The 1998 CART PPG/Dayton Indy Lights Championship consisted of 14 races. Future 2002 CART champion and Formula One driver Cristiano da Matta captured four wins on his way to the championship.
The scoring system was 20-16-14-12-10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 points awarded to the first 12 (twelve) finishers, with 1 (one) extra point given to the driver who took pole-position, and another extra point given to the driver who led most laps in the race.
Team and driver chart The following drivers and teams competed in the series: TeamDriversRound(s)Brian Stewart Racing4 Sérgio Paese1431–11 Wim Eyckmans12–145 Mattias Andersson1–3 Luiz Garcia Jr.4–14Conquest Racing11 Andy BossAll21 Felipe GiaffoneAllDorricott Racing30 Bud Kaeding4–5, 10, 1431 Philipp PeterAll32 Oriol ServiàAllGenoa Racing61 Eric Jensen2 Cory Witherill7, 12–14Indy Regency Racing16 Shigeaki HattoriAll28 Rodolfo Lavín1–7, 9–10, 12–13Irish Motorsports / Bordin Racing56 Tim Moser2Johansson Motorsports6 Guy SmithAll7 Luiz Garcia Jr.1–2Lucas Place Motorsports14 Geoff BossAll15 Brian CunninghamAllMattco Raceworks77 Tony Renna1–11, 13–14 Mark Hotchkis12783–6 Chris Simmons1–2, 7–1479 Mark Hotchkis14Mears Racing Team8 Clint Mears1, 3–6, 8, 10, 13–149 Casey Mears1–6, 8, 10, 13–14PacWest Lights17 Paul Morris1–12 Paul Jasper1418 Didier AndréAllQuaker State Team Go Herdez Competition Team87 Jorge Goeters1–11, 14 Mario Domínguez12–1388 Derek HigginsAllTasman Motorsports1 Airton DaréAll2 Cristiano da MattaAllTeam KOOL Green26 Mark Hotchkis1127 Naoki HattoriAllTeam Rahal41 Mike BorkowskiAll
Schedule Rd.DateTrackLocation1March 15 Homestead-Miami SpeedwayHomestead, Florida2April 5 Long Beach Street CircuitLong Beach, California3April 27 Nazareth SpeedwayNazareth, Pennsylvania4May 23 Gateway International RacewayMadison, Illinois5May 31 Milwaukee MileWest Allis, Wisconsin6June 7 The Raceway at Belle Isle ParkDetroit, Michigan7June 21 Portland International RacewayPortland, Oregon8July 12 Cleveland Burke Lakefront AirportCleveland, Ohio9July 19 Exhibition PlaceToronto, Ontario10July 25 Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, Michigan11August 2 Circuit Trois-RivièresTrois-Rivières, Quebec12September 6 Streets of VancouverVancouver, British Columbia13September 13 Laguna Seca RacewayMonterey, California14October 31 California SpeedwayFontana, California
Race results RoundCircuitPole positionFastest lapMost laps ledRace WinnerDriverTeam1 Homestead-Miami Speedway Sérgio Paese Shigeaki Hattori Shigeaki Hattori Shigeaki HattoriIndy Regency Racing2 Long Beach Street Circuit Didier André Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da MattaTasman Motorsports3 Nazareth Speedway Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da MattaTasman Motorsports4 Gateway International Raceway Jorge Goeters Shigeaki Hattori Shigeaki Hattori Shigeaki HattoriIndy Regency Racing5 Milwaukee Mile Sérgio Paese Derek Higgins Derek Higgins Derek HigginsHerdez Competition Team6 The Raceway at Belle Isle Park Airton Daré Airton Daré Airton Daré Airton DaréTasman Motorsports7 Portland International Raceway Guy Smith Didier André Guy Smith Guy SmithJohansson Motorsports8 Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport Luiz Garcia Jr. Sérgio Paese Luiz Garcia Jr. Luiz Garcia Jr.Brian Stewart Racing9 Exhibition Place Guy Smith Luiz Garcia Jr. Guy Smith Guy SmithJohansson Motorsports10 Michigan International Speedway Tony Renna Sérgio Paese Tony Renna Tony RennaMattco Raceworks11 Circuit Trois-Rivières Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da MattaTasman Motorsports12 Streets of Vancouver Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da Matta Cristiano da MattaTasman Motorsports13 Laguna Seca Raceway Didier André Chris Simmons Didier André Didier AndréPacWest Lights14 California Speedway Tony Renna Airton Daré Tony Renna Mark HotchkisMattco Raceworks
Race summaries Homestead race March 15, 1998 Homestead-Miami Speedway, Miami, Florida Pole position: Sérgio Paese, 0:30.098,
Top Five Finishers Fin.Pos St.Pos CarNo. Driver Team Laps Time LapsLed Points 1 2 16 Shigeaki Hattori Indy Regency Racing 67 52:35.077 64 21 2 4 2 Cristiano da Matta Tasman Motorsports 67 +0.468 0 16 3 7 6 Guy Smith Johansson Motorsports 67 +1.420 0 14 4 6 32 Oriol Servià Dorricott Racing 67 +5.534 0 12 5 9 78 Chris Simmons Mattco Raceworks 67 +6.853 0 10Race average speed: Lead changes: 1 between 2 driversCautions: 3 for 21 laps
Long Beach race April 5, 1998 Long Beach Grand Prix, Long Beach, California Pole position: Didier André, 0:57.108,
Top Five Finishers Fin.Pos St.Pos CarNo. Driver Team Laps Time LapsLed Points 1 2 2 Cristiano da Matta Tasman Motorsports 47 49:20.748 47 21 2 4 14 Geoff Boss Lucas Place Motorsports 47 +0.459 0 16 3 6 27 Naoki Hattori Team KOOL Green 47 +1.083 0 14 4 5 31 Philipp Peter Dorricott Racing 47 +3.378 0 12 5 1 18 Didier André PacWest Lights 47 +7.317 0 11Race average speed: Lead changes: noneCautions: 2 for 6 laps
Nazareth race April 27, 1998 Nazareth Speedway, Nazareth, Pennsylvania Pole position: Cristiano da Matta, 0:22.408,
Top Five Finishers Fin.Pos St.Pos CarNo. Driver Team Laps Time LapsLed Points 1 1 2 Cristiano da Matta Tasman Motorsports 100 55:56.268 100 22 2 9 18 Didier André PacWest Lights 100 +14.174 0 16 3 8 9 Casey Mears Mears Racing Team 100 +14.745 0 14 4 5 15 Brian Cunningham Lucas Place Motorsports 100 +17.914 0 12 5 11 1 Airton Daré Tasman Motorsports 100 +18.725 0 10Race average speed: Lead changes: noneCautions: 2 for 30 laps
Gateway race Held May 23 at Gateway International Raceway. Jorge Goeters won the pole. No qualifying held due to rain. The line up was based on combined practice times.
Top Five Results Shigeaki Hattori Philipp Peter Cristiano da Matta Felipe Giaffone Jorge Goeters
Milwaukee race Held May 31 at The Milwaukee Mile. Sérgio Paese won the pole.
Top Five Results Derek Higgins Felipe Giaffone Sérgio Paese Geoff Boss Tony Renna
Detroit race Held June 7 at Belle Isle Raceway. Airton Daré won the pole.
Top Five Results Airton Daré Cristiano da Matta Geoff Boss Mark Hotchkis Didier André
Portland race Held June 21 at Portland International Raceway. Guy Smith won the pole.
Top Five Results Guy Smith Felipe Giaffone Luiz Garcia Jr. Airton Daré Brian Cunningham
Cleveland race Held July 12 at Burke Lakefront Airport. Luiz Garcia Jr. won the pole.
Top Five Results Luiz Garcia Jr. Derek Higgins Didier André Guy Smith Tony Renna
Toronto race Held July 19 at Exhibition Place. Guy Smith won the pole.
Top Five Results Guy Smith Naoki Hattori Chris Simmons Philipp Peter Didier André
Michigan race Held July 25 at Michigan International Speedway. Tony Renna won the pole.
Top Five Results Tony Renna Cristiano da Matta Sérgio Paese Andy Boss Oriol Servià
Trois-Rivières race Held August 2 at the Trois-Rivières, Quebec Street Circuit. Cristiano da Matta won the pole.
Top Five Results Cristiano da Matta Oriol Servià Naoki Hattori Guy Smith Didier André
Vancouver race Held September 6 at Pacific Place. Cristiano da Matta won the pole.
Top Five Results Cristiano da Matta Derek Higgins Airton Daré Mike Borkowski Felipe Giaffone
Laguna Seca race Held September 13 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Didier André won the pole.
Top Five Results Didier André Oriol Servià Derek Higgins Geoff Boss Naoki Hattori
Fontana race Held October 31 at The California Speedway. Tony Renna won the pole.
Top Five Results Mark Hotchkis Felipe Giaffone Tony Renna Cory Witherill Didier André
Championship standings
Drivers' championship
Scoring system
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th Points20161412108654321
The driver who qualifies on pole is awarded one additional point. An additional point is awarded to the driver who leads the most laps in a race. Pos DriverHMSLBHNAZGATMILDETPORCLETORMICTROVANLAGFONPoints1 Cristiano da Matta 2 1* 1* 3 10 2 20 22 15 2 1* 1* 22 111542 Didier André 14 5 2 12 15 5 8 3 5 7 5 6 1* 51233 Guy Smith 3 8 21 11 22 8 1* 4 1* 6 4 8 15 101104 Felipe Giaffone 19 24 8 4 2 9 2 8 6 9 6 5 18 21045 Derek Higgins 7 21 15 6 1* 12 10 2 17 13 10 2 3 7946 Airton Daré 17 9 5 9 8 1* 4 13 8 19 21 3 11 15787 Oriol Servià 4 19 13 16 14 6 21 6 10 5 2 19 2 25738 Tony RennaDNS 12 10 22 5 15 12 5 21 1* 20 8 3*689 Geoff Boss 9 2 12 15 4 3 11 20 19 14 19 7 4 186710 Naoki Hattori18 3 7 8 1223 16 17 2 16 317 5 176611 Philipp Peter 11 419 2 9 1022 7 423 11 9 16 126212 Luiz Garcia Jr.22 10 20 1121 3 1* 11 1512 16 6 66013 Sérgio Paese21 620 10 322 6 18 9 313265314 Shigeaki Hattori 1* 11 14 1*21201821 162016 13 9 95215 Mark Hotchkis 9 21 7 4 7 11 15016 Jorge Goeters16 15 11 51 6 16 9 9 72115 203417 Casey Mears 10 13 3 7 1619 10 1121 83318 Brian Cunningham 1222 42320 7 5 12 142218 1020243319 Chris Simmons 523 14 15 3 10 818 13 143220 Andy Boss 13 16 6 13 17 1419 11 13 41422 14 132221 Paul Morris 62022 1824 13 719 20 Wth 9201822 Mike Borkowski2025 16 19 18 11 15 14 121817 4 17231523 Cory Witherill 13 15 12 41324 Clint MearsDNS18 17 19 17 16 8 1022825 Mattias Andersson15 717626 Mario Domínguez 14 7627 Rodolfo Lavín 818DNS24 13 1817 18 172123528 Bud Kaeding 14 23 12 16129 Wim Eyckmans 1219 19130 Tim Moser 14031 Eric Jensen 17032 Paul Jasper 210PosDriverHMSLBHNAZGATMILDETPORCLETORMICTROVANLAGFON Points Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th & 5th place Light Blue 6th–10th place Dark Blue Finished(Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish Red Did not qualify(DNQ) Brown Withdrawn(Wth) Black Disqualified(DSQ) White Did not start(DNS) Blank Did notparticipate(DNP) Not competingIn-line notationBoldPole position(1 point)ItalicsRan fastest race lap*Led most race laps(2 points)1Qualifying cancelledno bonus point awarded Ties in points broken by number of wins, or best finishes.
Footnotes