1999 in IRL
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| 1999 IRL IndyCar Series season | |
| Previous: 1998 | Next: 2000 |
The 1999 Pep Boys Indy Racing League season was highly competitive and parity was the order of the year. Team Menard had a very good season with their driver Greg Ray capturing 3 race wins in a row and the series championship. This was the last year before CART teams began to break ranks and jump to the IRL.
Contents |
[edit] Calendar
[edit] Race summaries
[edit] TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200
This race was held January 24 at Walt Disney World Speedway. Scott Sharp won the pole.
Top ten results
- Eddie Cheever
- Scott Goodyear
- Jeff Ward
- Scott Sharp
- Raul Boesel
- Mark Dismore
- Steve Knapp
- Davey Hamilton
- Billy Boat
- Buddy Lazier
[edit] MCI WorldCom 200
This race was held March 28 at Phoenix International Raceway. Greg Ray won the pole.
Top ten results
- Scott Goodyear
- Jeff Ward
- Robbie Buhl
- Billy Boat
- Scott Harrington
- Roberto Moreno
- Mark Dismore
- Scott Sharp
- Sam Schmidt
- Stephan Gregoire
[edit] Visionaire 500k
This race was held May 1 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Greg Ray won the pole.
With crowds estimated at 50,000, the track opened extra sections of track to accommodate the additional spectators. As reported on the radio broadcast, sections of Turn 1 and Turn 4, and the first eight rows of all open grandstands, were closed by the track for safety. At 8:50 PM during lap 59 of the race, Stan Wattles suffered a suspension failure that shot his car into the wall, shearing both right wheels off the car. John Paul, Jr.'s car subsequently hit the debris field and the contact sent Wattles' right rear wheel and tire assembly over the catch fence. Three spectators in the vicinity of the section which had been opened for the overflow crowd were killed from the flying tire debris. Scott Harrington spun to miss the debris field and the accident is often described as a 3-car crash, however, Harrington's car made no contact with the wall or other cars and was undamaged.[1]
Buddy Lazier was leading the race at the time of the caution. After he pitted to change tires because of a puncture, Greg Ray took over the lead during the long caution for the Lap 62 crash. Because of the safety helicopters and for the safety of all participants, the race was red flagged at 9:15 PM, after 79 laps. Shortly after the red flag period, track and series officials cancelled the remainder of the race.
Since the race had not reached the point in which it would have been deemed official (105 laps), the race was declared abandoned and all statistics were eliminated from official record. Spectators were offered ticket refunds, and participants were reimbursed entry fees and travel costs.
From the IRL radio broadcast, and consistent with the television broadcast on Speedvision, this was the leaderboard at the time of the abandonment of the race:
- Greg Ray
- Scott Goodyear
- Eddie Cheever
- Sam Schmidt
- Donnie Beechler
- Scott Sharp
- Buddy Lazier
- Mark Dismore
- Robby McGehee
- Kenny Brack
[edit] 83rd Indianapolis 500
The Indy 500 was held May 30 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Arie Luyendyk sat on pole.
Top ten results
- Kenny Bräck
- Jeff Ward
- Billy Boat
- Robby Gordon
- Robby McGehee
- Robbie Buhl
- Buddy Lazier
- Robby Unser
- Tony Stewart
- Hideshi Matsuda
[edit] Longhorn 500
This race was held June 12 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mark Dismore won the pole.
Top ten results
- Scott Goodyear
- Greg Ray
- Sam Schmidt
- Stephan Gregoire
- Eliseo Salazar
- Robby Unser
- Davey Hamilton
- Mark Dismore
- Buzz Calkins
- Scott Sharp
[edit] Radisson 200
This race was held June 27 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Greg Ray won the pole.
Top ten results
- Greg Ray
- Sam Schmidt
- Davey Hamilton
- Eddie Cheever
- Buddy Lazier
- Robby Unser
- Kenny Bräck
- Scott Sharp
- Jeff Ward
- Jaques Lazier
[edit] Kobalt Mechanics Tools 500
This race was held July 17 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Billy Boat won the pole.
Top ten results
- Scott Sharp
- Robby Unser
- Kenny Bräck
- Eliseo Salazar
- Buzz Calkins
- Eddie Cheever
- Davey Hamilton
- Donnie Beechler
- Jimmy Kite
- Billy Boat
[edit] MBNA Mid-Atlantic 200
This race was held August 1 at Dover International Speedway. Mark Dismore won the pole.
Top ten results
- Greg Ray
- Buddy Lazier
- Kenny Bräck
- Billy Boat
- Sam Schmidt
- Scott Harrington
- Jaques Lazier
- Buzz Calkins
- Robby McGehee
- Donnie Beechler
[edit] Colorado Indy 200
This race was held August 29 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Greg Ray won the pole.
Top ten results
- Greg Ray
- Davey Hamilton
- Mark Dismore
- Buddy Lazier
- Sam Schmidt
- Scott Harrington
- Robby McGehee
- Jimmy Kite
- Robby Unser
- Kenny Bräck
[edit] Vegas.com 500
This race was held September 26 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sam Schmidt won the pole.
Top ten results
- Sam Schmidt
- Kenny Bräck
- Robbie Buhl
- Scott Sharp
- Buzz Calkins
- Robby McGehee
- Jaques Lazier
- Stephan Gregoire
- Tyce Carlson
- Jeff Ward
[edit] Mall.com 500
This race was held October 17 at Texas Motor Speedway. Greg Ray won the pole.
Top ten results
- Mark Dismore
- Davey Hamilton
- Greg Ray
- Eddie Cheever
- John Hollansworth, Jr.
- Scott Harrington
- Jaques Lazier
- Buzz Calkins
- Billy Boat
- Buddy Lazier
[edit] Final point standings
[edit] Driver
For every race points were awarded to all starters: 50 points to the winner, 40 for runner up, 35 for third place, 32 for fourth place, 30 for fifth place, 28 for sixth place, 26 seventh place, 24 eighth place, 22 for ninth place, 20 for tenth place, winding down to 1 points for 29th place. Every lower placed driver also was awarded with 1 point. Additional points were awarded to the pole winner (3 points), the second best qualifier (2 points), the third best qualifier (1 point) and to the driver leading the most laps (2 point).
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No points (did not qualify):
[edit] References
- ^ Preliminary Charlotte Crash Details Outlined, The Auto Channel, May 15, 1999
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