1987 American Racing Series season

November 2013 October 2013 February 2025 The 1987 American Racing Series Championship consisted of 10 races. Didier Theys won three races on his way to the championship. This was a "spec series", and all entrants used the March 86A Wildcat chassis, powered by Buick V6 engines. Calendar Race No Track State Date Laps Distance Time Speed Winner Pole position Most leading laps Fastest race lap 1 Phoenix Arizona April 12, 1987 75 1.6093=120.6975 km 0'41:38.23 173.928 km/h Jeff Andretti Didier Theys Jeff Andretti ? 2 Milwaukee Wisconsin May 31, 1987 75 1.6607976=124.55982 km 0'37:43.192 198.134 km/h Didier Theys Didier Theys Didier Theys ? 3 Meadowlands New Jersey June 28, 1987 41 2.7229356=111.6403596 km 0'46:37.80 143.650 km/h Didier Theys Didier Theys Didier Theys ? 4 Cleveland Ohio July 5, 1987 30 3.991064=119.73192 km 0'36:57.06 194.417 km/h Didier Theys Didier Theys Didier Theys ? 5 Toronto July 19, 1987 41 2.8709912=117.7106392 km 0'45:38.760 154.726 km/h Tommy Byrne Tommy Byrne Tommy Byrne ? 6 Pocono Pennsylvania August 16, 1987 40 4.02325=160.93 km 0'35:33.960 271.490 km/h Tommy Byrne Tommy Byrne Tommy Byrne ? 7 Lexington Ohio September 6, 1987 21 3.86232=81.10872 km 0'30:57.910 157.161 km/h Juan Manuel Fangio II Tommy Byrne Juan Manuel Fangio II ? 8 Nazareth Pennsylvania September 20, 1987 75 1.5223978=114.179835 km 0'39:31.310 173.342 km/h Mike Groff Didier Theys Mike Groff ? 9 Monterey California October 11, 1987 40 3.05767=120.3068 km 0'40:23.057 181.714 km/h Dave Simpson Dave Simpson Dave Simpson ? 10 Miami Florida November 1, 1987 22 2.8709912=63.1618064 km 0'45:59.77 82.392 km/h Jeff Andretti Dave Simpson Jeff Andretti ? Race summaries Phoenix race Held April 12 at Phoenix International Raceway. Didier Theys won the pole. Top Five Results 1- Jeff Andretti 5- Didier Theys 2- Juan Manuel Fangio II 20- Mike Groff 4- George Metsos Milwaukee race Held May 31 at The Milwaukee Mile. Didier Theys won the pole. Top Five Results 5- Didier Theys 7- Dave Simpson 20- Mike Groff 50- Tommy Byrne 4- George Metsos Meadowlands race Held June 28 at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Didier Theys won the pole. Top Five Results 5- Didier Theys 1- Jeff Andretti 11- Rich Rutherford 7- Dave Simpson 81- Lee Perkinson Jr. Cleveland race Held July 5 at Burke Lakefront Airport. Didier Theys won the pole. Top Five Results 5- Didier Theys 50- Tommy Byrne 71- Steve Millen 1- Jeff Andretti 11- Rich Rutherford Toronto race Held July 19 at Exhibition Place. Tommy Byrne won the pole. Top Five Results 50- Tommy Byrne 20- Mike Groff 71- Steve Millen 23- Albert Naon Jr. 81- Lee Perkinson Jr. Pocono race Held August 16 at Pocono Raceway. Tommy Byrne won the pole. Top Five Results 50- Tommy Byrne 1- Jeff Andretti 8- Mike Hooper 71- Steve Millen 5- Didier Theys Mid-Ohio race Held September 6 at The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Tommy Byrne won the pole. Top Five Results 2- Juan Manuel Fangio II 71- Steve Millen 20- Mike Groff 50- Tommy Byrne 1- Jeff Andretti Nazareth race Held September 20 at Nazareth Speedway. Didier Theys won the pole. Top Five Results 20- Mike Groff 5- Didier Theys 1- Jeff Andretti 23- Albert Naon Jr. 11- Rich Rutherford Laguna Seca race Held October 11 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Dave Simpson won the pole. Top Five Results 7- Dave Simpson 5- Didier Theys 50- Tommy Byrne 71- Steve Millen 20- Mike Groff Miami race Held November 1 at Tamiami Park. Dave Simpson won the pole. Top Five Results 1- Jeff Andretti 7- Dave Simpson 2- Juan Manuel Fangio II 23- Albert Naon Jr. 16- George Metsos Final points standings Driver For every race the points were awarded: 20 points to the winner, 16 for runner-up, 14 for third place, 12 for fourth place, 10 for fifth place, 8 for sixth place, 6 seventh place, winding down to 1 points for 12th place. Additional points were awarded to the pole winner (1 point) and to the driver leading the most laps (1 point). Place Name Country Team Total points USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA 1 Didier Theys Truesports 137 17 22 22 22 3 10 8 17 16 - 2 Jeff Andretti Arciero Racing 123 21 2 16 12 5 16 10 14 6 21 3 Tommy Byrne Opar Racing 120 3 12 6 16 22 22 13 6 14 6 4 Dave Simpson Bill Simpson Racing 101 5 16 12 5 8 8 4 4 22 17 5 Mike Groff Opar Racing 96 12 14 3 1 16 3 14 21 10 2 6 Steve Millen Hemelgarn Racing 88 8 - 5 14 14 12 16 3 12 4 7 Juan Manuel Fangio II TEAMKAR International 57 14 6 2 - - - 21 - - 14 8 Albert Naon Jr. Coors Racing 48 - - - 6 12 4 - 12 2 12 9 Rich Rutherford Monarch Motorsports 41 - 3 14 10 Agapiou Racing 4 - - Bill Simpson Racing 10 - - 10 Lee Perkinson Jr. Hemelgarn Racing 35 - - 10 3 10 2 5 5 - - 11 George Metsos Agapiou Racing 35 10 10 - - - - - - 5 10 12 Brad Murphey TEAMKAR International 22 - 5 4 2 6 - - - 4 1 13 Nikolas Konstant Agapiou Racing 17 6 8 - - - - - - 3 - 14 Mike Hooper Opar Racing 14 - - - - - 14 - - - - 15 Steve Petty Petty Racing 12 - - 8 - - - - - 1 3 16 Matt McBride Don McBride Co. 11 - - - - - 5 6 - - - 17 Paul Radisich Agapiou Racing 8 - - - 8 - - - - - - Wally Dallenbach Jr. TEAMKAR International 8 - 4 - 4 - - - - - - Bob Tullius TEAMKAR International 8 - - - - - - - 8 - - Pat Phinny ? 8 - - - - - - - - 8 - Guido Daccò Agapiou Racing 8 - - - - - - - - - 8 22 Dean Hall TEAMKAR International 6 - - - - - 6 - - - - 23 Bobby Fix ? 5 - - - - - - - - - 5 24 Billy Boat Machinist Union Racing 4 4 - - - - - - - - - 25 Paul Dallenbach TEAMKAR International 1 - 1 - - - - - - - - Ron Giery ? 1 - - - - - 1 - - - - Note: Race 1, 3, 5, 7 and 8 not all points were awarded (not enough competitors). Complete Overview first column of every race 10 = grid position second column of every race 10 = race result R10=retired, but classified NS=did not start Place Name Country Team USA USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA 1 Didier Theys Truesports 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 R10 2 5 2 R6 1 2 2 2 - - 2 Jeff Andretti Arciero Racing 2 1 2 R11 5 2 8 4 4 8 5 2 5 5 3 3 9 7 4 1 3 Tommy Byrne Opar Racing 5 R10 4 4 2 R7 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 4 2 7 4 3 2 7 4 Dave Simpson Bill Simpson Racing 4 R8 9 2 7 4 5 8 8 6 6 6 9 R9 6 R9 1 1 1 2 5 Mike Groff Opar Racing 8 4 5 3 4 10 6 R12 3 2 8 10 6 3 5 1 7 5 5 R11 6 Steve Millen Hemelgarn Racing 7 6 3 R14 6 8 3 3 6 3 3 4 4 2 4 R10 3 4 3 R9 7 Juan Manuel Fangio II TEAMKAR International 3 3 8 7 3 11 - - - - - - 3 1 - - - - 15 3 8 Albert Naon Jr. Coors Racing - - - - - - 4 7 7 4 7 9 - - 9 4 5 R11 6 4 9 Rich Rutherford Monarch Motorsports - - 12 10 8 3 9 5 Agapiou Racing 10 9 Opar Racing 11 13 - - Bill Simpson Racing 7 R5 - - - - 10 Lee Perkinson Jr. Hemelgarn Racing - - - - 9 5 11 10 5 5 13 11 7 R8 8 R8 8 R13 11 R14 11 George Metsos Agapiou Racing 10 5 14 5 ? NS - - - - - - - - - - 11 8 12 5 12 Brad Murphey TEAMKAR International - - 7 8 10 9 12 11 9 7 - - - - - - 13 9 14 R12 13 Nikolas Konstant Agapiou Racing 11 7 13 6 ? NS - - - - - - - - - - 12 10 - - 14 Mike Hooper Opar Racing - - - - - - - - - - 4 3 - - - - - - - - 15 Steve Petty Petty Racing - - - - 11 6 - - - - - - - - - - 10 R12 13 10 16 Matt McBride Don McBride Co. - - - - - - - - - - 12 8 8 R7 - - - - - - 17 Paul Radisich Agapiou Racing - - - - - - 7 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - Wally Dallenbach Jr. TEAMKAR International - - 10 9 - - 10 9 - - - - - - - - - - - - Bob Tullius TEAMKAR International - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 6 - - - - Pat Phinny ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 6 6 - - Guido Daccò Agapiou Racing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 6 22 Dean Hall TEAMKAR International - - - - - - - - - - 10 7 - - - - - - - - 23 Bobby Fix ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 8 8 24 Billy Boat Machinists Union Racing 6 R9 6 R13 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 25 Paul Dallenbach TEAMKAR International - - 11 R12 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ron Giery ? - - - - - - - - - - 9 12 - - - - - - - - - Fábio Greco TEAMKAR International - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 R13 - Stan Fox Petty Racing - - 15 R15 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Giovanni Fontanesi Agapiou Racing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 R15 - Gordon Johncockdriven only as "Coach-Observer" TEAMKAR International 9 (R8) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - References Category:Indy Lights seasons American