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Rick Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951 in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The 2006 estimated population of 361,420 makes it the 51st largest city in the U.S....
) is a retired American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 race car driver. He is the third of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race
Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500 or commonly known simply as The 500, is an USA automobile auto racing, held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana....
 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991), and the current record-holder for pole position
Pole Position

Pole Position is a racing game video game released in 1982 by Namco. In this game, the player has to complete a lap in a certain amount of time in order to qualify for an Formula One race at the Fuji Speedway....
s in the race with six (1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991). Mears is also a three-time CART
Cart

A cart is a vehicle or device designed for transport, using two or four wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people....
 national champion (1979, 1981 and 1982).

s was raised in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield is a large city at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California, California, United States. It is one of the fastest-growing large-population cities in the USA, and is located roughly equidistant between Los Angeles and Fresno, California, to the south and north respectively....
, and began his racing career in off-road racing
Off-road racing

Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments....
.






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Rick Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951 in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas

Wichita , is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas. The 2006 estimated population of 361,420 makes it the 51st largest city in the U.S....
) is a retired American
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 race car driver. He is the third of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race
Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, often shortened to Indianapolis 500 or Indy 500 or commonly known simply as The 500, is an USA automobile auto racing, held annually over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana....
 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991), and the current record-holder for pole position
Pole Position

Pole Position is a racing game video game released in 1982 by Namco. In this game, the player has to complete a lap in a certain amount of time in order to qualify for an Formula One race at the Fuji Speedway....
s in the race with six (1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991). Mears is also a three-time CART
Cart

A cart is a vehicle or device designed for transport, using two or four wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people....
 national champion (1979, 1981 and 1982).

Biography

Mears was raised in Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield, California

Bakersfield is a large city at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California, California, United States. It is one of the fastest-growing large-population cities in the USA, and is located roughly equidistant between Los Angeles and Fresno, California, to the south and north respectively....
, and began his racing career in off-road racing
Off-road racing

Off-road racing is a format of racing where various classes of specially modified vehicles compete in races through off-road environments....
. He switched to Indy Car racing in the late 1970s, making his debut for the small Art Sugai team, driving a Eagle-Offenhauser. His speed attracted the attention of Roger Penske
Roger Penske

Roger Penske is the owner of the auto racing team Penske Racing, the Penske Corporation, and other automotive related businesses.He also is one of the corporate directors at General Electric and was chairman of Super Bowl XL in Detroit, Michigan....
. Although at the time Penske Racing
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 had the services of Tom Sneva
Tom Sneva

Tom Sneva is a former American Championship Car Racing driver that was named to the prestigious Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005. Sneva is best remembered for winning the 1983 Indianapolis 500....
 and Mario Andretti
Mario Andretti

Mario Gabriele Andretti is an Italian American former automobile auto racing driver, and one of the most successful United States in the history of the sport....
, Andretti was also racing in Formula One
Formula One

Formula One, abbreviated to F1, and currently officially referred as the FIA Formula One World Championship is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile ....
 with Lotus at the time and Penske wanted another young driver who would focus exclusively on American racing. For 1978 Mears was offered a ride in nine of the eighteen championship races, including the Indianapolis 500.

Mears qualified on the front row at Indy, but did not lead a lap and retired at 104 laps with a blown engine. Two weeks later, at the Rex Mays 150 at Milwaukee, he bounced back to win his first race. He added another win another month later at Atlanta and rounded off the year with his first road course win at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch

Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events....
 as the USAC
United States Automobile Club

The United States Automobile Club is an open-wheel auto racing sanctioning body. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States American Championship Car Racing, and from 1956 to 1997 it sanctioned the Indianapolis 500....
 cars made their only visit to England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
. In 1979 the National Championship sanction changed from the USAC
United States Automobile Club

The United States Automobile Club is an open-wheel auto racing sanctioning body. From 1956 to 1979, the USAC sanctioned the United States American Championship Car Racing, and from 1956 to 1997 it sanctioned the Indianapolis 500....
 to Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART
Cart

A cart is a vehicle or device designed for transport, using two or four wheels and normally pulled by one or a pair of draught animals. A handcart is pulled or pushed by one or more people....
). At Indianapolis he won his first "500" by virtue of staying at the front of the field and taking the lead as other drivers dropped out with mechanical problems. Three wins and four seconds in the eleven CART-eligible races won Mears his first championship. His worst finish in the season was fifth. In 1980 the ground effect
Ground effect

Aircraft may be affected by a number of ground effects, aerodynamic effects due to a flying body's proximity to the ground.One of the most important of these effects is the Wing In Ground effect, which refers to the reduction in drag experienced by an aircraft as it approaches a height approximately equal to the aircraft's wingspan...
 Chaparral was technologically more advanced that the other chassis. Mears finished in fourth place in the points with one win, scored at Mexico City.

1981 and 1982 were two more championship seasons for Mears. Despite facial burns during a pit fire in the 1981 Indianapolis 500
1981 Indianapolis 500

The 65th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 24, 1981. A hectic month of May was interrupted several times by rain....
, Mears' ten wins in the two-year span were enough for another two championship titles. At the 1982 Indianapolis 500
1982 Indianapolis 500

The 66th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 30, 1982. Gordon Johncock, who had previously won the 1973 Indianapolis 500, was the winner....
 he came within 0.16 of a second of adding a second Indy win. With less than 20 laps to go, during Mears' final pit stop, the crew filled the entire tank rather than giving him only the amount he needed to finish. The delay put him behind over 11 seconds behind Gordon Johncock
Gordon Johncock

Gordon Johncock is a former racing driver, best known as a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 and the 1976 United States Automobile Club Marlboro Championship Trail champion....
. Mears made up the difference when Johncock suffered handling problems, but failed to secure the win. The photo-finish would stand for ten years as the closest finish to an Indy 500.

For 1983 the Penske team would acquire the Pennzoil
Pennzoil

Pennzoil is an oil company originally founded in Oil City, Pennsylvania. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Corporation to become Pennzoil....
 sponsorship with its yellow paint scheme. Teammate Al Unser
Al Unser

Alfred Unser is a former United States of America automobile racing driver, the younger brother of Bobby Unser and father of Al Unser, Jr.. He is the second of three men to have won the Indianapolis 500 four times, the fourth of five to have won the race in consecutive years, and is the only person to have both a sibling and child as fello...
 took the title, the team switched to the March chassis for the 1984 Indianapolis 500 after the Penske chassis proved unsuccessful in the first two races of the year. Mears scored his second Indy win that May but suffered severe leg injuries later in the year in a crash at Sanair. The March chassis, like most contemporary open-wheel racing cars, sat the driver far forward in the nose, with little protection for the legs and feet.

In 1980 Mears had tested a Formula One
Formula One

Formula One, abbreviated to F1, and currently officially referred as the FIA Formula One World Championship is the highest class of auto racing sanctioned by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile ....
 Brabham and he declined an offer. After 1984 he was slowed by the injuries to his right foot and the 1985, 1986 and 1987 years saw Mears win two races, both scored at the tri-oval
Tri-oval

A tri-oval is a shape which derives its name from the two other shapes it most resembles, a triangle and an Oval . Rather than meeting at sharp, definable angles as the sides of a triangle do, in a tri-oval these angles are instead rounded into smooth curves....
 Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway

Pocono Raceway is a superspeedway located in the The Poconos of Pennsylvania at Long Pond, Pennsylvania. It is the site of two annual NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held just weeks apart in June and August....
.

In 1988, after several years using the March chassis, the Penske team utilized a new car, the PC-17, with a Chevrolet
Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a brand of automobile, produced by General Motors . It is the top selling GM marque, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM....
 racing engine. Mears used the new car to win the Indy 500. A year later, he took a record-setting fifth pole position at Indy, but retired from the race with mechanical problems. Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi

Emerson Fittipaldi is a highly successful Brazilian automobile racing driver, winning championships in both Formula One and Champcars, and the Indianapolis 500 twice....
 took the 500 and also beat Mears to the Championship in the last race at Laguna Seca, despite Mears winning that race. Also, that last race of 1989 set Mears apart from all other Indycar racers as he broke a tie with Bobby Rahal for race wins and became the most successful Indycar racer of the 1980s.

Fittipaldi joined Mears at Penske for 1990, but the year belonged to Al Unser, Jr.
Al Unser, Jr.

Alfred Unser, Jr. , nicknamed "Little Al", "Al Junior" or simply "Junior" is an United States race car driver and two-time Indianapolis 500 winner....
, who scored six wins. 1990 would be Mears' last in the Pennzoil
Pennzoil

Pennzoil is an oil company originally founded in Oil City, Pennsylvania. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Corporation to become Pennzoil....
 paint scheme as Marlboro
Marlboro (cigarette)

Marlboro is a brand of cigaretteMarlboro is a brand of cigarette made by Philip Morris USA within the US, and by Philip Morris International outside the US....
 took over as sponsor of the team.

Twenty laps from the end of the 1991 Indianapolis 500 it looked like Mears was set to be the runner-up behind Michael Andretti
Michael Andretti

Michael Mario Andretti is an United States retired Champ Car and Formula One driver with Italy heritage. He now co-owns the Andretti Green Racing team in the Indy Racing League....
. However, when a subsequent yellow flag period erased Andretti's 15 second lead, Mears gained the lead as Andretti opted to pit for fuel. It would be a short-lived lead as Andretti passed Mears around the outside into the first turn. A lap later he returned back into the lead. Turning up his turbo-boost he then pulled away to win a fourth Indy 500, making him one of only three individuals to win the event four times. In August 1991 at Michigan he won his last race. At the 1992 Indy 500 Mears broke a wrist in a crash during practice and then crashed out of the race for the first time in his career as he could not avoid Jim Crawford
Jim Crawford (driver)

Jim Crawford was a Scotland racing driver. He participated in 2 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on July 19, 1975.Crawford moved to the United States in the 1980s and began a career in Champ Cars....
's spinning car in turn 1. He raced only four more times in 1992 and announced his retirement from racing Indycars at the Penske team's Christmas party. He had just turned 41 years old, and nobody except for his wife and Roger Penske himself knew about it.

As of 2008, Rick Mears continues to work as a consultant to Penske racing, the team with which he won all of his Indycar races.

He is the brother of Roger Mears
Roger Mears

Roger Mears , is a former off-road driver who also drove in the United States Automobile Club and Champ Car Championship Car series. He raced in the 1978-1984 seasons, with 31 combined career starts, and started in the 1982 and 1983 Indianapolis 500....
 and the uncle of NASCAR
NASCAR

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is the largest sanctioning body of stock cars in the United States. The three largest racing series sanctioned by NASCAR are the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series and the Camping World Truck Series....
 driver Casey Mears
Casey Mears

Casey James Mears is the driver of the #07 Jack Daniel's Chevrolet Impala in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Richard Childress Racing. He is the nephew of four time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears and the son of Indy and off-road veteran Roger Mears....
.

Awards

  • In 1997, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame
    International Motorsports Hall of Fame

    The International Motorsports Hall of Fame is a Hall of Fame dedicated to enshrining those who have contributed the most to auto racing either as a driver, owner, developer or engineer....
    .
  • He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
    Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

    The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is a Hall of Fame and museum in Novi, Michigan for United States motorsports legends....
     in 1998.


USAC Champ Car career results

Year Team Wins Points Finish
1976 Art Sugai 0 390 16th
1977 Art Sugai/Theodore Racing
Theodore Racing

Theodore Racing was a Formula One constructor from Hong Kong founded by real estate magnate and millionaire Teddy Yip. They participated in 51 grands prix, entering a total of 64 cars....
 0 555 20th
1978 Penske Racing 3 2171 9th


CART Indy Car career results

(key) (Races in Bold indicate pole position)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points
1979
1979 CART World Series Season

The 1979 CART World Series Season was the first CART. It began on March 11, 1979 and it ended on October 20 after 14 races....
 Penske
PHX
2
ATL
2
ATL2
5
INDY
1979 Indianapolis 500

Results of the 1979 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 27, 1979.Failed to Qualify: Bill Alsup , Gary Bettenhausen , Tony Bettenhausen, Jr....

1
TRE
5
TRE2
7
MIS
4
MIS2
5
WGL
2
TRE3
1
ONT
2
MIS3
3
ATL3
1
PHX2
3		       1st 4060
1980
1980 CART World Series season

The 1980 CART World Series Season was the second CART. It began on April 13, 1980 and it ended on November 8 after 12 races....
 Penske
ONT
21
INDY
1980 Indianapolis 500

Results of the 1980 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25, 1980....

5
MIL
5
POC
12
MDO
9
MIS
4
WGL
2
MIL
2
ONT2
3
MIS
3
MEX
1
PHX
7		           4th 2866
1981
1981 CART World Series season

The 1981 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the third CART. It began on March 22, 1981 and it ended on October 31 after 11 races. For the 1981 season, the 1981 Indianapolis 500 was not held as part of the CART series, even though most CART teams and drivers did compete at the Brickyard....
 Penske
PHX
4
MIL

ATL
1
ATL2
1
MIS
3
RIV
1
MIL2
2
MIS2
1
WGL
1
MEX
1
PHX2
8		             1st 294
1982
1982 CART World Series season

The 1982 CART World Series Season was the fourth CART. It began on March 28, 1982 and it ended on November 6 after 11 races. Rick Mears was the season champion....
 Penske
PHO
1
ATL
1
MIL
3
CLE
4
MCH
15
MIL
12
POC
1
RIV
1
ROA
5
MCH
25
PHO
2		             1st 294
1983
1983 CART World Series season

The 1983 CART World Series Season was the fifth CART, a motor racing series. The season began on April 17, 1983 and it ended on October 29 after 13 races. Al Unser was the season champion....
 Penske
ATL
8
IND
3
MIL
3
CLE
7
MCH
4
ROA
17
POC
3
RIV
19
MDO
9
MCH
1
CEA
13
LAG
21
PHO
17		         6th 92
1984
1984 CART World Series season

The 1984 CART World Series Season was the sixth CART, this year also known as the PPG IndyCar World Series. The season began on March 31, 1984 and it ended on November 10 after 16 races....
 Penske
LGB
21
PHO
18
IND
1
MIL
2
POR
10
MEA
10
CLE
4
MCH
3
ROA
4
POC
2
MDO
5
SAN

MCH

PHO

LAG

LAV
   5th 110
1985
1985 CART World Series season

The 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 1985 season of the CART championship. Al Unser was the season champion....
 Penske
LGB

IND
21
MIL
3
POR

MEA

CLE

MCH
30
ROA

POC
1
MDO

SAN

MCH
2
LAG

PHO

MIA
     10th 51
1986
1986 CART World Series season

In the results of the motor racing 1986 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season. Bobby Rahal was the season champion....
 Penske
PHO
19
LGB
20
IND
3
MIL
3
POR
16
MEA
19
CLE
4
TOR
8
MCH
12
POC
8
MDO
17
SAN
18
MCH
8
ROA
3
LAG
17
PHO
20
MIA
3		 8th 89
1987
1987 CART World Series season

The 1987 CART World Series Season was the ninth CART. It began on April 4, 1987 and it ended on November 1 after 15 races. Bobby Rahal was the season champion....
 Penske
LGB
9
PHO
20
IND
23
MIL
21
POR
3
MEA
17
CLE
7
TOR
10
MCH
21
POC
1
ROA
9
MDO
4
NAZ
3
LAG
3
MIA
5		     5th 102
1988
1988 CART World Series season

The 1988 CART World Series Season was the tenth CART. It began on April 10, 1988 and it ended on November 6 after 15 races. Danny Sullivan was the season champion....
 Penske
PHO
22
LGB
8
IND
1
MIL
1
POR
6
CLE
23
TOR
6
MEA
3
MCH
13
POC
23
MDO
3
ROA
12
NAZ
7
LAG
5
MIA
2		     4th 129
1989
1989 CART World Series season

The 1989 CART World Series Season was the eleventh CART. It began on April 9, 1989 and it ended on October 15 after 15 races. Emerson Fittipaldi was the season champion....
 Penske
PHO
1
LGB
5
IND
23
MIL
1
DET
5
POR
8
CLE
5
MEA
4
TOR
5
MCH
7
POC
2
MDO
6
ROA
3
NAZ
2
LAG
1		     2nd 186
1990
1990 CART World Series season

The 1990 CART World Series Season was the twelfth CART. It began on April 8, 1990 and it ended on October 21 after 16 races....
 Penske
PHO
1
LGB
6
MIL
2
DET
4
POR
5
CLE
8
MEA
2
TOR
12
MCH
14
DEN
7
VAN
4
MDO
7
ROA
3
NAZ
2
LAG
4		   3rd 168
1991
1991 CART World Series season

The 1991 CART World Series Season was the thirteenth CART. It began on 17 March, 1991 and it ended on October 20 after 17 races....
 Penske
SUR
3
LGB
4
IND
1
MIL
15
DET
5
POR
6
CLE
17
MEA
3
TOR
20
MCH
1
DEN
8
VAN
6
MDO
6
ROA
15
NAZ
15
LAG
5		 4th 145
1992
1992 CART World Series season

The 1992 CART World Series Season was the fourteenth CART. It began on March 22, 1992 and it ended on October 18 after 17 races....
 Penske
SUR
2
PHO
8
LGB
9
IND
26
DET

POR
7
MIL
16
NHA
4
TOR

MCH
16
CLE

ROA

VAN

MDO

NAZ

LAG
   13th 47


Total: 3 championships, 26 victories

Indianapolis 500 results

Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Note Team
1977 Eagle OffyDid not qualify Sugai
1978 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 3rd 23rd Engine Failure Penske
1979 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 1st 1st Running Penske
1980 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 6th 5th Running Penske
1981 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 22nd 30th Pit lane fire Penske
1982 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 1st 2nd Running Penske
1983 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 3rd 3rd Running Penske
1984 March Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 3rd 1st Running Penske
1985 March Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 10th 21st Gear linkage Penske
1986 March Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 1st 3rd Running Penske
1987 March Cosworth
Cosworth

Cosworth is an automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in internal combustion engine for auto racing . It supplies a wide range of motorsport series, including the World Rally Championship, Superbike World Championship and, until the end of 2006, Formula One....
 3rd 23rd Ignition Penske
1988 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Chevrolet
Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a brand of automobile, produced by General Motors . It is the top selling GM marque, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM....
 1st 1st Running Penske
1989 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Chevrolet
Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a brand of automobile, produced by General Motors . It is the top selling GM marque, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM....
 1st 23rd Engine failure Penske
1990 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Chevrolet
Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a brand of automobile, produced by General Motors . It is the top selling GM marque, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM....
 2nd 5th Running Penske
1991 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Chevrolet
Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a brand of automobile, produced by General Motors . It is the top selling GM marque, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM....
 1st 1st Running Penske
1992 Penske
Penske Racing

Penske Championship Racing is a racing team that competes in the Indy Racing League, American Le Mans, and NASCAR. They also previously competed in road racing, Formula One and CART....
 Chevrolet
Chevrolet

Chevrolet is a brand of automobile, produced by General Motors . It is the top selling GM marque, with "Chevrolet" or "Chevy" being at times synonymous with GM....
 9th 26th Crash Penske


Indy 500 Qualifying Results

Year Att # Date Time Qual
Day		 Car # Laps Qual
Time		 Qual
Speed		 Rank Start Comment
1977 85 05-22 16:02 4 90 1 — — — — PULLED OFF
1977 96 05-22 17:21 4 90 2 — — — — WAVED OFF
1978 10 05-20 12:13 1 71 4 2:59.9300 200.078 4 3  
1979 34 05-13 16:39 1 9 4 3:05.8200 193.736 1 1  
1980 1 05-10 11:05 1 1 4 3:12.0100 187.490 7 6  
1981 34 05-16 13:41 1 6 2 — — — — PULLED OFF
1981 53 05-16 15:52 2 68 4 3:05.5500 194.018 10 22  
1982 2 05-15 11:09 1 1 4 2:53.9100 207.004 1 1  
1983 7 05-21 11:39 1 2 4 2:56.2110 204.301 3 3  
1984 2 05-12 12:25 1 6 4 2:53.2040 207.847 3 3  
1985 29 05-11 17:10 1 1 4 2:51.5950 209.796 10 10  
1986 9 05-10 12:40 1 4 4 2:46.0300 216.828 1 1  
1987 3 05-09 11:19 1 81T 4 2:50.2390 211.467 3 3  
1988 23 05-14 13:58 1 5 4 2:44.2350 219.198 1 1  
1989 20 05-14 14:09 1 4 4 2:40.7970 223.885 1 1  
1990 6 05-13 16:57 1 2 4 2:40.5600 224.215 2 2  
1991 16 05-11 12:51 1 3T 4 2:40.6330 224.113 2 1  
1992 21 05-09 17:48 1 4 4 2:40.2890 224.594 10 9  


Books



Trivia

  • Mears has seven of the top ten best Indianapolis 500 five-year qualifying streaks in the era.


  • Mears has the top six best Indianapolis 500 ten-year qualifying streaks in the era.