Della Penna Motorsports was an auto racing team that competed in the Toyota Atlantic, IndyCar, and CART series from 1990 to 2000. The team was founded by Argentinian businessman and engineer John Della Penna, who himself raced in Formula Atlantic during the 1980s. Della Penna got its start in Toyota Atlantic with support from driver Jimmy Vasser in 1990, and by the following season was consistently scoring wins. After Vasser left to drive in CART, Della Penna took a two-year sabbatical from the series, with the hopes of returning with young, untested talent.
In 1994 Della Penna signed Richie Hearn to drive in Toyota Atlantic with the hopes of moving up to CART by 1997. Hearn finished second in points that season and won the championship the following season. Della Penna joined the upstart Indy Racing League in 1996 with the goal of transitioning into CART the following year. In five races between 1996 and 1997, Hearn placed 3rd at the Indianapolis 500, scored a pole position at New Hampshire, and won at Las Vegas. That same year Della Penna ran three races during the 1996 CART season using the same equipment as during the 1996 IRL season.
Della Penna went full-time beginning in 1997, but found itself struggling for points and would never finish higher than 5th, despite major sponsorship deals with Ralphs/Food 4 Less, Budweiser, and Fujifilm. The team formed a close relationship with Toyota in 1999 to test its new racing engine program, but still the team's fortunes did not improve. Finally, in 2000, Hearn left CART to pursue a drive in the IRL and was replaced by ex-Formula One driver Norberto Fontana. Fontana failed to impress early on and was replaced mid-season by Memo Gidley for the rest of the season.
After the 2000 season it was announced that Toyota had ended its partnership with Della Penna, leaving the team without an engine for the 2001 season. Rather than sign with another manufacturer, the team officially folded before the beginning of the season. The team and its assets were sold to Blair Racing while John Della Penna went on to mentor Argentinian driver Pablo Pérez Companc through an open-wheel and sports car career.
Racing results Complete SCCA Toyota Atlantic Championship results (key) YearChassisEngineDrivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1990 WestSwift DB-4Toyota 4A-GE Jimmy Vasser3616181171621st201991Swift DB-4Toyota 4A-GE Jamie Galles351131461782220210135169th76 Jimmy Vasser361212211123217122712nd1531994Ralt RT-40/41Toyota 4A-GE Clint Mears4 6126 5 11th35 Richie Hearn1910173114231412nd1601995Ralt RT-40/41Toyota 4A-GE Clint Mears3101961271957199625 9th66 Richie Hearn43252521211221st201Source
Non-championship event.
Complete Indy Racing League results (key) Year Chassis Engine Tyres Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1996 WDW PHX INDY Reynard 95i Ford XB V8t Richie Hearn4 19 4 3 4th237 Scott Harrington44 15 31st20 1996–1997 NHA LSV WDW PHX INDY TXS PPIR CLT NHA2 LSV2Reynard 95iFord XB V8t Richie Hearn4 14 1*33rd59
Complete PPG CART Indycar World Series/CART FedEx Championship Series results (key) Year Chassis Engine Tyres Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 1996 MIA RIO SFR LBH NAZ 500 MIL DET TORReynard 95iFord XB V8t Richie Hearn (R)44 10 25 1729th3 1997 SFR VAN FONLola T97/00Ford XB V8t Richie Hearn21 11 13 27 18 14 9 23 23 14 28 27 22 13 9 22 2521st10Swift 007.i 15 1998 MIA MOT LBH NAZ RIO GAT MIL DET POR CLE TOR MCH MDO ROA VAN LAG HOU SFR FON Swift 009.cFord XB V8t Richie Hearn10 13 27 23 10 7 28 6 23 10 18 7 5 24 13 16 11 9 18 816th47Swift 007.i Hideshi Matsuda43 1834th0 1999 MIA MOT LBH NAZ RIO GAT MIL POR CLE ROA TOR MCH DET MDO VAN SRF FONSwift 010.c Toyota RV8D/E V8t Richie Hearn10 23 10 11 20 1922nd26Reynard 98i/99i 13 21 22 10 10 16 12 13 12 16 6 16 8 23 27 2000 DET MCH VAN SRF Reynard 2Ki Toyota RV8E V8t Norberto Fontana (R)10 15 15 23 Wth 20 Wth 14 21 11 2028th2 Memo Gidley 10 10 12 6 16 19 22 21 2120 Jason Bright (R) 1831st0
References