On June 2,1996, the CART Indy Cars came to the Milwaukee Mile. This was the good old days when the race was traditionally the weekend following the Indy 500.
That particular race had a bunch of caution flags, but it was really a race between Michael Andretti, Al Unser Jr. and Paul Tracy who had the pole position. They finished that way and were followed by Emerson Fittipaldi and Greg Moore.
This was at the time when Michael Andretti basically owned the race wins at the Milwaukee Mile for several years. This 1996 race was no exception with Mario Andretti being an awesome father and mentor.
It was a nice 80 degree day but windy I recall which probably didn't help driver Parker Johnstone. He spun on the first lap and then crashed with 5 laps to go!
In 1996 Jimmy Vasser would become the series champion and Alex Zanardi was the rookie of the year.
In 1988, the Briggs and Stratton 200 Indy Car CART race was held at Road America. Danny Sullivan had the pole position but Emerson Fittipaldi won the race!
Road America looked a bit different back then, and I see the new media center was already built. Didn't think it was that old.
The short lived Porsche Indy Car was racing then with Teo Fabi. It was a beautiful car that never did very well and was only around a few years.
Must have been a combined weekend with the IMSA racing cars because I notice a photo I took of Walter Payton! Looks as if his #34 blew an engine in turn 5. He is standing next to it as it's smoking away.
Love the livery on Arie Luendyk's car!!!!
Enjoy a look back to 1988. Were you there that weekend?
In 2007 the Indy Car racing world was very divided. We had the Indy Racing League (IRL), formed by Tony George in 2003 with his Indianapolis Motor Speedway at the helm. We also had the Champ Car World Series.
From 2003 through 2007 we had the IRL and Champ Car as two separate series. It was a mess and mistake by Tony George that Indy Car is just now recovering from. In 2008 it became one series again called Indy Car as it still is today.
I was photographing the IRL at the Milwaukee Mile and the Champ Cars at Road America each year for four years.
On August 12, 2007, the Generac Champ Car Grand Prix at Road America was held. Race driver Sebastien Bourdais won the race and end up winning his fourth straight championship at the end of the year. Seabass, as we call him, was fast everywhere then and still is now.
Dan Clarke finished second and a very young Graham Rahal finished third.
All of the Champ Car race cars were beautiful and fast looking with great paint jobs.
Enjoy a look at the guys and a young Katherine Legge racing around beautiful Road America.
The world is in a crazy place these days but the Indy Car season has begun!
It's great to see Scott McLaughlin win the first race of the year in St. Petersburg, Florida. He has a great future in Indy Car.
Last week was Mario Andretti's 82nd birthday and Sebastian Bourdais on the same day! Will Power's birthday was the following day. He had a strong showing in St. Petersburg. Will is trying to beat Mario Andretti for most pole positions with only one more to do it.
Here are a few photos of the Indy Cars through the years to get us in the mood for the season.
Good luck to all. Last year's champ ,Alex Palou, has some competition this year. Colton Herta is my pick on his way to the championship!
This week we look back at the great days of Indy Car racing with the CART race at Road America in 2002. It was a late season race on August 18, 2002.
These were the days of beautiful cars with big horsepower. Cristiano da Matta won the race with Alex Tagliani finishing second and Bruno Junquiera third. Cristiano da Matta would win the championship that year!
Tony Kanaan started last and finished fourth!!!
Notice a photo of Wilson Fittipaldi watching his son Christian at work. Also, notice a picture of me next to Adrian Fernandez's Indy Car sponsored by Tecate!! Beautiful race car livery!