1996 in IRL
Encyclopedia
The first season of Indy Racing League competition consisted of only three races. Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway is a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida.It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, and was designed primarily as a venue for the Indy 200 at Walt Disney...

 was completed in time to host the first race of the season, and the first ever event of the IRL. Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...

 switched alliances from CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

 to IRL and hosted the second event of the season. The 1996 season concluded with the 80th Indianapolis 500
1996 Indianapolis 500
The 80th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This was the first Indy 500 contested by the Indy Racing League, under the overall sanctioning umbrella of USAC. It was the third and final race of the 1996 IRL season. Buddy Lazier won the race, his...

.

Series schedule development

On January 23, 1995, at the Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom
Magic Kingdom Park is one of four theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort located near Orlando, Florida. The first park built at the resort, Magic Kingdom opened Oct. 1, 1971. Designed and built by WED Enterprises, the park's layout and attractions are similar to Disneyland in Anaheim, California...

 at Walt Disney World the IRL announced the dates for two of the races scheduled for the inaugural 1996 season. The Indy 200 at Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway is a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida.It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, and was designed primarily as a venue for the Indy 200 at Walt Disney...

 was scheduled for January 27, 1996 and 80th Indianapolis 500 was set for May 26, 1996. On April 3, the IRL announced that Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...

 and the then-under construction Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...

 would be on the 1996 schedule, but no dates were confirmed. Later that month, on April 13, 1995, the respective dates were finalized for Phoenix (March 24, 1996) and Las Vegas (September 15, 1996). On May 30, 1995, New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...

 officially switched alliances from CART to IRL, and scheduled their race for August 18.

The original plan was to have every Indy Racing League season end with the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...

. Thus the IRL champion would be awarded at the conclusion of the Indy 500, and quite possibly could be the Indy 500 winner. The next season (in this case the 1996-97 season
1996-1997 in IRL
The 1996-1997 Indy Racing League season was a result of the league abandoning the concept of ending each season with the Indianapolis 500. The 1996-97 season would ultimately comprise the events following the Indy 500 in 1996, and all events contested in the calendar year of 1997.The 1996-97 season...

) would begin immediately after the Indy 500, and spread over two calendar years to conclude at the next Indianapolis 500
1997 Indianapolis 500
The 81st Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway over three days, May 25–27, 1997. It was originally scheduled Sunday, May 25, however, rain washed out all activities for the day. The race was started on Monday May 26, but rain halted the race after only 15 laps...

. As a result, the two races at New Hampshire and Las Vegas, already announced, would in fact open the 1996-97 season
1996-1997 in IRL
The 1996-1997 Indy Racing League season was a result of the league abandoning the concept of ending each season with the Indianapolis 500. The 1996-97 season would ultimately comprise the events following the Indy 500 in 1996, and all events contested in the calendar year of 1997.The 1996-97 season...

. The schedule format, however, went against the traditional motorsports grain, and the idea was eventually scrapped in October. The 1996-97 season was expanded in order to bring the schedule back in sync with the rest of the motorsports world for 1998.

Controversy

In a controversial move, in July 1995, it was announced that the top 25 drivers in IRL points would secure guaranteed starting positions for the 1996 Indianapolis 500. Presumably, that left only eight positions open for at-large competitors. However, some interpreted the rule otherwise.

The IRL points system was to be staggered to adjust for the number of races each driver entered. The number of points awarded per race would be multiplied by the number of events the driver had participated in. For example, if a driver had entered all three events, the points awarded for that third race were multiplied by three. This move was supposed to be an encouragement to enter all IRL events, but it did not attract any additional teams from the rival CART series.

Initially, IRL officials hoped that competitors from the rival CART series would chose to race in the IRL events, presumably since there were no foreseen conflicts in their respective schedules. The 1996 IRL schedule was finalized by May 30, 1995. However, a couple weeks later the CART series announced their 1996 schedule, immediately with conflicting dates. The CART race at Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...

 was scheduled for the same day as the IRL event at Loudon
New Hampshire International Speedway
New Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as an IndyCar weekend and the oldest motorcycle race in North America, the Loudon Classic...

, while the CART races at Rio
Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet
The Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet , also known as Jacarepaguá, after the neighbourhood in which it was located, is a race course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which hosted the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix 10 times.-History:The circuit was built in 1978 on reclaimed marshland, thus the...

 and Australia
Lexmark Indy 300
The Nikon Indy 300 was an open-wheel motor race event that took place at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit in south east Queensland, Australia. Known generically as the Gold Coast Indy 300, Japanese camera giant Nikon was announced as new naming rights sponsor in early August 2008...

 were bookended around the IRL race at Phoenix, creating an impossible travel situation. The only CART teams that participated in any IRL events in 1996 were Galles
Galles Racing
Galles Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Rick Galles that competed in the CART series, Can-Am and Indy Racing League, winning the 1990 CART Championship and 1992 Indianapolis 500 with driver Al Unser, Jr..-Early years:...

 and Walker
Walker Racing
Walker Racing is a racing team founded by Derrick Walker in 1991 racing originally in the CART Championship Car series. Presently the team competes in the Firestone Indy Lights series.-Early success:...

, but neither fielded drivers who were CART regulars.

Machines

The season was contested with 1995 and older CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

 chassis produced by Lola and Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 with a fixed limit on how much a team could spend on its combination. In addition, nearly every car was powered by a Ford Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...

 or Menard-Buick
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first...

 engine. Despite the short season, only fifteen drivers competed in all three. All races were well-attended by competitors as a legal chassis and engine combination could be acquired for well under $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

100,000.

Calendar

Round Circuit Date Distance Pole Position Fastest Lap Winning Driver Most Laps Led
1   Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway is a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida.It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, and was designed primarily as a venue for the Indy 200 at Walt Disney...

January 27 200 laps
200 miles
  Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...

  Buzz Calkins
Buzz Calkins
Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...

  Buzz Calkins
Buzz Calkins
Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...

  Buzz Calkins
Buzz Calkins
Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...

2   Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...

March 24 200 laps
200 miles
  Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

  Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

  Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

  Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

3   Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....

May 26 200 laps
500 miles
  Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

*
  Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...

  Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...

  Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...


* - Scott Brayton
Scott Brayton
Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event...

 was the fastest qualifier for the 1996 Indianapolis 500, but was killed during practice. Hence, second-fastest qualifier Stewart started from the pole.

Indy 200 at Walt Disney World

  • Report: 1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World
    1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World
    The 1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World was the first round of the 1996 Indy Racing League. The race was held on January 27, 1996 at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Bay Lake, Florida....



The first race for the new Indy Racing League was held January 27 at Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway
Walt Disney World Speedway is a racing facility located on the grounds of the Walt Disney World resort near Orlando, Florida.It was built in 1995 by IMS Events, Inc., a subsidiary of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corporation, and was designed primarily as a venue for the Indy 200 at Walt Disney...

 and televised on ABC. Though no CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

 teams showed up, a full field of 25 cars arrived, with 20 qualifying. Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...

 won the pole position with a track record 181.388 mph (19.847 seconds). Indycar rookies Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

 and Buzz Calkins
Buzz Calkins
Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...

 emerged as race leaders most of the afternoon, while former CART
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...

 veterans Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...

, Scott Brayton
Scott Brayton
Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event...

, Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

, and Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...

 all fell by the wayside. On lap 189, Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....

 and Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...

 tangled and crashed in turn one, which set up a restart with 6 laps to go. Calkins and Stewart re-started together nose-to-tail, and Calkins held off the challege to win by 0.886 seconds.

Top ten results
  1. Buzz Calkins
    Buzz Calkins
    Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...

  2. Tony Stewart
    Tony Stewart
    Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

  3. Robbie Buhl
    Robbie Buhl
    Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...

  4. Michele Alboreto
    Michele Alboreto
    Michele Alboreto was an Italian racing driver. He is famous for finishing 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 sports car races...

  5. Roberto Guerrero
    Roberto Guerrero
    Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...

  6. Mike Groff
    Mike Groff
    Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994...

  7. Johnny O'Connell
    Johnny O'Connell
    Johnny O'Connell , is a GM factory racecar driver from United States, currently residing in Flowery Branch, Georgia...

  8. Lyn St. James
    Lyn St. James
    Lyn St. James is a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award...

  9. John Paul, Jr.
    John Paul, Jr.
    John Lee Paul, Jr. is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and winner of the 1982 12 Hours of Sebring while co-driving with his father John Paul, Sr....

  10. Eddie Cheever
    Eddie Cheever
    Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...


Dura Lube 200

  • Report: 1996 Dura Lube 200
    1996 Dura Lube 200
    The 1996 Dura Lube 200 was the second round of the 1996 Indy Racing League. The race was held on March 24, 1996 at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona....



Held March 24 at Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...

. Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

 won the pole. On the 128th lap, Foyt Racing drivers Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....

 and Mike Groff
Mike Groff
Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994...

 (running 1st-2nd) ducked into the pits for their final stop. However, they did not see that the yellow flag had come out, and were penalized one lap for pitting while the pits were closed. Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...

 suffered a broken header, which left Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

 in the lead for the final 66 laps to victory.

Top ten results
  1. Arie Luyendyk
    Arie Luyendyk
    Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

  2. Scott Sharp
    Scott Sharp
    Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....

  3. Mike Groff
    Mike Groff
    Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994...

  4. Richie Hearn
    Richie Hearn
    Richie Hearn , is an American IndyCar racing driver.Hearn was born in Glendale, California. He ran in the Toyota Atlantic championship for two seasons, winning the title in 1995. In 1996, he began driving for John Della Penna in both the IRL and Champ Car ranks...

  5. Johnny O'Connell
    Johnny O'Connell
    Johnny O'Connell , is a GM factory racecar driver from United States, currently residing in Flowery Branch, Georgia...

  6. Buzz Calkins
    Buzz Calkins
    Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...

  7. Stéphan Grégoire
    Stephan Gregoire
    Stéphan Grégoire is a French race car driver. Currently living in Carmel, Ind.Gregoire is a veteran of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex Sports Car Series, the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Racing League. He made 44 IRL starts between 1996 and 2001 with a best finish of 2nd at Pikes Peak...

  8. Michele Alboreto
    Michele Alboreto
    Michele Alboreto was an Italian racing driver. He is famous for finishing 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 sports car races...

  9. Johnny Unser
    Johnny Unser
    Johnny Unser is a former race car driver. He is the son of open wheel driver Jerry Unser, cousin of Al Unser, Jr. and Robby Unser, nephew of Al Unser and Bobby Unser, and first cousin once removed of Alfred Unser. He made 5 starts in CART in 1993 and 1994 with a best result of 15th...

  10. David Kudrave
    David Kudrave
    David Kudrave , is an open wheel racecar driver. He raced in the 1993 CART season, with 8 career starts. His best finish came in his first race, the Valvoline 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kudrave also raced in the 1996 and 1996-1997 Indy Racing League seasons, with 3 starts...


80th Indianapolis 500
1996 Indianapolis 500
The 80th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This was the first Indy 500 contested by the Indy Racing League, under the overall sanctioning umbrella of USAC. It was the third and final race of the 1996 IRL season. Buddy Lazier won the race, his...

The first Indy 500 of the Indy Racing League era was held May 26 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....

. Scott Brayton
Scott Brayton
Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event...

 won the pole but was fatally injured in a practice crash and replaced by Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...

. Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

 started the race from the pole. Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

 set the fastest qualifying lap on the second day of qualifying with track 1 and 4 lap records that still stand.

Top ten results
  1. Buddy Lazier
    Buddy Lazier
    Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...

  2. Davy Jones
    Davy Jones (racing driver)
    Davy Jones is an American racing driver.In 1983 he came 3rd in the British Formula Three Championship behind Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle. He also that year tested the Brabham F1 car at Brands Hatch with Bernie Ecclestone, the then team owner, looking at Jones as the next American hope for F1...

  3. Richie Hearn
    Richie Hearn
    Richie Hearn , is an American IndyCar racing driver.Hearn was born in Glendale, California. He ran in the Toyota Atlantic championship for two seasons, winning the title in 1995. In 1996, he began driving for John Della Penna in both the IRL and Champ Car ranks...

  4. Alessandro Zampedri
    Alessandro Zampedri
    Alessandro Zampedri is an Italian race car driver. He started three Indy 500s .Zampedri was seriously injured in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, suffering severe foot and leg injuries on the last lap of the race. While running fourth, Zampedri was collected in a crash with Roberto Guerrero and Eliseo...

  5. Roberto Guerrero
    Roberto Guerrero
    Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...

  6. Eliseo Salazar
    Eliseo Salazar
    Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...

  7. Danny Ongais
    Danny Ongais
    Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...

  8. Hideshi Matsuda
    Hideshi Matsuda
    Hideshi Matsuda , is a racecar driver and Japanese 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 Championship Car race at Twin Ring...

  9. Robbie Buhl
    Robbie Buhl
    Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...

  10. Scott Sharp
    Scott Sharp
    Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....


Final driver standings

EWLINE
Pos Driver WDW
1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World
The 1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World was the first round of the 1996 Indy Racing League. The race was held on January 27, 1996 at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Bay Lake, Florida....


 
PHX
1996 Dura Lube 200
The 1996 Dura Lube 200 was the second round of the 1996 Indy Racing League. The race was held on March 24, 1996 at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona....


 
INDY
1996 Indianapolis 500
The 80th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This was the first Indy 500 contested by the Indy Racing League, under the overall sanctioning umbrella of USAC. It was the third and final race of the 1996 IRL season. Buddy Lazier won the race, his...


 
Pts
1-Tie   Buzz Calkins
Buzz Calkins
Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...

1* 6 17 246
1-Tie   Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....

11 2 10 246
3   Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...

3 13 9 240
4-Tie   Richie Hearn
Richie Hearn
Richie Hearn , is an American IndyCar racing driver.Hearn was born in Glendale, California. He ran in the Toyota Atlantic championship for two seasons, winning the title in 1995. In 1996, he began driving for John Della Penna in both the IRL and Champ Car ranks...

19 4 3 237
4-Tie   Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...

5 16 5* 237
6   Mike Groff
Mike Groff
Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994...

6 3 20 228
7   Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

14 1* 16 225
8   Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

2 11 24 204
9-Tie   Johnny O'Connell
Johnny O'Connell
Johnny O'Connell , is a GM factory racecar driver from United States, currently residing in Flowery Branch, Georgia...

7 5 29 192
9-Tie   Davey Hamilton
Davey Hamilton
Davey Jay Hamilton is a race car driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He has made 50 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second 3 times...

12 17 12 192
11   Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto was an Italian racing driver. He is famous for finishing 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 sports car races...

4 8 30 189
12   Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James is a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award...

8 21 14 186
13   Stéphan Grégoire
Stephan Gregoire
Stéphan Grégoire is a French race car driver. Currently living in Carmel, Ind.Gregoire is a veteran of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex Sports Car Series, the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Racing League. He made 44 IRL starts between 1996 and 2001 with a best finish of 2nd at Pikes Peak...

16 7 27 165
14   Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...

17 DNS 1 159
15   John Paul, Jr.
John Paul, Jr.
John Lee Paul, Jr. is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and winner of the 1982 12 Hours of Sebring while co-driving with his father John Paul, Sr....

9 14 31 153
16   Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...

10 DNS 11 147
17   Johnny Parsons
Johnny Parsons
Johnny Parsons is an American racecar driver.-Racing family:Parsons is the son of Arza and 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner Johnnie Parsons. His parents divorced, and Johnny was raised with half-brothers Dana and Pancho Carter, the product of Arza'a marriage with Duane Carter. The Carters grew up...

18 12 28 141
18   Scott Brayton
Scott Brayton
Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event...

15 18 DNS 111
19   David Kudrave
David Kudrave
David Kudrave , is an open wheel racecar driver. He raced in the 1993 CART season, with 8 career starts. His best finish came in his first race, the Valvoline 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kudrave also raced in the 1996 and 1996-1997 Indy Racing League seasons, with 3 starts...

20 10 DNQ 80
20-Tie   Michel Jourdain, Jr.
Michel Jourdain, Jr.
Michel Jourdain Jr. is an IndyCar driver. Jourdain Jr. started racing cars in the Mexican Formula Junior series at the age of 12. He then moved to the Mexican Formula K and Formula 2 series.-Champ Car:...

20 13 74
20-Tie   Jim Guthrie 15 18 74
22   Fermín Vélez
Fermín Vélez
Fermín Vélez was a Spanish sports car racing driver, two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring and two-time World Sportscar Championship Group C2 champion....

19 21 60
23   Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...

DNS 6 58
24   Johnny Unser
Johnny Unser
Johnny Unser is a former race car driver. He is the son of open wheel driver Jerry Unser, cousin of Al Unser, Jr. and Robby Unser, nephew of Al Unser and Bobby Unser, and first cousin once removed of Alfred Unser. He made 5 starts in CART in 1993 and 1994 with a best result of 15th...

9 33 56
25   Stan Wattles
Stan Wattles
Stan Wattles , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1996-2001 seasons with 19 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1998-2000. He placed 8th in two races, and led his 2 laps in his first, in 1996 at Walt Disney World Speedway, but never led in his other contests...

13 DNS 44
26   Davy Jones
Davy Jones (racing driver)
Davy Jones is an American racing driver.In 1983 he came 3rd in the British Formula Three Championship behind Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle. He also that year tested the Brabham F1 car at Brands Hatch with Bernie Ecclestone, the then team owner, looking at Jones as the next American hope for F1...

2 33
27   Paul Durant
Paul Durant
Paul Durant , is a former driver 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...

22 32 32
28   Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri is an Italian race car driver. He started three Indy 500s .Zampedri was seriously injured in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, suffering severe foot and leg injuries on the last lap of the race. While running fourth, Zampedri was collected in a crash with Roberto Guerrero and Eliseo...

4 31
29   Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...

7 28
30   Hideshi Matsuda
Hideshi Matsuda
Hideshi Matsuda , is a racecar driver and Japanese 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 Championship Car race at Twin Ring...

8 27
31-Tie   Scott Harrington
Scott Harrington
Scott Harrington is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. Starting out on two wheels, Harrington won a number of championships and achieved much success in the world of AMA Motocross and Supercross. In 1986 Sports Car Magazine picked Harrington as one of the three most promising drivers in...

15 20
31-Tie   Racin Gardner
Racin Gardner
Slick Racin Gardner , is a former ARCA driver who raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 for Simon/Team Scandia. He retired from racing in the late 90's and is now a stunt driver for television and motion pictures....

DNQ 25 20
33   Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones...

19 16
34   Joe Gosek
Joe Gosek
Joe Gosek , is a super-modified racecar driver. He also raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, finishing 22nd.Was nicknamed "Double-O" Joe Gosek for his traditional use of car number '00.'...

22 13
35   Brad Murphey
Brad Murphey
Brad Murphey , is a former American-born Australian racecar driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1996 and 1996-1997 seasons for Hemelgarn Racing with 3 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 where he was credited with 23rd place, but never finished a race or led a lap...

23 12
36   Marco Greco
Marco Greco
Marco Greco is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was 4th in 1997. He made four starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 14th in 1998...

26 9
Justin Bell
Justin Bell
Justin Bell is a British racecar driver. He is the son of Derek Bell.-Career:Justin and his father raced together from the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans through the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans. He tried to qualify for the 1996 Indianapolis 500 in a 4 year old Lola chassis...

DNQ 0
  Billy Boat
Billy Boat
William "Billy" Leonard Boat is a former American open wheel driver who raced in the Indy Racing League....

DNQ 0
  Butch Brickell
Butch Brickell
William "Butch" Brickell was an American racing driver and stuntman from Miami, Florida. He was the great-grandson of Miami co-founder William Brickell.-Racing career:...

DNQ DNQ 0
  Jim Buick
Jim Buick
James J. Buick is a former American racing driver from Omaha, Nebraska who competed in the CART series in 1981. He started four races with a best finish of 16th and failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 in a 7 year old Chevrolet–powered Eagle. Buick again attempted but failed to make...

DNQ 0
  Tyce Carlson
Tyce Carlson
Brendyn "Tyce" Carlson , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He raced in the 1996-2002 seasons with 30 career starts, including 2 at the Indianapolis 500. His 2 career IndyCar top ten finishes both came at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in the 1999 and 2000 races...

DNQ 0
  Rick DeLorto
Rick DeLorto
Rick DeLorto is an American racing driver. He attempted to race in two CART Championship Car races in the fall of 1982 at the Milwaukee Mile and Road America but failed to make the field in both races...

DNQ 0
  Dan Drinan
Dan Drinan
Dan Drinan is an American sprint car driver from Indianapolis who failed on three separate attempts to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. His first attempt came in 1996, the first year that the Indy Racing League sanctioned the race...

DNQ DNQ 0
  Andy Michner
Andy Michner
Andy Michner , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. Michner attempted to qualify for the 1996 Indianapolis 500 in a 1991 Lola chassis. He returned to the series in 1998 and captured his career finish was an eighth place in his first race, the 1998 Indianapolis 500...

DNQ 0
  Bill Tempero
Bill Tempero
Bill Tempero is an American former racing driver from Milwaukee. He raced in the CART Championship Car series from 1980 to 1984 competing in full seasons his first two years and partial schedules thereafter. He failed to qualify for both the races he attempted in 1984, so he was not credited with...

DNQ 0
  Randy Tolsma
Randy Tolsma
Randy Tolsma is a former race car driver. Tolsma began his racing career in go-karts at the age of nine, before moving into sprint cars, running as high as USAC, where he won four track championships...

DNQ 0
  Rob Wilson DNQ 0
Pos Driver WDW
1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World
The 1996 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World was the first round of the 1996 Indy Racing League. The race was held on January 27, 1996 at the Walt Disney World Speedway in Bay Lake, Florida....


 
PHX
1996 Dura Lube 200
The 1996 Dura Lube 200 was the second round of the 1996 Indy Racing League. The race was held on March 24, 1996 at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona....


 
INDY
1996 Indianapolis 500
The 80th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This was the first Indy 500 contested by the Indy Racing League, under the overall sanctioning umbrella of USAC. It was the third and final race of the 1996 IRL season. Buddy Lazier won the race, his...


 
Pts
EWLINE
EWLINE
Color Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green 4th & 5th place
Light Blue 6th-10th place
Dark Blue Finished
(Outside Top 10)
Purple Did not finish
(Ret)
Red Did not qualify
(DNQ)
Brown Withdrawn
(Wth)
Black Disqualified
(DSQ)
White Did not start
(DNS)
Blank Did not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
EWLINE
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...

Italics Ran fastest race lap
* Led most race laps


In every race, points are awarded to drivers on the following basis:
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33
Points 35 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
  • Ties in points not broken by number of wins, etc.
  • No additional points to the pole winner or the driver leading the most laps were awarded. The number of points awarded per race would be multiplied by the number of events the driver had participated in.

Note

Scott Brayton
Scott Brayton
Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event...

 won the pole for the 1996 Indianapolis 500, but was killed in a crash during practice after qualifying.

Standings

Place Name Country Team Chassis Engine Total Points Multiplier Points      
1 Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp
Scott Sharp is an American race car driver in the American Le Mans Series. He is the son of six-time SCCA champion Bob Sharp. Scott Sharp is best known for his years as a competitor in the Indy Racing League....

 
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  246 3 82 24 33 25
Buzz Calkins
Buzz Calkins
Bradley "Buzz" Calkins is a former Indy Racing League driver. After a successful run in Indy Lights from 1993 to 1995 where he finished 11th, 10th, and 6th in his three seasons, he and his Bradley Motorsports team purchased a 1995 Reynard chassis to compete in the inaugural season of the IRL...

 
Bradley Motorsports
Bradley Motorsports
Bradley Motorsports was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Colorado convenience store owner Brad Calkins. His son, Buzz Calkins, drove the bright red cars shod in the livery of Bradley Food Marts, Brad Calkins' company. Bradley won the first IRL race in 1996 at Walt Disney World...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  246 3 82 35 29 18
3 Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl
Robbie Buhl is a former Indy Racing League competitor and current team-owner, with the Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team in the IRL's IndyCar Series...

 
Beck Motorsports/Zunne Group Racing  Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  240 3 80 32
Beck Motorsports  Lola  Ford Cosworth  22 26
4 Richie Hearn
Richie Hearn
Richie Hearn , is an American IndyCar racing driver.Hearn was born in Glendale, California. He ran in the Toyota Atlantic championship for two seasons, winning the title in 1995. In 1996, he began driving for John Della Penna in both the IRL and Champ Car ranks...

 
Della Penna Motorsports  Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  237 3 79 16 31 32
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza is a former racing driver from Colombia. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982...

 
Pagan Racing
Pagan Racing
-CART Indy 500 entries:The team was founded in 1993 when the team purchased the CART IndyCar equipment of Kenny Bernstein's King Racing. The team fielded a car for Jeff Andretti for the 1993 Indianapolis 500 who finished 29th after a crash. The following year they signed veteran Roberto Guerrero to...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  237 3 79 30 19 30
6 Mike Groff
Mike Groff
Mike Groff is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League and the 1989 Indy Lights champion. He made 54 starts in CART beginning in 1990 with a best finish of 6th, occurring at Phoenix International Raceway in 1994...

 
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  228 3 76 29 32
Walker Racing
Walker Racing
Walker Racing is a racing team founded by Derrick Walker in 1991 racing originally in the CART Championship Car series. Presently the team competes in the Firestone Indy Lights series.-Early success:...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  15
7 Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luyendyk, originally Arie Luijendijk is a Dutch auto racing driver, twice winner of the Indianapolis 500....

 
Byrd/Leberle-Treadway Racing  Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  225 3 75 21
Byrd-Treadway Racing  Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  35 19
8 Tony Stewart
Tony Stewart
Anthony Wayne "Tony" Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career, Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation."Stewart...

 
Team Menard
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first...

 
Lola  Menard  204 3 68 33 24 11
9 Davey Hamilton
Davey Hamilton
Davey Jay Hamilton is a race car driver in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. He has made 50 series starts and while never winning a race, finished second 3 times...

 
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  192 3 64 23 18 23
Johnny O'Connell
Johnny O'Connell
Johnny O'Connell , is a GM factory racecar driver from United States, currently residing in Flowery Branch, Georgia...

 
Cunningham Racing  Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  192 3 64 28 30 6
11 Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto
Michele Alboreto was an Italian racing driver. He is famous for finishing 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 sports car races...

 
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

/Simon Racing 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  189 3 63 31
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  27
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  5
12 Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James
Lyn St. James is a retired professional IndyCar driver with 8 CART and 5 Indy Racing League starts to her name. She is just one of seven women who successfully qualified for the Indianapolis 500, and became the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award...

 
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

/Simon Racing 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  186 3 62 27
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  14
Zunne Group Racing  Lola  Ford Cosworth  21
13 Stéphan Grégoire
Stephan Gregoire
Stéphan Grégoire is a French race car driver. Currently living in Carmel, Ind.Gregoire is a veteran of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex Sports Car Series, the Indianapolis 500, and the Indy Racing League. He made 44 IRL starts between 1996 and 2001 with a best finish of 2nd at Pikes Peak...

 
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and 2000 Series Championship with driver Buddy Lazier. Along with A.J...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  165 3 55 19 28 8
14 Buddy Lazier
Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American Indycar driver. He won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and has finished in the Top Ten in that race six times...

 
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and 2000 Series Championship with driver Buddy Lazier. Along with A.J...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  159 3 53 18 - 35
15 John Paul, Jr.
John Paul, Jr.
John Lee Paul, Jr. is a former race car driver in CART and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series and winner of the 1982 12 Hours of Sebring while co-driving with his father John Paul, Sr....

 
PDM Racing
PDM Racing
PDM Racing is a racing team in the Indy Racing League and USAC Silver Crown series owned by Paul Diatlovich. Almost always a low budget team and affectionately dubbed "Poor Dumb Mechanics" by one of its former owners, it is known to make the most out of mediocre equipment...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  153 3 51 26
PDM Racing
PDM Racing
PDM Racing is a racing team in the Indy Racing League and USAC Silver Crown series owned by Paul Diatlovich. Almost always a low budget team and affectionately dubbed "Poor Dumb Mechanics" by one of its former owners, it is known to make the most out of mediocre equipment...

 
Lola  Menard  21 4
16 Eddie Cheever
Eddie Cheever
Edward "Eddie" McKay Cheever, Jr. is an American racing driver who raced for almost thirty years in Formula One, Sports cars, CART and the Indy Racing League. Cheever participated in 143 World Championship Formula One races and started 132, more than any other American, driving for nine different...

 
Team Menard
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first...

 
Lola  Menard  147 3 49 25 - 24
17 Johnny Parsons
Johnny Parsons
Johnny Parsons is an American racecar driver.-Racing family:Parsons is the son of Arza and 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner Johnnie Parsons. His parents divorced, and Johnny was raised with half-brothers Dana and Pancho Carter, the product of Arza'a marriage with Duane Carter. The Carters grew up...

 
Blueprint Racing  Lola  Menard  141 3 47 17 23 7
18 Scott Brayton
Scott Brayton
Scott Everets Brayton was a race car driver from Coldwater, Michigan, on the American open-wheel circuit. He competed in 14 Indianapolis 500s, beginning with the 1981 event...

 
Team Menard
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first...

 
Lola  Menard  111 3 37 20 17 -
19 Dave Kudrave
David Kudrave
David Kudrave , is an open wheel racecar driver. He raced in the 1993 CART season, with 8 career starts. His best finish came in his first race, the Valvoline 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kudrave also raced in the 1996 and 1996-1997 Indy Racing League seasons, with 3 starts...

 
Tempero-Giuffre Racing  Lola  Buick  80 2 40 15 25 -
20 Jim Guthrie  Blueprint Racing  Lola  Menard  74 2 37 - 20 17
Michel Jourdain, Jr.
Michel Jourdain, Jr.
Michel Jourdain Jr. is an IndyCar driver. Jourdain Jr. started racing cars in the Mexican Formula Junior series at the age of 12. He then moved to the Mexican Formula K and Formula 2 series.-Champ Car:...

 
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  74 2 37 - 15 22
22 Fermín Vélez
Fermín Vélez
Fermín Vélez was a Spanish sports car racing driver, two-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring and two-time World Sportscar Championship Group C2 champion....

 
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  60 2 30 - 16 14
23 Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar
Eliseo Salazar Valenzuela is a Chilean racing driver, and the only one of his countrymen to compete in Formula One. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix scoring a total of three championship points...

 
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  58 2 29 - - 29
24 Johnny Unser
Johnny Unser
Johnny Unser is a former race car driver. He is the son of open wheel driver Jerry Unser, cousin of Al Unser, Jr. and Robby Unser, nephew of Al Unser and Bobby Unser, and first cousin once removed of Alfred Unser. He made 5 starts in CART in 1993 and 1994 with a best result of 15th...

 
Project Indy
Project Indy
Project Indy was a racing team owned by Andreas Leberle that competed in the CART Championship Car series and the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. Leberle was a former chief mechanic for Euromotorsport and like Euromotorsport, Project Indy's cars were often driven by pay drivers. The team was...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  56 2 28 - 26 2
25 Stan Wattles
Stan Wattles
Stan Wattles , is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1996-2001 seasons with 19 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1998-2000. He placed 8th in two races, and led his 2 laps in his first, in 1996 at Walt Disney World Speedway, but never led in his other contests...

 
Leigh Miller Racing  Lola  Ford Cosworth  44 2 22 22 - -
26 Davy Jones
Davy Jones (racing driver)
Davy Jones is an American racing driver.In 1983 he came 3rd in the British Formula Three Championship behind Ayrton Senna and Martin Brundle. He also that year tested the Brabham F1 car at Brands Hatch with Bernie Ecclestone, the then team owner, looking at Jones as the next American hope for F1...

 
Galles Racing
Galles Racing
Galles Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Rick Galles that competed in the CART series, Can-Am and Indy Racing League, winning the 1990 CART Championship and 1992 Indianapolis 500 with driver Al Unser, Jr..-Early years:...

 
Lola  Ilmor Mercedes-Benz
Ilmor
Ilmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983, is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Michigan, the company supplies engines and consultancy to the...

 
33 1 33 - - 33
27 Paul Durant
Paul Durant
Paul Durant , is a former driver 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...

 
ABF Motorsports  Lola  Buick  32 2 16 - 13 3
28 Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri
Alessandro Zampedri is an Italian race car driver. He started three Indy 500s .Zampedri was seriously injured in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, suffering severe foot and leg injuries on the last lap of the race. While running fourth, Zampedri was collected in a crash with Roberto Guerrero and Eliseo...

 
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  31 1 31 - - 31
29 Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais is a former racecar driver from the United States.He is the only native Hawaiian to compete at the Indianapolis 500...

 
Team Menard
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first...

 
Lola  Menard  28 1 28 - - 28
30 Hideshi Matsuda
Hideshi Matsuda
Hideshi Matsuda , is a racecar driver and Japanese 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 Championship Car race at Twin Ring...

 
Beck Motorsports  Lola  Ford Cosworth  27 1 27 - - 27
31 Scott Harrington
Scott Harrington
Scott Harrington is a former driver in the Indy Racing League. Starting out on two wheels, Harrington won a number of championships and achieved much success in the world of AMA Motocross and Supercross. In 1986 Sports Car Magazine picked Harrington as one of the three most promising drivers in...

 
Della Penna Motorsports  Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  20 1 20 - - 20
Racin Gardner
Racin Gardner
Slick Racin Gardner , is a former ARCA driver who raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500 for Simon/Team Scandia. He retired from racing in the late 90's and is now a stunt driver for television and motion pictures....

 
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  20 2 10 - - 10
33 Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore
Mark Dismore is a former driver in the Indy Racing League and the 1990 Toyota Pacific champion as well as the winner of the 1993 24 Hours of Daytona with Dan Gurney's All American Racers in a Toyota GTP car with co-drivers Rocky Moran and P. J. Jones...

 
Team Menard
Team Menard
Team Menard was an auto racing team in the Indianapolis 500 and Indy Racing League owned by John Menard. From 1991 to 1996 they modified their own Buick V6 engines for racing. This combination won pole for the 500 with Scott Brayton in 1995 and 1996; Tony Stewart used this combination for the first...

 
Lola  Menard  16 1 16 - - 16
34 Joe Gosek
Joe Gosek
Joe Gosek , is a super-modified racecar driver. He also raced in the 1996 Indianapolis 500, finishing 22nd.Was nicknamed "Double-O" Joe Gosek for his traditional use of car number '00.'...

 
Team Scandia
Team Scandia
Team Scandia was a team in the Indy Racing League owned by Andrew L. 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 cars in the 1996 "500"...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  13 1 13 - - 13
35 Brad Murphey
Brad Murphey
Brad Murphey , is a former American-born Australian racecar driver in the Indy Racing League. He raced in the 1996 and 1996-1997 seasons for Hemelgarn Racing with 3 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 where he was credited with 23rd place, but never finished a race or led a lap...

 
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing
Hemelgarn Racing was a racing team in the Indy Racing League owned by Ron Hemelgarn. The team won the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and 2000 Series Championship with driver Buddy Lazier. Along with A.J...

 
Reynard
Reynard Motorsport
Reynard Motorsport was at one time the world's largest racing car manufacturer. Initially based at Bicester and latterly at Reynard Park, Brackley, England the company built successful cars in Formula Ford 1600, Formula Ford 2000, Formula Vauxhall Lotus, Formula Three, Formula 3000 and Indy...

 
Ford Cosworth  12 1 12 - - 12
36 Marco Greco
Marco Greco
Marco Greco is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and race car driver who competed in the Indy Racing League from 1996 to 1999. His best finish in the season points was 4th in 1997. He made four starts in the Indianapolis 500 with a best finish of 14th in 1998...

 
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
A.J. Foyt Enterprises is a racing team in the IZOD Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck, the latter driver also winning the Indianapolis 500 for the team...

 
Lola  Ford Cosworth  9 1 9 - - 9

See also

  • 1996 Indianapolis 500
    1996 Indianapolis 500
    The 80th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This was the first Indy 500 contested by the Indy Racing League, under the overall sanctioning umbrella of USAC. It was the third and final race of the 1996 IRL season. Buddy Lazier won the race, his...

  • 1996 Indy Lights season
  • 1996 IndyCar season
  • 1996 Toyota Atlantic Championship season
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