1994 CART World Series Season

The 1994 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 16th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART under the name "IndyCar". The season consisted of 16 races. Al Unser Jr. was the national champion, his second CART title, and the rookie of the year was Jacques Villeneuve. The 1994 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Al Unser Jr. won the Indy 500 from the pole position, his second career victory in that event.

Marlboro Team Penske dominated the 1994 CART season, winning 12 of 16 events including the Indianapolis 500. The three-car team of Al Unser Jr. (8 wins), Emerson Fittipaldi (1 win), and Paul Tracy (3 wins) swept the top three spots in the final season points standings, and had five 1-2-3 finishes over the course of the season. The Penske Team also made headlines during the month of May, when they unveiled the new Ilmor Mercedes-Benz 500I engine. The secretly-built, 209 in³ (3.42 L) displacement purpose-built pushrod engine, which was capable of nearly was constructed specifically for the Indy 500.

Overview

The season opener was won by Michael Andretti on his return to IndyCar racing after his unsuccessful season in Formula One. The rest of the 1994 season was dominated by Team Penske's PC-23 chassis, which won 12 of the 16 races. Penske driver Al Unser Jr. took the title. The Rookie of the Year title was taken by young Canadian Jacques Villeneuve. Veteran Mario Andretti retired at the end of the season.

Another major story started before the season. Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George announced plans for the formation of what would become the Indy Racing League, with an intended focus on oval track racing and predominantly American drivers. This was nearly identical to NASCAR, which at the time had all American drivers and just two (of 31) races on road courses. The 1994 IndyCar season schedule featured six oval track races (37.5%) and eleven full-time drivers were from the United States (including Italian-born Mario Andretti and German-born Dominic Dobson). ABC Sports' Paul Page said during the broadcast of the race at Surfers Paradise that this announcement, ''"could drastically affect what we know as IndyCar racing in the future".''

Teams and drivers

Newman/Haas' Nigel Mansell was expected to contend once again. He was viewed as the greatest racer in the world at the time, as his back-to-back championships in two such diverse major racing series (Formula One in 1992 and IndyCar in 1993) were unprecedented. This feat remains unmatched today. His teammate Mario Andretti announced before the season that it would be his last, though he would later attempt Le Mans a few times (speculation was that he wanted to win the race just to settle that he was in fact greater than 1967 winner A. J. Foyt, who have both been argued as the greatest ever). Newman-Haas would continue to be the leading Lola team, using the new T9400.

Marlboro Team Penske expanded to a three-car operation with defending Indianapolis 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi, rising star Paul Tracy, and 1990 IndyCar Champion and 1992 Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr., defecting from Galles Racing after a disappointing 1993 campaign left him with just one win (Vancouver) and 7th in the standings. Penske changed to the new Ilmor engine in association with Mercedes-Benz rather than Chevrolet, who withdrew after 1993. Customer team Bettenhausen Motorsports with driver Stefan Johansson received the year-old PC-22 chassis as Penske began to utilise the new PC-23.

Rahal-Hogan Racing tackled a major project: the new Honda engine. Team leader Bobby Rahal and teammate Mike Groff would face a great challenge enduring the "growing pains" of the new engine. Fledgling Comptech Racing with rookie Parker Johnstone would be the only other entrant in 1994 to use the Honda engine, so Rahal and Groff would be providing the primary feedback.

Dick Simon Racing had a successful 1993 campaign with veteran Raul Boesel, who was 5th overall after a pole position at Milwaukee and 3 runner-up finishes. His new teammate would be Japanese Hiro Matsushita, replacing Scott Brayton who joined Team Menard. Simon would field a total af five cars for Indianapolis; Boesel, Matsushita, Tero Palmroth, Lyn St. James, and Hideshi Matsuda.

Galles Racing were presented with new challenges for 1994. Both of their name drivers Al Unser Jr. and Danny Sullivan departed (to Team Penske and NASCAR respectively), leaving owner Rick Galles with young Adrián Fernández. He proved his worth in Indy Lights by winning four races (in his one and only season), and looked to be Mexico's next big star (the first since Héctor Rebaque and Josele Garza). Fernandez would contest his first full season after five trial runs in 1993 (including 7th at Detroit). Team and driver would also use the brand new Reynard 94I; the company entering IndyCar racing as a first-time constructor.

Chip Ganassi Racing hired "prodigal son" Michael Andretti, who was ready to return to winning ways after the 1993 Formula One season left a bitter taste in his mouth. Ganassi would also use the Reynard chassis. Michael's teammate in 1993 was the great three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna; Senna's friend and countryman Maurício Gugelmin (another F1 veteran), in his first full season, would be Andretti's new teammate.

Indy Regency Racing hired Arie Luyendyk following his release from Ganassi Racing, thus ensuring that the 1990 Indianapolis 500 winner would not be on the sidelines. The team entered a second car at Laguna Seca for Indy Lights runner-up