1996 Indy Racing League

Race #1 - Indy 200 at Walt Disney World

The Indy Racing League made their 1st stop of 1996 at the Walt Disney World Speedway, in Orlando, Florida, for the Indy 200 at Walt Disney World.

Robbie Buhl led the field to the green and would lead the first lap as the brand new racing league attracted a huge crowd of 51,000 fans in attendance at the track known as "The Mickyard". The twenty drivers put on a great show as three cautions would fly, one due to debris in Turn 2, as Tony Stewart would take the lead just after the 50th Lap. With Stewart in the lead, he completely dominated the rest of the event, never giving up the lead and writing his name in the history books as the first winner in the history of the Indy Racing League.

Other Noticeables:
Tony Stewart scored his 1st win of the year,
Stewart led 1 time for 149 laps, including the final 149 laps,
It was the 1st win of his career in the Indy Racing League in his 1st start,
All 20 drivers made their Indy Racing League debuts,
Tony Stewart, who finished 1st, is the points leader, leading Buzz Calkins by 2 points

1.20-Tony Stewart (149 laps led)
2.12-Buzz Calkins
3.54-Robbie Buhl (51 laps led)
4.33-Michele Alboreto
5.3-Eddie Cheever Jr.
6.75-Johnny O'Connell
7.18-John Paul Jr.-1 lap
8.41-Scott Sharp-1 lap
9.17-Stan Wattles-1 lap
10.90-Lyn St. James-1 lap
11.11-Mike Groff-1 lap
12.2-Scott Brayton-2 laps
13.21-Roberto Guerrero-2 laps
14.91-Buddy Lazier-2 laps
15.14-Davey Hamilton-2 laps
16.25-Dave Kudrave-2 laps
17.9-Stephan Gregoire-3 laps
18.16-Johnny Parsons-4 laps
19.4-Richie Hearn-4 laps
20.5-Arie Luyendyk-170 laps (Engine)

Robbie Buhl-1-51
Tony Stewart-52-200

1 Lead Change among 2 drivers

Caution Flags: 3 for 12 laps
Lap 6 (Cars #21, 5, 11, 91, 4, 2, 17, 16 and 25 Accident Frontstretch),
Lap 95 (Debris in Turn 2),
Lap 180 (Car #18 Spin Turn 3)

Margin of Victory: 0.414 Seconds

Time of Race: 1 Hour, 56 Minutes and 15 Seconds

The field has finished qualifying for the 2nd race of the season the Dura-Lube 200 at the Phoenix International Raceway.

Tony Stewart won the pole, with a time of 34.087 seconds, beating Richie Hearn by 0.042 seconds.

Other Noticeables:
Tony Stewart won his 1st pole of the year,
Stewart won his 1st career pole in the Indy Racing League in his 2nd start,
Tony Stewart, who will start 1st, has a 2 point lead over Buzz Calkins

1.20-Tony Stewart
2.4-Richie Hearn
3.41-Mike Groff
4.64-Johnny Unser
5.9-Stephan Gregoire
6.7-Fermin Velez
7.75-Johnny O'Connell
8.5-Arie Luyendyk
9.21-Roberto Guerrero
10.12-Buzz Calkins
11.11-Scott Sharp
12.2-Scott Brayton
13.14-Davey Hamilton
14.15-Dave Kudrave
15.45-Robbie Buhl
16.27-Jim Guthrie
17.16-Johnny Parsons
18.96-Paul Durant
19.18-John Paul Jr.
20.22-Michel Jourdain Jr.
21.33-Michele Alboreto
22.90-Lyn St. James

Did Not Qualify:
23.3-Eddie Cheever Jr.
24.17-Stan Wattles
25.36-Dan Drinan
26.91-Buddy Lazier

Race #2 - Dura-Lube 200

The Indy Racing League made their 2nd stop of 1996 at the Phoenix International Raceway, in Avondale, Arizona, for the Dura-Lube 200.

Tony Stewart led the field to the green and would quickly start where he had left off at Walt Disney World, leading. However after only twenty two laps in the lead, Stewart would lose the lead to Mike Groff, who would begin to pull away and quickly began lapping the field. During the only round of pit stops, Stephan Gregoire, who was struggling to stay in the Top 10, decided to gamble, taking only two tires on his stop. That strategy would give him the lead, and he was able to play defense the rest of the race, going on to score his first ever Indy Racing League win.

Other Noticeables:
Stephan Gregoire scored his 1st win of the year,
Gregoire led 2 times for 95 laps, including the final 94 laps,
It was the 1st win of his career in the Indy Racing League in his 2nd start,
Jim Guthrie(10th), Fermin Velez(14th), Johnny Unser(17th), Paul Durant(18th) and Michel Jourdain Jr.(19th) made their Indy Racing League debuts,
Buzz Calkins, who finished 3rd, is the new points leader, leading Tony Stewart by 1 point

1.9-Stephan Gregoire (95 laps led)
2.5-Arie Luyendyk
3.12-Buzz Calkins
4.11-Scott Sharp
5.75-Johnny O'Connell
6.20-Tony Stewart-1 lap (22 laps led)
7.45-Robbie Buhl-1 lap
8.33-Michele Alboreto-1 lap
9.15-Dave Kudrave-1 lap
10.27-Jim Guthrie-1 lap
11.41-Mike Groff-2 laps (81 laps led)
12.18-John Paul Jr.-2 laps
13.4-Richie Hearn-2 laps (2 laps led)
14.7-Fermin Velez-2 laps
15.2-Scott Brayton-3 laps
16.21-Roberto Guerrero-3 laps
17.64-Johnny Unser-4 laps
18.96-Paul Durant-4 laps
19.22-Michel Jourdain Jr.-5 laps
20.90-Lyn St. James-6 laps
21.16-Johnny Parsons-20 laps (Piston)
22.14-Davey Hamilton-114 laps (Piston)

Tony Stewart-1-22
Mike Groff-23-103
Stephan Gregoire-104
Richie Hearn-105-106
Stephan Gregoire-107-200

4 Lead Changes among 4 drivers

Caution Flags: 0 for 0 laps

Margin of Victory: 14.355 Seconds

Time of Race: 2 Hours, 6 Minutes and 46 Seconds

The field has finished qualifying for the 3rd and final race of the season the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Buddy Lazier won the pole, with a time of 55.757 seconds, beating Davy Jones by 0.146 seconds.

Other Noticeables:
Buddy Lazier won his 1st pole of the year,
Lazier won his 1st career pole in the Indy Racing League in his 2nd start,
Buzz Calkins, who will start 18th, has a 1 point lead over Tony Stewart

1.91-Buddy Lazier
2.70-Davy Jones
3.8-Alessandro Zampedri
4.7-Eliseo Salazar
5.4-Richie Hearn
6.41-Marco Greco
7.3-Eddie Cheever Jr.
8.21-Roberto Guerrero
9.52-Hideshi Matsuda
10.60-Mike Groff
11.54-Robbie Buhl
12.32-Danny Ongais
13.11-Scott Sharp
14.5-Arie Luyendyk
15.22-Michel Jourdain Jr.
16.14-Davey Hamilton
17.45-Lyn St. James
18.12-Buzz Calkins
19.96-Paul Durant
20.18-John Paul Jr.
21.30-Mark Dismore
22.10-Brad Murphey
23.43-Joe Gosek
24.27-Jim Guthrie
25.44-Scott Harrington
26.20-Tony Stewart
27.34-Fermin Velez
28.64-Johnny Unser
29.90-Racin Gardner
30.9-Stephan Gregoire
31.33-Michele Alboreto
32.16-Johnny Parsons
33.75-Johnny O'Connell

Did Not Qualify
34.2-Scott Brayton
35.15-Justin Bell
36.15-Dave Kudrave
37.24-Randy Tolsma
38.36-Tyce Carlson
39.36-Dan Drinan
40.36-Andy Michner
41.39-Scott Harrington
42.46-Rob Wilson
43.77-Butch Brickell
44.77-Tyce Carlson
45.84-Billy Boat
46.87-Billy Boat
47.99-Billy Boat