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1985 American Championship Car season
Series  : IndyCar
Champion : 25px United States Al Unser
Previous: 1984 Next: 1986

The 1985 IndyCar season, the seventh in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing, consisted of 15 races, beginning in , California on April 14 and concluding in Miami, Florida on November 10. The PPG Indy Car World Series Drivers' Champion was Al Unser and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Danny Sullivan. Rookie of the Year was Arie Luyendyk. The 69th Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by the USAC, but counted in the CART points standings.

Drivers and Teams[]

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1985 Indy Car World Series season. All cars used Goodyear tires.

Team Chassis Engine No* Drivers Sponsor Notes
Penske Racing March 85C Cosworth 4 (5) 25px USA Danny Sullivan Miller American
5 (1) 25px USA Rick Mears Pennzoil Z-7 Raced by Mears at Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Michigan (both races) and Pocono. Raced by Unser at all other races.
25px USA Al Unser
11 Hertz/Gould Charge Indianapolis, Michigan (1) and Pocono with Hertz sponsorship, Michigan 2 with Gould Charge sponsorship
Doug Shierson Racing Lola T900 Cosworth 30 25px USA Al Unser, Jr. Domino's Pizza
Truesports Co. March 85C Cosworth 3 (10) 25px USA Bobby Rahal Budweiser
8 25px Canada Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. Red Roof Inns Mid-Ohio only
Newman/Haas Racing Lola T900 Cosworth 1 (3) 25px USA Mario Andretti Beatrice Jones replaced Andretti at Road America
25px Australia Alan Jones
Patrick Racing March 85C Cosworth 20 25px Italy Bruno Giacomelli STP Oil Treatment Giacomelli: Long Beach, Portland, Meadowlands, Cleveland, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Sanair, Laguna Seca and Miami. Johncock: Indianapolis. Swindell: Michigan (1) and Pocono. Whittington: Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Michigan (2), Phoenix
25px USA Gordon Johncock
25px USA Sammy Swindell
25px USA Don Whittington
40 25px Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi 7-Eleven/STP
60 25px USA Rich Vogler Kentucky Fried Chicken Indianapolis Only
All American Racers Eagle 85GC/Lola T900 Cosworth 2 25px USA Tom Sneva Skoal Bandit Raced an Eagle 85 for Long Beach, Indianapolis and Milwaukee, a Lola T900 for Portland, Sanair, Laguna Seca and Phoenix, and an Eagle 85GC for the remainder of the races
Lola T900 97 25px USA Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. Indianapolis Only
Eagle 85GC/Lola T900 98 25px USA Ed Pimm Raced an Eagle 85 at Long Beach and Indianapolis, a Lola T900 at Milwaukee, and an Eagle 85GC for the remainder of the races. Did not appear at Cleveland.
Kraco Racing March 85C Cosworth 18 25px USA Kevin Cogan Kraco/Wolff Systems
99 25px USA Michael Andretti Electrolux/Kraco
Alex Morales Racing March 85C Cosworth 21 25px USA Johnny Rutherford Vermont American
Machinists Union Racing March 85C Cosworth 55 25px Mexico Josele Garza Schaefer/Machinists Union
59 25px USA Pete Halsmer Copenhagen/Machinists Union/Scot Lad Foods Halsmer: Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Portland, Meadowlands, Cleveland, and Michigan (2). Keegan: Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca and Miami. Ganassi: Michigan (1)
25px UK Rupert Keegan
25px USA Chip Ganassi
Galles Racing March 85C Buick/Cosworth 6 25px USA Pancho Carter Valvoline/Buick Hawk Carter raced at Long Beach, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Portland, Cleveland, Michigan (both), Pocono, Sanair, and Phoenix. Moreno raced at Meadowlands, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca, and Miami. Buick engine for Long Beach and Indianpolis only.
25px Brazil Roberto Moreno
Cosworth 7 25px Australia Geoff Brabham Coors Light
Team Cotter March 85C Cosworth 9 25px Flag of Colombia Roberto Guerrero True Value/Master Mechanic DNS at Meadowlands due to practice wreck
Forsythe Racing Lola T900 Cosworth 32/33 25px USA Howdy Holmes Jiffy Mixes/Indeck Holmes in with No. 33 at all races except Laguna (accident), Phoenix and Miami. Lammers at Laguna (#32), Phoenix (#32) and Miami (#33)
25px Netherlands Jan Lammers
Pace Racing March 84C/Lola T900 Cosworth 36 25px Australia Dennis Firestone Pace Electronics A March 84C was raced in the first six races, and a Lola T900 was raced in the remainder. Firestone raced the car in the first 13 rounds, Bigelow relieved Firestone at Michigan (1), and Crawford raced the car in the final two rounds.
25px USA Tom Bigelow
25px UK Jim Crawford
Dick Simon Racing March 85C Cosworth 22/23 25px Brazil Raúl Boesel Break Free No. 22 raced by Simon on ovals and Boesel on road/street circuits. No. 23 raced by Simon at Meadowlands, and Boesel at Indianapolis and Michigan (1)
25px USA Dick Simon
Leader Card Racing March 84C/March 85C Cosworth 24 25px USA Rocky Moran Justice Brothers/Leader Card/Kentucky Fried Chicken Moran raced at Long Beach (84C), and DNQ'd at Portland (85C) and Meadowlands (84C)
March 84C/March 85C 25px USA Tom Bigelow Kentucky Fried Chicken/Palace Display Vans/Menard/Leader Card Racers Bigelow was listed on the Indianapolis (85C) entry, and raced the car at Milwaukee (85C), Michigan (1)(84C) and Pocono (85C)
March 84C 25px USA Phil Krueger Leader Card Racers Krueger DNQ at Cleveland
March 85C 25px USA Herm Johnson Leader Card Racers/Menard Johnson raced at Road America and Mid-Ohio
March 85C 25px USA Gary Bettenhausen Leader Card Racers/Menard Bettenhausen raced at Sanair, Phoenix and DNS at Michigan (2)
March 84C/March 85C 25px USA Dominic Dobson Leader Card Dobson DNS at Meadowlands (84C), and raced at Laguna Seca (85C) and Miami (85C)
Part-time entries
Canadian Tire Racing March 85C Cosworth 67 25px UK Jim Crawford Canadian Tire Sanair only
76 25px Canada Jacques Villeneuve Villeneuve at all races except Indianapolis, Michigan (both) and Pocono. Parsons at Indianapolis.
25px USA Johnny Parsons
Provimi Racing Lola T900 Cosworth 61 25px Netherlands Arie Luyendyk Provimi Veal All races except Michigan (WD), Pocono and Mid-Ohio (wreck in practice)
Wysard Racing Lola T900 Cosworth 34 25px UK Jim Crawford Canadian Tire/Malcolm Konner Crawford at Long Beach, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Meadowlands and Cleveland, Brassfield at Miami. Canadian Tire sponsorship at Indianapolis only, Malcolm Konner sponsorship at Meadowlands only.
25px USA Darin Brassfield
Arciero Racing Lola T900/March 85C Cosworth 12 25px USA Bill Whittington Arciero Wines Whittington at all races except Michigan 1, Pocono, Sanair and Phoenix, Lanier at Phoenix. Lola T900 at all races except Michigan (2) and Miami
25px USA Randy Lanier
Lola T900 57 Long Beach, Indianapolis, Portland, Meadowlands, Cleveland, Road America, Mid-Ohio, Laguna Seca and Miami
Hemelgarn Racing Lola T900/March 85C Cosworth 71 25px Flag of the Republic of Ireland Michael Roe SPA*erobics/WTTV/Living Well/Autostyle Roe at Long Beach, Indianapolis, Portland, Meadowlands, Cleveland, Gehlhausen at Milwaukee and Michigan 1, Mansilla at Road America, Mid-Ohio, Sanair, and Brayton at Laguna Seca, Phoenix and Miami. Lola T900 at all races except Sanair. Living Well sponsorship at all races except Long Beach. SPA*erobics at all races except Indianapolis, WTTV at Indianapolis only, and Autostyle at all races Brayton drove.
25px USA Spike Gehlhausen
25px Argentina Enrique Mansilla
25px USA Scott Brayton
Brayton Racing March 85C Cosworth/
Buick
37 25px USA Scott Brayton Dreisbach & Sons/Hardee's/Jolly Rancher Buick engine at Indianapolis and Milwaukee, Dreisbach & Sons sponsorship at Long Beach and Michigan (2), Hardee's sponsorship at Indianapolis and Milwaukee, and Jolly Rancher sponsorship at Portland, Meadowlands, Cleveland, Michigan (1) and Pocono.
Interscope Racing March 85C Cosworth 25 25px USA Danny Ongais Interscope Racing Long Beach, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Michigan (both), Pocono, Phoenix and Miami only
AMI Racing March 85C Cosworth 43 25px USA John Paul, Jr. Satellite Technology Paul Jr. at Indianapolis and Cleveland, Lammers at Portland and Meadowlands
25px Netherlands Jan Lammers
Gohr Racing March 85C Chevy 56 25px USA Steve Chassey Genesee Beer Raced at all rounds except Long Beach and Sanair
Circle Bar Racing Lola T900 Cosworth 38 25px USA Chet Fillip Circle Bar Truck Corral Indianapolis (DNQ), Milwaukee, Cleveland and Michigan (1) only
Menard Cashway Lumber March 85C Cosworth 8 25px USA Herm Johnson Menard Cashway Lumber Indianapolis only (DNQ)
Tom Hess Racing Lola T800 Cosworth 27 (29) 25px USA Dick Ferguson Kapsreiter Bier Long Beach only
Lola T900 25px Flag of the Republic of Ireland Derek Daly Indianapolis only
25px USA Jeff Wood Colin Bennett Cleveland only
25px UK Ian Ashley Hess Racing Miami only
Purcell Racing March 83C Cosworth 50 25px USA Tom Bieglow Zanetis Indianapolis only, neither car qualified
25px USA Phil Krueger
51 Drilling & Producing
25px USA Jerry Karl
A. J. Foyt Enterprises March 85C/Lola T900 Cosworth 14 25px USA A. J. Foyt Copenhagen/Gilmore Entered at Indianapolis, Meadowlands, Cleveland, Michigan (1), Pocono, Sanair, Phoenix and Miami. Ran Sanair with Lola T900.
March 84C 41 25px USA Mike Nish Gilmore/Foyt Indianapolis (DNQ) and Phoenix (DQ, Practice) only
March 85C Chevy 44 25px USA George Snider Foyt Chevrolet Indianapolis only
Cosworth 84 25px USA Chip Ganassi Calumet Farms Indianapolis only
Dale Coyne Racing Lola T800 Chevy 19 25px USA Dale Coyne Dale Coyne Racing Entered all rounds except Indianapolis and Sanair
Theodore Racing Theodore Cosworth 15 25px Brazil Chico Serra Ensign Racing Portland only
  • - The number in parenthesis is the number the car used at the Indianapolis 500, if a different number was used.

Race winners[]

Round Date Event Name Event Location Winner
1 April 14 25px USA Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Long Beach, California 25px USA Mario Andretti
2 May 26 25px USA Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway 25px USA Danny Sullivan
3 June 2 25px USA Dana-Rex Mays Classic at Milwaukee Milwaukee Mile 25px USA Mario Andretti
4 June 16 25px USA Stroh's/G. I. Joe's 200 at Portland Portland International Raceway 25px USA Mario Andretti
5 June 30 25px USA Meadowlands United States Grand Prix Meadowlands Sports Complex 25px USA Al Unser, Jr.
6 July 7 25px USA Budweiser Cleveland Grand Prix Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport 25px USA Al Unser, Jr.
7 July 28 25px USA Michigan 500 Michigan International Speedway 25px Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi
8 August 4 25px USA Provimi Veal 200 at Road America Road America 25px Canada Jacques Villeneuve
9 August 18 25px USA Domino's Pizza 500 at Pocono Pocono Raceway 25px USA Rick Mears
10 September 1 25px USA Escort 200 at Mid Ohio Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course 25px USA Bobby Rahal
11 September 8 25px Canada Molson Indy 300 at Sanair Super Speedway Sanair Super Speedway 25px USA Johnny Rutherford
12 September 22 25px USA Detroit News 200 at Michigan International Speedway Michigan International Speedway 25px USA Bobby Rahal
13 October 6 25px USA Stroh's 300K at Laguna Seca Laguna Seca Raceway 25px USA Bobby Rahal
14 October 13 25px USA Dana 150 at Phoenix Phoenix International Raceway 25px USA Al Unser
15 November 20 25px USA Beatrice Indy Challenge Miami, Florida 25px USA Danny Sullivan

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  Oval/Speedway

<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />

  Road Course/Street Circuit
  • Indianapolis was USAC-sanctioned but counted towards the CART title.

Full Series results[]

Drivers[]

Pos Driver LB IND MIL POR MEA CLE MIC1 ROA POC MDO SAN MIC2 LAG PIR MIA Pts
1 25px USA Al Unser 5 4 4 3 3 2* 7 3 27 13* 12 2 1

*

4 151
2 25px USA Al Unser Jr. 9 25 7 2* 1* 1 15 17* 2* 4 3 23 3 2 3 150
3 25px USA Bobby Rahal 27 27 9 20 25 28 6 4 4 1

*

10 1

*

1

*

6 2

*

133
4 25px USA Danny Sullivan 3 1 4 27 18 27 14 13 5 2 5 8 8 4 1 126
5 25px USA Mario Andretti 1

*

2* 1

*

1 26 14* 10 7 7 15 21 11 3 27 114
6 25px Brazil Emerson Fittipaldi 2 13 8 3 2 8 1 5 6 8 25 13 24 8 26 104
7 25px USA Tom Sneva 8 20 2 24 6 11 3 21 8 15 7 5 19 19 21 66
8 25px Canada Jacques Villeneuve 7 DNQ 22 23 21 4 1 3 11 25 13 17 54
9 25px USA Michael Andretti 19 8 19 28 4 7 27 2 13 14 19 25 9 5 25 53
10 25px USA Rick Mears 21 3 30 1 2 51
11 25px USA Johnny Rutherford 10 6 23 9 14 15 4 DNS 14 22 1 9 21 26 19 51
12 25px Mexico Josele Garza 28 31 7 12 27 6 19 18 26 11 6 6 7 10 9 46
13 25px USA Ed Pimm 12 9 21 19 DNS 5 11 20 9 8 3 14 9 12 45
14 25px USA Kevin Cogan 23 11 16 5 7 9 7 25 17 21 9 4 17 22 24 44
15 25px Australia Geoff Brabham 6 19 12 14 24 2 29 15 19 13 4 16 10 12 22 41
16 25px USA Pancho Carter 13 33 5 13 16 16 12 2 10 7 37
17 25px Flag of Colombia Roberto Guerrero 26 3 6 15 DNS 19 13 19 18 18 23 24 4 21 28 34
18 25px Netherlands Arie Luyendyk 17 7 17 21 10 5 Wth 6 DNS 18 15 22 25 7 33
19 25px Italy Bruno Giacomelli 18 10 5 10 22 6 16 6 14 32
20 25px UK Jim Crawford 4 16 DNS 9 13 20 15 16 16
21 25px USA Bill Whittington 16 14 DNS 26 16 24 24 5 17 DNQ 8 15
22 25px USA Scott Brayton 11 30 DNQ 6 15 25 8 16 22 26 18 DNQ 15
23 25px Australia Alan Jones 3 14
24 25px USA Danny Ongais DNQ 17 20 22 7 14 6 14
25 25px USA Howdy Holmes 14 10 11 17 13 22 9 10 21 16 21 18 DNS 12
26 25px Netherlands Jan Lammers 16 12 5 20 13 11
27 25px Flag of the Republic of Ireland Michael Roe 21 DNQ 7 8 26 11
28 25px Brazil Roberto Moreno 28 16 25 16 5 10
29 25px USA Johnny Parsons 5 10
30 25px Brazil Raul Boesel 20 18 11 11 12 28 8 23 20 23 10
31 25px Argentina Enrique Mansilla 9 10 12 8
32 25px USA Pete Halsmer DNQ 15 8 19 11 7
33 25px Australia Dennis Firestone 22 DNQ 20 18 DNQ 21 11 20 9 17 14 DNS 23 6
34 25px USA Steve Chassey DNQ DNS DNQ 20 DNS 12 26 11 12 14 15 11 DNQ 6
35 25px UK Rupert Keegan 19 12 10 4
36 25px USA Dick Simon 26 13 17 25 10 17 19 DNQ 3
37 25px USA Chet Fillip DNQ 10 18 17 3
38 25px USA Dominic Dobson DNS 18 11 2
39 25px USA Herm Johnson DNQ 12 24 1
40 25px Flag of the Republic of Ireland Derek Daly 12 1
41 25px USA Randy Lanier 24 DNQ 22 22 20 14 20 13 17 15 0
42 25px USA Spike Gehlhausen 14 18 0
43 25px USA John Paul, Jr. 15 17 0
44 25px USA Phil Krueger DNQ DNQ 21 15 0
45 25px USA Rocky Moran 15 DNQ DNQ 0
46 25px USA Gary Bettenhausen 22 DNS 16 0
47 25px USA Tom Bigelow DNQ 18 26 23 0
48 25px UK Ian Ashley 18 0
49 25px USA A.J. Foyt 28 23 24 24 23 20 0
50 25px USA Don Whittington 24 DNQ 20 24 0
51 25px USA Chip Ganassi 22 22 0
52 25px USA Dale Coyne DNQ DNS DNQ DNQ DNS 24 23 27 28 DNS 27 DNQ DNQ 0
53 25px USA Sammy Swindell 23 25 0
54 25px USA Rich Vogler 23 0
55 25px USA Jeff Wood 23 0
56 25px USA Dick Ferguson 25 DNQ 0
57 25px Brazil Chico Serra 25 0
58 25px Canada Ludwig Heimrath, Jr. 26 0
59 25px USA Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. 29 0
60 25px USA George Snider 32 0
25px USA Darin Brassfield DNQ -
25px USA Frank Chianelli DNQ -
25px USA Tom Gloy DNS -
25px USA Gordon Johncock Wth -
25px USA Jerry Karl DNQ -
25px USA Mike Nish DNQ EX -
25px USA Willy T. Ribbs Wth -
25px USA Ken Schrader DNP -
Pos Driver LB 25px USA IND 25px USA MIL 25px USA POR 25px USA MEA 25px USA CLE 25px USA MIC1 25px USA ROA 25px USA POC 25px USA MDO 25px USA SAN 25px Canada MIC2 25px USA LAG 25px USA PIR 25px USA MIA 25px USA Pts
Color Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green 4th & 5th place
(Top 5)
Light Blue 6th–10th place
(Top 10)
Dark Blue Finished
(Outside Top 10)
Purple Did not finish
(Ret)
Red Did not qualify
(DNQ)
Brown Withdrew
(WD)
Black Disqualified
(DSQ)
White Did not start
(DNS)
Blank Did not
participate
(DNP)
Driver
replacement
(Rpl)
Injured
(Inj)
Race not held
(NH)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
Italics Ran fastest race lap
* Led most race laps
Rookie of the Year
Rookie

Point Scoring System:

  • Points are awarded based on each driver's resulting place (regardless of whether the car is running at the end of the race):
Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Points 20 16 14 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Bonus Points:

  • 1 For Pole Position
  • 1 For Leading The Most Laps Of The Race

Highlights[]

Mario Andretti dominated the first half of the season before breaking his collarbone in a crash during the Michigan 500, the first accident of his career that would force him to miss a later race. Andretti missed the race at Road America and was replaced by another former World Champion (1980) Alan Jones of Australia. Jones, who a month later returned to F1 with the Carl Haas owned Haas Lola team, finished third in the only IndyCar start of his career.

In the Sanair race (Molson Indy Montreal), Roberto Guerrero had a strong lead until he lost control and spun. Late in the race Jacques Villeneuve collided with leader Bobby Rahal in attempt to challenge for the lead, taking both out. The race finished under a yellow flag, but the safety car entered pit lane on the final lap, and thinking there would be a final restart, Pancho Carter passed Johnny Rutherford after the safety car entered pit lane and before the finish line. CART initially declared Carter the winner, but an appeals panel later overturned the decision and confirmed Rutherford's victory. In many codes of motorsport (typically FIA Code) the safety car enters pit lane as the field is on the final lap, and the cars cross the checkered flag together without the safety car on course. However, this practice is not accepted in North America, where the safety car leads the leaders to the finish line if the safety car situation exists.

Al Unser, Sr. won the season championship. Unser drove primarily in a substitution role for Penske's regular driver Rick Mears, who was recovering from leg injuries suffered in 1984. Mears ran only a partial schedule including the Indy 500 and a few other oval events.

Going into the final race of the season at Miami, the father and son duo of Al Unser, Sr. and Al Unser, Jr. emerged 1-2 in the championship points standings. In the closing laps of the final race, Danny Sullivan was leading, with Unser, Jr. in third. Roberto Moreno was running 4th and Al Unser, Sr. was fifth. As it stood, Unser, Jr. was tentatively the points leader, but Al Sr. was charging. With a few laps left in the race, Unser, Sr. passed Moreno for 4th position, and at the checkered flag, clinched the championship by 1 point over his son Al Jr.

References[]





See also[]

Template:Champ Car Seasons

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