1986 American Racing Series season

June 2025 February 2025 The 1986 American Racing Series Championship consisted of 10 races and was the inaugural season for the series. Fabrizio Barbazza won five races on his way to the championship. This was a "spec series", and all cars were March 86A Wildcat, 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 6, 1986 76 1.6093=122.3068 km 0'37:58.23 193.266 km/h Steve Millen Kim Campbell Kim Campbell ? 2 Milwaukee Wisconsin June 8, 1986 75 1.6607976=124.55982 km 0'38:56.19 191.943 km/h Mike Groff Jeff Andretti Mike Groff ? 3 Meadowlands New Jersey June 29, 1986 44 2.7229356=119.809166 km 0'51:44.117 136.515 km/h Fabrizio Barbazza Fabrizio Barbazza Fabrizio Barbazza ? 4 Toronto July 20, 1986 42 2.8709912=120.58163 km 0'47:54.656 151.007 km/h Fabrizio Barbazza Fabrizio Barbazza Fabrizio Barbazza ? 5 Pocono Pennsylvania August 16, 1986 40 4.02325=160.93 km 0'40:52.11 236.265 km/h Jeff Andretti Jeff Andretti Mike Groff ? 6 Lexington Ohio August 31, 1986 31 3.86232=119.73192 km 0'44:41.550 160.741 km/h Steve Millen Steve Millen Steve Millen ? 7 Elkhart Lake Wisconsin September 20, 1986 19 6.4372=122.3068 km 0'41:23.38 177.300 km/h Mike Groff Juan Manuel Fangio II Mike Groff ? 8 Monterey California October 12, 1986 40 3.05767=120.3068 km 0'41:17.328 174.827 km/h Fabrizio Barbazza Tommy Byrne Steve Millen ? 9 Phoenix Arizona October 19, 1986 75 1.6093=120.6975 km 0'37:11.24 194.740 km/h Fabrizio Barbazza Jeff Andretti Fabrizio Barbazza ? 10 Miami Florida November 9, 1986 22 2.8709912=63.1618064 km 0'25:54.98 146.229 km/h Fabrizio Barbazza Fabrizio Barbazza Juan Manuel Fangio II ? Race summaries Phoenix race 1 Held April 6 at Phoenix International Raceway. Kim Campbell won the pole. This was the first race for the series.https://www.newspapers.com/article/fort-pierce-tribune/175611779/ Campbell on pole Fort Pierce Tribune Associated Press April 6, 1986 C2 Newspapers.com Top Five Results 5- Steve Millen 3- Cary Bren 12- Fabrizio Barbazza 8- Billy Boat 85- Jeff Andretti Milwaukee race Held June 8 at The Milwaukee Mile. Jeff Andretti won the pole. Top Five Results 20- Mike Groff 1- Jerrill Rice 85- Jeff Andretti 5- Steve Millen 10- Stan Fox Meadowlands race Held June 29 at the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Fabrizio Barbazza won the pole. Top Five Results 12- Fabrizio Barbazza 4- Tommy Byrne 2- Steve Bren 1- Jerrill Rice 14- Brad Murphey Toronto race Held July 20 at Exhibition Place. Fabrizio Barbazza won the pole. Top Five Results 12- Fabrizio Barbazza 20- Mike Groff 3- Cary Bren 9- John Graham 8- Sammy Swindell Pocono race Held August 16 at Pocono Raceway. Jeff Andretti won the pole. Top Five Results 85- Jeff Andretti 20- Mike Groff 59- Nick Fornoro Jr. 4- Tommy Byrne 7- Sammy Swindell Mid-Ohio race Held August 31 at The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Steve Millen won the pole. Top Five Results 10- Steve Millen 12- Fabrizio Barbazza 15- Ross Cheever 85- Jeff Andretti 8- Billy Boat Elkhart Lake race Held September 20 at Road America. Juan Manuel Fangio II won the pole. Top Five Results 20- Mike Groff 85- Jeff Andretti 9- Tommy Byrne 15- Ross Cheever 2- Gary Rubio Laguna Seca race Held October 12 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Tommy Byrne won the pole. Top Five Results 12- Fabrizio Barbazza 71- Steve Millen 3- Juan Manuel Fangio II 84- Albert Naon Jr. 6- Dave Simpson Phoenix race Held October 19 at Phoenix International Raceway. Jeff Andretti won the pole. Top Five Results 12- Fabrizio Barbazza 3- Juan Manuel Fangio II 8- Billy Boat 85- Jeff Andretti 4- Davy Jones Miami race Held November 9 at Tamiami Park. Fabrizio Barbazza won the pole. Top Five Results 12- Fabrizio Barbazza 3- Juan Manuel Fangio II 85- Jeff Andretti 84- Albert Naon Jr. 71- Steve Millen 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 CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA 1 Fabrizio Barbazza Arciero Racing 145 14 - 22 22 3 16 6 20 21 21 2 Jeff Andretti Ralph Sanchez Racing 107 10 15 3 3 21 12 16 - 13 14 3 Mike Groff Groff Motorsports 89 1 21 1 16 17 - 21 6 6 - 4 Steve Millen Truesports 85 20 12 4 - - ? 22 - Hemelgarn Racing 17 - 10 5 Juan Manuel Fangio II Ralph Sanchez Racing 69 - - 2 6 6 ? 5 3 14 16 17 6 Billy Boat Marsh Holt Racing 67 12 2 6 - 5 10 8 5 14 5 7 Tommy Byrne Agapiou Racing 62 - 5 16 5 12 1 14 1 - 8 8 Sam Swindell ? 40 6 - - 10 Cahill Brothers Racing 10 6 4 1 2 1 9 Cary Bren ? 38 16 3 5 14 - - - - - - 10 Jerrill Rice ? 37 5 16 12 4 - - - - - - Albert Naon Jr. Ralph Sanchez Racing 37 - 6 - - 2 2 3 Duration Racing 12 - 12 12 Brad Murphey Louis Motorsports 33 - - 10 8 4 4 - 3 4 - 13 Nick Fornoro Jr. ? 30 - - - - 14 8 5 2 1 - 14 Ross Cheever Brian Stewart Racing 26 - - - - - 14 Agapiou Racing 12 - - - 15 Stan Fox Ralph Sanchez Racing 23 4 ? 10 - - Cahill Brothers Racing 1 - - - Agapiou Racing 8 - 16 Steve Bren ? 17 - 1 14 2 - - - - - - Dave Simpson Bill Simpson Racing 17 - - - - - - - 10 5 2 18 Kim Campbell Motorsports Racing 12 4 8 - - - - - - - - Scott Wood Agapiou Racing 12 - 4 8 - - - - - - - John Graham Agapiou Racing 12 - - - 12 - - - - - - 21 Jim Busby Jr. ? 11 - - - - - - - 8 3 - 22 Gary Rubio ? 10 - - - - - - 10 - - - Davy Jones Agapiou Racing 10 - - - - - - - - 10 - 24 Desiré Wilson South Africa 1928 ? 8 8 - - - - - - - - - Ian Ashley Agapiou Racing 8 - - - 8 - - - - - - 26 Rich Rutherford ? 7 3 - - - - - - - - Ian Gordon Racing 4 27 Guido Daccò Agapiou Racing 6 - - - - - - - - - 6 28 Jan Thoelke Agapiou Racing 4 - - - - - - - 4 - - 29 Jack Miller Agapiou Racing 3 - - - - - 3 - - - - Bobby Fix ? 3 - - - - - - - - - 3 Note: Race 4 and 7 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 Place Name Country Team USA USA USA CAN USA USA USA USA USA USA 1 Fabrizio Barbazza Arciero Racing 2 3 - - 1 1 1 1 4 R10 5 2 3 R7 5 1 2 1 1 1 2 Jeff Andretti Ralph Sanchez Racing 8 5 1 3 7 R10 2 R10 1 1 2 4 11 2 8 R14 1 4 6 3 3 Mike Groff Groff Motorsports 9 R12 3 1 8 R12 6 2 2 2 3 R13 2 1 6 7 3 7 - - 4 Steve Millen Truesports 4 1 5 4 2 9 - - - - ? 1 1 - - Hemelgarn Racing 2 2 - - 4 5 5 Juan Manuel Fangio II Ralph Sanchez Racing - - - - 3 R11 5 7 5 7 ? 4 8 1 R11 4 3 4 2 2 2 6 Billy Boat Marsh Holt Racing 11 4 6 R11 12 7 - - 13 8 12 5 7 R6 12 8 8 3 10 8 7 Tommy Byrne Agapiou Racing - - 10 8 4 2 4 R8 3 4 8 R12 6 3 1 R13 - - 5 6 8 Sam Swindell ? 7 7 - - - - 10 5 Cahill Brothers Racing 10 5 10 7 8 R9 10 R12 7 R11 7 12 9 Cary Bren ? 3 2 7 10 5 R8 8 3 - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 Jerrill Rice ? 5 8 4 2 11 4 7 R9 7 R13 - - - - - - - - - - Albert Naon Jr. Ralph Sanchez Racing - - 11 7 10 R14 - - 11 R11 7 R11 5 R10 Duration Racing 9 4 - - 3 4 12 Brad Murphey Louis Motorsports - - - - 13 5 11 6 12 9 11 9 - - 14 10 12 9 - - 13 Nick Fornoro Jr. ? - - - - - - - - 6 3 13 6 9 R8 15 11 11 R12 - - 14 Ross Cheever Brian Stewart Racing - - - - - - - - - - 6 3 Agapiou Racing 4 4 3 R15 - - - - 15 Stan Fox Ralph Sanchez Racing 6 9 ? 9 5 - - - - Cahill Brothers Racing 8 R12 - - - - - - Agapiou Racing 10 6 - - 16 Steve Bren ? 13 R14 2 R12 5 3 3 R11 - - - - - - - - - - - - Dave Simpson Bill Simpson Racing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 5 9 8 8 11 18 Kim Campbell Motorsports Racing 1 R11 8 6 9 R13 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Scott Wood Agapiou Racing - - 12 9 14 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - John Graham Agapiou Racing - - - - - - 9 4 - - - - - - - - - - - - 21 Jim Busby Jr. ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 11 6 6 R10 - - 22 Gary Rubio ? - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 5 - - - - - - Davy Jones Agapiou Racing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 5 - - 24 Desiré Wilson South Africa 1928 ? 10 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ian Ashley Agapiou Racing - - - - - - - - 9 6 - - - - - - - - - - 26 Rich Rutherford ? 12 10 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ian Gordon Racing 11 9 27 Guido Daccò Agapiou Racing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 9 7 28 Jan Thoelke Agapiou Racing - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13 9 - - - - 29 Jack Miller Agapiou Racing - - - - - - - - - - 14 R10 - - - - - - - - Bobby Fix ? - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 10 - Wally Dallenbach Jr. ? 14 R13 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Ken Johnson ? - - - - - - - - - - 9 R14 - - - - - - - - References Category:Indy Lights seasons American Racing Series Season, 1986 American