1986 CART PPG Indy Car World Series
| 1986 CART season | |
|---|---|
 Bobby Rahal |
|
| PPG Indy Car World Series | |
| Season | |
| Races | 17 |
| Start date | April 6 |
| End date | November 11 |
| Awards | |
| Drivers' champion |  Bobby Rahal |
| Constructors' Cup |  March |
| Manufacturers' Cup | Cosworth |
| Nations' Cup | United States |
| Rookie of the Year | Chip Robinson |
| Indianapolis 500 winner | Bobby Rahal |
| Chronology | |
| Previous season | Next season |
| 1985 | 1987 |
The 1986 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 8th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 17 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Bobby Rahal was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Chip Robinson. The 1986 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Bobby Rahal won the Indy 500, and would later become the first driver since 1980 to win Indy and the CART championship in the same season.
The first two races of the season were won by Kevin Cogan (Phoenix) and Michael Andretti (Long Beach), respectively, the first career wins for both drivers on the CART circuit. Rain delayed the Indianapolis 500, postponing it for six days. Bobby Rahal, driving for Truesports, passed Kevin Cogan with two laps to go, and won for car owner Jim Trueman, who was stricken with cancer. Trueman died less than two weeks later.
The season would shape up as a two-man battle between Rahal and Michael Andretti. Andretti won at Milwaukee, which put him in the points lead for the first time. On Father's Day, Andretti was leading on the final lap at Portland. His car ran out of fuel on the final turn of the final lap, and his father Mario beat him to the finish line by 0.07 seconds. It would go down in lore as one of the most shocking finishes in Indy car history, as well as the closest finish in Indy car history on a road course (until 1997).
Rahal was back in victory lane in July, winning the inaugural Molson Indy Toronto, but Michael Andretti still held the points lead. Rahal won four out of five races during a stretch in August and September, and emerged with a 9-point lead in the standings with two races left. Michael Andretti won a key victory at the second-to-last race of the season at Phoenix, while Rahal finished 3rd.
Going into the season finale at Tamiami Park, Rahal held a scant 3-point lead over Andretti. Neither driver was a factor at Miami, and just past the halfway point, Andretti dropped out with a broken halfshaft. Rahal effectively clinched the championship when Andretti dropped out. Roberto Guerrero won the pole and dominated the race, leading the first 111 laps. But on the final lap, his car sputtered and he ran out of fuel. Al Unser, Jr. slipped by to steal the victory, his lone win of 1986. Unser, Jr. won from 19th starting position, the furthest back any driver had won a CART road/street course race at the time.
Contents
Drivers and Teams
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1986 Indy Car World Series season. All cars used Goodyear tires.
| Team | Chassis | Engine | No* | Drivers | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotter | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 2 (5) |  Roberto Guerrero |
DNS Due to engine at Long Beach | |
| Curb | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 33 | Tom Sneva |
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| 66 | Ed Pimm |
Daly at Mid-Ohio, Sanair and Elkhart Lake, not entered at Toronto, and Pimm at all other events. | ||||
 Derek Daly |
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| Dick Simon Racing | Lola T8600 | Cosworth TC | 22 |  Raúl Boesel |
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| 23 | Dick Simon |
Simon at Indianapolis, Cleveland, Pocono and Sanair, Robinson at Meadowlands, Cleveland and Miami, and Ashley at Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Elkhart Lake | ||||
| Chip Robinson |
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| Ian Ashley |
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| Galles Racing | Lola T8600/March 86C | Cosworth TC/Honda | 8 |  Geoff Brabham |
March 86C at Phoenix 1, Honda at 8 events | |
| Lola T8600 | Cosworth TC | 9 | Roberto Moreno |
Carter at Sanair, Moreno at all other races after Indianapolis | ||
| Pancho Carter |
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| 15 | Indianapolis, Michigan 1 and Pocono only | |||||
| Hemelgarn Racing | March 86C | Cosworth TC/ Buick | 71 | Scott Brayton |
Hardee's and Buick at Indianapolis only, Brayton at Phoenix 1, Indianapolis, Michigan 1, Pocono and Michigan 2, Villeneuve at all other events. | |
| Cosworth TC |  Jacques Villeneuve |
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| 81 | Indianapolis only | |||||
| Kraco Racing | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 18 | Michael Andretti |
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| Leader Cards Racing | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 24 | Gary Bettenhausen |
Betenhausen on ovals, Dobson on road and street courses | |
 Dominic Dobson |
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| March 85C | 42 | Phil Krueger |
Indianapolis only | |||
| Machinists Union Racing | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 55 |  Josele Garza |
Parsons at Sanair, Michigan 2, and Phoenix 2, Wilson at Elkhart Lake and Laguna Seca, Garza at all other races | |
| Johnny Parsons |
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 Desiré Wilson |
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| 59 | Ganassi at Phoenix 1 and Indianapolis, Parsons at Milwaukee, Cleveland, Michigan 1 and Pocono and Wilson at Mid-Ohio | |||||
| Chip Ganassi |
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| Johnny Parsons |
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| 95 | Indianapolis Only | |||||
| Alex Morales Racing | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 6 | Rich Vogler |
Indianapolis Only | |
| 21 | Johnny Rutherford |
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| Newman/Haas Racing | Lola T8600 | Cosworth TC | 5 (2) | Mario Andretti |
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| Patrick Racing | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 7 | Kevin Cogan |
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| 20 | Emerson Fittipaldi |
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| Penske Racing | March 86C/ PC-15 | Cosworth TC/ Chevy A | 1/ 86 (4) | Rick Mears |
#86 at Phoenix 1, PC-15 at 4 events, Chevy A at 8 events | |
| 4 (1) | Danny Sullivan |
PC-15/Chevy A at Miami only, March 86C/Cosworth TC at all other events | ||||
| Chevy A | 11 | Al Unser |
Phoenix 1, Indianapolis, Michigan 1, Pocono and Miami only. PC-15 at Phoenix 1 and Indianapolis, March 86C at Michigan 1, Pocono and Miami | |||
| Doug Shierson Racing | Lola T8600 | Cosworth TC | 30 | Al Unser, Jr. |
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| Truesports | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 3 | Bobby Rahal |
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| Part-time entries | ||||||
| A. J. Foyt Enterprises | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 14 | A. J. Foyt |
Phoenix 1, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Michigan 1, Pocono, Michigan 2, Phoenix 2 and Miami only | |
| Chevy V6 | 44 | Mike Nish |
Indianapolis only, DNQ | |||
| Cosworth TC | 84 | George Snider |
Snider at Indianapolis and Michigan 1, Swindell at Pocono | |||
| Sammy Swindell |
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| Arciero Racing | March 86C/ March 85C | Cosworth TC | 12 | Randy Lanier |
Lanier at Phoenix 1, Long Beach, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Portland, Meadowlands, Cleveland, Toronto and Michigan 1, MacPherson at Mid-Ohio, Elkhart Lake, Laguna Seca and Phoenix 2, Chassey at Michigan 2 and Cheever at Miami. March 85C at Michigan 2 and Mid-Ohio, March 86C at all other races. | |
| Steve Chassey |
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| Eddie Cheever |
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| Jeff MacPherson |
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| Bettenhausen Motorsports | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 16 | Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. |
Indianapolis only | |
| Lola T8600/ March 86C | 61 |  Arie Luyendyk |
All events except Portland and Sanair | |||
| Dale Coyne Racing | DC-1 | Chevy | 19 | Dale Coyne |
Attempted all events except Indianapolis and Milwaukee | |
| Gohr Racing | March 86C | Buick/ Cosworth TC | 56 | Steve Chassey |
Chassey at Indianapolis, Milwaukee and Michigan 1, Moran at Meadowlands, Cleveland, Pocono, Mid-Ohio, Michigan 2, Elkhart Lake, Laguna Seca, Phoenix 2 and Miami and Morton at Toronto.
Buick engine until Mid-Ohio, Cosworth the remainder of the season. |
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| Rocky Moran |
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| John Morton |
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| March 85C | Buick | 65 | Rupert Keegan |
Indianapolis only, DNQ | ||
| J.P. Racing | Lola T900 | Cosworth TC | 10 | Spike Gehlhausen |
Indianapolis, Michigan 1, Pocono and Michigan 2 only | |
| March Engineering | March 86C | Buick | 25 | Danny Ongais |
Indianapolis only | |
| 31 | Jim Crawford |
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| Mosquito Autosport | March 85C | Cosworth TC | 16 (19) | Rick Miaskiewicz |
Long Beach, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Meadowlands, Cleveland and Toronto only. | |
| Pace Racing | Lola T8600 | Cosworth TC | 36 | Randy Lewis |
Lewis at Long Beach, Meadowlands, Cleveland, Toronto, Mid-Ohio, Elkhart Lake, Laguna Seca, and Miami, Firestone at Indianapolis, Michigan 1, Pocono, Sanair, Michigan 2 and Phoenix 2 | |
| Dennis Firestone |
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| Team Menard | March 86C | Cosworth TC | 28 | Herm Johnson |
Indianapolis only, DNQ | |
| Derek Daly |
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- - The number in parenthesis is the number the car used at the Indianapolis 500, if a different number was used.
Race winners
- Indianapolis was USAC-sanctioned but counted towards the CART title.
Full Series results
Drivers
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Point Scoring System:
- Points are awarded based on each driver's resulting place (regardless of whether the car is running at the end of the race):
| Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| Points | 20 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Bonus Points:
- 1 For Pole Position
- 1 For Leading The Most Laps Of The Race
References
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