Races 17 Drivers' champion Jacques Villeneuve Manufacturers' Cup Ford XB Start date 1995 Race 17 | End date September 10 Constructors' Cup Reynard Nations' Cup United States Rookie of the year Gil de Ferran | |
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Similar 1994 PPG Indy Car World Ser, 1996 PPG Indy Car World Ser, 1993 PPG Indy Car World Ser, 2003 CART season, 1992 PPG Indy Car World Ser | ||
The 1995 PPG Indy Car World Series season, the seventeenth in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing, consisted of 17 races, beginning in Miami, Florida on March 5 and concluding in Monterey, California on September 10. The PPG Indy Car World Series Drivers' Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Jacques Villeneuve. Rookie of the Year was Gil de Ferran. This was the last season before the formation of the Indy Racing League by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner, Tony George, and the last time the USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 would appear in the Series.
Contents
Overview
1994 IndyCar Rookie of the Year Jacques Villeneuve won the season opener at Miami, a foreshadowing of things to come for the French Canadian. After a penalty to Scott Goodyear, Villeneuve won the Indianapolis 500 despite also receiving a penalty in the race that put Villeneuve down two laps. Villeneuve also won at Road America and Cleveland enroute to the 1995 IndyCar Championship and an offer from Frank Williams to drive in Formula One in 1996. Though Marlboro Team Penske scored five wins (four by 1994 IndyCar champion Al Unser, Jr.), they were nowhere near the juggernaut that they were in 1994, with a low point being that both team drivers (Unser, Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi) failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. The Honda engine that was abandoned at Indianapolis the previous year led most of the Indy 500 in 1995. Firestone Tire and Rubber Company returned to the series and Indianapolis for the first time since 1974. Danny Sullivan's racing career came to an end after a hard crash at Michigan.
Teams and drivers
Several teams went through complete overhauls during the 1994 offseason. At Newman-Haas Racing, Nigel Mansell left IndyCar and returned for good to Formula One, and Mario Andretti retired. The team signed Michael Andretti for the seat vacated by his father. Canadian Paul Tracy, who had harsh words about Michael Andretti (notably at Toronto) in 1994 while driving for Marlboro Team Penske, became Michael's teammate (and Mansell's replacement) at Newman-Haas when Marlboro Team Penske went from three cars to two (Tracy's former team paid his salary while Tracy was at Newman-Haas). Gerry Forsythe and Barry Green, owners of Jacques Villeneuve's car in 1994, went their separate ways. Villeneuve stayed with the newly christened Team Green. Rahal-Hogan Racing released Mike Groff and signed Brazilian Raul Boesel and his Duracell sponsorship as a teammate to 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal. Target Chip Ganassi Racing lost both of its drivers from 1994, Michael Andretti and Brazilian Mauricio Gugelmin. The team signed Jimmy Vasser from Hayhoe Racing and Bryan Herta from A.J. Foyt Racing. Eddie Cheever replaced Herta at A.J. Foyt Racing. PacWest Racing released both Dominic Dobson and Scott Sharp and signed 1985 Indianapolis 500 winner Danny Sullivan and Mauricio Gugelmin, who came over from Ganassi Racing. Derrick Walker's team released Willy T. Ribbs and Mark Smith and signed Brazilian rookie Christian Fittipaldi to team with Robby Gordon. Dick Simon's team released Raul Boesel and Hiro Matsushita, signed Chilean rookie Eliseo Salazar, and added a second car at Phoenix for the rest of the season, driven primarily by Mexican rookie Carlos Guerrero. Hall Racing released Italian Teo Fabi and signed Brazilian rookie Gil de Ferran. Galles Racing added a second entry for Marco Greco from Long Beach until the end of the season to team with Adrian Fernandez. Payton/Coyne Racing signed Belgian Eric Bachelart as its second driver, teaming with Alessandro Zampedri.
Hayhoe Racing folded, and Jimmy Vasser signed with Chip Ganassi's team. King Racing folded, leaving Canadian Scott Goodyear without a full-time ride. Indy Regency Racing folded and returned to Indy Lights, leaving Dutchman Arie Luyendyk without a full-time ride. Euromotorsport also folded.
New teams
Tasman Motorsports, which had won the last two Indy Lights championships, moved up from Indy Lights and brought with them one of their Indy Lights drivers, 1994 Indy Lights championship runner-up Brazilian Andre Ribeiro. Patrick Racing returned to the grid full-time after a three-year absence and after spending all of the 1994 season testing the new Firestone tires with driver Scott Pruett. Arciero Racing signed Hiro Matsushita and his Panasonic sponsorship. Gerry Forsythe left Forsythe/Green Racing to form the other new full-time team to the grid, Forsythe Racing, which signed Teo Fabi.
Supplier changes from 1994
The Rahal-Hogan team switched from Honda to the Ilmor-Mercedes engine. Comptech Racing, PacWest Racing and Walker Racing switched from the Lola chassis to Reynard, while Galles Racing switched from Reynard to Lola. Payton/Coyne Racing switched from Goodyear to Firestone tires.
Drivers and Teams
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1995 Indy Car World Series season. Firestone returned to IndyCar after two decades of absence.