittipaldi held on for the win, his first win in CART Indy car competition, and his first race win since the 1975 British Grand Prix. Besides Andretti's crash, the race was also marred by a scoring snafu by CART officials. On a lap 82 restart, officials put the lapped car of Phil Krueger in the front of the pack by mistake. When the green came out, faster cars swerved to pass him, but Danny Ongais got caught up in the melee, and barrel-rolled down the backstretch.
*1986: Rick Mears won the pole position with a lap of 223.401 mph, a new closed-course Indy car record, but crashed his car during a practice run the following day. Mears' car was repaired, but he eventually dropped out with a blown engine. Rain and attrition was the story of the day. After 18 laps, a heavy rain storm brought out a red flag and a 90-minute delay. After the restart, many cars dropped out including Roberto Guerrero, who crashed while leading on lap 47. Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal came to the lead in the second half, with Johnny Rutherford having worked his way up to second. Rutherford took the lead on lap 196, and 25 laps later, Rahal's engine blew. Rutherford was now ahead by 25 seconds over Josele Garza

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