January 29, 2024
Listening to the 24 Hours of Daytona IMSA Race as I write this and there is one hour left to race! Pulling for my friend Pipo Derani in the Cadillac who had the fastest pole position ever at the track and has led many of the laps. Team Penske Porsche with Pipo's old teammate Felipe Nazr is leading right now...
My blog this week is about one of our great Indy Car, CART and Champ Car drivers, Cristiano da Matta. He won the CART Championship in 2002 for Newman Haas Racing.
Cristiano drove F1, Indy Lights where he won the championship in 1998, F3, Formula Ford and more after starting racing in karts at 16 years old. His father was a 16 time Brazilian touring car champion so Christiano had racing in his blood.
On August 3rd in 2006 Christiano collided with a deer that ran across the track at Road America as he was coming up the hill to turn 6 during testing. Thankfully, Christiano survived but had a head injury that took him until September 21 before being released from the hospital in Neenah, Wisconsin. On September 24th he gave the command to start your engines at Road America for the Champ Car race.
Thanks to his great physical shape and a great safety team, he made it back to a race car in 2008 and then raced in 2009 and 2011 in the American LeMans Series.
The Championship Auto Racing Auxiliary (CARA) was formed years ago to help drivers and their families pay for medical services and other things. Insurance for race drivers is like being a fisherman for a living. CARA has helped injured racers for years and had an auction with Autoweek magazine to raise money for the Christiano da Matta Recovery Fund.
I bid on a Firestone race tire signed by all the drivers and Paul Newman. Surprisingly, I won it. I later had Mario Andretti sign it and that photo is on my Rich Zimmermann Photography Facebook page. The tire proudly sits in our race room/man cave.
Christiano is doing well now and so is his family. Did you know that he is a musician too?
Enjoy some photos of racer Cristiano through the years.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
January 15, 2024
In this blog we take a look back at the 1994 CART Miller Genuine Draft 200 at the Milwaukee Mile on June 5, 1994.
The weekend prior to the Milwaukee Mile race was the Indianapolis 500 which was won by Al Unser Jr. in his Team Penske Ilmor powered Indy Car.
There are not too many racers that have won the Indy 500 and the Milwaukee Mile race the following weekend but Al Unser Jr. was one of them to win both in 1994!
This was the year that Michael Andretti came back to Indy Car with the Target Chip Ganassi Team after an unsuccessful year in Formula 1.
Notice also the photos of Rick Mears giving Casey Mears some advice in his Indy Lights car.
One of the best liveries ever of an Indy Car is Adrian Fernandez Tecate car seen here. It's just beautiful, as is Bobby Rahal's Miller Genuine Draft car.
The Miller Genuine Draft 200 actually became the Miller Genuine Draft 192 because rain ended the race on lap 192.
Raul Boesel was on the pole position but Al Unser Jr. dominated the race.
Finishing second to Al Unser Jr. was Emerson Fittipaldi and Paul Tracy making the top three cars, all Team Penske.
Enjoy a look at the Milwaukee Mile in 1994 and get your tickets for the races this year on August 31 and September 1.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
December 18, 2023
This blog is about the 1992 Miller Genuine Draft 200 at the Milwaukee Mile on June 28, 1992.
CART and the whole Indy Car series at this time period were in a bit of a mess and needed some organizational help. So for this race the Wisconsin State Fair board hired Carl Haas to organize all track activities at the famous Milwaukee Mile.
Carl Haas was the head of Newman Haas Racing with Paul Newman. Their drivers were Michael Andretti and Mario Andretti and they had a great winning team.
Michael Andretti would win this race and he finished second in the 1992 championship that Bobby Rahal won. Michael would finish second in the championship to Bobby Rahal three times.
After the 1992 season Michael Andretti went to Formula 1 without much success. In 1994 Micheal would be back to Indy Cars where I believe he has always belonged.
Notice Robby Gordon having some fun in an Indy Car here and John Andretti in the photos. Also Eddie Cheever giving Chip Ganassi a hug and a little chat.
Don't forget that the Indy Car series is coming back to the Milwaukee Mile after being gone for eight years. August 31 and September 1 for two races will be a great return for the Indy Cars. So buy your tickets now from the Milwaukee Mile.
Enjoy a look at the great cars and the wonderful old main grandstand at the Milwaukee Mile.
Have a wonderful Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann
November 6, 2023
Hope everyone had a fun Halloween! Two inches of snow here and no trick or treaters.
This blog is about Scott Brayton who was an Indy Car, CART and IRL racer in the 1990's. He passed away tragically on May 17, 1996 at age 37.
A tire blew in practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Indy 500 and Scott was killed instantly after hitting the wall. Sad story of too many racers I've known through the years in Indy Cars.
It's a crazy business and you know the hazards going in but it's a heartbreak every time we lose someone for the family and our racing community.
I met Scott Brayton only one time. It was at the Milwaukee Mile and then I photographed him at Road America in 1993.
He was such a nice guy. I recently realized that on Facebook we have a mutual friend!
We miss you Scott. Here are some pictures from 1993 of Scott in a beautiful Indy Car.
Thanks,
Rich Zimmermann