1999 Indy Racing League

The 1999 Pep Boys Indy Racing League 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 and the series championship. This was the year before CART teams began to break ranks and jump to the IRL. == Confirmed entries == == Schedule == == Results == All races were run on oval speedways. == Race summaries == === TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200 === The TransWorld Diversified Services Indy 200 was held on January 24 at Walt Disney World Speedway. Scott Sharp qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on ABC. Top 10 results 51 - Eddie Cheever 4 - Scott Goodyear 35 - Jeff Ward 8 - Scott Sharp 30 - Raul Boesel 28 - Mark Dismore 18 - Steve Knapp 9 - Davey Hamilton 11 - Billy Boat 91 - Buddy Lazier Failed to qualify: 6 - Eliseo Salazar === MCI WorldCom 200 === The MCI WorldCom 200 was held on March 28 at Phoenix International Raceway. Greg Ray qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on Fox Sports Net. Top ten results 4 - Scott Goodyear 21 - Jeff Ward 44 - Robbie Buhl 11 - Billy Boat 66 - Scott Harrington 33 - Roberto Moreno 28 - Mark Dismore 8 - Scott Sharp 99 - Sam Schmidt 7 - Stéphan Grégoire Goodyear's first IndyCar win since the 1994 Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway, and his first in IRL competition. Prior to this race, Ward left ISM Racing to drive for Pagan Racing. === VisionAire 500K === The VisionAire 500K was on held May 1 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Greg Ray qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on Speedvision. Top 10 on lap 79: 2 - Greg Ray 4 - Scott Goodyear 51 - Eddie Cheever 99 - Sam Schmidt 98 - Donnie Beechler 8 - Scott Sharp 91 - Buddy Lazier 28 - Mark Dismore 55 - Robby McGehee 14 - Kenny Bräck Failed to qualify: 35 - Steve Knapp On lap 62, Stan Wattles crashed after suffering a suspension failure. John Paul Jr. made contact, sending Wattles' right rear wheel and tire assembly into the grandstand. Scott Harrington also spun in the incident. The race continued under caution, with Lazier initially leading until he had to make a pit stop to replace a punctured tire, giving Ray the lead. On lap 79, the race was stopped, so that medical helicopters could land. The race was stopped permanently by track general manager Humpy Wheeler when it was announced that 3 spectators were killed. As a result, fans and participants were offered refunds. The race was scratched from the record books, due to the fact that it did not reach the official race distance of 105 laps (the halfway point plus one lap, unlike the FIA Code, which is simply making it to the start of the fourth lap). Due to this race and a similar incident (where 3 people were killed) at the CART 1998 U.S. 500 at Michigan International Speedway, wheel tethers were added to open-wheel cars. This would be the final IndyCar race at Charlotte. === Indianapolis 500 === The Indianapolis 500 was held on May 30 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Arie Luyendyk qualified on the pole position. Top 10 results 14 - Kenny Bräck 21 - Jeff Ward 11 - Billy Boat 32 - Robby Gordon 55 - Robby McGehee 84 - Robbie Buhl 91 - Buddy Lazier 81 - Robby Unser 22 - Tony Stewart 54 - Hideshi Matsuda Failed to qualify: 7 - Stéphan Grégoire, 10 - John Paul Jr., 10 - Andy Michner, 15 - Jaques Lazier, 15 - Troy Reiger, 18 - Mike Borkowski, 18 - Ronnie Johncox, 19 - Stan Wattles, 34 - Nick Firestone, 34 - Jim Guthrie, 36 - Brian Tyler, 36 - Vincenzo Sospiri, 43 - Dave Steele, 46 - Mike Groff, 66 - Scott Harrington, and 90 - Lyn St. James Until 2006, this race had the latest pass for the lead in Indianapolis 500 history when Gordon pitted on Lap 199, and Bräck took the lead in Turn 4. Combined, Arie Luyendyk and Greg Ray led 95 laps. Luyendyk crashed while attempting to lap Tyce Carlson on Lap 118, and during the ensuing caution, Ray was hit by Mark Dismore while exiting his pit stall. The day before the race, the Motorola 300 at Gateway International Raceway for the FedEx CART Championship Series was held. Gordon and Roberto Moreno competed in the race (Gordon competed full-time in CART and did Indianapolis as a one-off for Team Menard, due to Menards being his sponsor in the series, and Moreno was hired as an injury replacement at PacWest Racing for Mark Blundell, while concurrently driving for Truscelli Racing in the IRL). Moreno finished 4th and Gordon 27th due to a crash. Stewart, who moved to the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, did Double Duty by competing at Indianapolis and the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He finished 9th at Indianapolis, 4 laps down, and 4th at Charlotte on the lead lap, despite being moved to the rear of the field due to missing the drivers meeting. Rookie of the Year McGehee had an incident during a pit stop where a pit crew member hit the ground, but survived. This race was planned on being Luyendyk's final race. However, he returned to race part-time from 2001 to 2003. 4 drivers named either Robby or Robbie finished in the Top 10. === Longhorn 500 === The Longhorn 500 was held on June 12 at Texas Motor Speedway. Mark Dismore qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on Fox Sports Net. Top 10 results 4 - Scott Goodyear 2 - Greg Ray 99 - Sam Schmidt 7 - Stéphan Grégoire 6 - Eliseo Salazar 81 - Robby Unser 9 - Davey Hamilton 28 - Mark Dismore 12 - Buzz Calkins 8 - Scott Sharp Failed to qualify: 19 - Stan Wattles and 50 - Roberto Guerrero Ray entered the race 20th in points and left 8th. === Radisson 200 === The Radisson 200 was held on June 27 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Greg Ray qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on Fox Sports Net. Top 10 results 2 - Greg Ray 99 - Sam Schmidt 9 - Davey Hamilton 51 - Eddie Cheever 91 - Buddy Lazier 81 - Robby Unser 14 - Kenny Bräck 8 - Scott Sharp 21 - Jeff Ward 33 - Jaques Lazier Ray's first IndyCar win. Ray led 109 of 200 laps on his way to victory. Schmidt led the other 91 laps. === Kobalt Mechanics Tools 500 === The Kobalt Mechanics Tools 500 was held on July 17 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Billy Boat qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on Fox Sports Net. Top 10 results 8 - Scott Sharp 81 - Robby Unser 14 - Kenny Bräck 6 - Eliseo Salazar 12 - Buzz Calkins 51 - Eddie Cheever 9 - Davey Hamilton 98 - Donnie Beechler 30 - Jimmy Kite 11 - Billy Boat Unser's best IndyCar finish. === MBNA Mid-Atlantic 200 === The MBNA Mid-Atlantic 200 was held on August 1 at Dover Downs International Speedway. Mark Dismore qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on Fox. Top 10 results 2 - Greg Ray 91 - Buddy Lazier 14 - Kenny Bräck 11 - Billy Boat 99 - Sam Schmidt 66 - Scott Harrington 33 - Jaques Lazier 12 - Buzz Calkins 55 - Robby McGehee 98 - Donnie Beechler === Colorado Indy 200 === The Colorado Indy 200 was held on August 29 at Pikes Peak International Raceway. Greg Ray qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on Fox Sports Net. Top 10 results 2 - Greg Ray 9 - Davey Hamilton 28 - Mark Dismore 91 - Buddy Lazier 99 - Sam Schmidt 66 - Scott Harrington 55 - Robby McGehee 30 - Jimmy Kite 81 - Robby Unser 14 - Kenny Bräck This would be the final race aired on Fox. After this race, ESPN/ABC purchased the rights for the remaining two races. === Vegas.com 500 === The Vegas.com 500 was held on September 26 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Sam Schmidt qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on ESPN. Top 10 results 99- Sam Schmidt 14- Kenny Bräck 22- Robbie Buhl 8- Scott Sharp 12- Buzz Calkins 55- Robby McGehee 33- Jaques Lazier 7- Stephan Gregoire 20- Tyce Carlson 21- Jeff Ward Entering the season-finale, Greg Ray led Bräck by 15 points, Schmidt by 30 points, Sharp by 46 points, and Scott Goodyear by 48 points. Schmidt's only IndyCar win. === Mall.com 500 === The Mall.com 500 was held on October 17 at Texas Motor Speedway. Greg Ray qualified on the pole position. The race was broadcast on ABC. Top 10 results 28 - Mark Dismore 9 - Davey Hamilton 2 - Greg Ray 51 - Eddie Cheever 42 - John Hollansworth Jr. 66 - Scott Harrington 33 - Jaques Lazier 12 - Buzz Calkins 11 - Billy Boat 91 - Buddy Lazier Failed to qualify: 27 - Niclas Jönsson and 92 - Johnny Unser Points leader Ray was the only championship eligible driver to finish in the top 5 and top 10, finishing 3rd. Scott Goodyear finished 23rd due to a crash, Scott Sharp finished 19th due to an engine failure, Sam Schmidt finished 22nd due to a separate crash, and Kenny Bräck finished 16th, 22 laps down. There were several changes in the top 10 in points following this race, due to 3rd being separated from 10th by 31 points. Race winner Dismore moved up from 11th to 3rd, Jeff Ward (at one time the points leader) dropped from 7th to 11th, Sharp dropped from 4th to 8th, Goodyear dropped from 5th to 9th, and Hamilton moved up from 7th to 4th. Dismore's only IndyCar win. Schmidt's final IndyCar race. His career would end due to a testing crash at Walt Disney World Speedway in January 2000 that left him paralyzed. Sarah Fisher made her IndyCar debut in this race, becoming the first woman since Lyn St. James at the 1997 Indianapolis 500 to start an IndyCar race. She started 17th, but finished 25th due to a broken timing chain. == Points standings == 1 The 1999 VisionAire 500K at Charlotte was cancelled after 79 laps due to spectator fatalities. Ties in points broken by number of wins, followed by number of 2nds, 3rds, etc., and then by number of pole positions, followed by number of times qualified 2nd, etc. 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 points). This is regarded to be the best race of 1999 by most people. == References == == Bibliography == Johnson, Paul, ed. (1999). Indy Review 1999, Volume 9: Complete Coverage of the 1999 Indy Racing League Season. St. Paul, MN: MBI Publishing Company. ISBN 978-0-7603-0774-8. == See also == 1999 Indianapolis 500 1999 Indy Lights season 1999 CART season 1999 Toyota Atlantic Championship season http://champcarstats.com/year/1999i.htm http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (p. 135–136)