Porsche in Motorsport - Indy Cars

Indy Cars

Porsche first attempted to compete in the 1980 CART PPG World Series season with the 935 sports car engine converted to a V6 IndyCar engine with Interscope Racing as the team with Danny Ongais as the driver and using Interscopes's new Interscope IR01 however USAC (sanctioning body of CART's most prestigious event the Indianapolis 500) officials ruled that the engine would get less boost then originally given making the engine uncompettive so Interscope rolled out their old Parnelli VPJ6C-Cosworth DFX.

Porsche return to CART in its 1987 season fielding Al Unser in the #6 Quaker State Porsche with the chassis and engine both being Porsche only competing at the Champion Spark Plug 300K at Laguna Seca Raceway. Unser would qualify 21st out of 24 cars and would retire in 24th place after only seven laps due to a water pump failure. For 1988 Teo Fabi would drive the #8 Quaker State March 88P-Porsche getting a best finish of 4th at the Bosch Spark Plugs Grand Prix at Pennsylvania International Raceway, Fabi would finish tenth in points. For 1989 Fabi would drive the #8 Quaker State March 90P-Porsche qualifying on the pole position at both the Budweiser / G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland International Raceway and the Red Roof Inns 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course getting the win at the latter. Fabi would also give Porsche their best finish on an IndyCar oval by finishing 2nd at the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway. In 1990 Porsche would expand to two cars fielding Fabi in the #4 Foster's/Quaker State March 90P-Porsche and John Andretti in the #41 Foster's March 90P-Porsche. Fabi would qualify on the pole position at the Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Denver at the Streets of Denver and would finish 3rd at the Marlboro Grand Prix at the Meadowlands at the Meadowlands Sports Complex but would drop to 14th in points. While Andretti would get a best finish of 5th at the Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland at Burke Lakefront Airport and at the Molson Indy Vancouver at the Streets of Vancouver and would finish tenth in points. Porsche withdrew from IndyCar at the end of the season.