The roots of the problem: an Indycar TL

[kinnikuniverse]

My only gripe so far is you ditched Patrick Racing's traditional #20 for #10, other than that nice work.

Is Marlboro still the series sponsor?

Yup. Still is. Of course, as time goes on, them being title sponsors is gonna be under greater scrutiny over the next few years...

Also, thanks for the heads up about Patrick Racing's number. It slipped my mind somehow

 

[Inferno60]

Yup. Still is. Of course, as time goes on, them being title sponsors is gonna be under greater scrutiny over the next few years...

Also, thanks for the heads up about Patrick Racing's number. It slipped my mind somehow

And I imagine when Marlboro drops out, someone will snap up the sponsorship quickly.

 

[kinnikuniverse]

And I imagine when Marlboro drops out, someone will snap up the sponsorship quickly.

Well, they sponsor both the series and Team Penske (before 1990, Patrick Racing). It's pretty much the same thing as IRL when Verizon sponsored both the series and Will Power

 

[kinnikuniverse]

1992 Marlboro Indycar Championship Trail: rounds 10-14

ROUND 10: Marlboro Michigan 500

August 2nd, 1992

The Indycar circus arrives at the second 500 miler of the season at the Michigan International Speedway. Bobby Rahal has a slight lead over Michael Andretti and Al Unser Jr, but Michael has the advantage after qualifying, with him and father Mario locking up the front row for Newman-Haas, while Rahal starts a disappointing 12th and Little Al a meager 15th.

August 2nd, 1992


ROW 1
Mario Andretti
Michael Andretti

ROW 2
Eddie Cheever
Arie Luyendyk

ROW 3
Robby Gordon
Paul Tracy

ROW 4
Emerson Fittipaldi
Raul Boesel

ROW 5
Scott Goodyear
Davy Jones

ROW 6
Scott Pruett
Bobby Rahal

ROW 7
Scott Brayton
John Andretti

ROW 8
Al Unser Jr
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 9
Scott Sharp
Buddy Lazier

ROW 10
AJ Foyt
Willy T. Ribs

ROW 11
Roberto Guerrero
Dave Kudrave

ROW 12
Lyn St. James
Jeff Andretti

ROW 13
Ross Bentley
Éric Bachelart

ROW 14
Jimmy Vasser
Robbie Buhl

ROW 15
John Jones
Mike Groff

ROW 16
Ted Prappas
Hiro Matsushita


From the get go, the Newman-Haas team looked set to have a dominant race, for they ran 1-2 with Michael on pace to lap everyone when mechanical issues took him out once they reached the 50-laps marker. Mario would then comfortably lead while Paul Tracy and Scott Goodyear fought their way to the front, pushing each other to within distance of Mario when the elder Andretti also had to retire due to mechanical issues.

From then on, it became an all-canadian battle for the win, with Tracy seemingly getting the better of the Indy 500 winner when the caution flag flew when Scott Brayton crashed with 20 laps to go.

At the restart, Goodyear pushed through the traffic and caught up with Tracy, and after a few laps of dueling, the Indy 500 winner would take first place on a nice inside slingshot pass after drafting Scott Sharp, using whatever was left of his tires and fuel tank to score his second career win and start an unexpected bid for the 500 mile Grand Slam!

Will Scott Goodyear achieve the 500 mile Grand Slam?
​

Raul Boesel rounds up the podium, continuing his post-Indy run of good form, while Little Al from 15th manages to survive the attrition-filled race to finish in an excellent 4th and gain some precious points and take advantage of Michael and Rahal's retirements.

In the Indy Lights race on saturday, Jeff Gordon was back on winners circle and defeats Adrian Fernandez and Robbie Groff to win it and get cllser to Fernandez in the standings.

Michigan Race Results

1. Scott Goodyear 20 pts
2. Paul Tracy 16 pts
3. Raul Boesel 14 pts
4. Al Unser jr 12 pts
5. Scott Pruett 10 pts
6. John Andretti 6 pts
7. Buddy Lazier 4 pts
8. Wally Dallenbach Jr 3 pts
9. Scott Sharp 2 pts
10. Scott Brayton 1 pt


Round 11: Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland

August 9th, 1992

ROW 1
Emerson Fittipaldi
Michael Andretti

ROW 2
Bobby Rahal
Paul Tracy

ROW 3
Al Unser Jr
Raul Boesel

ROW 4
Scott Pruett
Mario Andretti

ROW 5
Scott Sharp
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 6
Robby Gordon
Scott Goodyear

ROW 7
Jeff Andretti
John Andretti

ROW 8
Scott Brayton
Jimmy Vasser

ROW 9
Eddie Cheever
Roberto Guerrero

ROW 10
Davy Jones
Ross Cheever

ROW 11
Hiro Matsushita
Éric Bachelart

ROW 12
Buddy Lazier
Ross Bentley

ROW 13
Lyn St. James
Dave Kudrave

ROW 14
Ted Prappas
Willy T. Ribs

ROW 15
John Jones
Mike Groff

ROW 16
Jeff Wood
Robbie Buhl

At the infamously chaotic Airport track, this year's race had surprisingly little drama, with Emerson Fittipaldi dominating from pole on his Penske, while Michael finished in front of Little Al and Rahal to gain some grounds on them in the standings.

The real action occured at Indy Lights, where many daring passes and intense battle for top 5 positions guaranteed spectacle to the Cleveland citizens. Jeff Gordon, starting in 12th, took advantage of the chaos to score the fastest laps of the race and overtake Sandy Brody in the dying laps of the race to win his second in a row and pass Fernandez on top of the standings.

​

CLEVELAND RACE RESULTS

1. Emerson Fittipaldi 20 pts
2. Michael Andretti 16 pts
3. Al Unser Jr 14 pts
4. Bobby Rahal 12 pts
5. Mario Andretti 10 pts
6. Raul Boesel 6 pts
7. Scott Pruett 4 pts
8. Robby Gordon 3 pts
9. Scott Sharp 2 pts
10. Scott Goodyear 1 pt


Round 12: Miller Genuine Draft 200 at Mid-Ohio

August 16th, 1992

ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Paul Tracy

ROW 2
Emerson Fittipaldi
Mario Andretti

ROW 3
Eddie Cheever
Al Unser Jr

ROW 4
Scott Goodyear
John Andretti

ROW 5
Bobby Rahal
Scott Pruett

ROW 6
Wally Dallenbach Jr
Raul Boesel

ROW 7
Robby Gordon
Scott Sharp

ROW 8
Davy Jones
Brian Till

ROW 9
Scott Brayton
Ted Prappas

ROW 10
Dave Kudrave
Jimmy Vasser


ROW 11
Buddy Lazier
Roberto Guerrero

ROW 12
Willy T. Ribs
Robbie Buhl

ROW 13
Éric Bachelart
Jeff Andretti

ROW 14
Hiro Matsushita
John Jones

DNQ
Mike Groff

​

The second leg of the Ohio tour sees Michael taking on the Penske cars of Emmo and Tracy almost single-handledly in an epic handicap match. Eventually, that double assault tactic worked for the Captain, for Michael's Ford Cosworth engine would bail out on him late in the race to give the 1-2 to Penske. Al Unser Jr finishes on the podium and actually gains lots of points following Michael and Rahal retiring, while Scott Sharp, starting from 14th, gets another top 5 finish for Bettenhausen and establishes himself as the favorite for rookie of the year!

Meanwhile, in Indy Lights, Jeff Gordon goes from 8th to Victory lane as he defeats Robbie Groff and Adrian Fernandez to increase his tally at the top of the standings, starting to get one hand on the trophy.

Scott Sharp, reigning SCCA Trans-Am Champion, impressing in his first year in Indycar

​

Mid-Ohio Race Results
1. Emerson Fittipaldi 20 pts
2. Paul Tracy 16 pts
3. Al Unser Jr 14 pts
4. John Andretti 12 pts
5. Scott Sharp 10 pts
6. Raul Boesel 6 pts
7. Mario Andretti 4 pts
8. Wally Dallenbach Jr 3 pts
9. Scott Pruett 2 pts
10. Ted Prappas 1 pt


Round 13: Texaco Havoline 200 at Road America

ROW 1
Paul Tracy
Emerson Fittipaldi

ROW 2
Michael Andretti
Bobby Rahal

ROW 3
Mario Andretti
Scott Goodyear

ROW 4
Scott Pruett
Al Unser Jr

ROW 5
Wally Dallenbach Jr
John Andretti

ROW 6
Robby Gordon
Raul Boesel

ROW 7
Scott Brayton
Scott Sharp

ROW 8
Jimmy Vasser
Willy T. Ribs

ROW 9
Eddie Cheever
Jeff Andretti

ROW 10
Dave Kudrave
Jacques Villeneuve Sr

ROW 11
Roberto Guerrero
Davy Jones

ROW 12
Buddy Lazier
Ross Bentley

ROW 13
Eric Bachelart
Ross Cheever

ROW 14
Lyn St. James
Mike Groff

DNQ
Hiro Matsushita
Ted Prappas

The road racing heart of Indycar racing was again witness to an epic race the likes of which only the combo of indycars and road america can deliver. Jacques Villeneuve Sr. Subs in for John Jones at Arciero due to Jones injuring himself after a crash at Mid-Ohio, while another Caandian, Paul Tracy, starting from pole for the first time in his indycar career, battled with the newman-haas cars in the early goings of the race, but a tight pass on Michael at canada corner went awry and he went into the gravel, rejoining the race and never really getting close to the top 10.

The battle then turned into Michael vs Emmo, with Little Al and Rahal also in the chase for the lead. Emmo spent a good part of the race in the lead, while Michael, Unser and Rahal battled each other for podium spots, with Little Al and his Galmer chassis taking the fight to Michael.

And then, late in the race, the Chevy Ilmor engine in the back of Emmo's penske suddenly went up in smoke at the Backstraight! Roger Penkse couldn't believe it!

And Little Al would pass Michael to take the lead, and use the Galmer's grip to pull away just enough from his title rivals to win at Road America and suddenly take top spot in the standings heading into the third 500 miler of the season at Texas World Speedway!

The Indy Lights race on saturday was also full of drama, as Jeff Gordon and Adrian Fernandez battled for the win all race long until Gordon missed a pass at turn 3 and ended up in the gravel, but Bryan Herta put his big man boots on and managed to snatch the win from Fernandez to help his teammate Gordon stay on top of the standings!

Little Al with a huge win
​

Road America Race Results
1. Al Unser Jr 20 pts
2. Bobby Rahal 16 pts
3. Michael Andretti 14 pts
4. John Andretti 12 pts
5. Mario Andretti 10 pts
6. Wally Dallenbach Jr 6 pts
7. Raul Boesel 4 pts
8. Scott Pruett 3 pts
9. Robby Gordon 2 pts
10. Davy Jones 1 pt



Round 14: Texas 500 at Texas World Speedway

August 30th, 1992

Texas World Speedway is the theater of huge title implications with only 4 races to go including this one, the Texas 500.


ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Emerson Fittipaldi

ROW 2
Bobby Rahal
Mario Andretti

ROW 3
Al Unser Jr
Eddie Cheever

ROW 4
Robby Gordon
Scott Sharp

ROW 5
Scott Pruett
John Andretti

ROW 6
Raul Boesel
Wally Dallenbach Jr

ROW 7
Paul Tracy
Scott Goodyear

ROW 8
Arie Luyendyk
Scott Brayton

ROW 9
Jimmy Vasser
Roberto Guerrero

ROW 10
Buddy Lazier
Willy T. Ribs

ROW 11
Ross Bentley
John Jones

ROW 12
Lyn St. James
Jeff Andretti

ROW 13
Hiro Matsushita
AJ Foyt

ROW 14
Davy Jones
Dave Kudrave

ROW 15
Robbie Buhl
Éric Bachelart

ROW 16
Mike Groff


The typical attrition at a 500 miler started early, with Paul Tracy crashing as he attempted to catch the leaders from a less than ideal starting position. Then, in a big twist in the title race, Bobby Rahal also hit the wall and retired on lap 29.

Emmo and Michael were the main rivals in the race, while Little Al, regaining his Indy form, kept himself in the hunt, patiently waiting to strike.

Emmo would then retire from transmission failure, which prompted the leaders to pit. Little Al managed to get out in front of Michael. Michael, after a long period of trying, managed to snatch the lead from Unser, and tried his best to hold him off. But the pressing that Little Al put on him would bite him as he went wide and broke his suspension on the wall late into the race!

Al Unser Jr's gamble paid off, and he would retain his crown in Texas and get in the drivers seat in the standings with only 3 races to go!

in Indy Lights, Jeff Gordon got pole and the fastest lap, but he faced fierce competition from Mark Smith, and the latter would snatch the win away from Gordon to score his first win of the season. However, with Adrian Fernandez facing trouble all race long and only finishing 7th, Jeff, with his second place finish, increases the cushion between him and the mexican in the standings. The championship is slowly but surely coming within Jeff's grasps.


Texas 500 Race Results

1. Al Unser Jr 20 pts
2. Scott Sharp 16 pts
3. Scott Pruett 14 pts
4. Scott Goodyear 12 pts
5. Mario Andretti 10 pts
6. Wally Dallenbach Jr 6 pts
7. Arie Luyendyk 4 pts
8. Roberto Guerrero 3 pts
9. Buddy Lazier 2 pts
10. John Jones 1 pt

TITLE RACE AFTER 14 ROUNDS

Al Unser Jr 167 pts

Bobby Rahal 134 pts

Michael Andretti 120 pts

Will Little Al complete the comeback in the last 3 rounds?​

The last 3 rounds of the season are next. To be Continued...

 

[Huey Louis IX]

It warms my heart to see that even in alternate universes Paul Tracy is still destroying equipment thru over-aggressiveness and incompetence.

 

[kinnikuniverse]

It warms my heart to see that even in alternate universes Paul Tracy is still destroying equipment thru over-aggressiveness and incompetence.

As a canadian, That's what was so frustrating with PT. World Champion-level talent, backmarker brain. He's basically the canadian De Cesaris.

 

[Huey Louis IX]

Good description, he was a treat to watch race because you never knew if he'd botch it or not. Was a boorish oaf off-track too.

Canadian eh? Who'd you root for in the '95 500?

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Good description, he was a treat to watch race because you never knew if he'd botch it or not. Was a boorish oaf off-track too.

Canadian eh? Who'd you root for in the '95 500?

You'll see when we get there

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

Of Canada's "golden generation" of open wheel racers who was more disappointing, Paul Tracy or post-97 Villeneuve?

Trick question, Alex Tagliani peaking in Formula Atlantic takes the cake.

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Of Canada's "golden generation" of open wheel racers who was more disappointing, Paul Tracy or post-97 Villeneuve?

Trick question, Alex Tagliani peaking in Formula Atlantic takes the cake.

Aw man, Tag in the 2000 season...how can you blow an easy win not once, but twice...i saw that season as a kid. Fuck, that one hurts

 

[Huey Louis IX]

Of Canada's "golden generation" of open wheel racers who was more disappointing, Paul Tracy or post-97 Villeneuve?

Trick question, Alex Tagliani peaking in Formula Atlantic takes the cake.

Villeneuve is a such a mystery to me, Williams suffered a major decline in 1998 and the move to BAR didn't do him any favors either. I wonder if he just lost whatever motivation he had and figured he could coast along. IMO definitely more disappointing than PT, who did have a decent career and was able to pad his stats in CART/CCWS once all the big guns left.

I remember watching Tagliani stand on the gas and massively smoke his tires after spinning while leading at Rio and thinking, "Yeah, I'd probably do the same thing". Poor guy.

What can anyone tell me about Lee Bentham or David Empringham? They each won championships in lower formulae but never made the jump to CART/Indycar.

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

Villeneuve is a such a mystery to me, Williams suffered a major decline in 1998 and the move to BAR didn't do him any favors either. I wonder if he just lost whatever motivation he had and figured he could coast along.

He wanted his own team, which was what BAR was meant to be, he even was part owner of it. When Pro Drive took over operations he basically lost motivation, and losing to Button in 2003 made him quick to run from pairings with other up and coming talents like Alonso at Renault and Heidfeld at BMW.

Really should have taken the offer to go to McLaren for '99. Good chances he'd've won it.

 

[Huey Louis IX]

He wanted his own team, which was what BAR was meant to be, he even was part owner of it. When Pro Drive took over operations he basically lost motivation, and losing to Button in 2003 made him quick to run from pairings with other up and coming talents like Alonso at Renault and Heidfeld at BMW.

Really should have taken the offer to go to McLaren for '99. Good chances he'd've won it.

I didn't know about the BAR deal but I'm not surprised, Jacques always liked things his own way. I have no doubt he would've snagged at least one more WDC had he joined McLaren. Greg Moore not crashing at Fontana/moving to Penske Racing and JV at McLaren would've meant Canadians whomping ass on the motorsports world, sounds like a good idea for a timeline...

 

[kinnikuniverse]

1992 Marlboro Indycar Championship Trail


Round 15: Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix of Pennsylvania at Nazareth

September 13th, 1992

Three rounds left in the 1992 Marlboro Championship, and the title race is looking as exciting as ever. Al Unssr Jr, on the back of two huge wins at Road America and the Texas 500, leads the standings with 33 points in front of Bobby Rahal and 47 in front of Michael Andretti, but he will have his worl cut out for him, for Galles Racing never managed to find the right setup for the Galmer chassis this week-end at Nazareth, starting at a disappointing 13th place, while Michael scores the pole and Rahal starts mot further behind in third.

ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Emerson Fittipaldi

ROW 2
Bobby Rahal
John Andretti

ROW 3
Mario Andretti
Scott Goodyear

ROW 4
Scott Brayton
Eddie Cheever

ROW 5
Paul Tracy
Scott Pruett

ROW 6
Wally Dallenbach Jr
AJ Foyt

ROW 7
Al Unser Jr
Raul Boesel

ROW 8
Robby Gordon
Scott Sharp

ROW 9
Davy Jones
Willy T. Ribs

ROW 10
Buddy Lazier
Robbie Buhl

ROW 11
John Jones
Jimmy Vasser

ROW 12
Dave Kudrave
Robert Guerrero

ROW 13
Éric Bachelart
Jeff Andretti

DNQ
Mike Groff
Hiro Matsushita

At the start, Michael and Rahal got a great start and looks set to duel for that oh so precious win in the first few laps...but Paul Tracy, starting 9th, storms through the front at the bullring to join the fight, taking over the lead of the race at the mid-point after dropping elbows on Rahal and Michael. The race was now on!

The three stooges offered a great show for the Nazareth fans in their three-way battle for supremacy, with the fans solidly behind the hometown hero Michael.

Eventually, Bobby Rahal, using patience as a virtue, managed to use a clever pit strategy to gain the lead of the race late into it on lap 157. The former 2-time Marlboro champion would then successfully hold off the hard charging Michael and Tracy to score a big win, while Al Unser Jr, despite his best efforts, was nowhere to be seen with his struggling Galmer car, narrowly missing out on a top 10 finish to Scott Pruett.

Nazareth Race Results

1. Bobby Rahal 20 pts
2. Michael Andretti 16 pts
3. Paul Tracy 14 pts
4. Scott Goodyear 12 pts
5. Mario Andretti 10 pts
6. Raul Boesel 6 pts
7. Emerson Fittipaldi 4 pts
8. Robby Gordon 3 pts
9. Eddie Cheever 2 pts
10. Scott Pruett 1 pt

TITLE RACE WITH 2 ROUNDS TO GO


Al Unser Jr 167 pts

Bobby Rahal 154 pts

Michael Andretti 136 pts

Round 16: L.A Times 500k at Riverside

Ocotber 4th, 1992

The beautiful Riverside International Raceway, owned and refurbished into a sleek, modern facility by Dan Gurney, is the penultimate round of the championship. Michael got the pole, narrowly beating Paul Tracy for it, while Bobby Rahal starts in 6th and little Al in 8th.

ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Paul Tracy

ROW 2
Emerson Fittipaldi
Scott Goodyear

ROW 3
Mario Andretti
Bobby Rahal

ROW 4
John Andretti
Al Unser Jr

ROW 5
Scott Pruett
Eddie Cheever

ROW 6
Ross Cheever
Jimmy Vasser

ROW 7
Raul Boesel
Robby Gordon

ROW 8
Wally Dallenbach Jr
Scott Sharp

ROW 9
Ted Prappas
Éric Bachelart

ROW 10
Scott Brayton
Davy Jones

ROW 11
Roberto Guerrero
Dave Kudrave

ROW 12
Willy T. Ribs
Buddy Lazier

ROW 13
Hiro Matsushita
John Jones

ROW 14
Robbie Buhl
Mike Groff


Michael Andretti, with his season on the line, delivered a masterclass of road racing at the raceway, flying around in his Lola-Ford as if it was nobody's business, with father Mario comfortably behind him for a Newman-Haas 1-2. With Bobby Rahal completing the podium and Al Unser Jr. Finishing in a disappointing 8th, that meant that 13 points now separate Little Al from Michael in third spot in the standings as we head to the final round of the season, in only a few miles from Riverside at the Indianapolis of the west, the Ontario Motor Spweedway, for the California 500.

Michael and Paul Tracy at the start of the race​

Riverside Race Results

1. Michael Andretti 20 pts
2. Mario Andretti 16 pts
3. John Andretti 14 pts
4. Eddie Cheever 12 pts
5. Bobby Rahal 10 pts
6. Raul Boesel 6 pts
7. Wally Dallenbach Jr 4 pts
8. Ross Cheever 3 pts
9. Al Unser Jr. 2 pts
10. Robby Gordon 1 pt


Al Unser Jr 169 pts

Bobby Rahal 164 pts

Michael Andretti 156 pts

BONUS CHAPTER: Jeff Gordon's lower formulae adventures - the finale.

The bullring. That's what they called Nazareth Speedway.

A tight, suffocating oval track, paved on top of a former dirt track, this track is a true test of a driver's abikity to navigate through traffic. The subtle elevation change heading into the backstraight has fooled many a driver, including Jeff Gordon. During practice, Jeff clipped the wall at turn 4, and many were wondering if he would still perform in a backup car in qualifying and the race.

On friday qualifying, Adrian Fernandez got the pole, while Jeff, in his backup car, initally could only do 4th. And then, John Christoff amd the rest of the Landford crew made soem last-minute adjustments to the car, and Jeff flew all over the track, pulling off a tnatalising lap to snatch pole position from Fernandez for the race on saturday.

24 Indy Lights cars took center stage at Nazareth, woth Jeff and Fernandez leading the way. The bullring's unique characteristics played many tricks on the young and ineperienced drivers, with many crashes happening.

Up front, Jeff was put under all kinds pf pressure by his title rival Fernandez. Whether it was the various attempts on the inside, the intense race to the perfect pitstop leading to Jeff and Fernandez almost colliding or Jeff starting to play dirty in his blocking, the fierce duel between the two brought the pennsylvania Fans on the edge of their seats.

And there it was. At turn four. Fernandez attempts on the inside...but he lifts the feet off the accelerator! It was a bait! Jeff looks like he's about to go wide....

But Jeff avoids the wall, and manages to shut fernandez down! Fernandez, surprised, almost lost control of his car. Gordon survives the bait!

And Jeff would then gas it and score the fastest lap of the race en route to a crucial win in the title race! Now, only 26 points separated Jeff and Fernandez. All Gordon needed was a podium at Riverside and Fernandez finishing in 5th of less, and the title is his.

At the Riverside circuit, Robbie Groff dominated proceedings, scoring pole, fastest lap and the win in a dominant lights to flag win over Bryan Herta, but the focus was on Jeff and Fernandez, who both had trouble in quali, only starting in the 4th row together. During the race itself, Jeff and Fernandez dueled each other as they moved up to the top 5 positions, with Gordon in 5th acting as the aggressor against the Mexican in 4th.

Eventually, Jeff attempted a big outside pass on Fernandez at the banked last turn, but Fernandez kept his lone and squeezed him out, with the momentum from the manoeuvre sending Jeff clipping his suspension into the wall. This gamble did not pay off. Fernandez proved that he hadn't forgotten Jeff's dirty blocking at Nazareth, and he repayed him in kind.

With the Mexican finishing in 4th, this meant that the gape was now 14 points heading into the final round at Ontario.

Adrian Fernandez, earlier in the season.​

At the Indianapolis of the west, Jeff Gordon had goosebumps. There he was, potentially winning the title in front of his home state, his home crowd. And what better way to start by gettign the pole?

However, once again, Adrian Fernandez started alongside him, like an annoying bug that just won't die. The stage was set for an exciting opening act to the final round of the 1992 Indycar season.

And the moment the green flag, waved by Jim Swintell, waved to signal the start of the race, Gordona nd Fernandez went at each other's throat. The Landford and John Martin teams pulled out all the stops to give the title to their respective drivers, each pitstop meticulously calculated and exectued with laser precision and blistering speed. each lap saw Gordon and Fernandez taling turns attempting to psyche each other out with baits and drafting.

Fernandez gained the lead using a nice switch-up into the inside at the back straight, and he looked as if he was gaining groind on Jeff. But then, traffic arrived.

Jeff, sensing this as now or never, then attempted to go on the outside at the exit on turn 4...but then immediately switched to the inside as they exited to the front straight to regain the lead!

This wild dance of madness gave the southern Californian crowd the kind of entertainement that they craved, and they roared up on their feet everytime Gordon annd Fernandez passed in front of the grandstands.

Feranndez started being more aggressive in his driving, looking to bait Jeff into a mistake in the last laps, but Jeff was completely focused, only looking ahead. He could see it. The championship trophy. The Indycar seat. The Indy 500.

And Jeff Gordon, the 21-year old young man from Vallejo, California, beats Adrian Fernandez to both the finish line and the 1992 Indy Lights championship at Ontario.

Celebrations ensued in the stands amd in the Landford Racing pits. This is the third consecutive Indy Lights title for the small independent team founded in 1981, a series record. Jeff did a parade lap aroudn the circuit to thank the Californian crowd for supporting him throughout this season and race before heading into victory lane to start the title celebrations.

Jeff Gordon celebrating his 1992 Indy Lights title


After the long night of partying with teammates, crew chief, friends and family, however, comes the toughest part: finding an Indycar seat. Jeff, being the ambitious young man that he is, knows his worth and his talent, and he makes it clear that he won't just sign with the first random backmarker team that would give him a ride. And thus, the hunt for a decently competitive Indycar seat for the 1993 season was on.

But that is a story for another day. This sunday, October 18th, 1992, is the day of Reckoning for the 1992 Marlboro Indycar Championship, and Gordon has first class seats to witness the thrilling culmination of the racing season.

​

1992 To Be Concluded...

 

[SealTheRealDeal]

The TL or the season?

 

[kinnikuniverse]

The TL or the season?

The season. Should've been more precise

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas and a happy new year to all followers of this TL and Indycar fans everywhere!

The 1992 season finale will come sometime after the holidays.

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Round 17: California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway


it all has come to this: the Indianapolis of the west, Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. The stage for the thrilling season finale of the 1992 Marlboro Indycar Championship Trail.

Al Unser Jr - 169 pts. Seeking his third Indycar title in an incredible late-season charge.

Michael Andretti - 156 pts - looking for the back-to-back.

Bobby Rahal - 164 pts. former two-time Indycar champion as driver-owner, now has an outside shot at winning his third.

The cool fall temperatures and the sunny disposition of the skies are the perfect backdrop for this day of reckoning, and Michael and Rahal start together on the front row, while Al Unser Jr starts in 4th alongside Emerson Fittipaldi.

STARTING GRID
 

ROW 1
Michael Andretti
Bobby Rahal

ROW 2
Emerson Fittipaldi
Al Unser Jr

ROW 3
Scott Goodyear
Scott Pruett

ROW 4
Wally Dallenbach Jr
Mario Andretti

ROW 5
Paul Tracy
John Andretti

ROW 6
Raul Boesel
Roberto Guerrero

ROW 7
Eddie Cheever
Robby Gordon

ROW 8
Scott Sharp
Scott Brayton

ROW 9
Willy T. Ribs
Davy Jones

ROW 10
Arie Luyendyk
AJ Foyt

ROW 11
Lyn St. James
Jimmy Vasser

ROW 12
Robbie Buhl
Éric Bachelart

ROW 13
Buddy Lazier
Jeff Andretti

ROW 14
John Jones
Dave Kudrave

ROW 15
Hiro Matsushita
Ted Prappas

ROW 16
Ross Bentley
Mike Groff

As the green flag waved, Bobby Rahal took over the lead of the race on the outside at turns 1 and two, while Scott Pruett had a rocket start in the Budweiser Lola-Ford of Pat Patrick, overtaking Goodyear, Little Al and Emmo for 3rd place. The first quarter fo the race would see Michael and Rahal pulling away from the field and fighting each other for the lead, passing each other in each and every lap. The Rahal-Hogan team did a tremendous job with the setup of the Trusports chassis, with Rahal being faster in the corners than Michael's Lola-Ford, albeit the Texaco car is waybfaster on the straights. Scott Pruett and Emerson Fittipaldi, meanwhile, are doing their best to keep up with the leaders. The Budweiser lola looked really strong holding off the Penske of the Brazilian veteran.


Amidst the typical attrition of a 500-mile race, the biggest accident occured when Eddie Cheever and Davy Jones punted each other out of the race on lap 62, prompting a full course yellow. Michael, Rahal and Emmo profited to get into the pits, while Pruett and Little Al stayed out to stretch their fuel tank...however, controversy occurs as Indycar officals judged that Michael and Rahal passed the safety car, imposing a stop-and-go penalty for them and giving the lead to Pruett, Emmo and Little Al. Protest by Carl Hogan and Carl Haas fell on deaf ears, and the two championship contenders went back into the pits, clearly angered.

Things would go from bad to worse for Rahal, as he was forced to enter the pits again after noticing a fuel leak in his car. Unable to stop the leak, the Rahal-Hogan team had no choice but to retire, ending Rahal's title bid in rather anticlimatic fashion.

Back on track, Emmo managed to pass Pruett for the lead, and when it was time for their pitstops, Emmo managed to come out still in the lead in a tight pit stop race against Pruett, while Littel Al, who pitted at the same time as them, saw frustration with his pit crew, who mistimed their choreography and costed Little Al positions for his title bid.

Trouble for the 2-time series champion​

For the middle portion of the race, Emmo flew away from Pruett, the gap ever increasing lap after lap, while Michael managed to fight his way back into 3rd place and battling with Pruett for 2nd. However, Michael knew that he needed to win this race if Little Al stayed in his current 6th position, for Little Al would win the title if they stayed put.

Semsing that, Carl Haas then ordered Mario Andretti, running in 9th behind Wally Dallenbach Jr, to pick up the pace and attack Little Al. Quickly dispatching Dallenbach, Mario went on the offensive, gaining grounds on Little Al, while Rick Galles ordered Dallenbach to hold off Mario.


While Little Al would eventually be passed by John Andretti in the Pennzoil Jim Hall Lola, he still stayed in 6th place, for a huge surprise struck the Penske crew as Emmo's Chevy Ilmor engine, just like at Road America, blew up in smokes as we headed into the late race!

Thus, Scott Pruett inherited the lead, with a red hot and motivated Michael Andretti pounding on him with pressure and aggresive passing attempts! Mario, meanwhile, was sandwiched between the two Galles Racing cars, with Little Al deliberately slowing him down so that Dallenbach can pass him.

Michael was aggressive and did all he could, but Scott Pruett simply was on a whole other planet, for the 32-year old former IMSA champion was delivering the performance of his life, holding off Michael and even increasing his gap! The back-to-back looks to be slipping from Michael's grasps...

And then, on lap 178, Dallenbach made his move...but Mario sneaks in front of him as he attempted to pass him on the outside at the front straight, catching him off-guard! Dallenbach, surprised, lost his cool and spun into the pit wall!

This brought a much needed full course yellow for the Newman-Haas squad, with Michael now right behind Pruett and Mario now stalling an increasingly nervous Little Al, now all alone and the master of his destiny!


As the flag waved green for the last laps of the race, Michael attempted to pass Pruett once more. Lap after lap, turn after turn, the texaco lola snaked around the Budweiser Lola's back, but to no avail. Pruett held on, and once again started pulling away from Michael.

And then, on the last 5 laps, Michael received a message from Carl Haas. He was ordered to stay put, for daddy passed Little Al!

Indeed, Mario passed Littel Al on the backstraight with a nice move only a driver of his pedigree and experience knows the secret of.

That meant that Michael would win the title with only 1 point difference from Little Al!

As such, Unser put the pedal to the metal and desperstely attempted to pass Mario, squeezing every ounce of juice left of his tires and engines to get his third indycar title...

Scott Pruett crosses the finish line to score his first ever Indycar win and Patrick Racing's first win in two years, with Michael Andretti coming in 2nd and Scott Goodyear rounding the podium.

Finally, the Newman-Haas pits jumped around in celebration as Mario Andretti successfully fended off Al Unser Jr to give the title to his son, making it back-to-back titles for Newman-Haas, the first team to go back-to-back since Bobby Rahal in 1986 and 1987

Scott Pruett scores his first Indycar win



California Race Results

1. Scott Pruett 20 pts
2. Michael Andretti 16 pts
3. Scott Goodyear 14 pts
4. Paul Tracy 12 pts
5. John Andretti 10 pts
6. Mario Andretti 6 pts
7. Al Unser Jr 4 pts
8. Robby Gordon 3 pts
9. Scott Sharp 2 pts
10. Scott Brayton 1 pt


TITLE RACE FINAL STANDINGS

Michael Andretti 172 pts

Al Unser Jr 171 pts

Bobby Rahal 164 pts

Three generations of Andretti celebrates the title
​

And thus, Michael Andretti becomes the first driver to win back-to-back titles since Bobby Rahal, etching his name in the Indycar history books. The passing of the torch finally happened, with Michael and Little Al leading Indycar into the 90s, along with promising new talents like Scott Goodyear, Scott Pruett, Rookie of the year Scott Sharp and Paul Tracy further establishing themselves and hot prospects coming in. Will the 1993 season be just as good as this one? Will 1992 Indy Lights champion Jeff Gordon find a good seat?

Find out next time in "1993: The Duel"

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Gil de Ferran - 1967-2023​

2x Indycar champion
Indianapolis 500 winner
Mclaren Sporting director
Former world Top Speed record holder on a closed track.
The last person to drive for Jim Hall

Rest In Peace.​

 

[kinnikuniverse]

Jeff Gordon - The Test

Bastards. The Both of them.

Jeff had been busy in the winter calling people, sponsors, friends of peopl in the indycar world...The 1992 Indy Lights champion, naturally, wanted an Indycar seat, but not any seat. He knows he has the talent to be competitive, so he will not settle for a backmarker.

As such, he read every motorsports magazine, heard every discussion in Indiana, every report on ESPN, and made calls to any upper-mid tier Indy teams. Everytime, he was rejected, saying the same things: he didn't bring enough money, their lineup was full, he was too young, too inexperienced...

Two excellent opportunities came, however: Derrick Walker was looking for a driver to replace the declining and underwhelming Willy T. Ribs. That was Jeff's top priority, for Walker had a breakout year, winning both the Indy 500 and the Michigan 500 with Scott Goodyear, and they received lots of additional funding to run a competitive package for 1993.

The phone call went pretty well, with Derrick seeming like a nice man and willing to give him a chance. The Scotsman, who previously worked with Brabham and Penske, had the reputation of using unproven talent. After all, Scott Goodyear was previously just seen as a decent, if unremarkable driver, at Doug Shierson before becoming an overnight star after winning the Indy 500 and the Michigan 500 last year.

But then, on an episode of ESPN Speedworld, he saw that Walker signed John Andretti to drive the 17 car for the next three seasons. Jeff felt betrayed by this shocking news, tossing his pencil in frustration. Then, he received a phone call from one Bruce McCaw, a Seattle-based communications magnate who is entering Indycar next season. Jeff thought that the operation sounded promising: well-funded, a big sponsor in Visa and using the potent Galmer-Chevrolet of Galles Racing that almost won the championship as well as a decent crew of mechanics.

Bruce McCaw, founder and Owner of Pacwest Racing​

Hopes of entering the series with them quickly fell apart, however, when McCaw politely announced that he was gonna go with some Brazilian guy named Gugelmin as their driver, because he brought more money than Jeff with Hollywood cigarettes.


Hanging up in disappointment, Jeff facepalmed as he took in all this info. When hecalemed down, however, he realised one thing: With John Andretti gone, that means the Jim Hall seat was available!

As such, Jeff gave the Hall office at GM a phone call...

A few weeks later, here he was, at Sonoma Raceway, for the test organised by the Hall VDS team to find out who will get to drive the #4 Lola-Chevrolet for the 1993 season. Jeff would have to face a formidable opponent to get the seat:

Teo Fabi, 1983 Indycar champion and former Indy 500 polesitter, has been seeking a seat after spending last year driving for Toyota in the World Sportscar Championship. With someone as experienced and renowned as him, Jeff knew he was facing a steep challenge. Especially since the first step was at a road course.

As they drove around the twisty grand prix circuit of Sonoma onboard last year's Lola T92/00-Chevrolet, it was clear that Fabi was the more experienced and skilled on road courses. Jeff, having to be used to the sheer soeeds and G Forces an Indycar makes, was initially slower than Fabi, as expected. However, he kept pushing and pushing the more laps he completed, and it gotten to the point where he started making laptimes that got closer and closer to Fabi's.

At Ontario Motor Speedway, however, Fabi and Jeff were much closer in laptimes. It heated up even more when Fabi managed to hit 230, which many thought would be hard to beat. That is underestimating Jeff Gordon, however. The kid pushed the car to its limit, managing.to get the engine up to 233, the smae top speed as Indy pole sitter Roberto Guerrero, at the backstraight before hitting 235 heading into the front straight, putting a lap time that Fabi simply couldn't match.


Sweating like a pig, Jeff was greeted by the team's crew, who gave both hima nd Favi some much needed water and a towel. After a few friendly discussions between the drivers and the crew chiefs, Jeff went back home in Indiana, eagerly awaiting the final verdict and watching Speedworld for any updates.

And then, one morning, the phone rang. With his heart pounding, Jeff picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Is this Jeff Gordon speaking?"

"Yes..."

"Hi, Jeff! It's Jim Hall..."

Late February 1993 : Ontario Motor Speedway.

The bright, Yellow flash heading down the front straight passed by almost at the speed of sound, its V8 turbo engine screaming across the desert as it glided into the first two turns like a leaf in thin air. Jim Hall looked on, his glasses reflexting the bright California sun as the Lola T93/00 passed him by again. Losing a talented driver like John Andretti, who brought the team its first win since 1983 and back to regular top 5 finishes, was a hard blow, and he knew that the decision he took a few days ago would decide if the team will continue on this run of momentum in 1993.

As the #4 Pennzoil machine arrived in the pits, the engine slowly purred down in volume until, with one flock of the switch, it went dead. The crew pushed the car back into its container, cleaning it and putting the thick, grey blanket over it tonpreserve its freshness. The driver, whose face was obscured by his helmet, approached a smiling Jim Hall, who looked on with satisfaction.

"I'll be honest with you." Jim said. "There are other drivers i considered. Some are faster, more reliable and more experienced. Solid, proven hands that could drive that thing like it's nothing."

The driver then removed his helmet, wiping the sweat off his short hair.

"But I like you, kid...I like you a lot...something tells me you're gonna be better than all of them. It ain't a question of if, it is a question of when...You'll give it your 110%. That's what i expect from everyone in this team. The pit crew, the mechanics and, above all, the driver."

"I will, sir." Jeff said, all smiles.

"I know you will..." Jim responded, patting the young man's shoulder. "...And please, stop it with that "Sir" crap. Call me Jim. I ain't Penske!"

TO BE CONTINUED...