1982 CART PPG Indy Car World Series
The 1982 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season, the fourth in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing, consisted of 11 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 28 and concluding at the same location on November 6. The PPG Indy Car World Series Drivers' Champion was Rick Mears. Rookie of the Year was Bobby Rahal.
Though it was not officially part of the CART calendar, most of the teams and drivers also competed at the USAC-sanctioned 66th Indianapolis 500. Gordon Johncock was victorious at Indy.
Jim Hickman was fatally injured in a practice crash for the Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Milwaukee, he was 39 years old.
Drivers and constructors
The following teams and drivers competed for the 1982 CART World Series.| Team/Car Owner | No | Drivers | Rounds |
| Alex Morales Motorsports | 3 |  Pancho Carter | All |
| Alsup Racing | 2 | Bill Alsup | All |
| Alsup Racing | 27 | Spike Gehlhausen | 7 |
| Arciero Racing | 66 | Pete Halsmer | 8-9, 11 |
| Armstrong Mould Racing Team | X | Greg Leffler | 2 |
| Bettenhausen Racing | 8 | Gary Bettenhausen | 6, 11 |
| Bettenhausen Racing w/ H&R Racing | 6 | Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. | 1-3, 5-11 |
| Bignotti-Cotter Racing | 7 | Tom Sneva | All |
| Bignotti-Cotter Racing | 21 |  Geoff Brabham | All |
| Brayton Racing | 36 | Patrick Bedard | 1-2, 5 |
| Brayton Racing | 36 | Scott Brayton | 3, 7, 10 |
| Brayton Racing | 37 | Scott Brayton | 1, 5 |
| BVC Racing | 75 | Dennis Firestone | 1 |
| Caliva Racing | X | Phil Caliva | 8, 11 |
| Chaparral Racing | 5 | Johnny Rutherford | 1-9, 11 |
| Circle Bar Auto Racing | 39 | Chet Fillip | 11 |
| Doug Shierson Racing | 30 | Howdy Holmes | All |
| Fletcher Racing | 35 | Gordon Smiley | 2 |
| Fletcher Racing | 35 | George Snider | 5, 7 |
| Forsythe Racing | 32 |  Héctor Rebaque | 2-5, 8-9 |
| Forsythe Racing | 33 | Danny Sullivan | 2-3 |
| Forsythe Racing | 33 | Al Unser, Jr. | 8 |
| Frantz Racing w/ Burger King | 77 | Tom Frantz | 1, 5, 8 |
| Garza Racing | 55 | Josele Garza | All |
| Gilmore Racing | 14 | A.J. Foyt | 3-5, 7, 10 |
| Gohr Racing | 56 | Joe Saldana | 3-4 |
| Gohr Racing | 56 | Gary Bettenhausen | 5, 7-10 |
| Grant King Racers | X | Todd Tuttle | 4 |
| GTS Racing | 86 | Al Loquasto | 1, 7 |
| Hamilton Racing | 17 | Ken Hamilton | 5 |
| HBK Racing | 72 | Tom Bigelow | 3-7, 10 |
| HBK Racing | 72 | Bill Whittington | 9 |
| Hodgson-Curb | X | Bobby Olivero | 1 |
| Hoffman Racing | 69 | Jerry Sneva | 10 |
| Hoffman Racing w/ Rattlesnake Racing | 42 | Jim Hickman | 2-6 |
| Jamieson Racing | 49 | Chip Mead | 1, 3 |
| Jamieson Racing | 49 | Spike Gehlhausen | 3, 5 |
| Jet Engineering | 64 | Steve Chassey | 1 |
| Jet Engineering | 64 | Bob Frey | 3 |
| Jet Engineering | 64 | Greg Leffler | 6, 8-11 |
| Joe Hunt Magneto | 89 | Phil Krueger | 1-2 |
| Joe Hunt Magneto | 89 | Dick Ferguson | 8 |
| Joe Hunt Magneto | 89 | Jerry Sneva | 11 |
| Joel McCray Racing | 46 | Leroy van Conett | 1 |
| Joel McCray Racing | 46 | Jerry Karl | 4-8 |
| Kraco Enterprises | 18 | Dick Ferguson | 1-2 |
| Kraco Enterprises | 18 | Billy Vukovich, Jr. | 3 |
| Kraco Enterprises | 18 | Mike Mosley | 5-7, 10-11 |
| Kraco Enterprises | 99 | Vern Schuppan | 4, 8-9 |
| Leader Card Racers | 22 | Dick Simon | 1-8, 10-11 |
| Leader Card Racers | 24 | Billy Vukovich, Jr. | 7 |
| Longhorn Racing | 10 | Al Unser | 1-10 |
| Luxury Racers | 65 | Bob Brutto | 1 |
| Luxury Racers | 65 | Phil Krueger | 5, 7, 9-11 |
| Machinists Union Racing | 31 | Roger Mears | All |
| McElreath Racing | 23 | Jim McElreath | 1, 7-8 |
| Menard Racing | 28 | Herm Johnson | 1-6, 8-9 |
| Metametrix | 47 | Chris Kneifel | 8-9 |
| Metametrix | 47 |  Jacques Villeneuve, Sr. | 11 |
| Newman Freeman Racing | 68 | Mike Chandler | 8, 11 |
| Patrick Racing | 20 | Gordon Johncock | All |
| Patrick Racing | 40 | Mario Andretti | All |
| Rattlesnake Racing | 11 | Dick Ferguson | 10-11 |
| Ray W Lipper Racing | X | Ray Lipper | 1 |
| Rhoades Racing | 12 | Chip Ganassi | 1-2, 4-5, 7, 10 |
| Team Penske | 1 | Rick Mears | All |
| Team Penske | 4 | Kevin Cogan | All |
| Tempero Racing | 15 | Bill Tempero | 1, 4, 6, 8-9, 11 |
| Truesports | 19 | Bobby Rahal | 1, 3-11 |
| Whittington Racing | 91 | Don Whittington | 5 |
| Wysard Racing | 34 | Hurley Haywood | 1-2 |
| Wysard Racing | 34 | Johnny Parsons | 3-5, 7-8, 10 |
| Wysard Racing | 34 | John Paul, Jr. | 9 |
| Wysard Racing | 34 |  Derek Daly | 11 |
Season Summary
Schedule
Oval/SpeedwayDedicated road course
Temporary street circuit
Race results
| Rd | Race Name | Pole Position | Winning driver | Winning team | Race time | Report |
| 1 | Kraco Car Stereo 150 |  Rick Mears | Rick Mears | Team Penske | 1:15:48 | |
| 2 | Stroh's 200 | Rick Mears | Rick Mears | Team Penske | 1:13:10 | |
| NC | Indianapolis 500-Mile Race | Rick Mears | Gordon Johncock | Patrick Racing | 3:05:09 | Report |
| 3 | Gould-Rex Mays 150 | Gordon Johncock | Gordon Johncock | Patrick Racing | 1:10:52 | |
| 4 | Budweiser Cleveland 500 | Kevin Cogan | Bobby Rahal | Truesports | 3:03:44 | |
| 5 | Norton-Michigan 500 | Rick Mears / Mario Andretti | Gordon Johncock | Patrick Racing | 3:14:54 | |
| 6 | Tony Bettenhausen 200 | Rick Mears | Tom Sneva | Bignotti-Cotter Racing | 1:49:57 | |
| 7 | Domino's Pizza Pocono 500 | Rick Mears | Rick Mears | Team Penske | 3:25:39 | |
| 8 | AirCal 500 | Kevin Cogan | Rick Mears | Team Penske | 2:42:14 | |
| 9 | Road America 200 | Rick Mears |  Héctor Rebaque | Forsythe Racing | 1:49:56 | |
| 10 | Detroit News Grand Prix | Rick Mears | Bobby Rahal | Truesports | 1:04:03 | |
| 11 | Miller High Life 150 | Rick Mears | Tom Sneva | Bignotti-Cotter Racing | 1:21:05 |
Mario Andretti was credited with winning the pole position for the Norton-Michigan 500, although he started 33rd due to a pre-race practice accident. Rick Mears started on the pole and both he and Andretti were credited with pole positions.