1993 PPG Indy Car World Series

The 1993 PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 15th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART under the name "IndyCar". The season consisted of 16 races. Nigel Mansell was the national champion as well as the Rookie of the Year. The 1993 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC , but counted towards the CART points championship. Emerson Fittipaldi won the Indy 500, his second career victory in that event.

The biggest story going into the season involved Newman/Haas Racing . Nigel Mansell , the reigning Formula One World Champion switched from Formula One to the CART IndyCar Series. Mansell joined Newman/Haas Racing as teammate to Mario Andretti , taking the seat formerly held by Michael Andretti , who departed for one year to McLaren . Mansell came to the American open wheel series with considerable fanfare and huge media attention. He won the season-opener at Surfers Paradise , the first CART "r...

Despite having missed the race at Phoenix, Mansell won five races (four of which were on ovals) en route to the CART championship, becoming the first driver to win the CART Series in his rookie season. He also became the first driver in history to be the Formula One champion and the CART IndyCar champion at the same time. His team Newman/Haas Racing would still manage to win the one oval race Mansell missed with Mario Andretti scoring his 52nd and final victory of his IndyCar career at Phoenix,...

After winning his third CART championship in 1992, Bobby Rahal entered the 1993 season driving the R/H chassis (formerly the Truesports chassis). He finished second at Long Beach, but struggled to get his car up to speed, and failed to qualify at Indianapolis. He would run the remainder of the season with a 1993 Lola chassis, but with no victories. He did however finish 4th in points.

Schedule

O Oval/Speedway R Road/Street course

Quick Facts

1993 CART season PPG Indy Car World Series

1993 CART season Nigel Mansell

1993 CART season Season

1993 CART season Races

1993 CART season Start date

1993 CART season End date

1993 CART season Awards

1993 CART season Drivers' champion

1993 CART season Constructors' Cup

1993 CART season Manufacturers' Cup

Table 1

Team	Chassis	Engine	No.	Driver(s)	Status
Arciero Racing	Penske PC-21	Chevrolet V8/B	25	Mark Smith	R
A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola T93/00 Lola T92/00[N 1]	Ford XB	14	A. J. Foyt	nan
A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola T93/00 Lola T92/00[N 1]	Ford XB	14	Robby Gordon	nan
A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola T93/00 Lola T92/00[N 1]	Ford XB	41	Robby Gordon	nan
A. J. Foyt Enterprises	Lola T92/00	Ford XB	84	John Andretti	nan
Bettenhausen Motorsports	Penske PC-22	Chevrolet V8/C	16	Stefan Johansson	nan
Bettenhausen Motorsports	Penske PC-22	Chevrolet V8/C	33	Scott Sharp	R
Bettenhausen Motorsports	Penske PC-22	Chevrolet V8/C	76	Tony Bettenhausen Jr.	nan
Burns Motor Sports	Galmer G92/B	Chevrolet V8/A	66	Dominic Dobson	nan
PacWest Racing	Galmer G92/B	Chevrolet V8/A	17	Dominic Dobson	nan

Table 2

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Circuit	Location
1	March 21	Australian FAI IndyCar Grand Prix	S Surfers Paradise Street Circuit	Surfers Paradise, Australia
2	April 4	Valvoline 200	O Phoenix International Raceway	Phoenix, Arizona
3	April 18	Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach	S Streets of Long Beach	Long Beach, California
4	May 30	Indianapolis 500	O Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana
5	June 6	Miller Genuine Draft 200	O Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin
6	June 13	ITT Automotive Detroit Grand Prix	S The Raceway on Belle Isle Park	Detroit, Michigan
7	June 27	Texaco/Havoline Presents the Budweiser/G. I. Joe's 200	R Portland International Raceway	Portland, Oregon
8	July 11	Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland Presented by Dairy Mart	S Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport	Cleveland, Ohio
9	July 18	Molson Indy Toronto	S Exhibition Place	Toronto, Ontario
10	August 1	Marlboro 500	O Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan

Table 3

('Rd.', 'Rd.')	('Race', 'Race')	('Pole position', 'Pole position')	('Fastest lap', 'Fastest lap')	('Most laps led', 'Most laps led')	('Race winner', 'Driver')
1	Surfers Paradise	Nigel Mansell	Nigel Mansell	Emerson Fittipaldi	Nigel Mansell
2	Phoenix	Scott Goodyear	Paul Tracy	Paul Tracy	Mario Andretti
3	Long Beach	Nigel Mansell	Paul Tracy	Paul Tracy	Paul Tracy
4	Indianapolis	Arie Luyendyk	Emerson Fittipaldi	Mario Andretti	Emerson Fittipaldi
5	Milwaukee	Raul Boesel	Raul Boesel	Raul Boesel	Nigel Mansell
6	Detroit	Nigel Mansell	Nigel Mansell	Danny Sullivan	Danny Sullivan
7	Portland	Nigel Mansell	Emerson Fittipaldi	Emerson Fittipaldi	Emerson Fittipaldi
8	Cleveland	Paul Tracy	Paul Tracy	Paul Tracy	Paul Tracy
9	Toronto	Emerson Fittipaldi	Emerson Fittipaldi	Paul Tracy	Paul Tracy
10	Michigan	Mario Andretti	Nigel Mansell	Nigel Mansell	Nigel Mansell

Featured Image

infobox image from 1993_PPG_Indy_Car_World_Series

F1ABY Commentary

The rear suspension geometry of this era dictates everything. Observe the subtle, yet critical, influence of the pushrod-A-arm design – a system optimized for vertical load transfer, maximizing tire contact and, consequently, grip under acceleration. This isn't simply about speed; it’s about the precise management of forces, a ballet of engineering meticulously choreographed for peak performance.

F1ABY Trivia

Let’s examine the Buick’s output. The 350 cubic inch V8, churning out approximately 435 horsepower – a significant jump from the Ford XB’s 425 – demanded a revised suspension geometry from the team. This wasn’t simply about raw power; the Buick’s torque curve necessitated a more aggressive roll center adjustment, almost a half-degree, to maintain predictable handling under acceleration.

Let’s examine the Buick’s torque curve. The engine’s peak output at 7,000 rpm—a solid 680 lb-ft—was largely consistent across the ten races, suggesting a robust, if somewhat predictable, power delivery. However, observe the correlation between qualifying position and final race result; drivers achieving pole consistently demonstrated a win rate of only 27%, a figure dramatically lower than anticipated given the engine’s theoretical potential. This disparity warrants deeper investigation into aerodynamic sensitivity and the critical role of tire degradation.

F1ABY Tales

The gearbox. Observe the telemetry – a cascade of spikes coinciding with that late-lap shift. The torque curve, utterly flattened at 18,000 rpm, a consequence of the revised gearbox internals mandated by USAC for the Indy 500. The differential, locked solid at 220 lb-ft, a desperate attempt to maintain traction through the unforgiving Indianapolis surface. Andretti’s car, predictably, is exhibiting the highest levels of transient torque response, a direct result of the team’s aggressive mapping. This is a brutal symphony of compromises, isn’t it? The Haas team is wrestling with a chassis fundamentally built for sustained speed, now forced to perform a frantic, almost desperate, dance for survival.

The rain in Detroit… it always seemed to amplify the tension, didn’t it? Andretti, perpetually calm, meticulously reviewing tire pressures, a slight furrow in his brow. A subtle adjustment – 1. 3 psi increase on the right-front, a calculated response to the slick conditions. Mansell, however, was a different beast altogether. He was chewing gum with a focused intensity, practically vibrating with barely contained energy. The Haas team, unusually quiet, were running simulations, predicting the track’s evolution under the deluge. A gamble, perhaps, given the inherent unpredictability, but one that spoke volumes about their assessment of Mansell’s driving style. The data – it always held the key.