Post by illeagle10 on Aug 7, 2015 12:26:14 GMT -5
Sometime ago I did a piece on the 1987 Penske March 86c/Chassis #22. With some new pieces for the March 86c on the horizon by Indycals, I thought I would re-post the article. There has been some questions put forward about the 1987 Penske cars compared to the 1986 Penske Marches, which I will try to address in a later post. Until that time here is my original post.
Penske March 86c/22
There are some iconic cars that just fuel the imagination, like the Gulf/Wyer GT-40 #1075 winning the 24 hours of LeMans two years in a row, 1968 and 1969. I also think of the all conquering 94 Penske PC-23, Chassis #007. There are many more storied cars out there. I’m sure we all have a favorite car we’d like to mention. One of my favorites is the Penske owned March 86c/22 chassis. I’ve spent the last few months trying to dig up information on the car, making phone calls, going through many old magazines like Racer magazine, Indy year books and of course the internet. This is the short history that I could come up with.
In 1986 Penske Racing purchased a number of 86 Marches for the upcoming CART season, while also working on his own chassis the PC-15, which eventually proved to be uncompetitive. One of those March chassis was chassis #22. At the first race of the year in April at Phoenix, Penske fielded two March 86c/Cosworths for Rick Mears and Danny Sullivan. Al Unser was left to develop the PC-15/Chevrolet. Sullivan would finish 4th on the day, Unser and Mears came in 18th and 19th respectively. The next race at Long Beach, April 13th, Sullivan would have a March 86c/Cosworth and Mears would drive the PC-15/Chevrolet. It is unknown if Chassis #22 was in the first two races. The first mention of chassis #22 would be in the month of May at Indy. Mears would qualify chassis #22 on the pole for the race and would end up in 3rd place in a fantastic duel with eventual race winner Rahal and Kogan. Mears would finish 3rd again in the next race at Milwaukee in chassis #22. At Portland Mears and Sullivan would both drive March 86cs, but no mention of chassis #22.
Danny Sullivan would be the next driver for chassis #22 at the Meadowlands at the end of June and take home chassis #22’s first win. For the next two races at Cleveland and Toronto Mears and Sullivan would drive March 86cs. However, there was no mention if either of the cars were chassis #22. Sullivan would score a win at Cleveland and a 2nd at Toronto in his March 86c. Mears would finish 4th and 8th respectively in his March 86c. The next mention of chassis #22 came at Michigan in August. Mears would put chassis #22 on the pole and finish 12th.
The last race for chassis #22 in 1986 would be the Pocono 500. Mears would finish 8th in the car. Danny Sullivan would finish 3rd in the point standings for 1986 and Mears would finish in 8th place. One other mention for chassis #22 came on August 1st, 1986. Rick Mears would set a closed course speed record at that time for a speed of 233.934mph at Michigan International Speedway, driving chassis #22 with an Illmor/Chevy engine!
For the beginning of 1987 chassis #22 would find itself as a show car displayed in a Sheraton Hotel in Reading, Pa. As for Al Unser, Sr. he would find himself unemployed prior to the start of the 87 season. Al had been replaced on the Penske team for the Indy 500 by Danny Ongais. This would not last long. As fate would have it, Danny Ongais would crash on May 7th two days before the first weekend of qualifying and would be sidelined for the rest of the month. Al Unser would be called upon to join the Penske team to field the third car. Al was just about to return home to Albuquerque and decided to stay and help out Al, Jr. who was struggling with his 87 March. Also struggling was the Penkse team with their PC-16 chassis. Penske would eventually scrub his own chassis and bring in last year’s cars for his team, the March 86c/Illmor-Chevrolets for Mears and Sullivan.
Once called upon Al, Sr. was given the newly arrived March 86c-22/Cosworth. Al was relegated to a Cosworth power due to a shortage of spare parts for the Chevrolet engine according to team manager Derrick Walker. I believe we are all aware of the storybook ending of the 1987 Indianapolis 500 for Al Unser and chassis #22. This would be Al’s fourth Indy 500 victory, what a story for an out of work race car driver and a year old chassis.
Chassis #22 would sit for the next few races, not being used until the last four races of the year, being used exclusively by Rick Mears. Mears would finish 4th at Mid-Ohio and 3rd at Nazareth in Chassis #22 now using Chevy power during September. Mears again would finish 3rd at Laguna Seca in this car. Mears would finish off the season racing chassis #22 at Tamiami in the Nissan Indy Challenge finishing 5th. Mears would also finish 5th in the PPG Cup points standings and Sullivan would finish 9th for 1987.
Chassis #22 is now on permanent display in a place of honor at the Penske Racing Museum in Phoenix, Az., sitting near the 94 Penske PC-23, Chassis #007. According to my sources this is the real chassis #22 at Penske’s museum. There is also a replica of Al’s winning car in the Unser Museum in Albuquerque, NM. In the nine races that I have been able to document over two years that chassis #22 competed in, chassis #22 scored two 500 poles in 1986, added to 2 wins, four thirds, a fourth, a fifth and a twelfth place finish over its two year racing career, and all points paying positions in CART at that time.
With this article in mind, Michael from Indycals is about to release some upgrade parts for the AMT 1987 Cummins March 86c. The list includes corrected rear suspension, corrected inner tub, possibly radiators and some plumbing, plenum and exhaust pieces, missing piece of the under tray and some of those funky air ducts at the rear of the cowling, like on Rahal's 86 March. As I promised I am currently trying to some research of the Penske Marches from 1986 and 1987. Stay tuned for some updates.
Hopefully y'all enjoy!
Jim
Penske March 86c/22
There are some iconic cars that just fuel the imagination, like the Gulf/Wyer GT-40 #1075 winning the 24 hours of LeMans two years in a row, 1968 and 1969. I also think of the all conquering 94 Penske PC-23, Chassis #007. There are many more storied cars out there. I’m sure we all have a favorite car we’d like to mention. One of my favorites is the Penske owned March 86c/22 chassis. I’ve spent the last few months trying to dig up information on the car, making phone calls, going through many old magazines like Racer magazine, Indy year books and of course the internet. This is the short history that I could come up with.
In 1986 Penske Racing purchased a number of 86 Marches for the upcoming CART season, while also working on his own chassis the PC-15, which eventually proved to be uncompetitive. One of those March chassis was chassis #22. At the first race of the year in April at Phoenix, Penske fielded two March 86c/Cosworths for Rick Mears and Danny Sullivan. Al Unser was left to develop the PC-15/Chevrolet. Sullivan would finish 4th on the day, Unser and Mears came in 18th and 19th respectively. The next race at Long Beach, April 13th, Sullivan would have a March 86c/Cosworth and Mears would drive the PC-15/Chevrolet. It is unknown if Chassis #22 was in the first two races. The first mention of chassis #22 would be in the month of May at Indy. Mears would qualify chassis #22 on the pole for the race and would end up in 3rd place in a fantastic duel with eventual race winner Rahal and Kogan. Mears would finish 3rd again in the next race at Milwaukee in chassis #22. At Portland Mears and Sullivan would both drive March 86cs, but no mention of chassis #22.
Danny Sullivan would be the next driver for chassis #22 at the Meadowlands at the end of June and take home chassis #22’s first win. For the next two races at Cleveland and Toronto Mears and Sullivan would drive March 86cs. However, there was no mention if either of the cars were chassis #22. Sullivan would score a win at Cleveland and a 2nd at Toronto in his March 86c. Mears would finish 4th and 8th respectively in his March 86c. The next mention of chassis #22 came at Michigan in August. Mears would put chassis #22 on the pole and finish 12th.
The last race for chassis #22 in 1986 would be the Pocono 500. Mears would finish 8th in the car. Danny Sullivan would finish 3rd in the point standings for 1986 and Mears would finish in 8th place. One other mention for chassis #22 came on August 1st, 1986. Rick Mears would set a closed course speed record at that time for a speed of 233.934mph at Michigan International Speedway, driving chassis #22 with an Illmor/Chevy engine!
For the beginning of 1987 chassis #22 would find itself as a show car displayed in a Sheraton Hotel in Reading, Pa. As for Al Unser, Sr. he would find himself unemployed prior to the start of the 87 season. Al had been replaced on the Penske team for the Indy 500 by Danny Ongais. This would not last long. As fate would have it, Danny Ongais would crash on May 7th two days before the first weekend of qualifying and would be sidelined for the rest of the month. Al Unser would be called upon to join the Penske team to field the third car. Al was just about to return home to Albuquerque and decided to stay and help out Al, Jr. who was struggling with his 87 March. Also struggling was the Penkse team with their PC-16 chassis. Penske would eventually scrub his own chassis and bring in last year’s cars for his team, the March 86c/Illmor-Chevrolets for Mears and Sullivan.
Once called upon Al, Sr. was given the newly arrived March 86c-22/Cosworth. Al was relegated to a Cosworth power due to a shortage of spare parts for the Chevrolet engine according to team manager Derrick Walker. I believe we are all aware of the storybook ending of the 1987 Indianapolis 500 for Al Unser and chassis #22. This would be Al’s fourth Indy 500 victory, what a story for an out of work race car driver and a year old chassis.
Chassis #22 would sit for the next few races, not being used until the last four races of the year, being used exclusively by Rick Mears. Mears would finish 4th at Mid-Ohio and 3rd at Nazareth in Chassis #22 now using Chevy power during September. Mears again would finish 3rd at Laguna Seca in this car. Mears would finish off the season racing chassis #22 at Tamiami in the Nissan Indy Challenge finishing 5th. Mears would also finish 5th in the PPG Cup points standings and Sullivan would finish 9th for 1987.
Chassis #22 is now on permanent display in a place of honor at the Penske Racing Museum in Phoenix, Az., sitting near the 94 Penske PC-23, Chassis #007. According to my sources this is the real chassis #22 at Penske’s museum. There is also a replica of Al’s winning car in the Unser Museum in Albuquerque, NM. In the nine races that I have been able to document over two years that chassis #22 competed in, chassis #22 scored two 500 poles in 1986, added to 2 wins, four thirds, a fourth, a fifth and a twelfth place finish over its two year racing career, and all points paying positions in CART at that time.
With this article in mind, Michael from Indycals is about to release some upgrade parts for the AMT 1987 Cummins March 86c. The list includes corrected rear suspension, corrected inner tub, possibly radiators and some plumbing, plenum and exhaust pieces, missing piece of the under tray and some of those funky air ducts at the rear of the cowling, like on Rahal's 86 March. As I promised I am currently trying to some research of the Penske Marches from 1986 and 1987. Stay tuned for some updates.
Hopefully y'all enjoy!
Jim
