# 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series

The 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 7th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 15 races. Al Unser Sr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Arie Luyendyk. The 1985 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Danny Sullivan won the Indy 500, in dramatic fashion, a race that became known as the "Spin and Win."
In September 1984, Rick Mears suffered serious leg injuries in a crash at Sanair. Mears drove only a part-time schedule in 1985, racing at Indianapolis, and subsequently on ovals only. Al Unser Sr. took Mears' full-time seat at Penske Racing as a substitute for the season. Unser had one win, ten top fives, and one other top ten, en route to the championship, a battle that climaxed in dramatic fashion in the final race of the season.

## Season summary

Defending series champion Mario Andretti won the season opener, finished second at the Indy 500, and won the next two races, jumping out to the early points lead. A mid-season slump, however, saw him achieve only one top five finish the remainder of the year. He then broke his collarbone in a crash at Michigan, and was forced to sit out one race. The driver of the season became Al Unser Jr., who won the next two races (Meadowlands and Cleveland), and finished the year with nine finishes in the top 4.
At the midpoint of the season, Mario Andretti's points lead had dwindled, while Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser Sr., and Al Unser Jr. were all closing in. At the Pocono 500, Rick Mears triumphantly returned to victory lane after his leg injuries. Finishing second and third were Al Jr. and Al Sr., respectively, with Al Sr. now taking the points lead. Unser Jr. ate away at the points lead over the next four races, and the Unsers were neck-and-neck approaching the season finale. Meanwhile, Bobby Rahal was making a championship run of his own, winning 3 out of 4 races, and four poles in a row during a stretch in September–October. He almost won four races in row, but was taken out while leading at Sanair with only 13 laps to go. Rahal closed to within 13 points of the championship lead.
With two races to go, Unser Jr. led Unser Sr. by only 3 points. Father and son finished 1st and 2nd at Phoenix, and the standings were flipped. Al Sr. led Al Jr. by 3 points going into the finale at Miami. Rahal finished a distant 6th at Phoenix, and was mathematically eliminated from the championship.
The season finale at Tamiami Park ended in dramatic fashion. Danny Sullivan and Bobby Rahal finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, but the attention of the day was focused on the two Unsers. Late in the race, Al Unser Jr. was running third, and Al Unser Sr. was running 5th. At the moment, Al Jr. was leading the hypothetical championship standings by 1 point.
In the closing laps, Al Unser Sr. chased down and passed Roberto Moreno for 4th place. He held on to finish fourth, and thus won the championship by 1 point over his son. Unser Sr. afterwards expressed some regret about snatching the championship title from his son, but felt it was his responsibility to his own team and his own sponsors to race to his ability all the way to the end. It was also in the best interests of sportsmanship to all competitors not to give favor to his son. Unser Sr. also knew his days were numbered as a competitive driver on the circuit, while he knew Unser Jr. had many years ahead to have another chance at the title (Al Unser Jr. would indeed win the championship twice - 1990 and 1994).
The 1985 season saw two controversies at two separate races. The Michigan 500 had to be postponed for a week due to tire issues. In September, the race at Sanair came to a bizarre conclusion when the safety car, leading the field on the final lap under caution, suddenly veered into the pits on the final turn. Leader Johnny Rutherford was not informed, and second place Pancho Carter accelerated past him and beat him to the finish line. Officials initially awarded the victory to Carter, and Rutherford protested. After review, Rutherford was eventually restored the victory. (In many motorsport codes, the safety car exits to pit lane on the final lap; in most North American codes, the safety car remains on the circuit towards the finish line.)

## Drivers and teams

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1985 Indy Car World Series season. All cars used Goodyear tires.
| Team | Chassis | Engine | No* | Drivers | Rounds |
| Team Penske | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 4 (5) | Danny Sullivan | All |
| Team Penske | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 5 (1) | Rick Mears | 2–3, 7, 9, 12 |
| Team Penske | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 5 (1) | Al Unser | 2–3, 7, 9, 12 |
| Team Penske | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 11 | Al Unser | All except 3 |
| Doug Shierson Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 30 | Al Unser Jr. | All |
| Truesports Co. | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 3 (10) | Bobby Rahal | All |
| Truesports Co. | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 8 | Ludwig Heimrath Jr. | 10 |
| Newman/Haas Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 1 (3) | Mario Andretti | All except 8 |
| Newman/Haas Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 1 (3) | Alan Jones | 8 |
| Patrick Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 20 | Bruno Giacomelli | 1, 4–6, 8, 10–11, 13, 15 |
| Patrick Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 20 | Sammy Swindell | 7, 9 |
| Patrick Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 20 | Don Whittington | 2-3, 12, 14 |
| Patrick Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 40 | Emerson Fittipaldi | All |
| Patrick Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 60 | Rich Vogler | 2 |
| All American Racers | Eagle 85GC (All except 4, 11, and 13–14) Lola T900 (4, 11, 13–14) | Cosworth DFX | 2 | Tom Sneva | All |
| All American Racers | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 97 | Tony Bettenhausen Jr. | 2 |
| All American Racers | Eagle 85GC (All except 3, 6) Lola T900 (3) | Cosworth DFX | 98 | Ed Pimm | All except 6 |
| Kraco Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 18 | Kevin Cogan | All |
| Kraco Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 99 | Michael Andretti | All |
| Alex Morales Motorsports | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 21 | Johnny Rutherford | All |
| Machinists Union Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 55 | Josele Garza | All |
| Machinists Union Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 59 | Pete Halsmer | 2–6, 12 |
| Machinists Union Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 59 | Rupert Keegan | 10, 13, 15 |
| Machinists Union Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 59 | Chip Ganassi | 7 |
| Galles Racing | March 85C | Buick V-6 (1-2) Cosworth DFX (3-15) | 6 | Pancho Carter | 2–4, 6–7, 9, 11–12, 14 |
| Galles Racing | March 85C | Buick V-6 (1-2) Cosworth DFX (3-15) | 6 | Roberto Moreno | 5, 8, 10, 13, 15 |
| Galles Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 7 | Geoff Brabham | All |
| Team Cotter | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 9 | Roberto Guerrero | All |
| Forsythe Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 32/33 | Howdy Holmes | 1-12 |
| Forsythe Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 32/33 | Jan Lammers | 13-15 |
| Pace Racing | March 84C (1-6) Lola T900 (7-15) | Cosworth DFX | 36 | Dennis Firestone | 1-13 |
| Pace Racing | March 84C (1-6) Lola T900 (7-15) | Cosworth DFX | 36 | Jim Crawford | 14-15 |
| Dick Simon Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 22 | Raul Boesel | 1, 4–6, 8, 10, 13, 15 |
| Dick Simon Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 22 | Dick Simon | 2-3, 7, 9, 11–12, 14 |
| Dick Simon Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 23 | Raul Boesel | 2, 7 |
| Dick Simon Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 23 | Dick Simon | 5 |
| Leader Card Racing | March 84C (1, 5) March 85C (4) | Cosworth DFX | 24 | Rocky Moran | 1, 4-5 |
| Leader Card Racing | March 84C (7) March 85C (2-3, 9) | Cosworth DFX | 24 | Tom Bigelow | 2–3, 7, 9 |
| Leader Card Racing | March 84C | Cosworth DFX | 24 | Phil Krueger | 6 |
| Leader Card Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 24 | Herm Johnson | 8, 10 |
| Leader Card Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 24 | Gary Bettenhausen | 11–12, 14 |
| Leader Card Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 24 | Dominic Dobson | 13, 15 |
| Canadian Tire Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 67 | Jim Crawford | 11 |
| Canadian Tire Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 76 | Jacques Villeneuve Sr. | All except 2, 7, 9, and 12 |
| Canadian Tire Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 76 | Johnny Parsons | 2 |
| Provimi Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 61 | Arie Luyendyk | All except 9-10 |
| Arciero Racing | Lola T900 (All other races) March 85C (12, 15) | Cosworth DFX | 12 | Bill Whittington | All except 7, 9, 11, and 14 |
| Arciero Racing | Lola T900 (All other races) March 85C (12, 15) | Cosworth DFX | 12 | Randy Lanier | 14 |
| Arciero Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 57 | Randy Lanier | 1–2, 4–6, 8, 10, 13, 15 |
| Dale Coyne Racing | Lola T800 | Chevy | 19 | Dale Coyne | All except 1 and 11 |
| Gohr Racing | March 85C | Chevy | 56 | Steve Chassey | All except 1 and 11 |
| Hemelgarn Racing | Lola T900 (All other races) March 85C (11) | Cosworth DFX | 71 | Michael Roe | 1–2, 4-6 |
| Hemelgarn Racing | Lola T900 (All other races) March 85C (11) | Cosworth DFX | 71 | Spike Gehlhausen | 3, 7 |
| Hemelgarn Racing | Lola T900 (All other races) March 85C (11) | Cosworth DFX | 71 | Enrique Mansilla | 8, 10-11 |
| Hemelgarn Racing | Lola T900 (All other races) March 85C (11) | Cosworth DFX | 71 | Scott Brayton | 13-15 |
| Part-time entries ||||||
| Wysard Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 34 | Jim Crawford | 1–3, 5-6 |
| Wysard Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 34 | Darin Brassfield | 15 |
| Brayton Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX/Buick V-6 | 37 | Scott Brayton | 1–7, 9, 12 |
| Interscope Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 25 | Danny Ongais | 1–2, 6–7, 9, 12, 14-15 |
| AMI Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 43 | John Paul Jr. | 2, 6 |
| AMI Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 43 | Jan Lammers | 4-5 |
| Circle Bar Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 38 | Chet Fillip | 2–3, 6-7 |
| Menard Cashway Lumber | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 8 | Herm Johnson | 2 |
| Tom Hess Racing | Lola T800 | Cosworth DFX | 27 (29) | Dick Ferguson | 1 |
| Tom Hess Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 27 (29) | Derek Daly | 2 |
| Tom Hess Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 27 (29) | Jeff Wood | 6 |
| Tom Hess Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth DFX | 27 (29) | Ian Ashley | 15 |
| Purcell Racing | March 83C | Cosworth DFX | 50 | Tom Bigelow | 2 |
| Purcell Racing | March 83C | Cosworth DFX | 51 | Phil Krueger | 2 |
| Gilmore Racing | March 85C (All other races) Lola T900 (11) | Cosworth DFX | 14 | A. J. Foyt | 2, 5–7, 9, 11, 14-15 |
| Gilmore Racing | March 84C | Cosworth DFX | 41 | Mike Nish | 2, 14 |
| Gilmore Racing | March 85C | Chevy | 44 | George Snider | 2 |
| Gilmore Racing | March 85C | Cosworth DFX | 84 | Chip Ganassi | 2 |
| Theodore Racing | Theodore | Cosworth DFX | 15 | Chico Serra | 4 |
* - The number in parentheses is the number the car used at the Indianapolis 500, if a different number was used.

### Notable team and driver changes

* Rick Mears was sidelined due to injuries for much of the season. Danny Sullivan left Doug Shierson Racing to join Team Penske.
* Al Unser Jr. left Galles Racing to replace Sullivan at Doug Shierson Racing. He was replaced at Galles Racing by Geoff Brabham, who previously drove for Kraco Racing.
* Mayer Motor Racing, which ran 1984 with drivers Tom Sneva and Howdy Holmes, did not run in 1985. Tom Sneva moved to All American Racers, which expanded to a two car team, while Howdy Holmes moved to Forsythe Racing, who had run 1984 without a steady driver.
* Galles Racing expanded to a two car team. Joining Geoff Brabham, the second car was run by Pancho Carter on the ovals and rookie Roberto Moreno on the road courses.
* Bignotti-Cotter Racing changed its name to Team Cotter, continuing to field a car for Roberto Guerrero.
* Bill Whittington, who did not have a ride in 1984, joined Arciero Racing, replacing Pete Halsmer. Halsmer only ran a few races that year.
* Rookie Arie Luyendyk ran his first full season, driving for Provimi Veal Racing. He replaced Derek Daly, who was left without a full-time ride.
* Geoff Brabham was replaced at Kraco Racing by Kevin Cogan.
* Gordon Johncock retired shortly before the 1985 Indianapolis 500. He was replaced at Patrick Racing by rookie Bruno Giacomelli.
* Johnny Rutherford returned to full-time driving, replacing Al Holbert at Alex Morales Motorsports. Holbert returned to sports cars.
* Dick Simon scaled back to part-time driving. His ride at Dick Simon Racing was split with Raul Boesel.
* Stan Fox, who ran full-time in 1984, did not run in 1985. A variety of drivers are ran at Leader Card Racing.
* Interscope Racing and driver Danny Ongais only ran part-time in 1985.
* Tom Hess Racing, which drove most of 1984 with Dick Ferguson, also scaled back to part-time.

## Season Schedule and Results
### Schedule

| Rd | Date | Name | Circuit | Location | TV Broadcaster |
| 1 | April 14 | Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach | R Streets of Long Beach | Long Beach, California | NBC |
| 2 | May 26 | Indianapolis 500 | O Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Indianapolis, Indiana | ABC |
| 3 | June 2 | Miller American 200 in Honor of Rex Mays | O Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | ESPN |
| 4 | June 16 | Stroh's/G.I. Joe's 200 | R Portland International Raceway | Portland, Oregon | ESPN |
| 5 | June 30 | U.S. Grand Prix at the Meadowlands | R Meadowlands Sports Complex | East Rutherford, New Jersey | NBC |
| 6 | July 7 | Budweiser Cleveland Grand Prix | R Burke Lakefront Airport | Cleveland, Ohio | ESPN |
| 7 | July 28* | Michigan 500 | O Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan | Untelevised |
| 8 | August 4 | Provimi Veal 200 | R Road America | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin | ESPN |
| 9 | August 18 | Domino's Pizza 500 | O Pocono International Raceway | Long Pond, Pennsylvania | ESPN |
| 10 | September 1 | Escort Radar Warning 200 | R Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, Ohio | ESPN |
| 11 | September 8 | Molson Indy 300 | O Sanair Super Speedway | Saint-Pie, Quebec | ESPN |
| 12 | September 22 | Detroit News 200 | O Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan | ESPN |
| 13 | October 6 | Stroh's 300k | R Laguna Seca Raceway | Monterey, California | ESPN |
| 14 | October 13* | Dana 150 | O Phoenix International Raceway | Avondale, Arizona | ESPN |
| 15 | November 9 | Beatrice Indy Challenge | R Tamiami Park | Miami, Florida | NBC |
O Oval/Speedway  R Road/Street course NC Non-championship event
The Dana 150 was scheduled for March 31, but postponed on March 13 due to track damage sustained over winter testing. On August 6, it was rescheduled for an October 13 date.
The Michigan 500 was scheduled for July 21, but postponed a week due to tire concerns. NBC did not return to televise the race.

### Race results

| Rd | Event Name | Pole Position | Winner | Winning Team | Race time |
| 1 | Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach | Mario Andretti | Mario Andretti | Newman/Haas Racing | 1:42:50 |
| 2 | Indianapolis 500 | Pancho Carter | Danny Sullivan | Team Penske | 3:16:06 |
| 3 | Miller American 200 in Honor of Rex Mays | Mario Andretti | Mario Andretti | Newman/Haas Racing | 1:36:38 |
| 4 | Stroh's/G.I. Joe's 200 | Danny Sullivan | Mario Andretti | Newman/Haas Racing | 1:51:35 |
| 5 | U.S. Grand Prix at the Meadowlands | Mario Andretti | Al Unser Jr. | Doug Shierson Racing | 1:51:55 |
| 6 | Budweiser Cleveland Grand Prix | Bobby Rahal | Al Unser Jr. | Doug Shierson Racing | 1:45:31 |
| 7 | Michigan 500 | Rick Mears | Emerson Fittipaldi | Patrick Racing | 3:53:58 |
| 8 | Provimi Veal 200 | Danny Sullivan | Jacques Villeneuve Sr. | Canadian Tire Racing | 1:45:12 |
| 9 | Domino's Pizza 500 | Rick Mears | Rick Mears | Team Penske | 3:17:47 |
| 10 | Escort Radar Warning 200 | Bobby Rahal | Bobby Rahal | Truesports | 1:52:23 |
| 11 | Molson Indy 300 | Bobby Rahal | Johnny Rutherford | Alex Morales Motorsports | 2:03:54 |
| 12 | Detroit News 200 | Bobby Rahal | Bobby Rahal | Truesports | 1:13:19 |
| 13 | Stroh's 300k | Bobby Rahal | Bobby Rahal | Truesports | 1:38:56 |
| 14 | Dana 150 | Al Unser | Al Unser | Team Penske | 1:14:35 |
| 15 | Beatrice Indy Challenge | Bobby Rahal | Danny Sullivan | Team Penske | 2:04:59 |
* Indianapolis was USAC-sanctioned but counted towards the CART title.

### Drivers points standings

| Pos | Driver | LBH | INDY | MIL | POR | MEA | CLE | MIC1 | ROA | POC | MDO | SAN | MIC2 | LAG | PHX | MIA | Pts |
| 1 | Al Unser | 5 | 4 | | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2* | 7 | 3 | 27 | 13* | 12 | 2 | 1* | 4 | 151 |
| 2 | Al Unser Jr. | 9 | 25 | 7 | 2* | 1* | 1 | 15 | 17* | 2* | 4 | 3 | 23 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 150 |
| 3 | Bobby Rahal | 27 | 27 | 9 | 20 | 25 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 1* | 10 | 1* | 1* | 6 | 2* | 133 |
| 4 | Danny Sullivan | 3 | 1 | 4 | 27 | 18 | 27 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 1 | 126 |
| 5 | Mario Andretti | 1* | 2* | 1* | 1 | 26 | 14* | 10 | | 7 | 7 | 15 | 21 | 11 | 3 | 27 | 114 |
| 6 | Emerson Fittipaldi | 2 | 13 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 25 | 13 | 24 | 8 | 26 | 104 |
| 7 | Tom Sneva | 8 | 20 | 2 | 24 | 6 | 11 | 3 | 21 | 8 | 15 | 7 | 5 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 66 |
| 8 | Jacques Villeneuve Sr. | 7 | DNQ | 22 | 23 | 21 | 4 | | 1 | | 3 | 11 | | 25 | 13 | 17 | 54 |
| 9 | Michael Andretti | 19 | 8 | 19 | 28 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 19 | 25 | 9 | 5 | 25 | 53 |
| 10 | Rick Mears | | 21 | 3 | | | | 30 | | 1 | | | 2 | | | | 51 |
| 11 | Johnny Rutherford | 10 | 6 | 23 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 4 | DNS | 14 | 22 | 1 | 9 | 21 | 26 | 19 | 51 |
| 12 | Josele Garza | 28 | 31 | 7 | 12 | 27 | 6 | 19 | 18 | 26 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 46 |
| 13 | Ed Pimm | 12 | 9 | 21 | 19 | DNS | | 5 | 11 | 20 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 45 |
| 14 | Kevin Cogan | 23 | 11 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 25 | 17 | 21 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 44 |
| 15 | Geoff Brabham | 6 | 19 | 12 | 14 | 24 | 2 | 29 | 15 | 19 | 13 | 4 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 22 | 41 |
| 16 | Pancho Carter | 13 | 33 | 5 | 13 | | 16 | 16 | | 12 | | 2 | 10 | | 7 | | 37 |
| 17 | Roberto Guerrero | 26 | 3 | 6 | 15 | DNS | 19 | 13 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 24 | 4 | 21 | 28 | 34 |
| 18 | Arie Luyendyk RY | 17 | 7 | 17 | 21 | 10 | 5 | Wth | 6 | | DNS | 18 | 15 | 22 | 25 | 7 | 33 |
| 19 | Bruno Giacomelli R | 18 | | | 10 | 5 | 10 | | 22 | | 6 | 16 | | 6 | | 14 | 32 |
| 20 | Jim Crawford | 4 | 16 | DNS | | 9 | 13 | | | | | 20 | | | 15 | 16 | 16 |
| 21 | Bill Whittington | 16 | 14 | DNS | 26 | 16 | 24 | | 24 | | 5 | | 17 | DNQ | | 8 | 15 |
| 22 | Scott Brayton | 11 | 30 | DNQ | 6 | 15 | 25 | 8 | | 16 | | | 22 | 26 | 18 | DNQ | 15 |
| 23 | Alan Jones | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | 14 |
| 24 | Danny Ongais | DNQ | 17 | | | | | 20 | | 22 | | | 7 | | 14 | 6 | 14 |
| 25 | Howdy Holmes | 14 | 10 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 22 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 16 | 21 | 18 | DNS | | | 12 |
| 26 | Jan Lammers | | | | 16 | 12 | | | | | | | | 5 | 20 | 13 | 11 |
| 27 | Michael Roe R | 21 | DNQ | | 7 | 8 | 26 | | | | | | | | | | 11 |
| 28 | Roberto Moreno R | | | | | 28 | | | 16 | | 25 | | | 16 | | 5 | 10 |
| 29 | Johnny Parsons | | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 |
| 30 | Raul Boesel R | 20 | 18 | | 11 | 11 | 12 | 28 | 8 | | 23 | | | 20 | | 23 | 10 |
| 31 | Enrique Mansilla | | | | | | | | 9 | | 10 | 12 | | | | | 8 |
| 32 | Pete Halsmer | | DNQ | 15 | 8 | 19 | | | | | | | 11 | | | | 7 |
| 33 | Dennis Firestone | 22 | DNQ | 20 | 18 | DNQ | 21 | 11 | 20 | 9 | 17 | 14 | DNS | 23 | | | 6 |
| 34 | Steve Chassey | | DNQ | DNS | DNQ | 20 | DNS | 12 | 26 | 11 | 12 | | 14 | 15 | 11 | DNQ | 6 |
| 35 | Rupert Keegan R | | | | | | | | | | 19 | | | 12 | | 10 | 4 |
| 36 | Dick Simon | | 26 | 13 | | 17 | | 25 | | 10 | | 17 | 19 | | DNQ | | 3 |
| 37 | Chet Fillip | | DNQ | 10 | | | 18 | 17 | | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 38 | Dominic Dobson | | | | | DNS | | | | | | | | 18 | | 11 | 2 |
| 39 | Herm Johnson | | DNQ | | | | | | 12 | | 24 | | | | | | 1 |
| 40 | Derek Daly | | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 41 | Randy Lanier | 24 | DNQ | | 22 | 22 | 20 | | 14 | | 20 | | | 13 | 17 | 15 | 0 |
| 42 | Spike Gehlhausen | | | 14 | | | | 18 | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 43 | John Paul Jr. | | 15 | | | | 17 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 44 | Phil Krueger | | DNQ | | | | DNQ | 21 | | 15 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 45 | Rocky Moran R | 15 | | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 46 | Gary Bettenhausen | | | | | | | | | | | 22 | DNS | | 16 | | 0 |
| 47 | Tom Bigelow | | DNQ | 18 | | | | 26 | | 23 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 48 | Ian Ashley | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18 | 0 |
| 49 | A. J. Foyt | | 28 | | | 23 | | Wth | | 24 | | 24 | | | 23 | 20 | 0 |
| 50 | Don Whittington | | 24 | DNQ | | | | 20 | | | | | 20 | | 24 | | 0 |
| 51 | Chip Ganassi | | 22 | | | | | 22 | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 52 | Dale Coyne | DNQ | | DNS | DNQ | DNQ | DNS | 24 | 23 | 27 | 28 | | DNS | 27 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
| 53 | Sammy Swindell | | | | | | | 23 | | 25 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 54 | Rich Vogler | | 23 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 55 | Jeff Wood | | | | | | 23 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 56 | Dick Ferguson | 25 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 57 | Chico Serra | | | | 25 | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 58 | Ludwig Heimrath Jr. R | | | | | | | | | | 26 | | | | | | 0 |
| 59 | Tony Bettenhausen Jr. | | 29 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 60 | George Snider | | 32 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Darin Brassfield R | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | - |
| – | Frank Chianelli R | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | - |
| – | Gordon Johncock | | Wth | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - |
| – | Jerry Karl | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - |
| – | Mike Nish R | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | EX | | - |
| – | Willy T. Ribbs R | | Wth | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - |
| – | Ken Schrader | | DNP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - |
| Pos | Driver | LBH | INDY | MIL | POR | MEA | CLE | MIC1 | ROA | POC | MDO | SAN | MIC2 | LAG | PHX | MIA | Pts |
| Color | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | 4th-6th place |
| Light Blue | 7th–12th place |
| Dark Blue | Finished (Outside Top 12) |
| Purple | Did not finish |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Brown | Withdrawn (Wth) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| Blank | Did not participate (DNP) |
| Blank | Driver replacement (Rpl) |
| Blank | Injured (Inj) |
| Blank | Race not held (NH) |
| Blank | Not competing |
In-line notation :
| Bold | Pole position |
| Italics | Ran fastest race lap |
| * | Led most race laps |
| RY | Rookie of the Year |
| R | Rookie |

## Sanair controversy

In the Sanair race (Molson Indy 300), Roberto Guerrero had a strong lead until he lost control and spun. Later in the race Jacques Villeneuve Sr. collided with leader Bobby Rahal in attempt to challenge for the lead, taking both out. The race finished under a yellow flag, but the safety car entered pit lane on the final lap, and thinking there would be a final restart, Pancho Carter passed Johnny Rutherford after the safety car entered pit lane and before the finish line. CART initially declared Carter the winner, but an appeals panel later overturned the decision and confirmed Rutherford's victory. In many codes of motorsport (typically FIA Code) the safety car enters pit lane as the field is on the final lap, and the cars cross the checkered flag together without the safety car on course. However, this practice is not accepted in North America, where the safety car leads the leaders to the finish line if the safety car situation exists.