ISM Racing is a former auto racing team owned by Bob Hancher. The team fielded entries in the Indy Racing League and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series.

Indy Racing League

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ISM fielded cars in the IRL from 1997 to 1999. In 1998, Jeff Ward finished 6th in IRL driver points and won the pole at Phoenix in an ISM car and the team fielded three cars in the 1998 Indianapolis 500. However, the team was only able to run part-time in 1999 and shut down in July of that year. The IRL team used G-Force chassis and Oldsmobile engines.

ISM IRL drivers

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Complete IRL IndyCar Series results

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(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Chassis Engine Drivers No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pts Pos Pos
1996–97 NHA LSV WDW PHX INDY TXS PPIR CLT NHA LSV
Dallara IR7 Oldsmobile Aurora V8   Jeff Ward (R)1 35 17 30th 69
1998 WDW PHX INDY TXS NHA DOV CLT PPIR ATL TXS LSV
G-Force GF01B Oldsmobile Aurora V8   Jeff Ward 35 2 5 13 17 22 19 2 20* 6 3 21 6th 252
  Jim Guthrie 53 DNS DNS 29 33rd 41
  Steve Knapp (R) 55 3 22nd 118
1999 WDW PHX CLT INDY TXS PPIR ATL DOV PPIR LSV TXS
G-Force GF01C Oldsmobile Aurora V8   Jeff Ward 35 3 11th 206
  Steve Knapp 25 DNQ 26 12 17 27 25th 69
  Brian Tyler 36 DNQ 37th 16
  Vincenzo Sospiri DNQ NC
  1. ^ In conjunction with Sinden Racing Services.

NASCAR: Team Tabasco

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The Tabasco Pontiac

ISM started its NASCAR operation in 1997, starting as a part-time operation with the intent of running the full 1998 Winston Cup season. The team received backing from McIlhenny Company, the makers of Tabasco hot sauce, and hired Todd Bodine, who had last raced full-time in Winston Cup in 1995 for Butch Mock Motorsports, to drive the team's #35 Pontiac. The team attempted the UAW-GM Quality 500 at Charlotte and the season finale at Atlanta, finishing 26th in the former and failing to qualify in the latter.

1998 started off poorly for Bodine as he failed to qualify for the Daytona 500 and the following two races. The team followed this up with an unexpected front row start at Atlanta, and recorded its first top ten when Bodine finished tenth. This would be the only top ten the team would record, and after running 27th at Darlington and 29th at Bristol, the #35 missed the race at Texas. Bodine then ran 39th at Martinsville before missing the race at California Speedway with an injury suffered in a practice crash. Wally Dallenbach, Jr. brought the car home in 29th, after starting 42nd.

Despite the #35's struggles, McIlhenny was not initially upset with the results as they had been largely focused on using their sponsorship as a giant marketing tool. Things began to change when, after he only qualified for five of the first thirteen races of the season, Bodine was released from his contract.[1] After only qualifying for one additional race with Gary Bradberry attempting the July race at New Hampshire, Hancher decided to exit NASCAR and sold the #35 to Tyler Jet Motorsports.

Car No. 35 results

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Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 NWCC Pts
1997 Todd Bodine 35 Pontiac DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR TEX BRI MAR SON TAL CLT DOV POC MCH CAL DAY NHA POC IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV MAR CLT
26
TAL CAR PHO ATL
DNQ
52nd 116
1998 DAY
DNQ
CAR
DNQ
LVS
DNQ
ATL
10
DAR
27
BRI
29
TEX
DNQ
MAR
39
TAL
DNQ
CLT
28
DOV
DNQ
RCH
35
MCH
DNQ
POC
22
SON
DNQ
41st 2180
Wally Dallenbach Jr. CAL
29
Gary Bradberry NHA
40
Jimmy Horton POC
DNQ
IND GLN MCH BRI NHA DAR RCH DOV MAR CLT TAL DAY PHO CAR ATL

References

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  1. ^ "Bodine fired by ISM Racing". Lawrence Journal-World. Lawrence, KS. July 10, 1998. p. 7C. Retrieved 2014-08-16.