IndyCar Racing under CART before the split

UPDATE A reader writes:

Villeneuve makes a pass on the Penske power-duo

Dear AR1,

Not to mention, this was the first CART race JV won on his way to the following Indy 500 win, CART championship the same year and move to F1 with the F1 championship in 97 (three years after his win at RA)………

CART was at a global level of performance. Mansell to CART, JV to F1….etc. Drivers, global engine and chassis manufacturers, sponsors (signage, tents!), TV, radio even.

You are killing me. Absolutely criminal.

See image. JV turn 5 after a long stalk and pass in turn 4 of the Penske team mates of Fittipaldi and Unser Jr. Curt Olsen

03/17/10 How far has IndyCar Racing fallen since the split in 1996? Here is a rundown from the CART IndyCar Road America race in 1994. Note the names. Note the size of the field. Note the array of engines and chassis. Note all the big sponsors. And weep…..It is a complete travesty.

Nigel Mansell, Al Unser Jr., Robby Gordon, Adrian Fernandez, Mario Andretti and Mark Smith come through turn seven at Road America in the CART race on September 11, 1994

Bob Jennings

"Texaco/Havoline 200" at Road America
September 11, 1994

50 laps, 200 miles

attendance 50,000
grid

starting grid

time speed
1 3 Paul Tracy Marlboro Penske PC23 – Ilmor V-8/D Penske Racing 1:45.416 136.602
2 12 Jacques Villeneuve Player's Ltd. Reynard 941 – Ford XB V-8 Forsythe-Green Racing 1:45.988 135.864
3 1 Nigel Mansell Kmart/Texaco Havoline Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Newman/Haas Racing 1:46.016 135.829
4 31 Al Unser Jr. Marlboro Penske PC23 – Ilmor V-8/D Penske Racing 1:46.196 135.598
5 9 Robby Gordon Valvoline/Cummins Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Walker Racing 1:46.916 134.685
6 7 Adrian Fernandez Tecate/Quaker State Reynard 941 – Ilmor V-8/D Galles Racing International 1:46.985 134.623
7 6 Mario Andretti Kmart/Texaco Havoline Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Newman/Haas Racing 1:47.474 133.986
8 15 Mark Smith Craftsman Tool Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Walker Racing 1:47.477 133.982
9 2 Emerson Fittipaldi Marlboro Penske PC23 – Ilmor V-8/D Penske Racing 1:47.739 133.656
10 5 Raul Boesel Duracell Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Dick Simon Racing 1:47.754 133.638
11 14 Eddie Cheever A.J. Foyt Copenhagen T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 A.J. Foyt Enterprises 1:48.019 133.310
12 17 Dominic Dobson PacWest Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 PacWest Racing Group 1:48.372 132.876
13 71 Scott Sharp PacWest Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 PacWest Racing Group 1:48.390 132.854
14 40 Scott Goodyear Budweiser King Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Budweiser King IndyCar Racing 1:48.449 132.781
15 11 Teo Fabi Pennzoil Reynard 941- Ilmor V-8/D Hall/VDS Racing 1:48.595 132.603
16 4 Bobby Rahal Miller Genuine Draft Lola T94/00 – Honda V-8 Rahal – Hogan Racing 1:48.648 132.538
17 28 Arie Luyendyk Eurosport/Boost Monaco Lola T94/00 – Ilmor V-8/D Indy Regency Racing Inc. 1:48.758 132.404
18 10 Mike Groff Motorola Lola T94/00 – Honda V-8 Rahal – Hogan Racing 1:48.969 132.148
19 16 Stefan Johansson Alumax Penske PC22 – Ilmor V-8/D Bettenhausen Motorsports 1:49.065 132.031
20 8 Michael Andretti Target/Scotch Reynard 941- Ford XB V-8 Chip Ganassi Racing Teams 1:49.068 132.028
21 64 Christian Danner No Touch Lola T93/06 – Ford XB V-8 Project Indy 1:49.609 131.376
22 18 Jimmy Vasser Conseco/STP Reynard 941- Ford XB V-8 Hayhoe Racing 1:50.274 130.584
23 30 Claude Bourbonnais McCormack Motorsports Lola T93/07 – Ilmor V-8/C+ McCormack Motorsports 1:50.296 130.558
24 24 Willy T. Ribbs Service Merchandise Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Walker Racing 1:50.361 130.481
25 88 Mauricio Gugelmin Hollywood Reynard 941- Ford XB V-8 Chip Ganassi Racing Teams 1:50.407 130.427
26 19 Alessandro Zampedri Mi-Jack Lola T93/06 – Ford XB V-8 Dale Coyne Racing 1:51.296 129.385
27 22 Hiro Matsushita Panasonic/Duskin Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Dick Simon Racing 1:52.392 128.123
28 23 Giovanni Lavaggi Financial World Magazine Lola T93/07 – Ilmor V-8/C+ Leader Cards Racing 1:52.769 127.695
29 25 Marco Greco Arciero Project Indy Lola T94/00 – Ford XB V-8 Arciero Racing 1:53.553 126.813
30 39 Ross Bentley AFGA Lola T92/00 – Chevrolet V-8/A Dale Coyne Racing 1:54.483 125.783
31 50 Franck Freon AGIP/Hawaiian Tropic Lola T92/00 – Chevrolet V-8/A Euromotorsport Racing 1:57.951 122.085
pos. finish laps status
1 Villeneuve 50
2 Unser Jr. 50
3 Fittipaldi 50
4 Fabi 50
5 Fernandez 50
6 Boesel 50
7 Goodyear 50
8 Johansson 50
9 Rahal 50
10 Sharp 50
11 Dobson 50
12 Danner 50
13 Mansell 50
14 Matsushita 49
15 Lavaggi 49
16 Mario Andretti 47 engine
17 Michael Andretti 46 exhaust
18 Tracy 43 engine
19 Gugelmin 40 engine
20 Groff 38 engine
21 Greco 38
22 Luyendyk 30 contact
23 Zampedri 24 transmission
24 Ribbs 19 engine
25 Gordon 16 transmission
26 Smith 12 engine
27 Cheever 8 engine
28 Vasser 6 vibration
29 Freon 2 electrical
30 Bourbonnais 0 contact
31 Bentley 0 did not start
lap leaders
1 – 35 Tracy
36 – 50 Villeneuve
fastest race lap Mansell lap 44 133.328
winner's average 116.922
margin of victory 0.609 seconds