1990 CART PPG Indy Car World Series
The 1990 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 12th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 16 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Al Unser, Jr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Eddie Cheever. The 1990 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Arie Luyendyk won the Indy 500, his first-ever victory in championship-level competition, and the fastest 500 until the 2013 Indianapolis 500.
Al Unser, Jr. won a total of six races, one pole position, and had a total of ten podium finishes en route to the championship. He finished 4th at Indy, and won his first career oval race a week later at Milwaukee. He also tied a series record by winning four consecutive races during a stretch in July–August. Unser's victory at the Michigan 500 was his first superspeedway win. Michael Andretti was Unser's nearest competitor, winning five races and four poles. Andretti narrowed Unser's points lead to 37 points with two key victories late in the season. In the second-to-last race of the season at Nazareth, Unser crashed out, giving Andretti a huge opportunity to close the gap. Andretti managed only a 6th-place finish, and could not capitalize on Unser's misfortune. Unser left Nazareth with a 27-point lead, enough to clinch the championship regardless of the results at the season finale at Laguna Seca.
For 1990, Bobby Rahal's team owned by Maurice Kranes merged with Rick Galles's and it became a two-car effort known as Galles-KRACO Racing. Al Unser, Jr. and Rahal became teammates, and Rahal got use of the Chevy Ilmor V-8 engine for the first time. Despite the upgrade in equipment, Rahal suffered a snake bitten season in 1990, finishing second five times, including runner-up finishes at both the Indy 500 and the Michigan 500. Despite finishing in the points in 14 races, it was the first season of his Indy car career he failed to win any races, and he managed only a 4th-place ranking in the final championship standings. Other team and driver shifts for 1990 included shake-ups at Penske and Patrick. Emerson Fittipaldi left Patrick Racing to join the Penske, and the original Patrick Racing Team transferred ownership to Chip Ganassi to become Chip Ganassi Racing. Pat Patrick returned with a new team, taking over the Alfa Romeo Indy car effort.
Drivers and constructors
The following teams and drivers competed for the 1990 Indy Car World Series.Team | Chassis | Engine | Tires | No | Drivers | Notes |
Newman/Haas Racing | Lola | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 3 | Michael Andretti | All |
Newman/Haas Racing | Lola | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 6 | Mario Andretti | All |
Doug Shierson Racing | Lola | Judd | Goodyear | 11/28 | Scott Goodyear | All |
Doug Shierson Racing | Lola | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 30 | Arie Luyendyk | All |
Patrick Racing | March/ Lola | Alfa Romeo | Goodyear | 20 | Roberto Guerrero | All except 9 |
Patrick Racing | March/ Lola | Alfa Romeo | Goodyear | 40 | Al Unser | 3, 10 |
Porsche North America | March | Porsche | Goodyear | 4 | Teo Fabi | All |
Porsche North America | March | Porsche | Goodyear | 41 | John Andretti | All |
Team Penske | Penske | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 1 | Emerson Fittipaldi | All |
Team Penske | Penske | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 2 | Rick Mears | All |
Team Penske | Penske | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 7 | Danny Sullivan | All |
Galles-Kraco Racing | Lola | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 5 | Al Unser, Jr. | All |
Galles-Kraco Racing | Lola | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 18 | Bobby Rahal | All |
Truesports | Lola | Judd | Goodyear | 8/19 | Raul Boesel | All |
Truesports | Lola | Judd | Goodyear | 21 | Geoff Brabham | 3 |
Chip Ganassi Racing | Penske/Lola | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 15/25 | Eddie Cheever | All |
Leader Card Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 29 | Pancho Carter | 1, 3-10 |
Leader Card Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 29 | Wally Dallenbach, Jr. | 11, 13, 16 |
U.S. Engineering | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 44 | Jeff Wood | 1, 3, 5, 7-11, 13-14, 16 |
Bettenhausen Motorsports | Lola | Cosworth/Buick | Goodyear | 16 | Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. | All except 1, 12, and 16 |
Bettenhausen Motorsports | Lola | Cosworth/Buick | Goodyear | 16 | Guido Daccò | 2 |
Euromotorsport | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 50 | Guido Daccò | 1 |
Euromotorsport | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 50 | Mike Groff | 3, 5-16 |
Greenfield Engineering | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 42 | Michael Greenfield | 4, 7-9, 11, 13-15 |
Team Menard | Lola | Buick | Goodyear | 51/15 | Jim Crawford | 1, 3 |
Team Menard | Lola | Buick | Goodyear | 51 | Gary Bettenhausen | 3 |
Arciero Racing | Penske | Buick/Cosworth | Goodyear | 12 | Randy Lewis | All |
Arciero Racing | Penske | Buick/Cosworth | Goodyear | 24 | Steve Bren | 2 |
Arciero Racing | Penske | Buick/Cosworth | Goodyear | 24 | Buddy Lazier | 10 |
Arciero Racing | Penske | Buick/Cosworth | Goodyear | 8 | Rich Vogler | 3 |
Dick Simon Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 10 | Hiro Matsushita | 2, 5-6, 8, 11-16 |
Dick Simon Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 22 | Scott Brayton | All |
Dick Simon Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 23/10 | Tero Palmroth | 3, 6, 8, 10 |
Dick Simon Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 23 | Joe Sposato | 16 |
Dale Coyne Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 19/39 | Dean Hall | All except 15 |
Gohr Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 56 | Rocky Moran | 3 |
Gohr Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 56 | Jon Beekhuis | 10 |
Gohr Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 56 | John Morton | 6 |
Gohr Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 56 | Fulvio Ballabio | 16 |
A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Lola | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 14 | A. J. Foyt | All except 15-16 |
A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Lola | Chevrolet | Goodyear | 14 | Didier Theys | 16 |
Vince Granatelli Racing | Lola/Penske | Buick | Goodyear | 9/70 | Didier Theys | 1-3, 5-9, 11-13 |
Vince Granatelli Racing | Lola/Penske | Buick | Goodyear | 11 | Kevin Cogan | 3 |
Vince Granatelli Racing | Lola/Penske | Buick | Goodyear | 9 | Tom Sneva | 3 |
Bayside Motorsports | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 86 | Dominic Dobson | 1-3, 5-6, 8-9, 11-12, 14, 16 |
P. I. G. Racing | Lola | Judd | Goodyear | 31 | Jon Beekhuis | 2, 5, 9, 11-14, 16 |
Raynor Racing | Lola | Judd | Goodyear | 25 | Willy T. Ribbs | 2, 5, 8-9, 11-13, 16 |
Mann Motorsports | Lola | Buick | Goodyear | 93 | John Paul, Jr. | 3 |
Hemelgarn Racing | Lola | Buick | Goodyear | 71/81 | Bill Vukovich III | 3, 10 |
Hemelgarn Racing | Lola | Buick | Goodyear | 71/91 | Buddy Lazier | 3, 5-7, 9, 11-15 |
Kent Baker Racing | Lola | Buick | Goodyear | 97 | Stan Fox | 3 |
Andale Racing | Lola | Buick | Goodyear | 69 | Bernard Jourdain | 3 |
Burns Racing Team | Lola | Judd | Goodyear | 66 | Guido Daccò | 3 |
TEAMKAR International | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 27/98 | Jeff Andretti | 3-4 |
TEAMKAR International | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 98 | Kenji Momota | 3 |
Conseco Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 17 | Kevin Cogan | 10 |
Conseco Racing | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 17 | Johnny Rutherford | 3 |
Walther Motorsports | Penske | Cosworth | Goodyear | 77 | Salt Walther | 3, 10 |
Nu-Tech Motorsports | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 33 | Guido Daccò | 5, 9, 14-16 |
Spirit of Vancouver | Lola | Cosworth | Goodyear | 27 | Ross Bentley | 12 |
Season Summary
Schedule
Rd | Date | Race Name | Track | City |
1 | April 8 | Autoworks 200 | Phoenix International Raceway | Phoenix, Arizona |
2 | April 22 | Grand Prix of Long Beach | Long Beach Street Circuit | Long Beach, California |
3 | May 27 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana |
4 | June 3 | Miller Genuine Draft 200 | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin |
5 | June 17 | Valvoline Detroit Grand Prix | Streets of Detroit | Detroit, Michigan |
6 | June 24 | Budweiser/G.I.Joe's 200 | Portland International Raceway | Portland, Oregon |
7 | July 8 | Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland | Burke Lakefront Airport | Cleveland, Ohio |
8 | July 15 | Marlboro Grand Prix | Meadowlands Street Circuit | East Rutherford, New Jersey |
9 | July 22 | Molson Indy Toronto | Exhibition Place | Toronto, Ontario |
10 | August 5 | Marlboro 500 | Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan |
11 | August 26 | Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Denver | Streets of Denver | Denver, Colorado |
12 | September 2 | Molson Indy Vancouver | Streets of Vancouver | Vancouver, British Columbia |
13 | September 16 | Red Roof Inns 200 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, Ohio |
14 | September 23 | Texaco-Havoline 200 | Road America | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin |
NC | October 6 | Marlboro Challenge | Nazareth Speedway | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania |
15 | October 7 | Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix | Nazareth Speedway | Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania |
16 | October 21 | Champion Spark Plug 300k | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca | Monterey, California |
- The Toronto race was supposed to run 183 miles, but was shortened by rain.
Oval/Speedway
Dedicated road course
Temporary street circuit
NC Non-championship event
- Indianapolis was USAC-sanctioned but counted towards the CART title.
Race results
Final driver standings
Nation's Cup
[Chassis] Constructor's Cup
[Engine] Manufacturer's Cup
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