May 16, 2022

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?

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The Briggs and Stratton 200 held at Road America in 1988 where Emerson Fittipaldi won.

January 24, 2022

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!

I'm letting the photos do the talking this week.

Enjoy and be safe.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The CART Indy Car series at Road America in July of 2002.

CART Indy Cars having a great time in 2002 at Road America.

Wonderful CART racing at the Milwaukee Mile May 31-June 2, 2002.

December 27, 2021

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Let's hope that the coming new year is a good one.

On May 31-June 2, 2002, the Milwaukee Mile hosted the Miller Lite 250 for the CART Indy Car series. This was at the time when Tony George was trying to take over the series and started the Indy Racing League (IRL). We are still trying to recover from that mess!

The field of cars was down to 19 for this race thanks to the IRL taking a lot of teams over to their side of the fence.

The race was still a good one with Adrian Fernandez on pole position and Paul Tacy winning. Adrian Fernandez finished second and Max Papis third.

This was also the first year of the new grandstands at the Milwaukee Mile.

Today, the grandstands are still there but they actually have tried selling them through the years! Thankfully, that never happened but motor racing has really declined at the Milwaukee Mile.  It's the oldest race track in the country. Traditionally, the race at the Milwaukee Mile was the first weekend after the Indy 500.

Take a peak at the old days of 2002. Those were some great racing cars. There's nothing like the smell of methanol fuel!

Talk to you next year and be safe.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

November 1, 2021

This blog is going to be short and sweet! There is so much going on around here during retirement! Wait until you all retire and are as busy as me and having as much fun too!

On July 14-17, 2022, the WeatherTech International Challenge with Brian Redman will feature some of the Dan Gurney stable of Eagle race cars!!!!!! Very, very cool idea of Ron Nelson's! Checkout his website www.elkhartlakesracingmuseum.com for more event information. To see a bunch of Eagles together will be awesome thanks to Ron Nelson, Justin Gurney and the Dresang family. Jacque Dresang still runs an awesome Eagle or two and they are beautiful. One is Mark Donohue's.

Dug up a few photos of the old days at Road America and the Milwaukee Mile.

Enjoy, and buy your tickets now for a great weekend at Road America!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

June 14, 2021

Congratulations to Helio Castroneves, aka Spider Man, for his fourth Indy 500 victory!!

We call Helio Spider Man because after he wins a race, he gets out of his car and climbs the track fence! He cheers with the fans and goes wild. His crew even joins him! It's fun to see his excitement and amazing enthusiasm.

I've photographed and known Helio since his Indy Lights racing days.

In 1998, Helio was in the CART Indy Car series with Hogan Racing. He was a great qualifier but never got the win with them. One of the photos here shows him coming into pit lane after qualifying on the pole position and breaking the track record at the Milwaukee Mile in 1998! It is the photo with his fist in the air.

The year 2000 brought Helio to Team Penske. That seat was to go to racer Greg Moore but he unfortunately passed away in an accident during a race in California in 1999. Who knows how far Greg Moore could have gone, but I think Greg would have won multiple Indy 500's and championships. Sadly, Greg was gone, but now Helio was on his way to a great career with Team Penske.

Helio started in CART and has raced in the IRL and Indy Car for Team Penske.

The past few years Helio has been racing in the IMSA series for Team Penske in an Acura NSX. Last year at the Road America IMSA race ,in pouring rain like I have NEVER seen during a race, he won despite two red flags. It was an amazing victory!

While in IMSA racing, he would still do the Indy 500 for Team Penske. That is until this year when he raced the Indy 500 for Meyer Shank racing in the SiriusXM car. He won and climbed the fence at Indianapolis!!! Spider Man is back!!

Winning the Indy 500 four times has allowed Helio to join a very exclusive club of racers, Rick Mears, Al Unser and AJ Foyt.  He said that he is not done with his Indy Car career just yet!

Enjoy a look at these photos of Helio through the years. He is a family favorite. We have a pair of his gloves and a helmet visor of his.  They look great in our race room!

My next blog will be on the Indy Cars and the Vintage Indy Cars at Road America which is coming up soon!!! Come join us on Father's Day weekend June 18, 19 and 20 at Road America!!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

May 17, 2021

Got some sad news with the passing of Uncle Bobby Unser a few weeks ago. Uncle Bobby, as we all called him, had been in ill health for quite some time. We will miss him but it's OK knowing that he is upstairs in the ultimate Winner's Circle now.

This made me think of Al Unser Jr. and how Uncle Bobby supported him and his whole family of racers.

Al Unser Jr. will be driving the Mini Cooper pace car for the Vintage Indy Car Registry at Road America in June with the Indy Car weekend. It's a little smaller and not as fast as the car shown here from 1991 at the Milwaukee Mile.

Check out this very fast car from the CART racing days at the Milwaukee Mile along with two photos of Uncle Bobby.

Al Unser Jr. won the CART series championship in 1990 which is why he has #1 on his car here in 1991. He also won the Indy 500 twice. First win was in 1992 and then in 1994 he won again.

Enjoy and hope to see you soon at the race track!!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann