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1996–97 Indy Racing League
The 1996–97 Indy Racing League was the second season contested by the Indy Racing League. Tony Stewart was the champion, while Arie Luyendyk won the Indianapolis 500. The lengthy season was a result of the league abandoning the concept of ending each season with the Indianapolis 500. The 1996–97 season would ultimately consist of the two races that followed the Indy 500 in the calendar year of 1996, and all events contested in the calendar year of 1997. It also saw the introduction of a new chassis and engine package. The 1996–97 season was originally scheduled to begin at New Hampshire in August 1996 and end with the Indianapolis 500 in May 1997. At some point in the summer of 1996, the consensus regarding the unusual split-calendar season was decidedly unfavorable. Omitting the normal winter offseason caused potential difficulty with driver contracts, sponsor contracts, and equipment purchasing, which all traditionally followed a calendar-based schedule. In addition, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion as a driver, winning titles in 2002, 2005, and 2011. As a team owner, he has won NASCAR Cup titles in 2011 with himself and in 2014 with Kevin Harvick as drivers. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won racing titles in Indy, midget, sprint, and USAC Silver Crown cars. He is the only driver in history to win a championship in both IndyCar and NASCAR. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (now known as the NASCAR Cup Series) during the 2016 season, driving the No. 14 Chevrolet SS for his team, Stewart-Haas Racing, under crew chief Mike Bugarewicz. From 1999 to 2008, he drove the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing car, under crew chief Greg Zipadelli with The Home Depot as the prima ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile or formally the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors was a brand of American automobiles, produced for most of its existence by General Motors. Originally established as "Olds Motor Vehicle Company" by Ransom E. Olds in 1897, it produced over 35 million vehicles, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory alone. During its time as a division of General Motors, Oldsmobile slotted into the middle of GM's five (passenger car) divisions (above Chevrolet and Pontiac, but below Buick and Cadillac), and was noted for several groundbreaking technologies and designs. Oldsmobile's sales peaked at over one million annually from 1983 to 1986, but by the 1990s the division faced growing competition from premium import brands, and sales steadily declined. When it shut down in 2004, Oldsmobile was the oldest surviving American automobile marque, and one of the oldest in the world, after Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault, Fiat, Opel, Autocar and Tatra (i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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. Career Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, O'Connell started racing in the Formula Atlantic series in 1987, winning the Championship and Rookie of the Year. He also spent 1996 in the Indy Racing League, racing in the Indianapolis 500 and finishing in the top 10 in half of his 4 starts. He has seven class wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, more than any other driver, and an overall title in 1994 when racing for Nissan. Driving for Corvette Racing, he has also won a number of class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona. With his teammate Ron Fellows he won the 2003 GTS class driver's championship. O'Connell was also featured in Chevy's 2007, Super Bowl ad, "Ain't We Got Love" also featuring Mary J. Blige, rapper T.I., B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 1994. Following the founding of the Indy Racing League in 1996, he competed in the series' second ever race at the Phoenix International Raceway but broke on the first lap. Two months later, he competed in the Indianapolis 500, qualifying the oldest car in the field, a 1992 Lola powered by a stock-block Buick V6 engine in the 24th position. He moved up from 24th to 18th in 9 laps before his engine failed. The Auto Channel, June 25, 2003 The following year he took over |
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 industries. Cosworth is based in Northampton, England, with American facilities in Indianapolis and Mooresville, North Carolina. Cosworth has collected 176 wins in Formula One (F1) as engine supplier, ranking third with most wins, behind Ferrari and Mercedes. Corporate history The company was founded as a British racing internal combustion engine maker in 1958 by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth. Its company name, "Cosworth", was derived as a portmanteau of the surnames of its two founders (Costin and Duckworth). Both of the co-founders were former employees of Lotus Engineering Ltd., and Cosworth initially maintained a strong relationship with Colin Chapman; and initial revenues of the company came almost exclusively from Lotus. When the c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997 Samsonite 200
The 1997 Samsonite 200 (also referred to as the Colorado 200 on ABC's TV coverage) was the seventh round of the 1996–1997 Indy Racing League. The race was held on June 29, 1997, at the Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado. Qualifying # Couldn't qualify after his chassis had been damaged in a practice crash. He was allowed to start the race at the back of the field. Failed to qualify or withdrew * Jim Guthrie for Blueprint Racing - crashed during Friday's first practice session and was hospitalised with a fractured vertebra. * Robbie Buhl for Team Menard - suffered a concussion during testing on June 13 and was unable to compete. * Mike Groff for Byrd-Cunningham Racing - entered for the race, but not cleared to drive because of the injuries suffered at Texas. Replaced by Johnny Unser * John Paul Jr. for PDM Racing - entered for the race, but not cleared to drive because of the injuries suffered at Indianapolis. Replaced by Billy Boat * Alessandro Z ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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. Early career Born in Norwalk, Connecticut, Sharp starting racing karts when he was eight years old, winning 50 out of 75 races. Sharp came from a road-racing background, earning several championships including championships in the 1986 SCCA GT-2, 1987 and 1988 SCCA GT-1, and 1991 and 1993 SCCA Trans-Am classes. Sharp competed in one NASCAR Winston Cup Series event, coming in 1992 at Watkins Glen. In 1993, Sharp made his CART debut with Bettenhausen Motorsports and became a full-time competitor in the series in 1994 with PacWest Racing. His first Indianapolis 500 start also came in 1994. In 1996, Sharp was part of Doyle Racing’s 24 Hours of Daytona winning team. Indy Racing League career Overview Sharp is one of only two drivers (the oth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997 Las Vegas 500K
The 1997 Las Vegas 500K was the tenth and final round of the 1996–1997 Indy Racing League. The race was held on October 11, 1997 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, Nevada. Qualifying # Had an engine failure in the last practice session, and tried to qualify in a last-minute effort, only to wave off his attempt. He was allowed to start the race at the back of the field. # Had an engine failure in the last practice session, and a spare was not ready on time. He was allowed to start the race at the back of the field. # Changed to a backup car for the race, following a crash in a practice session after qualifying. Race recap The race began under cold and windy conditions that caused tire problems, which resulted in two accidents occurring immediately after pit stops. Greg Ray slid into the wall in turn-2 on lap 38, and about 25 laps later Sam Schmidt spun coming out of turn-2 and hit the wall. Buzz Calkins and Jack Miller both ran into debris from Schmidt's car, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Boat
William Leonard Boat (born February 2, 1966) is an American former open-wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League. Racing career Boat began his career in USAC where he won 11 straight Western Series races on his way to the 1995 championship. He won the Turkey Night Grand Prix midget car race in 1995. He was a three-peat winner in the event after winning in 1996 and 1997. He made his first IRL start in the 1997 Indianapolis 500 driving for A. J. Foyt Enterprises. In 1998 he won 6 poles, including 5 in a row, both league records, and won his first race at Texas Motor Speedway. It was his only official IRL victory. He is one of the few drivers with the distinction to have started from both the pole (1998) and final 33rd (2000, 2001) starting position in the Indy 500. He has not appeared in an IRL race since the 2003 Indianapolis 500. Personal life Boat is a graduate of Arizona State University. In 1986 he founded Billy Boat Performance Exhaust, a company that makes perform ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1997 Indy 200 At Walt Disney World
The 1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World was the third round of the 1996–1997 Indy Racing League. The race was held on January 25, 1997, at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Bay Lake, Florida, being the first IRL race of the calendar year 1997. It was the first race with the new chassis from Dallara and G-Force, as well as for the 4000 cc naturally aspirated engines supplied by Oldsmobile and Infiniti, and it marked the first time that a major open-wheel series contested a race with brand-new cars and engines. The race was won by Eddie Cheever after being called off on lap 149 of the scheduled 200 due to heavy rain. Report Pre-Race The Indy Racing League was faced with a four-month break between the second and third round, due to the nature of the 1996-97 calendar. This, combined with the addition of rounds at Texas and Pikes Peak that nullified a summer break, the criticism about the Indianapolis 500 overshadowing the co-championship of Buzz Calkins and Scott Sharp, and the majo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dave Steele
David Steele (May 7, 1974 – March 25, 2017) was an American professional racing driver who won numerous sprint car racing championships and also competed in IndyCar and NASCAR races. Steele last drove a winged sprint car in the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series, where he won the first 5 races in series history. Steele was killed in a crash at Desoto Speedway on March 25, 2017. He was posthumously inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame on the first eligible ballot in 2018. Racing career Sprint Cars, Midgets, and Silver Crown Championships Steele won three Tampa Bay Area Racing Association (TBARA) championships. He claimed 60 wins in United States Automobile Club, USAC sprint car (26), midget (18), and Silver Crown (16) races between 1996 and 2007. He claimed the United States Automobile Club#USAC Silver Crown Series, USAC Silver Crown Series championship in 2004 and 2005, putting him in the company of drivers such as Mario Andretti, A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Jeff Go ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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, finishing 22nd. Gosek was nicknamed 'Double-O Joe' for his traditional use of car number '00.' Gosek has been victorious in numerous races at the fameOswego Speedwayin Oswego, NY, including its crown jewel; the International Classic 200, which he has won three times. Gosek is also a multi-time champion on the touring International Supermodified Association The International Supermodified Association (ISMA) is a sanctioning body of Short track motor racing, short track auto racing in the United States and is the largest sanctioning body of Supermodified racing, supermodified type Open-wheel car, ope .... IRL IndyCar Series Indy 500 results References 1956 births American Speed Association drivers Living people Indianapolis 500 drivers IndyCar Series drivers People from Oswego, New York Racing drivers from New York (state) US ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
