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American Indycar Series

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American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 For the current professional series sanctioned by the Indy Racing League, see IndyCar Series.
American Indycar Series
SportAuto racing
JurisdictionUnited States United States
AbbreviationAIS
Founded1988
PresidentBill Tempero
Closure date2005

The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by racing driver, owner, and businessperson Bill Tempero. The series utilized year-old (and older) chassis and engines from the CART series and later the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers including Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazier, Robby Unser, and Johnny Unser found early career success in the AIS.

In the mid-1980s, the once-popular Can-Am series was withering, and most teams had already defected to CART or IMSA. The last holdouts formed "CAT" (Can-Am Teams) in 1986 to take over sanctioning of the series as part of the SCCA. Two plans emerged, one keeping the Formula 5000-based cars, and others, led by Bill Tempero who favored using old CART Indy car machines. During 1986 and 1987, the CAT races were run essentially as two-class races, with the familiar full-bodied Formula 5000 cars racing alongside ex-CART Indy cars. CAT folded after the 1987 season.

Tempero then broke off and started his Indy car-based series in 1988. With an emphasis on cost savings, ex-CART Indy car chassis were powered by 5.9 L (360 in) normally aspirated, stock block Chevrolet V-8 engines. Buddy Lazier was the first season champion. Tempero himself won one race that year, and placed third in the final season points standings.

As the series slowly began to gain competitors, the teams were allowed to run a choice of multiple powerplants. The aforementioned stock block Chevy, or the Buick V-6 in turbocharged or normally aspirated configuration. Some entries even showed up with the turbocharged Cosworth DFX, once a mainstay of the CART Indy car circuit. An equivalency formula was created to provide for competitive balance among the different engine combinations. The chassis utilized were the March, Lola, Reynard, Eagle, and Penske from CART competition. In later years, G-Force and Dallara chassis from IRL competition saw use as well. Over the years, the AIS series had a predominantly western-based schedule, but early on did have races in New York and in the South. International races were held in both Canada and Mexico. AIS raced on mostly short ovals and road courses, occasionally splitting a bill with Weekly racing series, Late models, and other short track series. A few street circuits and "roval" races were also held.

The original Tempero-era American Indycar Series ceased at the end of the 2000 season. The AIS was sold to a group led by Barry Brooke and Bobby Brooks. However, the series subsequently folded permanently after only two race meets had been held in 2002. A new management team formed the United States Speedway Series (USSS), which started racing in 2001. The USSS ran for five years under mostly the same format, featuring older chassis from CART and the first generation of IRL (G-Force and Dallara); with a variety of normally aspirated and turbocharged engines. The final season of the USSS was in 2005.

1988 American Indycar Series season

The 1988 Valvoline-Machinists Union American Indycar Series was the inaugural season of the American Indycar Series. After running mixed-class races with ex-Indy car chassis alongside the full-bodied Formula 5000-based machines in the Can-Am series in 1986–1987, this represented the first full season for Bill Tempero's Indy car series. The cars were powered by stock block Chevrolet engines, ranging from 275 to 400 cubic inch displacement. The chassis were mostly used Marches and Lolas from CART competition in 1985–1986.

The season consisted of eight races beginning at Willow Springs in California. Three of the events were to be hosted as twin-race weekends, with the season finale consisting of twin races at Willow Springs. Three of the races were held on 1⁄2 mile ovals, and rest were held on road courses. Buddy Lazier won the first season championship, with six wins out of the eight contested races. Kevin Whitesides placed second in points, posting three runner-up finishes, and was declared the rookie of the year.

Rd. Date Type Track Location Winner Chassis Engine Tire Laps Miles Ref.
1 May 1  R  Willow Springs Rosamond, California Buddy Lazier March 85C Chevrolet H 40 101.6
2 June 19  R  Gateway International Raceway Madison, Illinois Buddy Lazier March 85C Chevrolet H 54 118.8
3 July 3  R  Mountain View Motorsports Park Mead, Colorado Robby Unser Lola Chevrolet H 100 100
4 July 23  O  Shangri-La Motor Speedway Owego, New York Buddy Lazier March 85C Chevrolet H 100 50
July 23 Cancelled due to rain 100 50
5 September 3  O  Race City Speedway Calgary, Alberta, Canada Buddy Lazier March 86C Chevrolet H 125 62.5
6 September 4  O  Bill Tempero Lola Chevrolet H 125 62.5
7 October 9  R  Willow Springs Rosamond, California Buddy Lazier March 85C Chevrolet H 24 60.96
8 October 9  R  Buddy Lazier March 85C Chevrolet H 24 60.96

 O  Oval
 R  Road course

Race summaries

  • Round 1: The first race of the season was held at Willow Springs. Buddy Lazier started on the pole position after winning a 5-lap qualifying heat over Bob Schader. Lazier won the 40-lap race in dominating fashion, finishing 29.16 seconds ahead of second place Kevin Whitesides. The race was run in two 20-lap heats, with a one-hour halfway intermission for teams to make adjustments to their cars.
  • Round 2: The Illinois Grand Prix was held at the old road course at Gateway International Raceway. Buddy Lazier won the pole position with a lap of 98.4 mph. The race was run in two 27-lap legs, with a two-hour halfway break for teams to make adjustments to their machines. On a hot afternoon, a crowd of 6,000 were in attendance. Buddy Lazier led the most laps and won the race, despite experiencing bad tire wear over the final 15 laps. Bill Tempero, who battled with Lazier in the early going, finished second, 41.08 seconds behind. Kevin Whitesides blew an engine on Friday, then suffered a fire during the warmup lap, but he recovered to finish 4th.
  • Round 3: The Grand Prix of Colorado was held at the Mountain View Motor Sports Park road course on July 4th weekend. Robby Unser won the pole position and led-wire to wire for his first victory in the series. Buddy Lazier finish second, 4.5 seconds behind.
  • Round 4: The first oval event for the AIS was held at Shangri-La Speedway in New York. Twin 100-lap races were scheduled, but the second feature race was rained out. Only eight cars showed up, in front of a paltry crowd of roughly 2,500 spectators. Bill Tempero won the pole position, but elected to start the race at the back of the field. Buddy Lazier suffered an oil leak after practice in his March 86C, so the car was parked. His switched cars with his father and teammate Bob, who was driving an ex-Bobby Rahal March 85C. Lazier led all 100 laps en route to his third victory of the season. Only four cars were running at the finish.
  • Round 5: The AIS held its first race outside of the United States, with twin 125-lap races at Race City in Calgary. A pit stop demonstration was held Friday at Stephen Avenue mall to promote the event. The first race was held Saturday night. During practice on Friday, Buddy Lazier suffered a shattered brake disc on his March 85C, so he once again switched cars with his father Bob and drove the team's 86C. At that point, Bob elected to retire from driving in AIS. Lazier beat Kevin Whitesides to the finish line by 0.3 seconds. Bill Tempero finished third.
  • Rounds 7 and 8: The Bud Light 100 was the final event of the season. It was held as twin races at Willow Springs. Buddy Lazier won the pole position with a lap of 120.656 mph, and Robby Unser qualified second. During the first race, Robby Unser grabbed the lead at the start, and led the first 11 laps. Buddy Lazier took the lead in turn one lap 12, and led to the checkered flag. Lazier beat Unser to the finish line by 3.04 seconds, and with the victory, mathematically clinched the 1988 AIS championship. In the second race, Lazier started from the pole, and once again drove to victory, his sixth win of the season. Kevin Whitesides ran out of fuel during both races, but still scored enough points to place second in the final points standings.

Final points standings (Top five)

Pos Driver R1
United States 		R2
United States 		R3
United States 		R4
United States 		R5
Canada 		R6
Canada 		R7
United States 		R8
United States 		Pts
1 United States Buddy Lazier 1 1 2 1 1 4 1 1 152
2 United States Kevin Whitesides  RY  2 4 3 2 2 3 6 4 112
3 United States Bill Tempero 9 2 5 3 3 1 3 3 110
4 United States Robby Unser DNS 10 1 4 5 2 2 2 97
5 United States John Eskuri 5 11 6 5 9 10 73

1989 American Indycar Series season

The 1989 Machinists Union American Indycar Series was the second season of the AIS. The season consisted of eight doubleheader weekends, for a total of sixteen races. Robby Unser won 12 of the 16 races, and won the season championship. Buddy Lazier only ran a part-time schedule, splitting time with his CART commitments. Lazier won three races, and finished 7th in points. Richard Griffin won one race and was declared the rookie of the year. For 1989, most entries continued to utilize the normally aspirated, stock block Chevrolet V-8 engines. However, some reportedly fielded the Cosworth DFX.

The race meet at Shangri-La was originally scheduled for August 5, but was postponed to September due to rain.

Rd. Date Type Track Location Winner Chassis Engine Tire Laps Miles Ref.
1 May 21  O  Hawkeye Downs Speedway Cedar Rapids, Iowa Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 100 50
2 May 21 Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 100 50
3 June 4  O  I-70 Speedway Odessa, Missouri Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 100 50
4 June 4 Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 64 32
5 June 10  R  Memphis Motorsports Park Millington, Tennessee Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 35 63
6 June 11 Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 35 63
7 July 4  O  Colorado National Speedway Dacono, Colorado Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 100 37.5
8 July 4 Buddy Lazier March Chevrolet H 100 37.5
9 August 20  O  Race City Speedway Calgary, Alberta, Canada Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 125 62.5
10 August 20 Buddy Lazier March 86C Chevrolet H 125 62.5
11 September 2  O  Colorado National Speedway Dacono, Colorado Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 125 46.9
12 September 3 Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 125 46.9
13 September 30  O  Shangri-La Motor Speedway Owego, New York Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 100 50
14 September 30 Richard Griffin Lola Chevrolet H 100 50
15 October 29  R  Willow Springs Rosamond, California Buddy Lazier March 85C Chevrolet H 25 62.5
16 October 29 Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet H 25 62.5

 O  Oval
 R  Road course

Race summaries

  • Rounds 1 & 2: The first two races of the season were held at the 1⁄2 mile oval at Hawkeye Downs Speedway in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Robby Unser won both of the 100-lap races, leading a total of 197 of the 200 possible laps. Bill Scott, driving an ethanol-powered machine, finished a close second in both races. The margin of victory was 3.75 seconds for the first race, and 1.47 seconds for the second race. Unser and Scott were the only drivers to complete all 200 laps. Bill Tempero qualified for the pole position for both races, but spun in an oil slick during the first race, then later burned a piston. Unser drove the weekend with a leg brace, after undergoing surgery for a broken leg he suffered in 1987. Kenji Momota made his AIS debut, finishing third in the second race.
  • Rounds 3 & 4: The second race meet was held at the 1⁄2 mile oval at I-70 Speedway. Both Buddy Lazier (the 1988 AIS champion) and Kevin Whitesides (1989 AIS rookie of the year) returned to the series after they missed the first meet. Both were attempting to qualify (unsuccessfully) for the Indy 500. In the first race, Robby Unser started on the pole position and led the first 29 laps. Buddy Lazier took the lead on lap 30, and the two drivers raced-nose-to-tail most of the way. Unser got by Lazier for the lead on lap 87, and held him off on the last by 0.3 seconds. Meanwhile, Whitesides suffered a fuel pressure problem, and was not able to race. Bill Tempero also dropped out with engine problems on lap 81. In the second race, Robby Unser again started on the pole. On lap 10, Buddy Lazier bumped wheels with Michael Leary, and crashed into the wall in turn one. Unser pulled away and was leading when the race was stopped on lap 64 due to rain. Unser was declared the winner, with Bill Scott second.
  • Rounds 5 & 6: The Mid-South Indy 200 was held at Memphis Motorsports Park. The event was scheduled as twin 100-kilometer races on the 1.8-mile road course. Bill Tempero started on the pole for the first race, and Robby Unser was the winner. In the second race, Buddy Lazier started on the pole, but dropped out on lap 4 with mechanical problems. Unser won by 3.85 seconds over Tempero, making it six consecutive victories to start the season.
  • Rounds 7 & 8: The fourth race meet was held on the 3⁄8 mile oval at Colorado National Speedway. Twin 100-lap races were held on Tuesday July 4. Due to oppressive heat, and 165° track temperature, the races were delayed for two hours. Bill Tempero won the pole for the first race. Robby Unser took the checkered flag, his seventh consecutive victory to start the season. Unser won by 2 seconds over Tempero, and Buddy Lazier finished third. In the second race, Buddy Lazier finally snapped Unser's win streak. Lazier took the checkered flag for his first win of the season. Unser finished a close second, with polesitter Tempero third. After eight races, the halfway point of the season, Robby Unser (196) led the points standings, with Bill Scott (127) ranked second.
  • Rounds 9 & 10: The AIS traveled to Canada for the second time, holding twin 125-lap races at Race City. On Friday, Bob Tankersley won the second annual pit stop contest at Stephen Avenue mall. Kenji Momota withdrew due to a family illness, and he was replaced by Buzz Tapley. The first race was scheduled for Saturday August 19, but due to heavy rain, it was postponed to Sunday afternoon. Robby Unser won the pole with a track record of 14.9 seconds, and led from start to finish. Buddy Lazier finished second, but not without incident. Bill Tempero broke an oil pump in his primary car on lap 22. He parked his car in the pits, then he took over the team's back-up car (started by Arlon Koops). As Tempro was exiting the pits, he nearly tangled with Lazier, sending Lazier's car into a spin. Lazier was able to recover, and worked his way back up to second place by lap 89. Bill Scott came home third. In the second race, Greg Gorden won the pole with a new track record of 14.77 seconds. Gorden led until lap 56, when Robby Unser took over the lead. On lap 98, however, Unser suffered a broken rear end. Gorden veered to avoid contact, but spun and seized the engine. Both the first place and second place cars were out, putting Buddy Lazier into the lead. Lazier cruised to the finish, nursing a damaged gearbox. Bill Tempero finished second, driving the team's back-up car once again. After ten rounds, Robby Unser held a commanding points lead (254 points) over Bill Scott (137) and Buddy Lazier (143). Richard Griffin (133) was the leading rookie, and Bill Tempero (128) rounded out the top five.
  • Rounds 13 & 14: After being rained out in August, the race meet at Shangri-La was rescheduled for the last weekend of September. On a cold, damp night, with temperatures in the 40s, Robby Unser won the first race in dominating fashion, his 11th victory of the season. Richard Griffin finished second. During the second race, Unser dropped out on lap 87 with a failed right-front wheel bearing, his first DNF of the season. Griffin won the second race, his first AIS victory. Johnny Unser made his AIS debut, with a pair of 6th place finishes, driving as a teammate to his cousin Robby. Despite dropping out of the second race, Robby Unser left the weekend with enough points to mathematically clinch the 1989 AIS championship.
  • Rounds 15 & 16: The season finale was held at Willow Springs. Bill Tempero won the pole for both races. Buddy Lazier won the first race, with Robby Unser finishing second. In the second race, Lazier dropped out with a broken motor mount. Robby Unser won the second race, his 12th victory of the season, and 13th career AIS victory overall.

Final points standings (Top five)

Pos Driver R1
United States 		R2
United States 		R3
United States 		R4
United States 		R5
United States 		R6
United States 		R7
United States 		R8
United States 		R9
Canada 		R10
Canada 		R11
United States 		R12
United States 		R13
United States 		R14
United States 		R15
United States 		R16
United States 		Pts
1 United States Robby Unser 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 5 1 1 1 DNF 1 2 1 392
2 United States Bill Scott 2 2 3 2 ? 3 ? ? 3 10 ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
3 United States Richard Griffin  RY  4 5 7 DNS ? 10 6 ? 4 9 ? ? 2 1 ? ? ?
5 United States Bill Tempero 11 12 10 DNS ? 2 2 3 11 12 ? ? ? ? ? ? 185

1990 American Indycar Series season

The 1990 Machinist Union American Indycar Series was the third season of the AIS. The season consisted of eight races, but one event was rained out. Doubleheader weekends were eliminated, and the series conducted its first race on a street circuit. Bill Tempero, founder of the series, won four of the seven rounds, and won the championship for the first time. Johnny Unser won two races, finished second in points, and was named the rookie of the year. Robby Unser, the 1989 champion, only drove a part-time schedule for 1990, and managed to win one race, the 14th of his AIS career.

The season finale was held on a street course in Halifax, Nova Scotia on Canadian Thanksgiving. Johnny Unser was leading the 25-lap Moosehead Grand Prix on the final lap when he crashed just short of the finish line. Bill Tempero sped by to take the checkered flag, and in doing so, clinched the points championship in dramatic fashion.

Rd. Date Type Track Location Winner Chassis Engine Laps Miles Ref.
1 May 6  R  Willow Springs Rosamond, California Bill Tempero March 88C Chevrolet 25 62.5
2 June 3  O  I-70 Speedway Odessa, Missouri Robby Unser Lola T900 Chevrolet 300 150
3 June 17  R  Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma Bill Tempero March Chevrolet 35 63
4 July 1  O  Lee USA Speedway Lee, New Hampshire Johnny Unser Lola Chevrolet 200 75
5 July 15  O  Colorado National Speedway Dacono, Colorado Johnny Unser Lola Chevrolet 150 56.25
6 September 2  O  Hawkeye Downs Speedway Cedar Rapids, Iowa Cancelled due to rain 125 62.5
7 September 16  R  Gateway International Raceway Madison, Illinois Bill Tempero March Chevrolet 100 90
8 October 8  R  Citadel Hill Park street course Halifax, Nova Scotia Bill Tempero March Chevrolet 25 28.75

Final points standings (Top three)

Pos Driver R1
United States 		R2
United States 		R3
United States 		R4
United States 		R5
United States 		R6
United States 		R7
United States 		R8
Canada 		Pts
1 United States Bill Tempero 1 3 1 2 2 C 1 1 150
2 United States Johnny Unser  RY  2 2 3 1 1 C 2 3 145
3 United States Bill Hansen ? 4 8 6 ? C 3 ? 100

1991 American Indycar Series season

The 1991 American Indycar Series was the fourth season of the AIS. Bill Tempero won five of the nine races, and won his second consecutive AIS championship. Jimmy Santos, winner of one race, was declared the rookie of the year. A race on a temporary circuit at the Indiana State Fairgrounds was planned, but failed to materialize. A replacement race at Indianapolis Raceway Park was tentatively slated for October 13, but it too was cancelled. Instead, the series raced at Benton County Speedway in Chase, Indiana. It was the first Indy car race in the state of Indiana (outside of the Indianapolis 500) since the 1970 Hoosier Hundred. For the first time, the AIS traveled to Mexico, with two separate events.

Rd. Date Type Track Location Winner Chassis Engine Laps Miles Ref.
1 June 2  R  Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma Bill Tempero March Chevrolet 35 63
2 June 23  R  Parque Chamizal Ciudad Juárez, Mexico Kevin Whitesides March Chevrolet 91 127.4
3 July 6  O  Nashville Motor Raceway Nashville, Tennessee Kevin Whitesides March Chevrolet 200 119.2
- July 7  R  Indiana State Fairgrounds street course Indianapolis, Indiana Race cancelled
4 July 28  O  Colorado National Speedway Dacono, Colorado Bill Tempero March Chevrolet 150 75
5 August 18  R  Bonneville Raceway Park West Valley City, Utah Bill Tempero March Chevrolet 45 63
- September 2  O  Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Race cancelled
6 September 15  R  Citadel Hill Park street course Halifax, Nova Scotia Jimmy Santo March Chevrolet 120 138
7 October 12  O  Benton County Speedway Chase, Indiana Bill Tempero March Chevrolet 150 56.25
- October 13 Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Indiana Race cancelled
8 October 27  R  Willow Springs Rosamond, California Nicola Marozzo Lola T91/00 Cosworth DFX 40 101.6
9 November 24  R  Streets of Garza García Monterrey, Mexico Bill Tempero March Chevrolet 100 110

Final points standings (Top five)

Pos Driver R1
United States 		R2
Mexico 		R3
United States 		R4
United States 		R5
United States 		R6
Canada 		R7
United States 		R8
United States 		R9
Mexico 		Pts
1 United States Bill Tempero 1 7 8 1 1 2 1 2 1 179
2 United States Robby Unser 1 4 2 6 4 4 9 2 4 158
3 United States Kevin Whitesides 6 1 1 3 6 8 3 15 5 150
4 United States Ken Petrie 3 3 13 2 3 3 4 9 2 145
5 United States Johnny Unser 8 5 3 9 10 14 11 3 DNP 109

1992-2003

1992 American Indycar Series season

An eleven-race schedule was announced in May 1992, but multiple revisions were made. The final schedule consisted of five races, with Rod Bennett the season champion. Races at Blackhawk Farms, Biggs Army Airfield, Birmingham, Colorado, Utah, San Juan, Garza García, and Guadalajara were all either cancelled or failed to materialize.

Rd. Date Track Location Winner Chassis Engine Laps Miles Ref.
1 June 21 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma Bill Tempero March Pontiac 35 63
2 August 1 Bonneville Raceway Park West Valley City, Utah Jimmy Santos March Chevrolet 150 56.25
3 August 23 Second Creek Raceway Denver, Colorado Ken Petrie March Chevrolet 88 149.6
4 September 13 Citadel Hill Park street course Halifax, Nova Scotia Ken Petrie March Chevrolet 75 86.25
5 November 1 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Johnny Unser Lola Cosworth DFX 60 152.4

1993 American Indycar Series season

The 1993 AIS season schedule consisted of 8 to 10 races. Rick Sutherland was the season champion. Races at ARCO Arena, I-70 Speedway (rained out), Sears Point, and possibly other venues were either cancelled or failed to materialize. The season finale was a doubleheader at Willow Springs.

Date Track Location Winner Laps Miles Ref.
May 9 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Rick Sutherland 60 152.4
June 6 Reno Hilton street course Reno, Nevada Rick Sutherland 150 150
June 20 Mountain View Motorsports Park Mead, Colorado Rod Bennett
August 7 Bonneville Raceway Park West Valley City, Utah Jimmy Santos 150 56.25
September 25 I-70 Speedway Odessa, Missouri Rained out 200 100
November 20 Willow Springs Rosamond, California John Morton 40 101.6
November 21 Bill Tempero 40 101.6

1994 American Indycar Series season

Bill Tempero was the 1994 season chammpion.

Date Track Location Winner Ref.
April 30 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Bill Tempero
May 1 Bill Tempero
June 6 Tri-City Raceway West Richland, Washington Ken Petrie
July 17 Mountain View Motorsports Park Mead, Colorado Ken Petrie
August 27 Suntana Raceway Springville, Utah
November 6 Willow Springs Rosamond, California

1995 American Indycar Series season

Date Track Location Winner
May 14 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Bill Tempero
May 27 Suntana Raceway Springville, Utah Bill Tempero
July 2 Toledo Speedway Toledo, Ohio Race cancelled
July 29 Fort Collins Airpark Fort Collins, Colorado
July 30
September 2 Las Vegas Speedway Park North Las Vegas, Nevada Jimmy Santos
September 17 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma
October 8 Lakeside Speedway Kansas City, Kansas
October 29 Baja California Ensenada, Mexico
November 12 Willow Springs Rosamond, California

1996 American Indycar Series season

Date Track Location Winner
June 1 Suntana Raceway Springville, Utah Ken Petrie
June 29 Race City Speedway Calgary, Alberta, Canada Jimmy Santos
June 30 Bill Tempero
July 13 Fort Collins Airpark Fort Collins, Colorado Ken Petrie
July 14 Jaques Lazier
August 4 I-94 Speedway Sauk Centre, Minnesota Greg Gordon
November 24 San Juan street circuit San Juan, Puerto Rico

1997 American Indycar Series season

Date Track Location Winner
June 30 Baja California Ensenada, Mexico Jimmy Santos
June 1 Suntana Raceway Springville, Utah
August 10 Hawkeye Downs Speedway Cedar Rapids, Iowa Greg Gordon
August 16 Race City Speedway Calgary, Alberta, Canada Bill Tempero
September Tri-City Raceway West Richland, Washington Greg Gordon

1998 American Indycar Series season

In May 1998, the original founder Bill Tempero sold the series to Pan American Motorsports Inc. The original ten-race schedule was reduced to five rounds.

Date Track Location Winner Chassis Engine
April 5 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma Shayne Stephens Lola Buick-Menard
June 13 Magic Valley Speedway Twin Falls, Idaho Mike Lee March Chevrolet
July 28 Hawkeye Downs Speedway Cedar Rapids, Iowa Ken Petrie March Chevrolet
September 20 Race City Speedway Calgary, Alberta, Canada Ken Petrie March Chevrolet
September 20 Birmingham International Raceway Birmingham, Alabama Greg Gorden Lola Buick-Menard

1999 American Indycar Series season

Date Track Location Winner Chassis Engine
May 23 La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway West Salem, Wisconsin Ken Petrie March Chevrolet
June 20 Mountain View Motorsports Park Mead, Colorado Bill Tempero Lola Buick-Menard
July 10 Magic Valley Speedway Twin Falls, Idaho Jimmy Santos Lola Chevrolet
September 5 Exposition Park street circuit Los Angeles Bill Tempero Lola Buick-Menard

2000 American Indycar Series season

Date Track Location Winner Chassis Engine
May 19 Hallett Motor Racing Circuit Hallett, Oklahoma Greg Gorden Lola Buick-Menard
July 3 St. Johns Airpark St. Johns, Arizona Jimmy Santos Reynard Ilmor Mercedes-Benz
August 14 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Juan Carlos Carbonell Lola Buick-Menard
October 16 Sears Point Raceway Sonoma, California Juan Carlos Carbonell Lola Buick-Menard
November 26 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Mike Lee G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora

2002 American Indycar Series season

The original Bill Tempero-created series ceased after the 2000 season. A continuation of the original AIS was attempted by a group led by Barry Brooke and Bobby Brooks. Five races were scheduled for 2002, but only two weekend meets (three races) are known to have been held. A tentative schedule for 2003 was announced, but the series folded before any were held.

Rd. Date Track Location Winner
1 April 21 Las Vegas Motor Speedway North Las Vegas, Nevada Ehud "Eddie" Nahir
– May 19 Thunderhill Raceway Park Willows, California Race cancelled
2 June 23 California Speedway road course Fontana, California Ehud "Eddie" Nahir
3 June 23 California Speedway road course Fontana, California Ehud "Eddie" Nahir
– October 6 Willow Springs Rosamond, California Race cancelled
– November 24 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Race cancelled
– December 15 Aloha Grand Prix Honolulu, Hawaii Race cancelled

2003 Tentative schedule

Date Track Location
February 19 Fundidora Park Monterrey, Mexico
March 23 California Speedway road course Fontana, California
April 27 Las Vegas Motor Speedway North Las Vegas, Nevada
May 18 Willow Springs Rosamond, California
September 21 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona
October 5 Laguna Seca Raceway Monterey, California

United States Speedway Series

A different management team formed a new series titled the United States Speedway Series (USSS) in 2001. It ran under mostly the same format as AIS, and attracted some of the former AIS drivers and teams. USSS raced used chassis from CART and the first generation of IRL (G-Force and Dallara); with a variety of normally aspirated and turbocharged engines. Most of the races were on road courses and/or "rovals" in the western U.S.

2001 season

Date Track Location Winner Chassis Engine
April 8 Las Vegas Motor Speedway (road) Las Vegas, Nevada Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
May 13 Pikes Peak International Raceway Fountain, Colorado Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
June 16 Sandia Motorsports Park Albuquerque, New Mexico Mike Lee Hoffpauir Lola Buick-Menard
July 14 Dodge City Raceway Park Dodge City, Kansas Phil Erickson Fast Line Lola Buick-Menard
August 25 Sandia Motorsports Park Albuquerque, New Mexico Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
September 30 Firebird International Raceway Chandler, Arizona Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
October 14 Pikes Peak International Raceway Fountain, Colorado Greg Gorden G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora
November 25 Firebird International Raceway Chandler, Arizona Greg Gorden G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora

2002 season

Date Track Location Winner Chassis Engine
April 20 San Antonio Speedway San Antonio Ken Petrie Fast Line Lola Buick-Menard
May 5 Pikes Peak International Raceway Fountain, Colorado Greg Gorden G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora
June 15 Dodge City Raceway Park Dodge City, Kansas Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
July 27 Magic Valley Speedway Twin Falls, Idaho Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
August 18 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Mike Lee Hoffpauir Lola Buick-Menard
September 7 Sandia Motorsports Park Albuquerque, New Mexico Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
October 5 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
December 1 Firebird International Raceway Chandler, Arizona

2003 season

Date Track Location Winner Chassis Engine
April 12 San Antonio Speedway San Antonio Eric Koselke March Chevrolet
May 4 Pikes Peak International Raceway (road) Fountain, Colorado Greg Gorden G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora
May 18 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Ken Petrie March Chevrolet
June 22 California Speedway (road course) Fontana, California Mike Koss Lola Buick-Menard
July 26 Magic Valley Speedway Twin Falls, Idaho Mike Koss Dallara Oldsmobile Aurora
August 16 Sandia Motorsports Park Albuquerque, New Mexico Mike Lee Lola Buick-Menard
September 1 St. Johns Airport St. Johns, Arizona Ken Petrie Precision March Chevrolet
September 14 Pikes Peak International Raceway (road) Fountain, Colorado Greg Gorden G-Force Oldsmobile Aurora
October 4 Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas, Nevada Mike Lee Lola Buick-Menard

2004 season

Date Track Location Winner
February 1 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Greg Gordon
March 9 California Speedway Fontana, California
May 9 Pikes Peak International Raceway road course Fountain, Colorado Greg Gordon
June 26 Sandia Motorsports Park Albuquerque, New Mexico Greg Gordon
July 7 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Andrew Furia
August 29 Pikes Peak International Raceway road course Fountain, Colorado Greg Gordon
October 3 Pikes Peak International Raceway road course Fountain, Colorado Greg Gordon
November 7 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Greg Gordon

2005 season

Date Track Location Winner
May 8 Pikes Peak International Raceway road course Fountain, Colorado Jim Webb
July 17 Pikes Peak International Raceway road course Fountain, Colorado Ken Petrie
September 4 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Bailey Dotson
October 10 Pikes Peak International Raceway road course Fountain, Colorado Jim Webb
November 6 Pueblo Motorsports Park Pueblo, Colorado Ken Petrie

Champions

Season Driver
American Indycar Series
1988 Buddy Lazier
1989 Robby Unser
1990 Bill Tempero
1991 Bill Tempero
1992 Rod Bennett
1993 Rick Sutherland
1994 Bill Tempero
1995 Bill Tempero
1996 Ken Petrie
1997 Ken Petrie
1998 Greg Gorden
1999 Bill Tempero
2000 Mike Lee
2002 Eddie Nahir
United States Speedway Series
2001 Ken Petrie
2002 Ken Petrie
2003 Mike Koss
2004 Greg Gorden
2005 Bailey Dotson

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External links

Categories:
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