The 1994 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 16th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART under the name "IndyCar". The season consisted of 16 races. Al Unser Jr. was the national champion, his second CART title, and the rookie of the year was Jacques Villeneuve. The 1994 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Al Unser Jr. won the Indy 500 from the pole position, his second career victory in that event.
Marlboro Team Penske dominated the 1994 CART season, winning 12 of 16 events including the Indianapolis 500. The three-car team of Al Unser Jr. (8 wins), Emerson Fittipaldi (1 win), and Paul Tracy (3 wins) swept the top three spots in the final season points standings, and had five 1-2-3 finishes over the course of the season. The Penske Team also made headlines during the month of May, when they unveiled the new Ilmor Mercedes-Benz 500I engine. The secretly-built, 209 in3 (3.42 L) displacement purpose-built pushrod engine, which was capable of nearly was constructed specifically for the Indy 500.
Overview The season opener was won by Michael Andretti on his return to IndyCar racing after his unsuccessful season in Formula One. The rest of the 1994 season was dominated by Team Penske's PC-23 chassis, which won 12 of the 16 races. Penske driver Al Unser Jr. took the title. The Rookie of the Year title was taken by young Canadian Jacques Villeneuve. Veteran Mario Andretti retired at the end of the season.
Another major story started before the season. Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George announced plans for the formation of what would become the Indy Racing League, with an intended focus on oval track racing and predominantly American drivers. This was nearly identical to NASCAR, which at the time had all American drivers and just two (of 31) races on road courses. The 1994 IndyCar season schedule featured six oval track races (37.5%) and eleven full-time drivers were from the United States (including Italian-born Mario Andretti and German-born Dominic Dobson). ABC Sports' Paul Page said during the broadcast of the race at Surfers Paradise that this announcement, "could drastically affect what we know as IndyCar racing in the future".
Teams and drivers Newman/Haas' Nigel Mansell was expected to contend once again. He was viewed as the greatest racer in the world at the time, as his back-to-back championships in two such diverse major racing series (Formula One in 1992 and IndyCar in 1993) were unprecedented. This feat remains unmatched today. His teammate Mario Andretti announced before the season that it would be his last, though he would later attempt Le Mans a few times (speculation was that he wanted to win the race just to settle that he was in fact greater than 1967 winner A. J. Foyt, who have both been argued as the greatest ever). Newman-Haas would continue to be the leading Lola team, using the new T9400.
Marlboro Team Penske expanded to a three-car operation with defending Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, rising star Paul Tracy, and 1990 IndyCar Champion and 1992 Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr., defecting from Galles Racing after a disappointing 1993 campaign left him with just one win (Vancouver) and 7th in the standings. Penske changed to the new Ilmor engine in association with Mercedes-Benz rather than Chevrolet, who withdrew after 1993. Customer team Bettenhausen Motorsports with driver Stefan Johansson received the year-old PC-22 chassis as Penske began to utilise the new PC-23.
Rahal-Hogan Racing tackled a project: the new Honda engine. Team leader Bobby Rahal and teammate Mike Groff would face a challenge enduring the "growing pains" of the new engine. Fledgling Comptech Racing with rookie Parker Johnstone would be the only other entrant in 1994 to use the Honda engine, so Rahal and Groff would be providing the primary feedback.
Dick Simon Racing had a successful 1993 campaign with veteran Raul Boesel, who was 5th overall after a pole position at Milwaukee and 3 runner-up finishes. His new teammate would be Japanese Hiro Matsushita, replacing Scott Brayton who joined Team Menard. Simon would field a total af five cars for Indianapolis; Boesel, Matsushita, Tero Palmroth, Lyn St. James, and Hideshi Matsuda.
Galles Racing were presented with new challenges for 1994. Both of their name drivers Al Unser Jr. and Danny Sullivan departed (to Team Penske and NASCAR respectively), leaving owner Rick Galles with young Adrián Fernández. He proved his worth in Indy Lights by winning four races (in his one and only season), and looked to be Mexico's next big star (the first since Héctor Rebaque and Josele Garza). Fernandez would contest his first full season after five trial runs in 1993 (including 7th at Detroit). Team and driver would also use the brand new Reynard 94I; the company entering IndyCar racing as a first-time constructor.
Chip Ganassi Racing hired Michael Andretti following Formula one season.Ganassi would also use the Reynard chassis. Michael's teammate in 1993 was the great three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna; Senna's friend and countryman Maurício Gugelmin (another F1 veteran), in his first full season, would be Andretti's new teammate.
Indy Regency Racing hired Arie Luyendyk following his release from Ganassi Racing, thus ensuring that the 1990 Indianapolis 500 winner would not be on the sidelines. The team entered a second car at Laguna Seca for Indy Lights runner-up Franck Fréon of France.
The Forsythe/Green Racing team were new to IndyCar Racing. In 1993 they competed in CART's Formula Atlantic Championship with French-Canadian drivers Claude Bourbonnais and Jacques Villeneuve. Bourbonnais won seven times and was 2nd overall to fellow Canadian David Empringham by a mere four points, while Villeneuve won five times en route to 3rd in points (10 behind Empringham). The Green team preferred to take Villeneuve with them to IndyCar; perhaps because of his age (22 as opposed to 28) and/or because of his famous name.
The second four-time Indianapolis 500 champion Al Unser joined A. J. Foyt and Rick Mears (the other two four-time winners) in retirement after failing to qualify for the 78th running of the race. He later admitted that at this stage in his career that he was more interested in watching his son's career than focusing on his own racing.
Drivers and teams The following teams and drivers competed in the 1994 Indy Car World Series season. All teams used Goodyear tires; Firestone would return one year later after a hiatus lasting for two decades. TeamChassisEngine(s)No.DriversRoundsPrimary Sponsor Newman/Haas Racing Lola T94/00 Ford XB 1 Nigel Mansell All Texaco-Havoline 6 Mario Andretti All Marlboro Team Penske Penske PC-23 Ilmor D 2 Emerson Fittipaldi All Marlboro 3 Paul Tracy All 31 Al Unser Jr. All Rahal-Hogan Racing Lola T94/00Lola T93/00 Honda Ilmor C+ 4 Bobby Rahal All Miller Genuine Draft 10 Mike Groff All Motorola Dick Simon Racing Lola T9400Lola T93/00 Ford XB 5 Raul Boesel All Duracell 22 Hiro Matsushita All Panasonic 79 Dennis Vitolo4Charter America 90 Lyn St. James4J.C. Penney 99 Hideshi Matsuda4Dick Simon Racing Galles Racing Reynard 94I Ilmor D 7 Adrián Fernández All Tecate Target Chip Ganassi Racing Reynard 94I Ford XB 8 Michael Andretti AllScotch Tape 88 Maurício Gugelmin All Hollywood Cigarettes Walker Racing Lola T94/00Lola T93/00 Ford XB 9 Robby Gordon All Valvoline 15 Mark Smith All Craftsman Tools 24 Willy T. Ribbs All Service Merchandise Jim Hall/VDS Racing Reynard 94I Ilmor D 11 Teo Fabi All Pennzoil Forsythe/Green Racing Reynard 94I Ford XB 12 Jacques Villeneuve All Player's A. J. Foyt Enterprises Lola T94/00Lola T9/300Lola T92/00 Ford XB 14 Davy Jones 1–3 Copenhagen Bryan Herta 4–9 Eddie Cheever 10–16 33 John Andretti4Bryant Bettenhausen Motorsports Penske PC-22 Ilmor D Ilmor C 16 Stefan Johansson All Alumax 61 Gary Bettenhausen476 Gary Brabham1Split Cycle Robbie Groff3, 7Condor Alumax PacWest Racing Lola T94/00 Ford XB 17 Dominic Dobson All PacWest Bank of America 71 Scott Sharp All Hayhoe Racing Reynard 94I Ford XB 18 Jimmy Vasser All Conseco Payton/Coyne Racing Lola T93/00Lola T92/00 Ford XB Ilmor A 19 Robbie Buhl 1, 3 Mi-Jack Brian Till 2, 4 Johnny Unser 5, 12 Mauro Baldi 11 Alessandro Zampedri 6–10, 13–16 39 Andrea Montermini 1 AGFA Johnny Unser 2–3 Ross Bentley 4–16Pagan RacingLola T92/00Buick 21 Roberto Guerrero4Interstate Batteries Leader Card Racing Lola T93/00 Ilmor C 23 Buddy Lazier 1–7, 9–13, 15 Financial World Giovanni Lavaggi 8, 14, 16 Arciero Racing Lola T94/00 Ford XB 25 Marco Greco All Project IndyTeam MenardLola T93/00Menard V-6 27 Eddie Cheever4Quaker State Scott Brayton4Glidden Geoff Brabham4 Indy Regency Racing Lola T94/00 Ilmor D 28 Arie Luyendyk All Eurosport 29 Franck Fréon16McCormack MotorsportsLola T94/00Ilmor D30 Claude Bourbonnais3, 9, 11, 13–14Player's Stéphan GrégoireCybergenics Fredrik Ekblom6McCormack Motorsports King Racing Lola T94/00Lola T93/00 Ford XB Scott Goodyear All Budweiser Davy Jones4 60 Andrea Montermini8–9Greenfield RacingLola T93/01Greenfield GC 209T 42 Johnny Parsons4Greenfield RacingArizona MotorsportLola T94/00Ford XB 44 Tero PalmrothArizona MotorsportProFormance MotorsportsLola T93/00Ilmor C 45 John Paul Jr.2, 4CybergenicsComptech RacingLola T94/00Lola T93/00Honda 49 Parker Johnstone7–9, 11, 13, 16Acura Euromotorsport Lola T93/00Lola T92/00 Ilmor C Ilmor A 50 Alessandro Zampedri 1, 3 Agip David Kudrave2 Jeff Wood 5, 7–12, 15–16 Giovanni Lavaggi 6 Franck Fréon 13–1455 David Kudrave1, 3 Jeff Andretti2 Project Indy Lola T93/00 Ford XB 64 Franck Fréon 3, 7 Marcelo GroupNo-Touch Didier Theys 4 Christian Danner 6, 8, 14 Domenico Schiattarella 9, 11, 13 Andrea Montermini 16Riley & ScottLola T92/00Buick 74 Jim Crawford4Riley & Scott Hemelgarn Racing Reynard Ford XB 91 Stan Fox 4 Delta Faucet Lola T91/00 Buick 94 Jeff Andretti 4 Hemelgarn Racing
Schedule Icon Legend Oval/Speedway Road course Street circuit
Rnd Date Race Name Circuit City/Location 1 March 20 Australian FAI IndyCar Grand Prix Surfers Paradise Street Circuit Surfers Paradise, Australia 2 April 10 Slick 50 200 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona 3 April 17 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach Streets of Long Beach Long Beach, California 4 May 29* 78th Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana 5 June 5 Miller Genuine Draft 200 Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin 6 June 12 ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix The Raceway on Belle Isle Park Detroit, Michigan 7 June 26 Budweiser/G. I. Joe's 200 Portland International Raceway Portland, Oregon 8 July 10 Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport Cleveland, Ohio 9 July 17 Molson Indy Toronto Exhibition Place Toronto, Ontario 10 July 31 Marlboro 500 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan 11 August 14 Miller Genuine Draft 200 Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, Ohio 12 August 21 Slick 50 200 New Hampshire International Speedway Loudon, New Hampshire 13 September 4 Molson Indy Vancouver Streets of Vancouver Vancouver, British Columbia 14 September 11 Texaco/Havoline 200 Road America Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin 15 September 18 Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix Nazareth Speedway Nazareth, Pennsylvania 16 October 9 Toyota Grand Prix of Monterey Laguna Seca Raceway Monterey, California * Indianapolis was USAC-sanctioned but counted towards the CART title.
Results