Wikipedia

American Indycar Series

For the current professional series sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, see IndyCar Series.

The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by Bill Tempero. It utilized used chassis and engines from the CART series and the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazier, Robby Unser, and Johnny Unser found success in the AIS.

The series was reborn with new management in 2001-2002. A new management team formed United States Speedway Series (USSS), while a new AIS under different management conducted races as well. The USSS ceased racing after 2005; the AIS shut down after 2002.

Over the years, the series had a predominantly western-based schedule.

History edit

In the mid-1980s, the once-popular Can Am series was withering, and most teams had already defected to the CART Indy car series or IMSA. The last holdouts formed CAT (Can-Am Teams) in 1986 to take over sanctioning as part of the SCCA.

Two plans emerged, one keeping the Formula 5000-based cars, and others who favored using old CART Indy car machines. Bill Tempero led the Indy-style effort. CAT held one race in 1986, and folded after a short 1987 season. Tempero broke off and started his Indy car series in 1988, with the cars powered by 5.9-litre stock block Chevrolet engines.

As the series began to slowly gain competitors, the teams were allowed to run a choice of two powerplants. The aforementioned stockblock Chevy V-8, or a V-6 (best known as the Buick/Menard) in turbocharged or normally aspirated configuration. An equivalency formula was determined to provide for competitive balance among the different engine combinations.

The chassis used were used March, Lola, Reynard, Eagle, and Penske from CART competition. In later years, G-Force and Dallara cars from IRL competition were also used.

Champions edit

American IndyCar Series edit

  • 1988 Buddy Lazier
  • 1989 Robby Unser
  • 1990 Bill Tempero
  • 1991 Bill Tempero
  • 1992 Rod Bennett
  • 1993 Rick Sutherland
  • 1994 Bill Tempero
  • 1995 Bill Tempero
  • 1996 Ken Petrie
  • 1997 Ken Petrie
  • 1998 Greg Gorden
  • 1999 Bill Tempero
  • 2000 Mike Lee[1]
  • 2002 Eddie Nahir (ARS)

United States Speedway Series edit

  • 2001 Ken Petrie
  • 2002 Ken Petrie
  • 2003 Mike Koss
  • 2004 Greg Gorden
  • 2005 Bailey Dotson

AIS Seasons edit

1986-1987 CAT season edit

Date Track Location Winner Car Reference
October 26 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Tulsa, Oklahoma Al Lamb Frisbee GR2/Chevrolet [2]
May 3 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Buddy Lazier '85 March/Chevrolet [3]
June 7 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Tulsa, Oklahoma Al Lamb Frisbee GR2/Chevrolet [4]
July 19 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Bill Tempero '85 March/Chevrolet [5]
August 16 Sanair Super Speedway St. Pie, Quebec Bill Tempero '85 March/Chevrolet [6]
September 6 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Bill Tempero '85 March/Chevrolet [7]
November 1 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Bill Tempero '85 March/Chevrolet [8]
  • For 1987, Indy car events were organized through CAT (Can Am Teams).

1988 season edit

Date Track Location Winner Car Reference
May 1 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Buddy Lazier March/Chevrolet [9]
June 19 St. Louis International Raceway Madison, Illinois Buddy Lazier March/Chevrolet [10]
July 3 Mountain View Motorsports Park Mead, Colorado Robby Unser Lola/Chevrolet [11]
July 23 Tioga Motorsports Park Owego, New York Buddy Lazier March/Chevrolet [12]
October 9 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Buddy Lazier March/Chevrolet [13]
October 9 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Buddy Lazier March/Chevrolet [14]

1989 season edit

1990-1995 seasons edit

1998 season edit

Date Track Location Winner Car
April 5 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma Shayne Stephens Lola/Buick-Menard
June 13 Magic Valley Speedway Twin Falls, Idaho Mike Lee March/Chevrolet
July 28 Hawkeye Downs Speedway Cedar Rapids, Iowa Ken Petrie March/Chevrolet
September 20 Race City Speedway Calgary, Alberta, Canada Ken Petrie March/Chevrolet
September 20 Birmingham International Raceway Birmingham, Alabama Greg Gorden Lola/Buick-Menard

1999 season edit

Date Track Location Winner Car
May 23 La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway West Salem, Wisconsin Ken Petrie March/Chevrolet
June 20 Mountain View Motorsports Park Mead, Colorado Bill Tempero Lola/Buick-Menard
July 10 Magic Valley Speedway Twin Falls, Idaho Jimmy Santos Lola/Chevrolet
September 5 Exposition Park street circuit Los Angeles Bill Tempero Lola/Menard

2000 season edit

Date Track Location Winner Car
May 19 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma Greg Gorden Lola/Buick-Menard
July 3 St. Johns Airpark St. Johns, Arizona Jimmy Santos Reynard/Ilmor-Mercedes-Benz
August 14 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Juan Carlos Carbonell Lola/Buick-Menard
October 16 Infineon Raceway Sonoma, California Juan Carlos Carbonell Lola/Buick-Menard
November 26 Phoenix Avondale, Arizona Mike Lee G Force/Aurora

2002 ARS edit

  • April 20–21 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas, Nevada (Eddy Nahir)
  • May 18–19 Thunderhill Motorsport Park
  • June 21–23 California Speedway, two races, (Eddy Nahir, Eddy Nahir)
  • Oct. 5 - 6 Willow Springs International Raceway
  • Nov. 22 - 24 Phoenix International Raceway
  • Dec. 13 - 15 Aloha Grand Prix

USSS seasons edit

2001 season edit

Date Track Location Winner Car
April 8 Las Vegas Motor Speedway (road) Las Vegas, Nevada Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
May 13 Pikes Peak International Raceway Fountain, Colorado Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
June 16 Sandia Motor Speedway Albuquerque Mike Lee Hoffpauir Lola/Menard Buick
July 14 Dodge City Raceway Park Dodge City, Kansas Phil Erickson Fast Line Lola/Buick-Menard
August 25 Sandia Motorsports Park Albuquerque Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
September 30 Firebird International Raceway Chandler, Arizona Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
October 14 Pikes Peak International Raceway Fountain, Colorado Greg Gorden G-Force/Oldsmobile
November 25 Firebird International Raceway Chandler, Arizona Greg Gorden G-Force/Oldsmobile

2002 season edit

Date Track Location Winner Car
April 20 San Antonio Speedway San Antonio Ken Petrie Fast Line Lola/Buick-Menard
May 5 Pikes Peak International Raceway Fountain, Colorado Greg Gorden G-Force/Oldsmobile
June 15 Dodge City Raceway Park Dodge City, Kansas Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
July 27 Magic Valley Speedway Twin Falls, Idaho Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
August 18 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Mike Lee Hoffpauir Menard Lola
September 7 Sandia Motorsports Park Albuquerque Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
October 5 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
December 1 Firebird International Raceway Chandler, Arizona

2003 season edit

Date Track Location Winner Car
April 12 San Antonio Speedway San Antonio Eric Koselke March/Chevrolet
May 4 Pikes Peak International Raceway (road) Fountain, Colorado Greg Gorden G-Force/Oldsmobile
May 18 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Ken Petrie March/Chevrolet
June 22 California Speedway (road) Fontana, California Mike Koss Lola/Menard-Buick
July 26 Magic Valley Speedway Twin Falls, Idaho Mike Koss Dallara/Oldsmobile
August 16 Sandia Motorsports Park Albuquerque Mike Lee Lola-Menard Buick
September 1 St. Johns Airport St. John's Arizona Ken Petrie Precision March/Chevrolet
September 14 Pikes Peak International Raceway (road) Fountain, Colorado Greg Gorden G-Force/Oldsmobile
October 4 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada Mike Lee Lola-Menard Buick


References edit

  1. ^ ChampCarStats.com
  2. ^ "Gold Cup Challenge". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  3. ^ "CAT Can Am Teams race, WSIR". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  4. ^ "CAT Can Am Teams race, Hallett". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  5. ^ "CAT Can Am Teams race, Milwaukee". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  6. ^ "CAT Can Am Teams race, Sanair". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  7. ^ "CAT Can Am Teams race, Pueblo". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  8. ^ "CAT Can Am Teams race, Phoenix". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  9. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Willow Springs". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  10. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, St. Louis". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  11. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Mountain View". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  12. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Shangri-La". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  13. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Willow Springs". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  14. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Willow Springs". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  15. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, I-70". Retrieved 30 September 2012."American IndyCar Series race, I-70". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  16. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Memphis". Retrieved 30 September 2012."American IndyCar Series race, Memphis". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  17. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Colorado". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  18. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Colorado". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  19. ^ "American IndyCar Series race Shangri-La Speedway, Owego, NY". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  20. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Shangri-La Speedway". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  21. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Willow Springs". Retrieved 30 September 2012.
  22. ^ "American IndyCar Series race, Willow Springs". Retrieved 30 September 2012.

External links edit

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