Penske PC-20
Encyclopedia
The Penske PC-20 was a CART
Penske Racing
car which competed in the 1991 and 1992 seasons. In 1991, it raced in all seventeen events, scoring 3 wins, two with Rick Mears
, and one with Emerson Fittipaldi
, placed 4th and 5th at the season's end respectively. The most remarkable success of the PC-20 was the 1991 Indianapolis 500
win by Mears, his 4th win at the Brickyard. The car was designed by Nigel Bennett, his 4th car designed for Penske Racing.
, qualifying 6th and 7th with Fittipaldi and Mears respectively. In the race Mears scored a 3rd place, while Fittipaldi retired with drive shaft failure. After a 4th place finish in Long Beach with Mears, and a 3rd place finish at Phoenix
with Fittipaldi, the PC-20 scored its biggest win at 1991 Indianapolis 500
. In qualifiyng, Mears clinched his 6th pole at Indy 500 (224.113 mph). Mears battled with Michael Andretti
during final stages of the race, who led Rick Mears by 15 seconds when a caution flag flies on lap 182. Andretti was able to make it to the pits for fuel under the yellow, while Mears lined up as the leader. Andretti then completed a daring pass around the outside of Mears into turn 1 on the restart. Exactly one lap later, Mears repeated the move on Andretti, passing him on the outside of turn one to re-take the lead. Another caution does not alter the result as Mears powered away again to his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 Victory, tying A.J Foyt and Al Unser, Sr. During the rest of the season, the Penskes weren't able to compete with Michael Andretti dominance, who clinched the title with 8 season wins. Nevertheless, Fittipaldi won at Detroit
, and Mears scored a win at Michigan 500
, as confirmation of the PC-20's competitive form on long ovals.
In 1992, the PC-20 chassis was used by Penske Racing, as a third car for Paul Tracy
in early stages of season (Tracy was driving the #4 car in second half of the season as replacement for injured Mears), and for entire season by Bettenhausen Racing, with Tony Bettenhausen, Jr.
and Stefan Johansson
sharing the #16 car, with two 3rd places by Johansson as best results.
* Paul Tracy started also in Long Beach for Dale Coyne Racing, scoring no points.
** Only results with PC-20 chassis are shown. Tracy raced in a total of 11 events in 1992 season, scoring 59 points and 12th final place.
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
Penske Racing
Penske Racing
Penske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...
car which competed in the 1991 and 1992 seasons. In 1991, it raced in all seventeen events, scoring 3 wins, two with Rick Mears
Rick Mears
Rick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...
, and one with Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...
, placed 4th and 5th at the season's end respectively. The most remarkable success of the PC-20 was the 1991 Indianapolis 500
1991 Indianapolis 500
The 75th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1991. Rick Mears won from the pole position, becoming the third four-time winner of the Indy 500, joining A. J. Foyt and Al Unser....
win by Mears, his 4th win at the Brickyard. The car was designed by Nigel Bennett, his 4th car designed for Penske Racing.
Racing History
The PC-20 debuted at the 1991 Gold Coast IndyCar Grand Prix1991 Gold Coast IndyCar Grand Prix
The 1991 Gold Coast IndyCar Grand Prix was the opening round of the 1991 IndyCar season, held on 17 March 1991 on the Streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia.-Qualifying results:- Race :-External links:...
, qualifying 6th and 7th with Fittipaldi and Mears respectively. In the race Mears scored a 3rd place, while Fittipaldi retired with drive shaft failure. After a 4th place finish in Long Beach with Mears, and a 3rd place finish at Phoenix
XM Satellite Radio Indy 200
The XM Satellite Radio Indy 200 was an IndyCar race held at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The event began in 1915 on a dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The race was revived in 1950 by the American Automobile Association, and then passed to the United States...
with Fittipaldi, the PC-20 scored its biggest win at 1991 Indianapolis 500
1991 Indianapolis 500
The 75th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1991. Rick Mears won from the pole position, becoming the third four-time winner of the Indy 500, joining A. J. Foyt and Al Unser....
. In qualifiyng, Mears clinched his 6th pole at Indy 500 (224.113 mph). Mears battled with Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti
Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:...
during final stages of the race, who led Rick Mears by 15 seconds when a caution flag flies on lap 182. Andretti was able to make it to the pits for fuel under the yellow, while Mears lined up as the leader. Andretti then completed a daring pass around the outside of Mears into turn 1 on the restart. Exactly one lap later, Mears repeated the move on Andretti, passing him on the outside of turn one to re-take the lead. Another caution does not alter the result as Mears powered away again to his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 Victory, tying A.J Foyt and Al Unser, Sr. During the rest of the season, the Penskes weren't able to compete with Michael Andretti dominance, who clinched the title with 8 season wins. Nevertheless, Fittipaldi won at Detroit
Detroit Indy Grand Prix
The Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix presented by shopautoweek.com is a weekend of professional auto racing held at the Renaissance Center and later the Belle Isle in Detroit, United States. It has been held from 1989-01, 2007–08, and is scheduled for 2012 and beyond...
, and Mears scored a win at Michigan 500
Firestone Indy 400
The Firestone Indy 400 was an IndyCar Series race held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.Between 1970 and 2007, Michigan International Speedway hosted at least one open-wheel race in every season, hosting 55 open-wheel races over 38 years...
, as confirmation of the PC-20's competitive form on long ovals.
In 1992, the PC-20 chassis was used by Penske Racing, as a third car for Paul Tracy
Paul Tracy
Paul Tracy is a professional automobile racer who has competed in CART, the ChampCar World Series and the IndyCar Series...
in early stages of season (Tracy was driving the #4 car in second half of the season as replacement for injured Mears), and for entire season by Bettenhausen Racing, with Tony Bettenhausen, Jr.
Tony Bettenhausen, Jr.
Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. was a Champ Car team owner and driver who died in a 2000 plane crash. He was the son of former 14-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Tony Bettenhausen and the brother of 21-time Indy racer Gary Bettenhausen. The family holds the dubious distinction of the most combined starts...
and Stefan Johansson
Stefan Johansson
Stefan Nils Edwin Johansson is a former Formula One driver from who drove for among others both Ferrari and McLaren during his Grand Prix career. Since leaving Formula One he has raced in a number of categories, including CART, various kinds of Sports car racing, and Grand Prix Masters...
sharing the #16 car, with two 3rd places by Johansson as best results.
Results
- Bold indicates Pole positionPole positionThe term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
. - Italics indicate most laps led.
Year Team(s) Engine(s) Tyres ## Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Points Rk 1991 Penske Racing Penske RacingPenske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...Ilmor IlmorIlmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983, is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Michigan, the company supplies engines and consultancy to the...
-ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
265AAUS 1991 Gold Coast IndyCar Grand PrixThe 1991 Gold Coast IndyCar Grand Prix was the opening round of the 1991 IndyCar season, held on 17 March 1991 on the Streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia.-Qualifying results:- Race :-External links:...PHX XM Satellite Radio Indy 200The XM Satellite Radio Indy 200 was an IndyCar race held at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The event began in 1915 on a dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The race was revived in 1950 by the American Automobile Association, and then passed to the United States...LNG Long Beach Grand PrixThe Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an open-wheel race held on a street circuit in Long Beach, California. Christopher Pook is the founder and promoter which began as a vision while working at a travel agency in downtown Long Beach. It was the premier circuit in the Champ Car from 1996, and...IND 1991 Indianapolis 500The 75th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 26, 1991. Rick Mears won from the pole position, becoming the third four-time winner of the Indy 500, joining A. J. Foyt and Al Unser....MIL ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225The Milwaukee 225 is an IndyCar Series race held at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin. It is the only IndyCar race to be sanctioned by all four of the sport's various governing bodies: AAA, USAC, CART , and IndyCar....DET Detroit Indy Grand PrixThe Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix presented by shopautoweek.com is a weekend of professional auto racing held at the Renaissance Center and later the Belle Isle in Detroit, United States. It has been held from 1989-01, 2007–08, and is scheduled for 2012 and beyond...POR Grand Prix of PortlandThe Grand Prix of Portland was a Champ Car World Series race held at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The race has not been highly considered as an addition to the Indy Car Series, but is a likely candidate should the league desire a Pacific Northwest venue.For nearly its entire...CLE Grand Prix of ClevelandThe Grand Prix of Cleveland was an open wheel automobile racing event in the Champ Car World Series, held annually at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America. The 2006 race, held on June 25, marked the 25th anniversary of the event...MEA Meadowlands Sports ComplexThe MetLife Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority...TOR Honda Indy TorontoThe Honda Indy Toronto is an annual IndyCar Series race, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally known as the Molson Indy Toronto, it was a Champ Car World Series race held annually from 1986 to 2007...MIC Firestone Indy 400The Firestone Indy 400 was an IndyCar Series race held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.Between 1970 and 2007, Michigan International Speedway hosted at least one open-wheel race in every season, hosting 55 open-wheel races over 38 years...DEN Centrix Financial Grand Prix of DenverThe Centrix Financial Grand Prix of Denver is a former Champ Car race held on a street circuit in Denver, Colorado. A Champ Car race was first held in Denver at Centennial Park dirt oval in 1951 and 1952 under AAA sanctioning. 38 years later Champ Cars returned to Denver with a downtown...VAN Molson Indy VancouverMolson Indy Vancouver was an annual Champ Car race held in a street circuit near B.C. Place and running past Science World in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada held in July or August from 1990 to 2004....MDO Honda 200The Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance is an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series race held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio....ROA Champ Car Grand Prix of Road AmericaThe Champ Car Grand Prix of Road America was an open wheel car race held on the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. It was a round of the Champ Car World Series for most of Champ Car's existence, the first race being held in 1982...NAZ Firestone Indy 225The Firestone Indy 225 was an IndyCar racing event held at Nazareth Speedway from 1987-2004. From 1987-2001, the event was sanctioned by CART. In 2002, the race switched to the Indy Racing League....LAG Monterey Grand PrixThe Monterey Grand Prix was an auto race held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The race was first held as a USAC Road Racing Championship event, following the success of the SCCA's Pebble Beach Road Races. After USAC's road racing series disbanded in 1962, the race became a non-championship race for...3 Rick Mears Rick MearsRick Ravon Mears is a retired American race car driver. He is one of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race four times , and the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six...3 4 5 1 15 5 6 17 3 20 1 8 6 6 15 15 5 145 4th 5 Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson FittipaldiEmerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:...19 17 3 11 8 1 2 2 7 21 20 2 17 2 6 8 4 140 5th 17 Paul Tracy Paul TracyPaul Tracy is a professional automobile racer who has competed in CART, the ChampCar World Series and the IndyCar Series...
*21 7 25 6* 21st* 1992 Penske Racing Penske RacingPenske Racing is a racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, and Formula One. Penske Racing is a division of Penske Corporation, and is owned and chaired by Roger Penske...Ilmor IlmorIlmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983, is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Michigan, the company supplies engines and consultancy to the...
-ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...AUS 1992 Daikyo IndyCar Grand PrixThe 1992 Daikyo IndyCar Grand Prix was the opening round of the 1992 CART World Series season, held on 22 March 1992 on the Streets of Surfers Paradise, Australia.-Qualifying results:- Race :-External links:*...PHX XM Satellite Radio Indy 200The XM Satellite Radio Indy 200 was an IndyCar race held at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The event began in 1915 on a dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The race was revived in 1950 by the American Automobile Association, and then passed to the United States...LNG Long Beach Grand PrixThe Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach is an open-wheel race held on a street circuit in Long Beach, California. Christopher Pook is the founder and promoter which began as a vision while working at a travel agency in downtown Long Beach. It was the premier circuit in the Champ Car from 1996, and...IND 1992 Indianapolis 500The 76th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 24, 1992. The race is famous for the fierce battle in the closing laps, as race winner Al Unser, Jr...DET Detroit Indy Grand PrixThe Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix presented by shopautoweek.com is a weekend of professional auto racing held at the Renaissance Center and later the Belle Isle in Detroit, United States. It has been held from 1989-01, 2007–08, and is scheduled for 2012 and beyond...POR Grand Prix of PortlandThe Grand Prix of Portland was a Champ Car World Series race held at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The race has not been highly considered as an addition to the Indy Car Series, but is a likely candidate should the league desire a Pacific Northwest venue.For nearly its entire...MIL ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225The Milwaukee 225 is an IndyCar Series race held at The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin. It is the only IndyCar race to be sanctioned by all four of the sport's various governing bodies: AAA, USAC, CART , and IndyCar....LOU TOR Honda Indy TorontoThe Honda Indy Toronto is an annual IndyCar Series race, held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Originally known as the Molson Indy Toronto, it was a Champ Car World Series race held annually from 1986 to 2007...MIC Firestone Indy 400The Firestone Indy 400 was an IndyCar Series race held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan.Between 1970 and 2007, Michigan International Speedway hosted at least one open-wheel race in every season, hosting 55 open-wheel races over 38 years...CLE Grand Prix of ClevelandThe Grand Prix of Cleveland was an open wheel automobile racing event in the Champ Car World Series, held annually at Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America. The 2006 race, held on June 25, marked the 25th anniversary of the event...ROA Champ Car Grand Prix of Road AmericaThe Champ Car Grand Prix of Road America was an open wheel car race held on the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. It was a round of the Champ Car World Series for most of Champ Car's existence, the first race being held in 1982...VAN Molson Indy VancouverMolson Indy Vancouver was an annual Champ Car race held in a street circuit near B.C. Place and running past Science World in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada held in July or August from 1990 to 2004....MDO Honda 200The Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio presented by Westfield Insurance is an Indy Racing League IndyCar Series race held at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio....NAZ Firestone Indy 225The Firestone Indy 225 was an IndyCar racing event held at Nazareth Speedway from 1987-2004. From 1987-2001, the event was sanctioned by CART. In 2002, the race switched to the Indy Racing League....LAG Monterey Grand PrixThe Monterey Grand Prix was an auto race held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The race was first held as a USAC Road Racing Championship event, following the success of the SCCA's Pebble Beach Road Races. After USAC's road racing series disbanded in 1962, the race became a non-championship race for...7 Paul Tracy Paul TracyPaul Tracy is a professional automobile racer who has competed in CART, the ChampCar World Series and the IndyCar Series...
**4 59** 12th** Bettenhausen Racing Ilmor IlmorIlmor, founded by Mario Illien and Paul Morgan in November 1983, is a British independent high-performance autosport engineering company. With manufacturing based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire, and maintenance offices in Plymouth, Michigan, the company supplies engines and consultancy to the...
-ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...16 Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. Tony Bettenhausen, Jr.Tony Bettenhausen, Jr. was a Champ Car team owner and driver who died in a 2000 plane crash. He was the son of former 14-time Indianapolis 500 competitor Tony Bettenhausen and the brother of 21-time Indy racer Gary Bettenhausen. The family holds the dubious distinction of the most combined starts...13 11 15 21 18 9 6 24th 16 Stefan Johansson Stefan JohanssonStefan Nils Edwin Johansson is a former Formula One driver from who drove for among others both Ferrari and McLaren during his Grand Prix career. Since leaving Formula One he has raced in a number of categories, including CART, various kinds of Sports car racing, and Grand Prix Masters...3 10 11 9 19 3 6 21 11 47 14th