From: unglenie@ford.ecn.purdue.edu (Robert J Unglenieks)
Newsgroups: rec.autos.sport
Subject: Re: Porsche and Indy Cars...
Date: 30 Sep 92 06:07:51 GMT
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network

>Scott Winders writes:
>>I am trying get information on what years Porsche raced Indy cars
>>an who drove for them.  Actually, I am looking for Porsche powered
>>Indy cars.  I know that Porsche did not use their on chassis in their
>>last attempt...

In article <70+p4ym@lynx.unm.edu> wolf@pioneer.unm.edu (Mark Giaquinto) writes:
>I don't remember what years they ran, but the drivers were Teo Fabi and John
>Andretti.  It was originally slated to be Mario, but when he saw the problems
>they were having, he went back to Newman-Hass.

The Porsche Indy Car made it's debut in September of 1987 at Nazareth, PA but
didn't make a race until Laguna Seca.  Al Unser Sr. drove the car but was
uncompetitive.  For the 1987 season finale, Al Holbert tried to qualify the
car at Tamiami, but was withdrawn.  The 1987 car used a Porsche built chassis
and only turned in 7 racing laps total.

For 1988, a March chassis was purchased for the Porsche engine.  The first race
of the season saw Teo Fabi qualify within a second of the pole and finished
seventh.  They were only able to complete 4 laps at the next event.  Things
were going from bad to worse when at Indy the car was unable to get much above
208, something Fabi was doing with ease in 1983.  The Porsche finished 28th,
after losing a wheel in pit lane (too much damage to continue) finishing 30
laps.  Teo qualified in the 17th position.

In 1989, once again using a March chassis, and following the death of Al 
Holbert the previous September, the team was looking forward to a good
finish at the Indy 500.  They were able to qualify 13th and found some more
speed in the car that ranked them near the top of the Carburetion Day
leaders.  However, the car completed only 23 laps and finished 30th with
ignition problems.  Despite the results, Fabi was looking forward to
the next few years with the car feeling it was very competitive.  The car
went on to win at Mid-Ohio and finished fourth in the point standings.

In 1990, the team added John Andretti to the team, and debuted a radical new
car.  Controversy in the off-season with March's all-carbon fiber chassis
resulted in a substantial delay as an alumium/grep chassis was prepared.
At Indy, Teo was able to qualify above 220 mph (the only non-chevy powered car
to do so) and started 23rd owing to an engine problem which made him a day 2
qualifier.  John Andretti's qualifying luck was better and qualified 10th
as a day one qualifier.  On race day, John Andretti tapped the wall exiting
turn 4 but continued into turn 1 where the damaged suspension finally put him
into a spin and out of the race on lap 136.  John finished 21st.  Teo didn't
fair much better, losing his transmission on lap 162 and finished 18th
which was Porsche's best Indy 500 finish.  At the conclusion of the 1990
season, Porsche withdrew from IndyCar racing.

Rob U
--
-       Rob Unglenieks             REAL race cars DON'T wear BOWTIES       -
-     "Our task must be to free ourselves by widening our circle           -
-      of compassion to embrace all living creatures."                     -
-                           -  Albert Einstein                             -
From: smithr@teecs.UUCP (Robert Smith)
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1992 17:22:30 GMT
Subject: Re: CBC Broadcast Time for Portuguese GP...
Organization: Litton Systems, Toronto ONT