And here is a little bonus post for you, dear readers: the French Canadian broadcast of the 1995 Indy 500! Of note is that the broadcast was actually not Live. It was tape delayed, hence the noticably shorter length than the american live broadcast version. I dunno the reason why it was tape delayed. The Habs weren't in the playoffs that year. Anyways, here it is.
The roots of the problem: an Indycar TL
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1995 Indycar season: Mid-season report
Marlboro Indycar World Series 1995
Round 6: Rex Mays Classic at Milwaukee Mile
One week after a spectacular and eventful Indy 500, the Marlboro championship trail heads over to the oldest track in America in Milwaukee. The biggest news of the week-end concerns the health of Stan Fox, who was victim of a terrible crash at the start of the Indy 500. The Indiana native has left the baptist hospital and has not suffered any serious injuries, but nonetheless, he understandably announced his retirement from racing shortly after.
In other news, with Willy T. Ribs suffering minor injuries after being involved in the Stan Fox crash, Lyn St. James substitutes for him in the Coors Light Payton/Coyne Lola for Milwaukee.
On track, a 4-way battle for the pole on saturday delivered A show as Jeff Gordon, Michael Andretti and the two Penske-Hondas of Ayrton Senna and Al Unser Jr took turns exchaning first place, with Jeff Gordon ending up putting his Pennzoil Reynard-Mercedes on pole in front of Senna.
Despite the rocket start by Walker's Robby Gordon, goign from 6th to 2nd at the opening lap, the race ended up being a three-way fight between Jeff, Little Al and Michael. Senna, running in 4th, crashed into turn 3 attempting to overtake Michael on lap 122, while Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve had a solid race ending up in 6th, but he was nowhere near the leading trio.
In the end, Jeff and Little Al pulled away from Michael and dueled for the win. Jeff looked to block Little Al on the outside, but Unser dived into the inside on lap 179, with Jeff almost hitting the wall, giving away the lead to the reigning champion, who would cruise the last 20 laps to his second win of the season.
Little Al gaining momentum
Milwaukee Race Results
1) Al Unser Jr20 pts
2) Jeff Gordon 16 pts
3) Michael Andretti 14 pts
4) Christian Fittipaldi 12 pts
5) Robby Gordon 10 pts
6) Jacques Villeneuve 6 pts
7) John Andretti 4 pts
8) Raul Boesel 3 pts
9) Jimmy Vasser 2 pts
10) Adrian Fernandez 1 pt
Round 7: Budweiser Grand Prix of New York at the Glen
Ayrton Senna scores pole position at Watkins Glen, but the show would be all about Robby Gordon. The brazilian led much of the first half, but the Walker driver never gave up, being right on his trail. A rare mistake by the brazilian saw him miss the boot, with Robby taking advantage and going into the lead, a lead which he would never concede as he dominated the second half to score his 4th career win and second of the season. Senna, after going through even more trouble, would end up retiring with a faulty gearbox, while Jeff Gordon's merc Engine blew up in smokes, along with the rahal team.
Robby Gordon leading at the Glen
Watkins Glen Race Results
1) Robby Gordon 20 pts
2) Jimmy Vasser 16 pts
3) Scott Pruett 14 pts
4) Michael Andretti 12 pts
5) Al Unser Jr 10 pts
6) John Andretti 6 pts
7) Adrian Fernandez 4 pts
8) Christian Fittipaldi 3 pts
9) Jacques Villeneuve 2 pts
10) Parker Johnstone 1 pt
Round 8: GI Joe's 200 in Portland
Heading into the pacific Northwest, Ayrton Senna had a discussion with Roger Penske and Al Unser Jr concerning the status of the two drivers, with Senna thinking that the equal status setup might be more detrimental to the team than intended this year.
So far, it seemed that Penske heeded to his call, for Ayrton dominated the race with Little Al not really challenging him in second, even though he definitely looked tempted. However, controversy would ensue, as Littel Al's car was found to be underweight, and thus Unser was disqualified. Tensions are starting to brew in the Penske paddock...
Meanwhile, Jeff Gordon again had engine issues during the race, and he was becoming increasingly displeased with it. With his contract expriring after this season, it might be the beginning of the end for Jeff and Jim Hall...
Things aren't so smooth for Jeff Gordon
Portland Race Results
1) Ayrton Senna 20 pts
2) Jimmy Vasser 16 pts
3) Bobby Rahal 14 pts
4) Michael Andretti 12 pts
5) Bryan Herta 10 pts
6) Parker Johnstone 6 pts
7) Mauricio Gugelmin 4 pts
8) Robby Gordon 3 pts
9) Adrian Fernandez 2 pts
10) Davy Jones 1 pt
Round 9: New England 200 at New Hampshire
Jeff Gordon once again starts on pole on an oval, but the biggest surprise is André Ribeiro of Tasman starting alongside the california kid. Gordon led comfortably for the first 42 laps, but he was forced to pit for damage after slightly clipping the wall on lap 47, damaging half of his front wing. He would make a great recovery drive and finish 6th, but still, another disappointement...
The race turned into a duel for the win between Michael Andretti and the underdog Ribeiro, who took turns passing each other for the lead. Ribeiro eventually took it with a daring manoeuver at the backstraight, and he would hold off Michael for a massive upset win.
However, slightly overshadowing that was Al Unser and Senna's battling for position. As if to show his miscontentement to Roger giving him an illegal car in Portland and Senna thinking he can just reverse their equal status like that, Little Al did a dirty move on Senna late in the race, squeezing him tightly on the inside. Little Al would end up in 3rd place, while Jacques Villeneuve takes advantage to pip 4th from senna and gain back precious points in the standings.
Ribeiro celebrating his upset win
New Hampshire Race Results
1) André Ribeiro 20 pts
2) Michael Andretti 16 pts
3) Al Unser Jr 14 pts
4) Jacques Villeneuve 12 pts
5) Ayrton Senna 10 pts
6) Jeff Gordon 6 pts
7) Jimmy Vasser 4 pts
8) John Andretti 3 pts
9) Robby Gordon 2 pts
10) Bobby Rahal 1 pt
Round 10: Molson Indy Toronto
In the streets of Exhibition Place, Villeneuve scores his first career pole, barely beating Senna's lap by only 000.1 seconds.
Villeneuve and Senna battled it out for the win, putting on quite a show to the Toronto folks, with a very vocal contingent of québécois fans cheering on for Gilles's son. However, a third party came late in the race to play spoiler in Michael Andretti, the king of Exhibition Place. Andretti would find himself up front late in the race, but a spirited Villeneuve charged on, taking the lead at the end of the backstraight and never looking back, scoring his second win of the season and cementing his status as a title contender, while Senna ends up in 3rd. Al Unser Jr crashed with Scott Pruett at the backstraight on the opening lap, while Jeff Gordon finally has a decent result, finishing in 4th. Robbie Stanley gets another point for Foyt.
Toronto Race Results
1) Jacques Villeneuve 20 pts
2) Michael Andretti 16 pts
3) Ayrton Senna 14 pts
4) Jeff Gordon 12 pts
5) Robby Gordon 10 pts
6) Bryan Herta 6 pts
7) Bobby Rahal 4 pts
8) Adrian Fernandez 3 pts
9) Christian Fittipaldi 2 pts
10) Robbie Stanley 1 pt
Up next is the second 500 miler of the year at Michigan. Will the Penskes settle their differences and focus on the title? Will Villeneuve further establish himself? Will Jeff Gordon finally have something going right for his title aspirations? Or Will we see another upset like in Nazareth and New Hampshire?
To be continued...
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Jeff Gordon's mid-season report
1995 so far proved to be an up and down year for Jeff Gordon.
It started off really well, especially in the NASCAR Winston Cup, winning in North Wilksboro, and then winning in Atlanta in both Indycars and stock cars, becoming the first man to win in Atlanta in both Indycar and NASCAR since AJ Foyt, increasing his profile further in the american sports mainstream with his dual excellence.
However, as the Indycar season trudged along, old problems resurfaced. The Merc Engines, while definitely as powerful, if not more so, than the Honda and Fords, proved once again to be unreliable, and that's without counting bad luck or being outplayed by Little Al at Milwaukee. Inspite of all this, the good result at Toronto managed to keep Jeff in the rough edges of the title race, as shown right now on his TV on ESPN Speedworld's standings:
As Bob Varsha and David Hobbs were now busy talking about Formula 1, with Schumacher's dominance, Alex Zanardi's emergence in Montréal and Nurburgring, Ukyo Katayama's inspiring story from cancer survivor to F1 race winner for Benetton and whatever antic Paul Tracy was up to at McLaren, Jeff received a phone call from Jim Hall.
"Hey, Jeff. It's Jim....have you made a decision regarding your contract?" Jim asked.
"Nah, not yet. I'm still thinking about it." Jeff responded. The same answer he gave for a while now.
while he was still in the Hunt for the 1995 championship, it was becoming clearer in his mind that he will sport new colors in 1996. Switching to NASCAR full time with Hendrick is tempting, but he absolutely want to continue this dual-sport endeavour. He still wants to win the Indy 500. And it was clear that he needed the Honda engines.
penske was out of the question, and Forsythe, from what he heard, is looking to stick with Ford and the development of Canadian talent, as per Player's agreement, something which didn't sit well with the Green Brothers and Tony Cicote, who wants to run Honda engines and sign the best driver available. The idea of joining the Green Brothers, with their proven winning methods with Jacques Villeneuve, sounded intriguing.
and then, there was Ganassi.
Chip Ganassi has proven his worth as a team owner, managing to win races and get a major sponsor in Target despite relatively modest means and a blank track record. And he was quite ambitious, too, signing former F1 and Pat Patrick engineer Mo Nunn and becoming friends with higher ups at Honda of America...
But, for now, Jeff needed to concentrate on the upcoming race: the Michigan 500. Winning that race will send him back into title contention, and the competition looks really tough. Especially with this fellow Indiana native, Tony Stewart, snatching his pole position away from him at the last minute on saturday....
To Be Continued....
It started off really well, especially in the NASCAR Winston Cup, winning in North Wilksboro, and then winning in Atlanta in both Indycars and stock cars, becoming the first man to win in Atlanta in both Indycar and NASCAR since AJ Foyt, increasing his profile further in the american sports mainstream with his dual excellence.
However, as the Indycar season trudged along, old problems resurfaced. The Merc Engines, while definitely as powerful, if not more so, than the Honda and Fords, proved once again to be unreliable, and that's without counting bad luck or being outplayed by Little Al at Milwaukee. Inspite of all this, the good result at Toronto managed to keep Jeff in the rough edges of the title race, as shown right now on his TV on ESPN Speedworld's standings:
Standings after 10 rounds
Ayrton Senna 0 14 16 16 16 0 0 20 10 14 106 pts
Michael Andretti 0 16 0 0 0 14 12 12 16 16 86 pts
Jacques Villeneuve 0 10 0 14 20 6 2 0 12 20 84 pts
Jeff Gordon 20 12 0 12 0 16 0 0 6 12 78 pts
Robby Gordon 0 20 0 0 10 10 20 3 2 10 75 pts
Al Unser Jr 0 3 20 0 DNQ 20 10 DSQ 14 0 67 pts
those moments of relaxing at the hotel, away from the flashing lights and interviews with magazines and ESPN and the Sponsor commitments, were crucial in any racing driver's career, but especially Jeff's, what with his status as a dual-sport superstar. Seeing all those people and their flash photography, some of them coming a little too close for comfort, can take a toll on his mind. Especially after he won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona, he remembered the frenzy afterwards.Ayrton Senna 0 14 16 16 16 0 0 20 10 14 106 pts
Michael Andretti 0 16 0 0 0 14 12 12 16 16 86 pts
Jacques Villeneuve 0 10 0 14 20 6 2 0 12 20 84 pts
Jeff Gordon 20 12 0 12 0 16 0 0 6 12 78 pts
Robby Gordon 0 20 0 0 10 10 20 3 2 10 75 pts
Al Unser Jr 0 3 20 0 DNQ 20 10 DSQ 14 0 67 pts
As Bob Varsha and David Hobbs were now busy talking about Formula 1, with Schumacher's dominance, Alex Zanardi's emergence in Montréal and Nurburgring, Ukyo Katayama's inspiring story from cancer survivor to F1 race winner for Benetton and whatever antic Paul Tracy was up to at McLaren, Jeff received a phone call from Jim Hall.
"Hey, Jeff. It's Jim....have you made a decision regarding your contract?" Jim asked.
"Nah, not yet. I'm still thinking about it." Jeff responded. The same answer he gave for a while now.
while he was still in the Hunt for the 1995 championship, it was becoming clearer in his mind that he will sport new colors in 1996. Switching to NASCAR full time with Hendrick is tempting, but he absolutely want to continue this dual-sport endeavour. He still wants to win the Indy 500. And it was clear that he needed the Honda engines.
penske was out of the question, and Forsythe, from what he heard, is looking to stick with Ford and the development of Canadian talent, as per Player's agreement, something which didn't sit well with the Green Brothers and Tony Cicote, who wants to run Honda engines and sign the best driver available. The idea of joining the Green Brothers, with their proven winning methods with Jacques Villeneuve, sounded intriguing.
and then, there was Ganassi.
Chip Ganassi has proven his worth as a team owner, managing to win races and get a major sponsor in Target despite relatively modest means and a blank track record. And he was quite ambitious, too, signing former F1 and Pat Patrick engineer Mo Nunn and becoming friends with higher ups at Honda of America...
But, for now, Jeff needed to concentrate on the upcoming race: the Michigan 500. Winning that race will send him back into title contention, and the competition looks really tough. Especially with this fellow Indiana native, Tony Stewart, snatching his pole position away from him at the last minute on saturday....
To Be Continued....
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1995 Motorsports mid-season report
Motorsports world 1995 mid-season report
NASCAR Winston Cup
the premier Stock Car series in America kickstarted with Morgan-McClure's Sterling Marlin achieving a stunning victory over Dale Earnhardt and Mark Martin at the Daytona 500. The Hendrick team then took over in the next three races, with Terry Labonte conquering Richmond and part-time Indycar star Jeff Gordon dominating at North Wilkesboro and Atlanta, achieving the NASCAR-Indycar double a week later at the same track.
at Bristol, however, a major upset was scored as Alan Kulwicki again worked his magic to win it from Penske's Rusty Wallace. Mark Martin then narrowly holds off Jeff Gordon for a lights-to-flag win from pole at Talladega. Gordon would get his third win of the season at the Pepsi 400, his first win at daytona, which launched a media frenzy, his dual-sport exploits turning him into an household name in american sports.
However, there is no doubt who is the man to beat. The Intimidator has been incredibly consistent with his top 5 finishes, and now comfortably leads the championship. With Davey Allison and Robert Yates racing having an uncharacteristically pff-year, it seems that Dale is poised to win championship number 6.
World Touring Car Championship
the 1995 WTCC season saw Alfa Romeo have its aerodynamic advantage cancelled by Alan Gow mandating All cars to be equipped with the same aerodynamics as the 155. The results would bring an unexpected old dog to victory at the opening round in Argentina, as Bernd Schneider and John Cleland won it for Opel Team Joest in the aging Vectra. From the Fuji Intertec 500 onward, however, we see the two née contenders rising to challenge Alfa in the Williams-backed Renault Laguna driven by Alain Menu and the new Volvo 850 Coupe driven by Rickard Rydell and Will Hoy. Rydell was easily the best qualifier, but he would frequently be putmatcged by the superior race intellect of Menu and Alfa's duo of Gabriele Tarquini and Gianpiero Simoni, as evidenced in the Burgundy Grand Prix at Dijon-Prenois and Kyalami.
At the RAC Tourist Trophy in Silverstone, under the rain, however, Paul Radisich in his Rouse Ford Mondeo would steal the show, holding off Hoy in the Volvo for a dramatic victory. Among the midfield pack, the most noteworthy challengers are the Peugeots of Fabrizio Giovanardi and Laurent Aiello, continuing on their successful and steady rise in 1993 and 1994 with a few podium finishes, while the TOM's Toyota Carinas, on their way out to make way for the Toyota Chaser next year, being driven by very capable hands in David Brabham and 2-time JTCC champion Tom Kristensen, who announces his arrival on the world stage with stunning results, including two 4th place finishes in Auckland at the New Zealand 500 and at Dijon-Prenois.
Formula 1
after one of the best grand prix seasons in history alst year, Formula 1 sees the return of (slight) driver aids and revanped circuits following the various accidents and the fatality of Roland Ratzenberger at Imola. Many expected Michael Schumacher and Benetton to dominate following their controversial close call in 94 against Williams, and that is what we saw in Brazil, as Schumi took his Benetton B195, now powered by the same Renault engines as Williams, to a dominant win despite Jean Alesi and Damon Hill having better cars.
However, both Schumi and Hill would be disqualified for running illegal fuel, giving the win to 3rd place Gerhardt Berger in the Ferrari, with the McLaren-Mercedes of Mika Hakkinen and Paul Tracy rounding up the podium and Martin Donnelly scoring for Tyrell. Ron Dennis managed to secure a pair of mercs for McLaren following their success last.year with Sauber, who gladly build an extra pair of engines for the Woking team.
Damon would dominate in Argentina and San Marino, with the Italian favorite Alex Zanardi both finishing 2nd and showing incredible pace with the Ferrari. Schumi would come back in full force, however, thrashing the field in Barcelona and Monaco, with new teammate Ukyo Katayama, signed under the insistance of japanese sponsor Mild Seven, finishing 2nd in Barcelona.
However, already, all Hell broke loose in Montréal at circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, as many of the leaders retired, leading the way for Alex Zanardi to score his Maiden win in F1 and becoming the first Italian to win in a Ferrari since Michele Alboreto! Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine rounds up the podium for Jordan. Zanardi, overexcited with his first ever Grand Prix win, did an unusual celebration where he drew donuts in front of the crowd at the hairpin, making the Ferrari run out of fuel. Thankfully, Schumi was there to lift him up and give him a lap pf honor.
Schumacher would dominate in France, and Ukyo Katayama would become the second japanese driver to win à grand prix after Satoru Nakajima in Adelaide 1989 by winning the britidh Grand Prix at Silverstone. Katayama would reveal that he has secretly been battling a tumor on his back, further giving emotional gravita to his Maiden win.
Ukyo Katayama
This would lead to an all-time classic duel between Michael Schuamcher and Alex Zanardi for the win at the European GP in Nurburgring. Racing in front of his people, Schumi and his benetton charged on and put immense pressure on Zanardi and his Ferrari, obertaking him with 4 laps to go. Zanardi attempted a daring pass into the chicane, and miraculously, Zanardi came out the better of it at the exit of the chicane, and he would squeeze every last Drop of the gluttonous V12 engine to win hsi second grand prix, with David Coulthard in the brand new Lotus 112 rounding up the podium using works Ford Z-Tec V8 engines.
Schumacher and Zanardi dueling for the win at Nurburgring
Schumi is in command of the championship, and by a considerable margin over Zanardi and the Williams. Zanardi's emergence, however, could really put a spanner in the works for benetton and Williams this season.
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1995 Marlboro Michigan 500
1995 Marlboro Indycar World Series
Round 11: Marlboro Michigan 500
On a bright summer day in Brooklyn, Michigan, the MIS hosts the Indycars for the second 500 Mile race of the season. It has been quite an eventful week-end, starting with the track itself getting completely repaved. Gone is the previously bumpy surface that characterised the Michigan 500. The track is now silky smooth like a magic carpet, and the cars themselves are now carrying restrictions in both aerodynamics and turbocharger boosts, seen by many as a reaction to Stan Fox's horror crash at Indianapolis.
the bad Boy of Indianapolis is back for another round
The biggest news heading into the race was the return of Tony Stewart. The rookie sensation Sprint car driver, who almost won the Indy 500 had it not been for a costly mistake late in the race, returns with the Menard outfit for his second Indycar appearance, and quickly made his presence felt, being the fastest in both practice and qualifying, pipping out Jeff Gordon for the pole in a thrilling shoot-out on saturday, having the fastest speed at almost 231 MPH, showcasing the power of Menard's modified Buick V6 engine. Gordon achieved 229.7, while Michael Andretti was third fastest at 229.2.
The other Menard cars of Scott Brayton and 1992 Michigan 500 winner Scott Goodyear were outqualified by Jacques Villeneuve on the second row, while Ayrton Senna starts on the 4th row in 10th place alongside Jimmy Vasser and Scott Pruett and Al Unser Jr starts right behind on the 5th row with Gugelmin and Davey Hamilton. Robby Gordon, 5th in the standings, will not participate, as he fell victim of a crash at turn three during practice, caused by à fractured left rear wishbone failure and kmockin him unconscious. While he came out okay and was given the go to race by a neurologist, Indycar Inc. Forbade him from racing as per their rules concerning à driver being knocked unconscious during a week-end. As such, only 34 out of the 35 cars entered will compete.
Already before the race, the press went with the whole "Gordon vs Stewart" angle for today's race, pushed as a battle of the new generation of american racing stars looking to take over from the Andrettis and Unsers. Stewart even added fuel to the fire by casually saying that he was gonna smoke Gordon's ass.
Stewart brought the field slowly to the green flag and the start was waved off by Indycar officials. The field was not aligned well for the second time and the start was waved off again. When the race began, Smoke established himself as the fastest car.
The first caution of the day came out on lap six when Mark Smith crashed in turn four. When the race resumed, Stewart maintained his lead. Outside of five laps during pit stop cycles, Stewart led 52 of the first 57 laps, with Jeff Gordon his closest challenger and leading the other laps as they exchanged the lead with thrilling overtakes that left the crowd breathless.
Smoke leading at Michigan
Stewart's attempt to get his first win was ended while leading on lap 58 by a bad wheel bearing. He returned to the track 28 laps behind the leaders and retired for good after brake failure after breaking a right-rear upright.
The Indiana native's problems gave the lead to his teammate Scott Brayton. With the exception of green flag pit stops, Brayton led 68 of the next 72 laps. While leading on lap 129, Brayton was sidelined by electrical problems.
After the departure of the two Menard cars, Al Unser Jr., Jeff Gordon and Scott Pruett established themselves as the three fastest cars. Unser led for a total of 66 laps.
On lap 194, Lyn St. James blew an engine and crashed in turn two. Scott Sharp slid in the oil and both cars crashed into the wall. Sharp suffered a broken pelvis and was airlifted to a local hospital. He will surely miss the next 3 races, at least.
While leading on lap 230, Unser was forced to make a pit stop under green because of a blistered right-rear tire. That allowed Scott Pruett to re-take the lead, with Jeff Gordon right on his tail.
Pruett leading Firestone's first laps since 1974.
With 13 laps remaining, Willy T. Ribs in the Mi-Jack car crashed in turn four and brought out the caution flag. That allowed Unser to catch up to Pruett and Gordon for a final five-lap run to the finish.
As the cars approached the final lap, Unser pulled to the outside and completed the pass on Pruett entering turn one. Down the first turn, Pruett followed the draft of Unser and drove deep into turn three, pulling to the outside of Unser. But Jeff Gprdon, using all of the mercedes 500I's power, put the pedal to the metal and blasted off past Unser at the backstraight, and then went on the inside of Pruett after successfully baiting him to take the high line, pulling ahead ever so slightly to take the checkered flag and avenge his heartbreaking loss at Michigan last year!
Jeff Gordon won by 0.056 seconds, the second closest margin of victory at a 500 mile Indycar race behind the 1992 Indianapolis 500. That victory, plus the retirement of Michael Andretti and Jacques Villeneuve fimishing in 10th, shot Gordon to 2nd in the standings with 98 points, albeit behind Ayrton Senna, who drove a quiet but smart race to finish 5th and stay on top of the standings at 116 points.
Michigan Race Results
1) Jeff Gordon 20 pts
2) Scott Pruett 16 pts
3) Al Unser Jr 14 pts
4) Scott Goodyear 12 pts
5) Ayrton Senna 10 pts
6) Parker Johnstone 6 pts
7) Jimmy Vasser 4 pts
8) Bobby Rahal 3 pts
9) John Andretti 2 pts
10) Jacques Villeneuve 1 pt
To Be Continued...meanwhile, drive alongside Jeff Gordon, Ayrton Senna and all the stars of Indycar racing in the brand new hit racing game for PC, Indycar Racing 2 by Papyrus!
9 year old me would be bugging the hell outta my parents for that game right about now.
1995 Marlboro Indycar Series : Second Half Report
New
1995 Marlboro Indycar World Series: Second Half report
Round 12: Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland
The Marlbor Indycar World Series heads into the crucial stretch where title aspirations are confirmed and shattered, midfielders takes the next step or falls down the rabbit hole and, most importantly, silly season! The biggest of them all being the increasingly loud rumours of Player's Forsythe's Jacques Villeneuve being in the visor of Frank Williams for the 1996 Formula 1 season. Perhaps the silliest story out of it all are the rumours that both Williams and Ferrari are looking for Ayrton Senna for 1996. Williams have always wanted the Brazilian to join his team, but the rumours about Ferrari happened in the last few weeks as they are seeking a new teammate to partner Alex Zanardi, with both Senna, Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine being rumoured for the maranello seat.
Now, of course, there is the matter of Jeff Gordon's impending free agency. The Michigan 500 winner still hasn't signed an extension with Jim Hall, and whoever his suitors, which includes Ganassi, are, he made a good sales pitch for himself at Cleveland, grabbing the pole from Jacques Villeneuve and Rahal-Hogan's Bryan Herta, who puts his lola-mercedes in 3rd for his best start yet.
Ayrton Senna starts in 5th, way ahead of Al Unser Jr, who starts in a meager 13th. sadly for the brazilian, he becane the first casualty of the chaos of Cleveland, as he bumped into Herta and got the worse end of the stick, going wide at the first turn and breaking his suspension. This would eb the start of a very eventful Cleveland race. As racers retired left and right, Jeff Gordon led most of the race, with his closest challengers being Herta and the Walker cars of John Andretti and Robby Gordon. John took over the lead in the mid-portion, but Jeff took it back after the Andretti cousin retired due to header problems. Robby Gordon passed Herta and attempted to pass Jeff for the lead, but he spun off.
Now, Michael andretti, using a great pitstop strategy by Carl Haas, found himself in 2nd in front of Villeneuve and Herta. He tried charging to get close to Jeff Gordon, but he didn't have to, because the Pennzoil car had its mercedes engine up in smokes at the backstraight with 10 laps to go. Yet another disappointing exit on the verge of victory.
Michael was now in the lead, but Villeneuve, using the better handling of the Reynard, pulled closer and closer towards the Texaco Lola. Eventually, Villeneuve made his move at the last chicane, taking the lead with a great move on the inside with 2 laps to go. Michael divebombed into the first turn, but he spun off into the grass!
Villeneuve then cruised to victory, his third of the season, and jumps up to second in the standings with 104 points behind Senna's 116 and in front of Jeff Gordon's 98.
Cleveland Race Results
1) Jacques Villeneuve 20 pts
2) Bryan Herta 16 pts
3) Jimmy Vasser 14 pts
4) Bobby Rahal 12 pts
5) Jeff Krosnoff 10 pts
6) Scott Goodyear 6 pts
7) Michael Andretti 4 pts
8) Parker Johnstone 3 pts
9) Willy T. Ribs 2 pts
10) Davy Jones 1 pt
Round 13: Miller Genuine Draft 200 at Mid-Ohio
The Miller Genuine Draft 200 at Mid-Ohio saw Villeneuve continue his momentum by getting the pole, but he would be challenged all race long by Michael Andretti and the Penskes of Ayrton Senna and Al Unser Jr. Michael led for the majority of the race alongside Villeneuve, but with 4 laps to go, Michael's Ford cosworth blew up, giving the win to Senna, who managed to outsmart Villeneuve in the pits, with Little Al completing the Penske 1-2. The three mercedes-powered cars again had blown engines.
Mid-Ohio Race Results
1) Ayrton Senna 20 pts
2) Al Unser Jr 16 pts
3) Jacques Villeneuve 14 pts
4) Christian Fittipaldi 12 pts
5) Jeff Krosnoff 10 pts
6) Mauricio Gugelmin 6 pts
7) Adrian Fernandez 4 pts
8) Robby Gordon 3 pts
9) Jimmy Vasser 2 pts
10) David Empringham 1 pt
Round 14: Texaco Havoline 200 at Road America
At the road racing home of Indycars, Villeneuve, Gordon and Senna delivered a thrilling qualifying triple threat match, all three shattering the track record at Ellhart Lake. Gordon thought he had it in the bag, but Villeneuve would thrash them all, 2 seconds lower than Gordon and Senna!
In the race, the French canadian, in the presence of Renault executives and Frank Williams himself, would duel with Senna and Gordon all afternoon. And once again, Jeff Gordon retired due to an engine failure, while Senna tried everything, he simply couldn't catch up to an imperial Villeneuve, who cruises to a green-to-checkers victory from pole.
Road America Race Results
1) Jacques Villeneuve 20 pts
2) Ayrton Senna 16 pts
3) Jimmy Vasser 14 pts
4) Christian Fittipaldi 12 pts
5) Bobby Rahal 10 pts
6) Adrian Fernandez 6 pts
7) Scott Pruett 4 pts
8) Raul Boesel 3 pts
9) John Andretti 2 pts
10) Parker Johnstone 1 pt
Standing after 14 rounds
Villeneuve 138 pts
Senna 136 pts
Jeff Gordon 98 pts
Round 15: Texas 500 at Texas World Speedway
College Station beared witness to an intense duel for the win between Al Unser Jr and Jeff Gordon. With Villeneuve retiring and Senna not being on pace and finishing 7th, Jeff knew this was his opportunity to make up grounds on them in the standings. All his efforts paid off, for he passed Little Al with 10 laps to go and held him off for his third win of the season and 4th career indycar win.
The most notable drive of the race, however, is Scott Sharp, returning from his injury at the Michigan 500, starting 17th in the Visa Pacwest Reynard and ending up in a brilliant 4th behind Robby Gordon.
Texas 500 Race Results
1) Jeff Gordon 20 pts
2) Al Unser Jr 16 pts
3) Robby Gordon 14 pts
4) Scott Sharp 12 pts
5) Bobby Rahal 10 pts
6) Scott Pruett 6 pts
7) Ayrton Senna 4 pts
8) Christian Fittipaldi 3 pts
9) Scott Brayton 2 pts
10) Scott Goodyear 1 pt
Standings after 15 riunds
Senna 140 pts
Villeneuve 138 pts
Jeff Gordon 118 pts
Round 16: LA Times 500k at Riverside
Ayrton Senna gets the pole ahead of Villeneuev, Gordon and Herta. Senna dominated most of the first half, but a brake failure led him to crash in turn 6, leading to Villeneuve leading, but alas, he would suffer from a long pitstop for repairs on his suspension.
From then on, Jeff Gordon took the lead and never turned back, scoring his first ever Indycar win on a road course and tie Villeneuve at 2nd with 138 points.
two crucial wins for Jeff Gordon brings him in prime position for the title
Riverside Race Results
1) Jeff Gordon 20 pts
2) Christian Fittipaldi 16 pts
3) Mauricio Gugelmin 14 pts
4) Michael Andretti 12 pts
5) Al Unser Jr 10 pts
6) Scott Pruett 6 pts
7) Bobby Rahal 4 pts
8) Jimmy Vasser 3 pts
9) John Andretti 2 pts
10) Adrian Fernandez 1 pt
Standings after 16 rounds
Senna 140 pts
Villeneuve 138 pts
Jeff Gordon 138 pts
Round 17: California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway.
And once again, the final chapter of an Indycar season is written in the asphalt of Ontario, California, at the California 500. Tony Stewart, fresh off winning the USAC Triple Crown, comes back for a third round, looking to play spoilers for the contenders
Throughout the race, Stewart held, but Jeff Gordon fucking took over and fucking led much of the race, with villeneuve and Senna getting close by the late portion.
Jeff, who is all but confirmed to leave Jim Hall, looks set to enter his free agency period as the reigning Indycar champion, further cementing his as the new face of motor racing in America...and then, the gearbox stopped responding.
In perhaps the scariest moment of his life, Jeff Gordon was forced to take the low line and let his car slow down naturally as he was stuck on top gear, with Senna and Villeneuve passing him. There was no anger and disappointment towards losing the title on the last race of the season. All his thoughts were on praying to God that the car slows down with a broken gearbox.
Jeff Gordon stopping his Reynard-Mercedes in the middle of the pit entrance
Eventually, the car finally slowed down, finally stopping at the pit entry, forcing the yellow flag to come out as Jeff Gordon got out of a very precarious position. As he got out of his yellow Pennzoil Reynard, he motioned to God in gratitude before being greeted by Jim Hall, who hugged him in relief for the young californian's safety. It's easy to forget about the very real dangers and risks that race car drivers expose themselves to each weekend when a championship is on the line.
Back on track, Senna and Villeneuve dueled for the title. When Senna met some backmarkers, Villeneuve took advantage and dived into Senna's inside at turn 3, taking the lead and, using his fresher tires, pulled away from Senna to score win #5 of the season and come to Formula 1 as both the Indy 500 and Indycar World champion!
as the Forsythe-Green outfit and Villeneuve celebrates for the last time together before JV leaves and the Green Brothers go their separate ways and found their own team, Jeff Gordon was busy shaking hands with Jim Hall and the Hall VDS crew one last time.
"Thanks Jim, for everything." Jeff told the over-40-year veteran.
"twas a pleasure working with you, Jeff." Jim responded.
"shame it had to end like this." Jeff said, referring to the broken gearbox.
"What's important is that you're safe. A title is nothing if you're not alive to celebrate it." Jim Hall told Jeff. "Hope you'll win the big one at your new team. You're definitely gonna be in good hands, lemme tell ya."
"I know. That's why i chose them." Jeff said as he waved his final goodbyes to Jim. As he walked along the paddock, he saw Ayrton Senna walking down the podium and being swarmed by journalists, as usual. Goes to show that, even despite being the new superstar of american racing, Gordon is still a small fish compared to Senna...he definitely needed someone to take the attention away, though.
both men exchanged respectful nods to each other as he passed by. People might not know it, but that nod shared by both men was their own way of acknowledging that they will be the main contenders for the Indy 500 and the title next year. A duel of generations that promises lots of fireworks.
and then, there was Tony Stewart. Finishing 5th, the Triple Crown champion did remarkably well in his three starts. Gordon and Stewart walked by each other, and when they looked at each other, it was as if time slowed down. Both men exchanged confrontational glances at each other. A new challenger has emerged in Indycar racing. Jeff knew he was gonna see this guy in his rear-view mirror for a long time.
finally, Jeff made his way to the pits of one particular team. A team on the rise, to which he made his decision a few weeks ago, impressed by the ambition and means that this outfit gave itself for 1996.
"tough luck out there." The team owner told Jeff.
"The most important thing is that i came out of it alive." Jeff said. "Can't wait for next year, man. Those Honda engines are gonna be a much needed breath of fresh air.
"We'll knock Penske off his fucking perch" Chip told Jeff with a confident smile.
Round 12: Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland
The Marlbor Indycar World Series heads into the crucial stretch where title aspirations are confirmed and shattered, midfielders takes the next step or falls down the rabbit hole and, most importantly, silly season! The biggest of them all being the increasingly loud rumours of Player's Forsythe's Jacques Villeneuve being in the visor of Frank Williams for the 1996 Formula 1 season. Perhaps the silliest story out of it all are the rumours that both Williams and Ferrari are looking for Ayrton Senna for 1996. Williams have always wanted the Brazilian to join his team, but the rumours about Ferrari happened in the last few weeks as they are seeking a new teammate to partner Alex Zanardi, with both Senna, Michael Schumacher and Eddie Irvine being rumoured for the maranello seat.
Now, of course, there is the matter of Jeff Gordon's impending free agency. The Michigan 500 winner still hasn't signed an extension with Jim Hall, and whoever his suitors, which includes Ganassi, are, he made a good sales pitch for himself at Cleveland, grabbing the pole from Jacques Villeneuve and Rahal-Hogan's Bryan Herta, who puts his lola-mercedes in 3rd for his best start yet.
Ayrton Senna starts in 5th, way ahead of Al Unser Jr, who starts in a meager 13th. sadly for the brazilian, he becane the first casualty of the chaos of Cleveland, as he bumped into Herta and got the worse end of the stick, going wide at the first turn and breaking his suspension. This would eb the start of a very eventful Cleveland race. As racers retired left and right, Jeff Gordon led most of the race, with his closest challengers being Herta and the Walker cars of John Andretti and Robby Gordon. John took over the lead in the mid-portion, but Jeff took it back after the Andretti cousin retired due to header problems. Robby Gordon passed Herta and attempted to pass Jeff for the lead, but he spun off.
Now, Michael andretti, using a great pitstop strategy by Carl Haas, found himself in 2nd in front of Villeneuve and Herta. He tried charging to get close to Jeff Gordon, but he didn't have to, because the Pennzoil car had its mercedes engine up in smokes at the backstraight with 10 laps to go. Yet another disappointing exit on the verge of victory.
Michael was now in the lead, but Villeneuve, using the better handling of the Reynard, pulled closer and closer towards the Texaco Lola. Eventually, Villeneuve made his move at the last chicane, taking the lead with a great move on the inside with 2 laps to go. Michael divebombed into the first turn, but he spun off into the grass!
Villeneuve then cruised to victory, his third of the season, and jumps up to second in the standings with 104 points behind Senna's 116 and in front of Jeff Gordon's 98.
Cleveland Race Results
1) Jacques Villeneuve 20 pts
2) Bryan Herta 16 pts
3) Jimmy Vasser 14 pts
4) Bobby Rahal 12 pts
5) Jeff Krosnoff 10 pts
6) Scott Goodyear 6 pts
7) Michael Andretti 4 pts
8) Parker Johnstone 3 pts
9) Willy T. Ribs 2 pts
10) Davy Jones 1 pt
Round 13: Miller Genuine Draft 200 at Mid-Ohio
The Miller Genuine Draft 200 at Mid-Ohio saw Villeneuve continue his momentum by getting the pole, but he would be challenged all race long by Michael Andretti and the Penskes of Ayrton Senna and Al Unser Jr. Michael led for the majority of the race alongside Villeneuve, but with 4 laps to go, Michael's Ford cosworth blew up, giving the win to Senna, who managed to outsmart Villeneuve in the pits, with Little Al completing the Penske 1-2. The three mercedes-powered cars again had blown engines.
Mid-Ohio Race Results
1) Ayrton Senna 20 pts
2) Al Unser Jr 16 pts
3) Jacques Villeneuve 14 pts
4) Christian Fittipaldi 12 pts
5) Jeff Krosnoff 10 pts
6) Mauricio Gugelmin 6 pts
7) Adrian Fernandez 4 pts
8) Robby Gordon 3 pts
9) Jimmy Vasser 2 pts
10) David Empringham 1 pt
Round 14: Texaco Havoline 200 at Road America
At the road racing home of Indycars, Villeneuve, Gordon and Senna delivered a thrilling qualifying triple threat match, all three shattering the track record at Ellhart Lake. Gordon thought he had it in the bag, but Villeneuve would thrash them all, 2 seconds lower than Gordon and Senna!
In the race, the French canadian, in the presence of Renault executives and Frank Williams himself, would duel with Senna and Gordon all afternoon. And once again, Jeff Gordon retired due to an engine failure, while Senna tried everything, he simply couldn't catch up to an imperial Villeneuve, who cruises to a green-to-checkers victory from pole.
Road America Race Results
1) Jacques Villeneuve 20 pts
2) Ayrton Senna 16 pts
3) Jimmy Vasser 14 pts
4) Christian Fittipaldi 12 pts
5) Bobby Rahal 10 pts
6) Adrian Fernandez 6 pts
7) Scott Pruett 4 pts
8) Raul Boesel 3 pts
9) John Andretti 2 pts
10) Parker Johnstone 1 pt
Standing after 14 rounds
Villeneuve 138 pts
Senna 136 pts
Jeff Gordon 98 pts
Round 15: Texas 500 at Texas World Speedway
College Station beared witness to an intense duel for the win between Al Unser Jr and Jeff Gordon. With Villeneuve retiring and Senna not being on pace and finishing 7th, Jeff knew this was his opportunity to make up grounds on them in the standings. All his efforts paid off, for he passed Little Al with 10 laps to go and held him off for his third win of the season and 4th career indycar win.
The most notable drive of the race, however, is Scott Sharp, returning from his injury at the Michigan 500, starting 17th in the Visa Pacwest Reynard and ending up in a brilliant 4th behind Robby Gordon.
Texas 500 Race Results
1) Jeff Gordon 20 pts
2) Al Unser Jr 16 pts
3) Robby Gordon 14 pts
4) Scott Sharp 12 pts
5) Bobby Rahal 10 pts
6) Scott Pruett 6 pts
7) Ayrton Senna 4 pts
8) Christian Fittipaldi 3 pts
9) Scott Brayton 2 pts
10) Scott Goodyear 1 pt
Standings after 15 riunds
Senna 140 pts
Villeneuve 138 pts
Jeff Gordon 118 pts
Round 16: LA Times 500k at Riverside
Ayrton Senna gets the pole ahead of Villeneuev, Gordon and Herta. Senna dominated most of the first half, but a brake failure led him to crash in turn 6, leading to Villeneuve leading, but alas, he would suffer from a long pitstop for repairs on his suspension.
From then on, Jeff Gordon took the lead and never turned back, scoring his first ever Indycar win on a road course and tie Villeneuve at 2nd with 138 points.
Riverside Race Results
1) Jeff Gordon 20 pts
2) Christian Fittipaldi 16 pts
3) Mauricio Gugelmin 14 pts
4) Michael Andretti 12 pts
5) Al Unser Jr 10 pts
6) Scott Pruett 6 pts
7) Bobby Rahal 4 pts
8) Jimmy Vasser 3 pts
9) John Andretti 2 pts
10) Adrian Fernandez 1 pt
Standings after 16 rounds
Senna 140 pts
Villeneuve 138 pts
Jeff Gordon 138 pts
Round 17: California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway.
And once again, the final chapter of an Indycar season is written in the asphalt of Ontario, California, at the California 500. Tony Stewart, fresh off winning the USAC Triple Crown, comes back for a third round, looking to play spoilers for the contenders
Throughout the race, Stewart held, but Jeff Gordon fucking took over and fucking led much of the race, with villeneuve and Senna getting close by the late portion.
Jeff, who is all but confirmed to leave Jim Hall, looks set to enter his free agency period as the reigning Indycar champion, further cementing his as the new face of motor racing in America...and then, the gearbox stopped responding.
In perhaps the scariest moment of his life, Jeff Gordon was forced to take the low line and let his car slow down naturally as he was stuck on top gear, with Senna and Villeneuve passing him. There was no anger and disappointment towards losing the title on the last race of the season. All his thoughts were on praying to God that the car slows down with a broken gearbox.
Eventually, the car finally slowed down, finally stopping at the pit entry, forcing the yellow flag to come out as Jeff Gordon got out of a very precarious position. As he got out of his yellow Pennzoil Reynard, he motioned to God in gratitude before being greeted by Jim Hall, who hugged him in relief for the young californian's safety. It's easy to forget about the very real dangers and risks that race car drivers expose themselves to each weekend when a championship is on the line.
Back on track, Senna and Villeneuve dueled for the title. When Senna met some backmarkers, Villeneuve took advantage and dived into Senna's inside at turn 3, taking the lead and, using his fresher tires, pulled away from Senna to score win #5 of the season and come to Formula 1 as both the Indy 500 and Indycar World champion!
as the Forsythe-Green outfit and Villeneuve celebrates for the last time together before JV leaves and the Green Brothers go their separate ways and found their own team, Jeff Gordon was busy shaking hands with Jim Hall and the Hall VDS crew one last time.
"Thanks Jim, for everything." Jeff told the over-40-year veteran.
"twas a pleasure working with you, Jeff." Jim responded.
"shame it had to end like this." Jeff said, referring to the broken gearbox.
"What's important is that you're safe. A title is nothing if you're not alive to celebrate it." Jim Hall told Jeff. "Hope you'll win the big one at your new team. You're definitely gonna be in good hands, lemme tell ya."
"I know. That's why i chose them." Jeff said as he waved his final goodbyes to Jim. As he walked along the paddock, he saw Ayrton Senna walking down the podium and being swarmed by journalists, as usual. Goes to show that, even despite being the new superstar of american racing, Gordon is still a small fish compared to Senna...he definitely needed someone to take the attention away, though.
both men exchanged respectful nods to each other as he passed by. People might not know it, but that nod shared by both men was their own way of acknowledging that they will be the main contenders for the Indy 500 and the title next year. A duel of generations that promises lots of fireworks.
and then, there was Tony Stewart. Finishing 5th, the Triple Crown champion did remarkably well in his three starts. Gordon and Stewart walked by each other, and when they looked at each other, it was as if time slowed down. Both men exchanged confrontational glances at each other. A new challenger has emerged in Indycar racing. Jeff knew he was gonna see this guy in his rear-view mirror for a long time.
finally, Jeff made his way to the pits of one particular team. A team on the rise, to which he made his decision a few weeks ago, impressed by the ambition and means that this outfit gave itself for 1996.
"tough luck out there." The team owner told Jeff.
"The most important thing is that i came out of it alive." Jeff said. "Can't wait for next year, man. Those Honda engines are gonna be a much needed breath of fresh air.
"We'll knock Penske off his fucking perch" Chip told Jeff with a confident smile.
California 500 Race Results
1) Jacques Villeneuve 20 pts
2) Ayrton Senna 16 pts
3) Bobby Rahal 14 pts
4) Scott Pruett 12 pts
5) Tony Stewart 10 pts
6) Mauricio Gugelmin 6 pts
7) Scott Goodyear 4 pts
8) Jimmy Vasser 3 pts
9) Scott Sharp 2 pts
10) Jeff Krosnoff 1 pt
Final Standings
Jacques Villeneuve 158 pts
Ayrton Senna 156 pts
Jeff Gordon 138 pts
Bobby Rahal 116 pts
Al Unser Jr 106 pts
Michael Andretti 102 pts
Robby Gordon 95 pts
To be continued in 1996: Gordon vs Senna
1) Jacques Villeneuve 20 pts
2) Ayrton Senna 16 pts
3) Bobby Rahal 14 pts
4) Scott Pruett 12 pts
5) Tony Stewart 10 pts
6) Mauricio Gugelmin 6 pts
7) Scott Goodyear 4 pts
8) Jimmy Vasser 3 pts
9) Scott Sharp 2 pts
10) Jeff Krosnoff 1 pt
Final Standings
Jacques Villeneuve 158 pts
Ayrton Senna 156 pts
Jeff Gordon 138 pts
Bobby Rahal 116 pts
Al Unser Jr 106 pts
Michael Andretti 102 pts
Robby Gordon 95 pts
To be continued in 1996: Gordon vs Senna
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96 sounds like it's gonna be a blast I'm picturing now Jeff Gordon going to F1 instead of JPM he'd have a great time there if he could deal with Senna and Little Al then The Michael isn't that big of a challenge.
While I'm taking the week-end off to celebrate Mother's day, here's a little bonus post. Perhaps something we will see in the upcoming 1996 season? 🤔
ESPN Speedworld 1995-1996 Off-Season update
New
"Hello and Welcome to ESPN Speedworld, your number 1 source for all things Auto Racing! I'm Bob Varsha and tonight, we have a news-filled hour from series broadcasted here on ESPN. We will talk everything from NASCAR, Formula 1, IMSA and our starting subject for today's edition, Indycars. Here, with us on the phone, is Indy Star reporter and perhaps the biggest Indycar fan there is, Robin Miller! It's a pleasure to have you with us, Robin."
"Pleasure is mine, too, Bob. And thanks for that intro, it's probably the best intro I've ever had!"
Varsha: "No problem, Rob! Now, of course, we got plenty to talk about in Indycars, such as Jeff Gordon signing with Chip Ganassi, Honda expanding its presence across the grid, Tony Stewart going full time with Menard and so much more later on the program, but Robin, the biggest stories in Indycars right now comes from the ongoing CBA meeting between Indycar Inc, the teams union CART and the drivers. And how about we start with said drivers, they are now forming the first Indycar drivers union, led by Michael Andretti and Jeff Gordon."
Miller: yes, and many in the paddock are definitely saying "It's about darn time!" In the past few years, especially at Indianapolis itself, there has been some vicious crashes, such as the one that took Jovy Marcelo's life in 1992 and just last year, with Stan Fox's car completely disintegrating and ending his career. Naturally, the drivers have been calling for improvements in Safety across the tracks that Indycars are competing at. They felt that it was time to unite their voices, and thus, they created the Indycar Drivers Association to advocate for safety improvements on the cars and the tracks.
Varsha: and that will make CART's life a bit harder now, since they now need to negotiate with both Indycar Inc. For the distribution of TV and sponsorship money And the IDA in terms of minimum driver wages"
Miller: yup, and I won't name names, but a few team owners and executives at Indycar Inc. don't really see the formation of the IDA in a good eye. This year's meetings and future CBA negotiations are definitely gonna get more heated. A positive thing being pushed forward, however, is the introduction of the SAFER Barrier, which is seeing use in NASCAR in recent years and could be making it's way to Indycars."
Varsha: that would be really good for the sport's concerns on safety. Now, the other big issue not only concern indycar racing, but perhaps the entire future of motorsports, as the Tobacco industry, which invests significant amounts of money across auto racing, is facing even more pressure from governments worldwide, especially with the various lawsuits that companies like Phillip Morris international, parent company of series sponsors and Team Penske Sponsors Marlboro, have been involved in."
Miller: ooh boy, the threat is very real. A lot of teams are financed by Cig companies, and, as you said, the series is sponsored by one. It's kinda laughable, to be honest, to see those warning stickers on cars sponsored by cigs and alcohol while proudly showing them everywhere. Indycar and the teams really needs to do something soon, cause when it hits the fan and cigarette sponsorship will be banned, it ain't gonna be pretty. And I do believe it is a question of when it happens."
Varsha: times of uncertainty indeed. Not just for the future of Marlboro as title sponsor of the series, but also in terms of the schedule this year. It appears that we might be getting Indycar's first international races outside of north America since the 1970s, when Jackie Stewart won at Silverstone, England, in 1978. Already, the Jacarapegua circuit in Rio De Janiero, Brazil, just paved a unique trapeze-shaped oval out of the backstraight of the former Formula 1 track, while negotiations are ongoing to add the Adelaide Grand Prix, the former site of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix, to the calendar for Indycar's first foray to Australia, while the New England 200 will be put on temporary hiatus, at least for this year."
Miller: yeah, it saddens me to see New Hampshire being temporarily off the calendar this year. New England is a market that I believe would work in Indycars, and personally, If there is a race to remove, I personally would've picked Mid-Ohio, one of the more quiet races on the calendar and we already have a more entertaining race at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland to represent Ohio, but hey, I'm just a fan, and Indycar management is clearly looking to capitalize on Ayrton Senna's worldwide popularity and the Brazilian presence in the series, so from a business point of view, expansionism is always a good thing. The thing is, not every team has the money to travel to Rio and Australia, unless Indycar Inc is willing to pay the travel and logistics fees, which is what is being discussed right now in those meetings and is the sticking point that will determine whetehr we go to Brazil and Australia or not."
Varsha: finally, the full time american rookies quota, implemented in 1984, is also a talking point among teams and Indycar Inc. The current quota is a minimum of 3 full time american rookies, and many teams, mainly the smaller ones, are seeking to either reduce it or completely abolish it in the more extreme cases."
Miller: this is honestly really silly. It's only so they can hire pay drivers. I'll be honest, Indycar Inc. Should do more to support the smaller teams on the grid as well as in the lower series, definitely. However, removing the quota is not the way to go. Indycar is and will always be an American series at heart, and it is important for american racing to have Americans stars like Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. It's thanks to that quota that we now have those two amazing young men revolutionize racing with their unprecedented versatility. They really are modern day Mario andrettis and AJ Foyts. If there was no quota, they would be in NASCAR right now. Well, okay, Jeff Gordon is racing in Winston Cup, but only part time...You know what I mean."
Varsha: We understand. Thank you for joining us, Robin, it's been a pleasure to hear your opinions on the behind the scenes stories of Indycar racing."
Miller: thank you for inviting me on the show."
Varsha: alright, we'll take a short break, and when we come back, we will go through the 1996 Marlboro Indycar World Series teams and Drivers lineups alongside Derek Daly, and still to come, NASCAR Winston Cup news with Benny Parsons and the 1995 Formula 1 season roundup with David Hobbs. Don't go away!"
1996 Indycar season preview
New
Schedule
1) Walt Disney World GP of Miami - Homestead (O) - March 3
2) Hollywood Rio 400 - Rio De Janeiro (O) - March 17
3) Adelaide Indycarnival Australia (S) - March 31st
4) Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach (S) - April 14th
5) Jimmy Bryant Memorial at Phoenix (O) - April 21st
6) Bosch Spark Plug GP of Pennsylvania at Nazareth (O) - April 28th
7) 80th Indianapolis 500 (O) - May 26th
8) Rex Mays Classic at Milwaukee (O) - June 2
9) Budweiser GP of New York at the Glen (R) - June 9th
10) G.I Joe's 200 at Portland (R) - June 23rd
11) US 500 At Michigan (O) - June 30th
12) Molson Indy Toronto (S) - July 14th
13) Budweiser GP of Cleveland (S) - July 28th
14) Miller Genuine Draft 200 at Mid-Ohio (R) - August 11
15) Texaco Havoline 200 at Road America (R) - August 18th
16) Texas 500 at Texas World Speedway (O) - September 1st
17) Bank of America 300 at Laguna Seca (R) - September 8th
18) Marlboro California 500 at Ontario (O) - September 22nd
The big changes for the 1996 schedule is not only the three new races in Miami, Rio de Janeiro and Adelaide opening the season, but the New England 200 being temporarily dropped off the calendar and Riverside being renovated, leading to the California road course race being held at Laguna Seca, with Indycars racing there for the first time since the 1988 season. Questions remains, however, over how many teams would be able to make the trip to Brazil and Australia...
Teams And Drivers
Marlboro Team Penske
Penske PC-25-Honda
#2 Ayrton Senna
#3 Al Unser Jr
The roles are now more established at team Penske. This year, Ayrton Senna will be the undisputed Number 1 driver in search for the elusive Indy 500 and Indycar title. How will Little Al cope with being the number 2 for the first time in his career?
Target Chip Ganassi Racing
Reynard 96I-Honda
#24 Jeff Gordon
#10 Jimmy Vasser
The biggest development of the season is Chip Ganassi convincing Honda of America to develop a second pair of works engines for them, becoming a team almost equal in strenght to Penske. And then, Ganassi proceeds to sign Jeff Gordon. Much like Michael Schumacher at Benetton and now Ferrari, the entire Ganassi operation, led by Mo Nunn, is build around the California kid, with Jimmy Vasser serving has a reliable number 2 to Gordon. The objective is clear: not just win, but dominate.
Newman-Haas Racing
Lola T96/00-Ford Cosworth XB
#6 Michael Andretti - Texaco Havoline
#11 Christian Fittipaldi - Budweiser
Michael Andretti has his first winless season since 1985, yet he came close many times to victory lane in 1995, while Christian Fittipaldi impressed in his first year in Indycars, earning 1995 rookie of the year. This team looks to be the main dark horses.
Player's Forsythe Championship Racing
Reynard 96I-Ford Cosworth XB
#99 Greg Moore (R)
The split between Forstyhe and the Green Brothers sees Gerry getting the short end of the stick, with Tony Cicote and a few of the staff moving over to Barrya nd Kim Green's new outfit. Sticking with Ford and the Player's Canadian development program, dominant 1995 Indy Lights champion Greg Moore steps up to the big time. Only 20 years old, this young man from British Columbia seems destined for greatness, wise beyond his years and spectacular behind the wheel. Many sees him as the next great Canadian hope.
Team KOOL Green
Reynard 96I-Honda Comptech
#1 Paul Tracy
After a falling out with Ron Dennis at McLaren, Paul Tracy, the 1993 runner-up, returns to Indycar racing, joining the Green Brothers's new outfit sponsored by KOOL Cigarettes. This upstart team receives Honda-badged Engines developed by Comptech Racing and the current-spec Reynard, making them potentially spoilers to the big dogs.
Galles Racing International
Lola T96/00-Chevrolet Ilmor
#23 Davy Jones - Motorola
#32 Adrian Fernandez - Tecate
Galles Racing had a decent season in 1995, with Adrian Fernandez and Davy Jones scoring points semi-regularly. Fernandez, in particular, is seen as one of the breakout drivers of 1995, emerging as Galles's leading man. 1996 sees the team aim for stabilization in the midfield.
AJ Foyt Enterprises
Lola T96/00-Mercedes 500I
#14 Robbie Stanley - Copenhagen
#48 Davey Hamilton (ovals) - Mobil 1
#48 Jan Magnussen (Road Courses) (R) - Mobil 1
AJ Foyt manages to get an extra pair of Mercedes 500I engines for 1996, on the condition that his road course expert is Mercedes driver and F1 prospect Jan Magnussen. Robbie Stanley and Davey Hamilton comes back qhich, combined with the mercedes power, gives Foyt a strong combination for the ovals.
Walker Racing
Reynard 96I-Ford Cosworth XB
#5 Robby Gordon - Valvoline
#64 Scott Goodyear (Ovals and Toronto only) - Molson
#64 David Empringham (Road Courses only) - Molson
-Reynard 95I Ford
#67 David Empringham (500 Milers and Toronto only) - Canadian Tire
Robbie Gordon scored two wins, but sadly was too inconsistent to challenge for the title in 95. John Andretti, after 3 solid seasons with the team, leaves Indycar for the NASCAR Winston Cup, joining Kranefuss-Haas Racing, while Molson threatened to pull out of the team if there were no canadian drivers. following the example of Foyt, Derrick Walker opted for a dual-driver setup, with their Canadian sponsors forcing Derrick Walker to hire Scott Goodyear returning for the ovals and Toronto and David Empringham driving the 64 car for the road courses, with Empringham driving last year's car, repainted in personal sponsor Canadian Tire colors, as a wild card entry for the 500 milers and Toronto.
Team Menard
Lola T96/00-Menard-Buick
#40 Tony Stewart (R) - Quaker State
#60 Scott Brayton - Glidden (500 milers only)
John Menard Jr, pleased with how good his team looked despite some issues, now goes full-tike along with 1995 Indy 500 sensation and USAC Triple Crown champion Tony Stewart, who is given the status of full-time rookie to fill the 3 full time American rookies quota. Running the custom made Menard Buick engine, Stewart is gonna be a major contender at the ovals, though questions remain on his abilities on road courses, as he hasn't raced on road courses since his Karting days. Scott Brayton returns for the 500 milers
Nike Patrick racing
Lola T96/00-Ford Cosworth XB
#20 Scott Pruett
Always one with a keen ability to find sponsorship, Pat Patrick somehow managed to convince famed clothing powerhouse Nike to finance the #20 car of Scott Pruett. Patrick and Firestone's return in Indycars in 1995 was very successful, almost winning at Michigan and scoring many podiums. With Nike money, the goal is now to get back to the winners circle.
LCI Tasman Motorsports
Lola T96/00-Menard-Buick from Menard
#31 Andre ribeiro
Despite Andre Ribeiro's shock victory at New Hapnshire, Steve Horne's outfit had an up and down season in their debut year in 95, qualifying decently but always being plagued by reliability issues or blunders. Eddie Lawson, the former 3-time motorcycle world champion, never felt at ease on four wheels, and so, Horne opted to downsize to only one car for 96, with Ribeiro staying put with his Marlboro money. As a favor for John Menard to make his custom Buick V6 engine legal for the series, Horne bought an engine from him.
Team Rahal-Letterman-Hogan
Reynard 96I-Mercedes 500I
#18 Bobby Rahal - Miller Genuine Draft
#28 Bryan Herta - Shell
Now the only works Mercedes outfit, Team Rahal-Hogan receives additional backing from talk show host and Racing fan David Letterman, allowing them to switch to the current spec Reynards after seeing how competitive the Reynard-Merc combination was with Jeff Gordon last year. Bryan Herta is set to become the number 1 driver, with the aging Rahal looking to gradually phase himself out.of the cockpit in the near future.
Payton-Coyne Racing
Lola T95/00-Chevrolet Ilmor
#19 Robbie Buhl - Coors Light
#34 Mark Smith - Mi-Jack
Willy T. Ribs has announced his retirement from open-wheel Racing, focusing on part-time appearances at Indy, IMSA and even NASCAR Winston Cup races from now on. Replacing him in the Mi-Jack car is former Arciero driver Mark Smith, who is looking to improve on his performances after two rather hit and miss years.
Della Pena Motorsports
Reynard 95I-Ford Cosworth XB from Ganassi
#44 Richie Hearn (R) - Ralphs
John Della Pena returns to Indycar Racing after demoting his team to Atlantics with great success, winning the 1995 Formula Atlantic title with Glendale, California native Richie Hearn, who moves up to Indycar along with the team. Buying a 95-Reynard-Ford package from Ganassi, Della Pena are shooting for regular points finishes.
Pennzoil Hall VDS Racing
Reynard 96I-Honda Comptech
#8 Gil De Ferran (R)
Losing both Jeff Gordon and the Mercedes engines, Jim Hall decided to use his contacts in the vast world of Motor Racing. Coming in to replace Gordon is Gil de Ferran, the Brazilian former Lotus and Arrows driver, who shockingly won the last Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide for Arrows in a trademark chaotic Grand Prix, and also bought a Comptech Racing-built Honda engine. During pre-season testing, De Ferran shocked people by being on pace with the front Runners on both Ovals and Road Courses.
Panasonic Arciero-Wells Racing
Reynard 96I-Toyota
#25 Max Papis (R)
Arciero-Wells gets the third Toyota engine as well as Panasonic money, which allows them to buy a current spec Reynard. However, the search for a new driver proved more complicated than expected, for Hiro Matsushita, who was expected to join Panasonic at Arciero-Wells, opted instead to retire from racing, focusing on building his own Insycar chassis carrying the name of his company, Swift Engineering, targetting a 1997 entry.
However, Frank Arciero and Cal Wells witnessed the unbelievable final stint of one Max Papis at the Daytona 24 hours. The Italian F1 driver, nicknamed " Mad Max", posted the fastest lap time sat Daytona in search of passing Wayne Taylor and the Riley and Scott MK4 in a brave, but futile attempt. They were so impressed by Papis's pace that they hired him on short notice for the pre-season testing, where he had enough pace to race in the midfield, which is already a big improvement for the team compared to 1995.
Castrol All American Racers
Eagle MK-V-Toyota
#36 Jeff Krosnoff
#98 PJ Jones (R)
After a long period of absence, since 1987, to be exact, Dan Gurney leaves their incredibly successful Sportscar programme and follows Toyota to Indycars. Impressed by the second half of Jeff Krosnoff for Ganassi in 1985, Gurney hired the Tulsa native as his lead driver, while PJ Jones, the test driver for Toyota's new V8 engine and a regular in the NASCAR truck series and the independent american Indycar series, switches over to open wheelers.
Pacwest Racing
Reynard 96I-Chevy Ilmor
#21 Scott Sharp - Visa
#17 Mauricio Gugelmin - Hollywood Cigarettes
Pacwest had their best year yet in 1995, with both Scott Sharp and Mauricio Gugelmin regularly scoring top 6 finishes and showing good pace on all tracks. Now the main Chevrolet team, they look to finally get that first win using the improved Ilmor engine.
Alumax Bettenhausen/Comptech Racing
Penske PC-25-Honda Comptech
#16 Parker Johnstone
Bettenhausen indeed returned to competitiveness in 1995, with Honda endurance ace Parker Johnstone proving his worth of both Ovals and Road Courses with regular points finishes. Now running Comptech's homemade Honda-badged Engines and the current Penske chassis, Tony Bettenhausen and Johnstone are looking to challenge for podiums a bit more regularly.
Part-timers
Treadway Racing (ovals only)
Reynard 95I-Ford from Ganassi
#49 Arie Luyendyk - Bryant
Indianapolis businessman Fred Treadway, a regular in Indy Lights, moves up to an ovals-only schedule with 1990 Indy 500 winner Arie Luyendyk and a 95 Reynard-For package from Ganassi
Pagan Racing (Ovals and larger road courses only)
Lola T95/00-Chevy Ilmor from Dick Simon
#70 Roberto Guerrero - Interstate Batteries
Pagan Racing returns to the ovals and larger road courses only, this time, with Indycar veteran Roberto Guerrero replacing the Sportscar and Touring Car-bound Jeff Andretti
Delta Faucet Hemelgarn Racing (ovals and larger road courses only)
Lola T95/00-Chevy from AJ Foyt
#27 Buddy Lazier
With money being tight, Ron Hemelgarn and Buddy Lazier are reduced to a part-time schedule for 1996.
Bradley MotorSports (ovals only)
Reynard 95I-Chevy from Pacwest
Buzz Calkins (R) - Bradley Food Marts
Bradley Calkins, a convenience store owner from Colorado, bring this Indy Lights temaannd his son Buzz up to the big leagues for the ovals only. Buzz, who finished 6th in Indy Lights last year actually proved himself surprisingly quick at the oval test at Texas World Speedway. Could we see a potential dark horse on the speedways?
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Winning Grand Prixs helps. He won at Moanco in 1994 and had regular points and podium finishes...when he finished that is. Either by the peugeot engines exploding in 94 or being a dumbass in 95. Plus, with a much more moldable and safe DC being available for 96 to partner Hakkinen, it's a no brainer for Ron.
The only saving grace with Tracy there in 95 is we don't have the issue with Nigel being too big for the car and saying fuck it I'm done at Spain. DC and Mika are always a strong team.
1995 Motorsports Season roundup part 2: end of 1995
New
1995 Year in review: Second Half
NASCAR
to nobody's surprise, Dale Earnhardt earns his 6th Winston Cup title thanks to his incredible consistency this season, with a podium streak that reached 13 straight and winnign where it counted. What caught the attention of people, however, was Jeff Gordon's continued dual-sport excellence. The Indycar star again turned eyes when he won the September race at Dover, dominating from Pole from start to finish. Rumour had it that Rick Hendrick offered Gordon to turn his #24 part-time ride into a full-time one, but the California kid was insistent on continuing at Indy.
Touring Cars
the World Touring Car Championship in 1995 saw an intense 4-way fight for the title between Tarquini in the Alfa Romeo 155, Alain Menu in the Williams-ran Renault Laguna, Rickard Rydell in the TWR Volvo and, perhaps most surprising of all, Bernd Schneider in the Joest Opel Vectra. In the end, it would be the German, runner-up behind BMW's Jo Winckelhock in 1991, who would win the title, finishing 3rd at the Spa 24 hours behind the Alfas of Tarquini, Danner and Nannini and the surprise winners BMW team Schnitzer of Ceccoto, Ravaglia and Steve Soper, while taking advantage of Renault and Alfa's woes in the last 2 rounds to win the Super Touring class at the Bathurst 1000 and also win the Wellington 500 to secure the title at Long last.
Formula 1
Last time we left Formula 1, Michael Schumacher and Benetton clearly established themselves as the dominant team (with a legal car, this time!), while Williams, who were supposed to have the ebst car, foujd themselves being carried by Damon Hill, as lead driver and reigning champion Jean Alesi is having perhaps the worst season of his career, his trademark spectacular Style biting him on more than one occasion.
However, 1995 sees the return to competitiveness for Ferrari, with Alex Zanardi becoming the breakout driver of the year with his wins at Montreal and Nurburgring on the back of a legendary duel with Schumacher at the latter.
However, Hockenheim and Hungary sees business as usual, with Schumi dominatign in his home GO and Damon Hill and Alesi scoring a 1-2 in Hungary. Schumi would then dominate in Belgium before a trademark crazy Italian GP happened. Zanardi and Berger were running one-two throughout the race, but Zanardi's car camera struck Berger's suspension and took him out, and Zanardi later would retire on faulty breaks with 8 laps to go, leading to a mad dash for the win between Paul Tracy and Sauber's Heinz-Harald Frentzen, which culminated in PT attempting a divebomb into the first chicane to regain the lead from Frentzen, only to miss the chicane and crash, giving the win to Frentzen and Sauber's second ever win after Wendlinger at Imola 94.
Portugal would see Alesi finally win, with David Coulthard and the Lotus 112 scoring another podium in 3rd, while Schumi would duly secure his first world title by winning the Pacific and Japanese GP back to back. All this led to the final Australian GP ever held at Adelaide, and for a final race, it went out with a bang, as all three contenders retired due to various issues, including Polesitter Damon Hill, who saw his Renault engine fizzle out despite dominating the race. It led to PT gaining the lead as the last front runner left, but he would suffer a big crash that would end the race on a yellow flag, with none other than Gil De Ferran winning in the Arrows-Hart ahead of Olivier Panis in the Ligier and teammate Gianni Morbidelli.
What attracted The most attention, however, were all the late season shuffle among the top squads. Jean Alesi would leave Williams , to be replaced by Indycar champion and Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve, joining Ukyo Katayama at Benetton as Michael Schumacher confirms his arrival at Ferrari, teaming up with Zanardi, while Paul Tracy gets shafted in favour of David Coulthard at McLaren. Lotus signs Rubens Barrichello from Jordan to partner Johnny Herbert while gaining sponsorship from HSBC, prompting Eddie Jordan to grab his former F3000 driver Martin Donelly from Tyrell to partner fellow Irishman Eddie Irvine. Sauber, proving themselves as a team to watch, keeps Frentzen and Wendlinger and shares the Mercs with McLaren, while Gérard Larrousse keeps his F1 dreams alive, partnering with fellow French team DAMS to run their Reynard-designed chassis for 1996, prompting minnows Forti, now co-owned by the Dinizes, to take the Lola contract for the next two seasons.
the Larrousse-DAMS GD-01, in its testing phase.
NASCAR
to nobody's surprise, Dale Earnhardt earns his 6th Winston Cup title thanks to his incredible consistency this season, with a podium streak that reached 13 straight and winnign where it counted. What caught the attention of people, however, was Jeff Gordon's continued dual-sport excellence. The Indycar star again turned eyes when he won the September race at Dover, dominating from Pole from start to finish. Rumour had it that Rick Hendrick offered Gordon to turn his #24 part-time ride into a full-time one, but the California kid was insistent on continuing at Indy.
Touring Cars
the World Touring Car Championship in 1995 saw an intense 4-way fight for the title between Tarquini in the Alfa Romeo 155, Alain Menu in the Williams-ran Renault Laguna, Rickard Rydell in the TWR Volvo and, perhaps most surprising of all, Bernd Schneider in the Joest Opel Vectra. In the end, it would be the German, runner-up behind BMW's Jo Winckelhock in 1991, who would win the title, finishing 3rd at the Spa 24 hours behind the Alfas of Tarquini, Danner and Nannini and the surprise winners BMW team Schnitzer of Ceccoto, Ravaglia and Steve Soper, while taking advantage of Renault and Alfa's woes in the last 2 rounds to win the Super Touring class at the Bathurst 1000 and also win the Wellington 500 to secure the title at Long last.
Formula 1
Last time we left Formula 1, Michael Schumacher and Benetton clearly established themselves as the dominant team (with a legal car, this time!), while Williams, who were supposed to have the ebst car, foujd themselves being carried by Damon Hill, as lead driver and reigning champion Jean Alesi is having perhaps the worst season of his career, his trademark spectacular Style biting him on more than one occasion.
However, 1995 sees the return to competitiveness for Ferrari, with Alex Zanardi becoming the breakout driver of the year with his wins at Montreal and Nurburgring on the back of a legendary duel with Schumacher at the latter.
However, Hockenheim and Hungary sees business as usual, with Schumi dominatign in his home GO and Damon Hill and Alesi scoring a 1-2 in Hungary. Schumi would then dominate in Belgium before a trademark crazy Italian GP happened. Zanardi and Berger were running one-two throughout the race, but Zanardi's car camera struck Berger's suspension and took him out, and Zanardi later would retire on faulty breaks with 8 laps to go, leading to a mad dash for the win between Paul Tracy and Sauber's Heinz-Harald Frentzen, which culminated in PT attempting a divebomb into the first chicane to regain the lead from Frentzen, only to miss the chicane and crash, giving the win to Frentzen and Sauber's second ever win after Wendlinger at Imola 94.
Portugal would see Alesi finally win, with David Coulthard and the Lotus 112 scoring another podium in 3rd, while Schumi would duly secure his first world title by winning the Pacific and Japanese GP back to back. All this led to the final Australian GP ever held at Adelaide, and for a final race, it went out with a bang, as all three contenders retired due to various issues, including Polesitter Damon Hill, who saw his Renault engine fizzle out despite dominating the race. It led to PT gaining the lead as the last front runner left, but he would suffer a big crash that would end the race on a yellow flag, with none other than Gil De Ferran winning in the Arrows-Hart ahead of Olivier Panis in the Ligier and teammate Gianni Morbidelli.
What attracted The most attention, however, were all the late season shuffle among the top squads. Jean Alesi would leave Williams , to be replaced by Indycar champion and Indy 500 winner Jacques Villeneuve, joining Ukyo Katayama at Benetton as Michael Schumacher confirms his arrival at Ferrari, teaming up with Zanardi, while Paul Tracy gets shafted in favour of David Coulthard at McLaren. Lotus signs Rubens Barrichello from Jordan to partner Johnny Herbert while gaining sponsorship from HSBC, prompting Eddie Jordan to grab his former F3000 driver Martin Donelly from Tyrell to partner fellow Irishman Eddie Irvine. Sauber, proving themselves as a team to watch, keeps Frentzen and Wendlinger and shares the Mercs with McLaren, while Gérard Larrousse keeps his F1 dreams alive, partnering with fellow French team DAMS to run their Reynard-designed chassis for 1996, prompting minnows Forti, now co-owned by the Dinizes, to take the Lola contract for the next two seasons.
the Larrousse-DAMS GD-01, in its testing phase.
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