First IRL race; a look back

PLEASE NO FLAMES!

Much to optimism and disdain to open wheel fans on January 27, 1996 IRL held the first race at Walt Disney World Speedway trioval. I dug this tape out of my racing video collection and watched it. The cars and chassis were a year or two older with few going back to 92. 25 cars entered with 20 in the race. Disney likely hated Eliseo Salazar as he was injured (one of many at the track) in a crash. As for the field it consisted on Buddy Lazier, who became the first ever IRL pole winner, 90 Indy winner Arie Luyendyk, Roberto Guerrero, Scott Brayton, Eddie Cheever, Robbie Buhl, Lynn St. James, Mike Groff, John Paul, Jr., former Trans Am champ Scott Sharp, Stephane Gregoire, Johnny Parsons, Dave Kudrave, former F1 driver Michele Alboreto, road racer Johnny O'Connell, Indy Lights driver Buzz Calkins, Atlantics drivers Richie Hearn and Stan Wattles, modified racer Davey Hamilton and one key name on the list: Tony Stewart who won all three 3 USAC short track crowns in 95.

Buddy Lazier takes the field to the green and would lead before Tony Stewart in a Menard car takes over. Then Buzz Calkins in Bradley Motorsports car catch up to Stewart and takes the lead. The race became two driver fight between Calkins, who was dominating, and Stewart. Race has its share of wrecks with Richie Hearn becoming first to wreck in the series follow by Hamilton and Wattles then Sharp and Cheever. A safety crew gaff almost put Stewart out as the truck squeezed into Stewart's way and he brushed the wall. After watching 2 hours of the racing Buzz Calkins beat Tony Stewart to become first ever IRL race winner. The race wasn't bad at all. In fact I enjoyed it and end following up IRL along with CART.

The aftermath? Open wheel racing tanked while NASCAR rose and become part of America's household. It's hard to believe the league been around a decade as everything feels like a blur of speed. In its short existance I could split the league into three eras. Looking back at the races then to current IRL I feel the league sold out. Back then when there's a driver's name I never heard of I checked to see if he's any good. There was time when underdog had a shot winning a race. The league feel so "indy" (no pun intended) at the time with all the negative talk (and still do) and balls to the wall races. Now with "established" names, teams, and engines whom jump from CART to IRL such as Penske, Ganassi, Andretti/Green, Honda, Toyota, Helio Castro-Neves, Tony Kanaan, Dario Franchitti it accerlated the league to a new era. Era of big money spending. Strange thing I didn't enjoy much of the last three seasons. Guess I finally found out about the split despite I enjoy the IRL. I came out a loser just like every open wheel fan.

Here are certain who's who from the first race:

Tony Stewart – won 97’ IRL championship and gone to bigger things at NASCAR where he won 19 races and 2 championships. He raced full time until 98 and has driven twice at Indy in 99 and 2001.

Buzz Calkins – never won another race and would race until 2001.

Buddy Lazier –won 8 races including Indy 96 and 2000 IRL championship. He has only driven total of 7 races in 2004 and 2005. Still looking for a regular ride.

AJ Foyt – the last original car owner from IRL first race that races regularly. He won 98 IRL champion and 99 Indy with Kenny Brack.

Eddie Cheever – split with Menard Racing and formed his own team in 96. Won five races including Indy 98. Team has fallen on hard times in the past years.

Scott Brayton – killed in practice at Indy 96 a week after he won the pole.

Arie Luyendyk – holds the fastest one-lap and four-lap Indy qualifying record. Won 4 races including Indy 97 and retired in 99 only to come back for three more races.

Scott Sharp – the last original driver from the first race that has a regular ride. He has 9 wins in the league.

Richie Hearn – one of casualty of the split. Spent one season in the league with a win (Las Vegas) to prep up for CART in 97. In CART he did a decent job with equipment he had before being let go at end of 99’ season. He drove in 19 IRL races between 2000-2005. He runs a team for Champ Car. Talented? Yes. Bad timing? Yes.

John Paul, Jr. – a success story, the league help resurrected his career which been derailed due to trouble with the law in the 80s. Drove four seasons in the league with a victory in 98 at Texas.

Michele Alboreto – spent one season in the IRL before going back to his road racing roots. Died in a road racing prototype crash at Lauszering.

I didn't think the IRL would be able to survive 10 years and be able to attract most top CART teams, but I was wrong. The first 'championship' was absurd, awarded after the 1996 Indy only two races later. Also there were so many injuries in the first seasons, IIRC from the cars design being out of balance. THere have certainly been some lucky escapes from some really nasty crashes. And from the other side, the quote about the first U.S. 500 at Michigan - they were promoting it as 'everyone remembers Ray Harroun and his significance at the first Indy 500, that's what these drivers are striving for this weekend.......'

The season I enjoyed was when Hornish in the Panther car beat the Penske drivers. The season finale with all the contenders racing together at Texas was a great race, though I'm not a fan of running these cars in packs on superspeedways.

I took this pic in 1995; John Paul Jr driving some of his workmates (we were all on a Mercedes programme) around Charlotte shortly after our arrival at what would be our base for the next four weeks or so.



The reason he was eager to drive round was because he was due to test one of the first IRL chassis there a few days after the Mercedes gig ended.

Good job Twinny

I have been a big IRL fan for many years now and probably the main reason for that is that the League is a more traditional form of Indy car racing than what CCWS has these days. I don't like street racing. I can live and most of the time enjoy road racing but street racing just isn't my cup of tea when it comes to racing Indy cars.
On the other hand I love oval racing. I love the '500'. True, the IRL has somewhat gone away from its all oval concept but I hope that it will stay a predominantly oval series.
My favorite seasons would have to be 2002 and 2003. In 2002 Sam Hornish beat Penske in a great battle till the last round. And in 2003 five drivers still had a chance of winning the title going into the last race in Texas. The thing that spoiled it somewhat was Kenny Brack's huge wreck that day. But seeing Kanaan, Castroneves, Hornish, Dixon and de Ferran all battle it out for the title was cool. It's true that the last two years haven't been that exciting but there have been great moments as well. Like the 2005 Indy 500 which is one of the best races I have ever seen.

Ah the nostalgia of it all. I was in the stands that day the IRL was born. In fact I was showered with carbon shards from Cheevers car as we were in the second row right where he crashed. I must admit although I was an avid race fan at the time (still am) I had never heard of Buzz Calkins.

Not intending to ignite a debate, but my opinion is that open wheel racing in the US was destroyed by one out of control ego, that of Tony George. He started the IRL because he didn't feel the CART guys were genuflecting deeply enough at his alter of speed, and continues with it to this day becasue he is too proud to see the bigger picture. The fall out of course is that CART also failed but TG is culpable in that too (although I agree strongly that CARTs former management did themselves no favors either).

Mo.

The one IRL race still burns in my mind was first ever Kentucky race in 2000. It was this race I took notice of Sam Hornish. He driving no 18 PDM car with no money and one engine. His car went for out qualifying and was parked in the garage throughout the weekend until the race. Come race day the car came out of nowhere and put it in the lead. He might have won the race if the car didn't stall in the pits. He finished a lap down in 9th. Panther took Hornish to replace a retiring Goodyear for 2001 and rest was history. I think Hornish is a modern-day Rick Mears as in the ovalmeister in the league. Past few years it seems like I only watch the races because of him. It was this race Jimmy Kite and Jacque Lazier took leads before going out with engines. It think it was the IRL last race multiple underdogs had a shot for the win. As for last "underdog" to win was Alex Barron driving in Larry Blair car in 2002. Like I said the league from its start to 2001 had this independent feel and any drivers and teams had a shot to win.

Originally posted by MoMurray
I had never heard of Buzz Calkins.

Wasn't he the star of that film 'Toy Story'?

Originally posted by John B
I didn't think the IRL would be able to survive 10 years and be able to attract most top CART teams, but I was wrong. The first 'championship' was absurd, awarded after the 1996 Indy only two races later. Also there were so many injuries in the first seasons, IIRC from the cars design being out of balance. THere have certainly been some lucky escapes from some really nasty crashes. And from the other side, the quote about the first U.S. 500 at Michigan - they were promoting it as 'everyone remembers Ray Harroun and his significance at the first Indy 500, that's what these drivers are striving for this weekend.......'

The season I enjoyed was when Hornish in the Panther car beat the Penske drivers. The season finale with all the contenders racing together at Texas was a great race, though I'm not a fan of running these cars in packs on superspeedways.

There's been some good IRL racing in 2004-5, but it was a long, painful (physically so, for far too many people) and messy process getting there, and I don't think the series has particularly met its aim of developing American talent, apart form Sam Hornish. The fragmentation of top-level single seater racing in the USA has been one of the longest-running and saddest farces in motorsport - particularly as both series have now degenerated into single-engine formulae with half-grids made up by rent-a-drivers. The top dozen or so guys in each series are very strong. Some of the short ovals in IRL and some of the street courses in Champcar are ludicrous. Combining the best of both series would give the US what it needs, but there are too many vested interests at play.

Originally posted by petefenelon


There's been some good IRL racing in 2004-5, but it was a long, painful (physically so, for far too many people) and messy process getting there, and I don't think the series has particularly met its aim of developing American talent, apart form Sam Hornish.

Still, Tony George is committed to the Vision, starting a team of that name and employing up-and-coming American drivers Ed Carpenter (who is evidently well qualified for the drive) and Tomas Scheckter.

Weren't there some egregiously slow DNQs at that race? Bill Tempero or Jim Buick?

Originally posted by ensign14
Still, Tony George is committed to the Vision, starting a team of that name and employing up-and-coming American drivers Ed Carpenter (who is evidently well qualified for the drive) and Tomas Scheckter.

Weren't there some egregiously slow DNQs at that race? Bill Tempero or Jim Buick?

Tomas Scheckter, son of Jody, is an American

Originally posted by D-Type

Tomas Scheckter, son of Jody, is an American

no hes probably a moneguasque like jaques villeneuve ;)

Originally posted by D-Type

Tomas Scheckter, son of Jody, is an American

Mr Sarcasm had a little visit. You missed the one about Carpenter being well qualified. Qualified in the same way that TG is qualified to run Indy.

The Great Vision Of Kinsers And Swindells And Haudenschilds And Steeles And So On Dominating Those Foreign Pussies At Indy And F*****g Those CART Bastards That Pick The Like Of Scheckter Over The Likes Of Hewitt Therefore Destroying The 500 seems to be a little blurry.

Originally posted by BRG

Wasn't he the star of that film 'Toy Story'?

No; that was Buzz Aldrin.

Originally posted by ensign14

Mr Sarcasm had a little visit. You missed the one about Carpenter being well qualified.

You mean "well qualified" as in being a member of the Lucky Sperm Club?

Bill Tempero, Rick DeLorto, Jim Buick, Butch Brickell

Originally posted by Pikachu Racing
PLEASE NO FLAMES!

A safety crew gaff almost put Stewart out as the truck squeezed into Stewart's way and he brushed the wall.

Well, I think that's how the announcers handled it, but there was more to it. Much like Jeff Gordon, Tony never made a mistake in the announcer's eyes...but in reality Tony was coming in too hot for a yellow flag and not paying as much attention as he should have. What I'm saying is it was hardly all down to the safety crew. It was a typical (for the time) ham headed Stewart move. He nearly took himself out.

Originally posted by ensign14
Still, Tony George is committed to the Vision, starting a team of that name and employing up-and-coming American drivers Ed Carpenter (who is evidently well qualified for the drive)

I got it ensign.

Mo, you call yourself a race fan and you weren't aware of Buzz Calkins? I knew him from Indy Lights. I watched all the support series. Often far better racing than the top classes even then.

For that matter, seeing Sam Hornish in F/Atlantic is what really impressed me.

No one mentions the June '98 Texas race. One of the best. A great late race duel between Greg Ray and Billy Boat, with the two weaving and darting in, around and through traffic - and swapping the lead when in the clear. I unashamedly picked that as my race of the year for '98.

And I couldn't agree more on the spate of street races. Yeccch!

Originally posted by Pikachu Racing
Bill Tempero, Rick DeLorto, Jim Buick, Butch Brickell

Butch Brickell broke several vertebrae trying to qualify for the race.

I never liked the Mickyard. WDWS had a 'Langhorne' feeling to it, at least for me. How many drivers were badly injured there? Every single time they went there, either for a test or for a race, it seemed that someone would not come back on his/her feet.


EX: Brickell, Eliseo Salazar, Davy Jones, Sam Schmidt...

Well I don't think about IRL in a nostalgic way (10 years?;) ) but I'm far from IRL bashing. I just love those close wheel to wheel 200 mph racing - especially Texas 2002 (?) was a real cracker...

Originally posted by Pikachu Racing


AJ Foyt – the last original car owner from IRL first race that races regularly. He won 98 IRL champion and 99 Indy with Kenny Brack.

Eddie Cheever – split with Menard Racing and formed his own team in 96. Won five races including Indy 98. Team has fallen on hard times in the past years.

Talking about AJ & Eddie - boy I had lots of fun during the IRL Richmond 2001 live coverage - cause the commentators Bob Jenkins & Jason Priestley sort of forgot to turn of their mics during commercial breaks ;) This one is about the Salazar (does anybody remember Hockenheim 82?) Cheever accident:

Originally posted by Pikachu Racing

Arie Luyendyk – holds the fastest one-lap and four-lap Indy qualifying record. Won 4 races including Indy 97 and retired in 99 only to come back for three more races.

Well Arie - they same "off the air" fun with him during the Indy 500 2000 (he worked as co commentator that year) : "want yellow - he (Montoya) screws up the whole show"



More IRL stuff:

http://www.geocities...9/samplese.html

Originally posted by Pikachu Racing
Michele Alboreto – spent one season in the IRL before going back to his road racing roots. Died in a road racing prototype crash at Lauszering.

Didn't remember his IRL saison...
The bad news from the Lausitzring - a very very sad day, when I heard it on the radio in my car - I couldn't believe that it happened to him after all his f1 years...

Lutz

The Walt Disney World track was interesting. Turn 2 was a downhill, decreasing-radius corner (how many oval tracks boast that feature?) and the last turn was almost a road-race style "kink".

http://www.etrackson...isneyworld.html

Originally posted by Jim Thurman



For that matter, seeing Sam Hornish in F/Atlantic is what really impressed me.

He was a bit of a one-trick-pony in Atlantics.

Originally posted by Ross Stonefeld


He was a bit of a one-trick-pony in Atlantics.

I won't disagree with that, but he was quite good at his one trick

Fifteen years after CART dumped on USAC, the IRL dumped on CART.
The only thing that killed CART was CART, the only thing that is killing the IRL is the IRL, or Tony George cutting off his nose to spite his by being a hypocrite to the parameters on which he said the IRL was founded.

OWRS's own troubles are also created only by themselves.

It is amazing that Tempero's Americian Indy Series lasted approx. a decade, and died only after he sold it.

NASCAR grew because stock car racing was going through self destruction similar to open wheel racing, except France had enough money to buy the hulks left over, or move in and fill the gap with NASCAR.
Bob

Davy Jones (head) and Sam Schmidt (spine/paralyzed) suffer career ending injuries at the track. Eliseo Salazar broke his leg at the track twice. Once Miami was free from CART schedule it was good-bye Disney. I remember Eddie Cheever won at the track after leading three laps all under yellow. Calkins and Stewart engines blew up and Cheever inherit the lead. Then the rain came. If both engines lasted a minute or two. Calkins was pretty much one-track star and it was at Disney.

Originally posted by Pikachu Racing

Eliseo Salazar broke his leg at the track twice.

From what I remember, Eliseo only had the one biggie at WDW when the front wishbone went though one of his thighs and pierced the other one.

His other, even nastier one was at Dover Downs when the suspension broke with the result that he broke almost every bone in the right-hand side of his body...