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Patrick Racing
American automobile racing team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Patrick Racing was an auto racing team in USAC, CART, Champ Car and the Indy Racing League.[1] Patrick Racing was started by U.E. "Pat" Patrick in the 1970s. The team is best known for winning the Indianapolis 500 on three occasions (1973, 1982, 1989), and the Indy car title twice (1976, 1989). Patrick Racing achieved 45 Indy car wins (19 in USAC and 26 in CART).
Top drivers that competed for Patrick include Gordon Johncock, Wally Dallenbach, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Scott Pruett, and Adrián Fernández. The team nearly notched a fourth victory at Indianapolis (with Andretti), the controversial 1981 race. The team fielded its own cars from 1975 to 1983 under the name Wildcat.
Over its history, the team had three distinct manifestations. The current-day Chip Ganassi Racing is a direct spin-off from the original Patrick Racing organization.
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Team statistics
Indy car champions
Indianapolis 500 victories
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History
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First stint
Pat Patrick started his Indy Car racing career as a sponsor of the team fielded by fellow Jackson oilman Walt Michner in 1967. He became a co-owner of the team in 1970 and established Patrick Racing. Legendary chief mechanic George Bignotti joined the team in 1973–1980. During the 1970s and 1980s, Patrick Racing was often considered a chief rival to Penske Racing. The two teams battled one another, especially at Indianapolis, on multiple occasions.
The team won the 1973 and 1982 Indianapolis 500 with driver Gordon Johncock. Johncock also won the 1976 USAC National Championship. The team was closely associated with STP sponsorship, and was associated with Andy Granatelli during the time of the 1973 win. The 1973 win was tragic, however, as team driver Swede Savage suffered a devastating crash, and died about a month after the race. During the immediate aftermath of Savage's crash, pit crew member Armando Teran (of Graham McRae's car) was struck by a fire truck racing to the scene, and was fatally injured.
In 1975, Patrick Racing started an in-house chassis project, naming the car the Wildcat. It was powered by the DGS engine (Drake-Goossen-Sparks), which was an updated version of the venerable turbocharged 4-cyclinder Offenhauser. Twice Wally Dallenbach came close to victory at Indianapolis. In 1975, he was leading the race when he suffered engine failure on lap 162. Just 12 laps later, the race ended early due to rain. In 1977, he again was leading late in the race, but dropped out with only 16 laps to go with a broken crankshaft.
In 1979, Pat Patrick was one of the founding owners of CART.
George Bignotti departed in 1981 to set up his own team, and was replaced by Jim McGee. Mario Andretti joined the team in 1981, and finished second at the controversial 1981 Indianapolis 500. Bobby Unser (Penske Racing) won the race, but Andretti was declared the winner when official results were posted the following morning. Unser was penalized for passing cars under the yellow on lap 149, elevating Andretti to first place. After a lengthy protest and appeals process, Unser was reinstated the victory in October of that year. In 1982, Andretti became caught up in the controversial Kevin Cogan crash at the start. Andretti was out of the race before the green flag. Gordon Johncock, however, avoided the melee and went on to win the race. It was widely considered one of the greatest Indy 500s in history, as Johncock held off Rick Mears (Penske Racing) by 0.16 seconds, the closest finish in Indy history to that point.
Gordon Johncock's final win with the team came in 1983 at Atlanta. Later in the season, he suffered season ending injuries in a crash at Michigan. Johncock would come back for 1984, but suffered another injury in a crash at Indy. He abruptly announced his retirement in 1985. Patrick would utilize several drivers in 1983–1985, including Chip Ganassi, Danny Ongais, Bruno Giacomelli, and Johnny Rutherford. Ganassi suffered a violent, nearly career-ending crash at Michigan in 1984. In late 1984, two-time World Driving champion Emerson Fittipaldi was hired as a replacement for Ganassi in the #40 car. After a three-year sabbatical from racing, Fittipaldi had come to Indy cars in 1984, attempting to restart his driving career.
Stability started to return to the team in 1985–1986. The Wildcat chassis program was retired, and the team switched to the customer March chassis. The team continued to run two cars, eventually settling on drivers Emerson Fittipaldi and Kevin Cogan. The team parted ways with STP, and 7-Eleven became their primary sponsor for 1985. In 1986, Marlboro joined the team, their first Indy car sponsorship program since 1971. Cogan achieved his first and only win of his career in 1986 at Phoenix. Fittipaldi won his first CART race, the Michigan 500, in 1985. Cogan finished a heartbreaking second place in the 1986 Indianapolis 500, after being passed with just over two laps to go.
For 1987, the team secured the use of the new Ilmor-Chevrolet V8 engine. Fittipaldi won two races, and finished 10th in points. Kevin Cogan on the other hand, had a disappointing season full of retirements, and parted ways with the team at season's end. After dropping back down to a one-car effort, Fittipaldi won two more races in 1988, finished 2nd at Indianapolis, and improved to 7th in points. The team was strengthened by the arrival of engineer Mo Nunn.
1989–1990 "Trade" deal
In 1988, Chip Ganassi joined Pat Patrick as co-owner at Patrick Racing for Fittipaldi's #20 Marlboro entry.[2] Speculation was emerging that Pat Patrick was planning to phase out his full-time ownership role, perhaps pursue a leadership position in CART, or even retire. Patrick himself mostly rebuffed the rumors, stating that bringing in Ganassi as an investor was merely a "business decision".[3] Meanwhile, team sponsor Marlboro was nearing the end of their contract. Patrick was still in good standing with Ilmor, and would continue to field the Chevrolet engine.
A complex and multi-faceted "trade" deal between Patrick Racing and Penske Racing unfolded over a period of about two years, involving sponsors, drivers, and cars. There were persistent discussions about Marlboro departing Patrick, their desire to move over to Penske, and taking driver Emerson Fittipaldi with them.[4] For 1989, an agreement was reached whereby Marlboro would stay for another season at Patrick and Penske would supply Patrick with two PC-18 chassis for Fittipaldi.[5] In return, Penske would receive interim Marlboro sponsorship to field a third car for Al Unser Sr. at the three 500-mile races in 1989 (Indianapolis, Michigan, and Pocono).[6]
The Patrick Racing team experienced dominating success in the 1989 CART season. Fittipaldi won the 1989 Indianapolis 500 and the 1989 CART championship. By the end of the season, Pat Patrick was faced with increasing uncertainty for 1990.[7] Phillip Morris announced that the Marlboro sponsorship was moving over permanently to Penske.[8][9] In October, just days after the season finale, Fittipaldi officially signed with Penske for 1990.[10] That left Patrick without a driver and without sponsorship.
Over the next several weeks, Patrick Racing attempted to reorganize. Patrick had made a tentative deal to take over the Alfa Romeo engine project, and as a result, he would be dropping the dominate Ilmor-Chevrolet powerplant.[11] Uninterested in taking on a risky upstart engine development program, Chip Ganassi (already the majority team owner) withdrew his support.[12][13] By December, Pat Patrick and Chip Ganassi amicably split,[14][15] and the original Patrick Racing team was sold outright to Ganassi.[16]
In January 1990, Chip Ganassi took over the assets and the shop of the original Patrick Racing team including the two PC-18 chassis, and reinstated the Ilmor-Chevrolet engine lease. He hired former Formula One driver Eddie Cheever, secured sponsorship from Target, and renamed the outfit Chip Ganassi Racing.[17]
Second stint
Almost immediately after splitting with Ganassi, Pat Patrick announced he was taking over the upstart Alfa Romeo Indy car project previously run by Alex Morales Motorsports.[16] Roberto Guerrero signed on as primary driver with Al Unser Sr. scheduled to drive a second car at the Indianapolis 500 and the Michigan 500. The new Patrick Racing team landed primary sponsorship from Miller Genuine Draft. It was effectively another "trade" between Penske and Patrick, as Miller (previously with Penske) and Marlboro (now over at Penske) were owned by the same parent company, Phillip Morris. The services of Al Unser Sr. were yet another "trade" between the two outfits, as Unser had driven for Penske from 1983 to 1989. Guerrero, meanwhile, had been with Alex Morales Motorsports running the Alfa Romeo on a part-time schedule in 1989. Patrick moved into the shop formerly occupied by Morales in early 1990.[17]
The team saw little on-track success, and even less in terms of engine development. This despite a significant investment by Alfa Romeo, and the retention of key crew members including Jim McGee and Mo Nunn. Like they had done for the Porsche Indy car team, March constructed a chassis specifically for the Alfa Romeo, the 90CA.[18] By the halfway point of the season, however, Patrick dropped the uncompetitive March and switched to the Lola.[19] Al Unser had to sit out the Michigan 500 after he wrecked in practice. He suffered a broken collarbone and a fractured right leg,[20] then subsequently quit the team. Guerrero managed three top tens and placed 16th in points.
For 1991, Danny Sullivan took over as primary driver (also another former Penske driver), and the team continued to fail miserably. Guerrero stayed on as a second driver for the Indy 500 and other selected races. That year, Guerrero would be involved in a controversial crash at Indianapolis with Kevin Cogan. By the end of the 1991 CART season, Patrick was in financial and legal trouble. Rumors surfaced that the Patrick team had shipped one of the Ilmor Chevrolet V-8 engines over to the Alfa Romeo engine developers in Italy,[21][22] who in turn, tore the engine down to examine it and allegedly stole design ideas. It was returned in pieces and infuriated Ilmor officials.[23][24][25]
At the conclusion of the 1991 season, Danny Sullivan left the team, and was replaced by Bobby Rahal.[26] Sullivan went to Rahal's old seat at Galles-Kraco Racing.[27] Patrick's contractual obligations with Alfa Romeo had ended, so the team attempted to re-sign with Ilmor, or possibly acquire older Ilmor engines from Newman/Haas.[21][28] Due to the possible fraudulent actions by Patrick against Ilmor, the team was refused an Ilmor Chevrolet engine lease, despite inking the popular Rahal.[29][30] Facing a decidedly uncompetitive powerplant situation for 1992, and escalating legal problems, in December 1991, Patrick sold the team outright to Bobby Rahal and his partner Carl Hogan. They formed Rahal-Hogan Racing, which is now known as Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing.
Third stint
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In the mid-1990s, Patrick began to rebuild his team from scratch. In 1994, Patrick formed a testing team for Firestone tires, spearheading Firestone's return to Indy car racing. They did not enter any races in 1994, instead operated all year as a non-competing factory test outfit. Scott Pruett signed on as the driver. In 1995, they returned full time to CART competition, as the Firestone works team. A few other smaller teams ran Firestones as well. Pruett won the 1995 Marlboro 500, had three other podium finishes, and placed 7th in points.
In the next few years, Patrick experienced moderate success in CART. Pruett also won the 1997 Surfers Paradise event. After the 1999 season, Goodyear tires dropped out of Indy car racing. Firestone effectively became the exclusive tire supplier for both CART and IRL. As of 2023, Firestone continues to maintain that distinction in IndyCar.
Due to money issues and the constant uncertainty of racing in Champ Car, Patrick Racing jumped over the IRL in 2004. They ran Al Unser Jr. until his mid-season retirement and then Jeff Simmons, Jaques Lazier, and Tomáš Enge. With no sponsorship for 2005, the team ceased operations and the assets were put up for sale.
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CART drivers
Mario Andretti (1981–1982)- Tom Bagley (1980)
- Townsend Bell (2001–2002)
Raul Boesel (1997)- Pancho Carter (1984)
- Kevin Cogan (1986–1987)
- Wally Dallenbach Sr. (1979)
Adrian Fernandez (1998–2000)- Emerson Fittipaldi (1984–1990)
- Chip Ganassi (1983–1984)
- Spike Gehlhausen (1979)
Bruno Giacomelli (1984–1985)
Roberto Guerrero (1990–1991)- Gordon Johncock (1979–1984)
- P. J. Jones (1999)
- Steve Krisiloff (1981)
Jan Magnussen (1999)- Roger Mears (1979)
- Roberto Moreno (2000-2001)
- Danny Ongais (1983)
- John Paul Jr. (1984)
- Scott Pruett (1995–1998)
- Johnny Rutherford (1983)
Oriol Servia (2002–2003)- Gordon Smiley (1980)
- Danny Sullivan (1991)
- Sammy Swindell (1985)
- Al Unser (1990)
- Jimmy Vasser (2001)
- Rich Vogler (1985)
- Don Whittington (1985)
IRL drivers
All IRL drivers drove in 2004 only.
Racing results
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Complete CART Series results
(key) (results in bold indicate pole position) (results in italics indicate fastest lap)
- ^ Patrick Racing used pieces of Reynard's 97i, 98i, and 99i chassis to create their own unique setup rather than the stock 99i. This setup became known as the "Franken-chassis."
- ^ The Firestone Firehawk 600 was canceled after qualifying due to excessive g-forces on the drivers.
Complete IRL IndyCar Series results
(key)
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IndyCar wins
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References
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