Scott Goodyear
4 G Force/Aurora
|
|
1998 Driver Profile
|
|
Scott Goodyear was among the most consistent drivers in the IRL in 1997. He didn't win any races, driving for Treadway Racing, but finished fifth in the championship standings after second-place finishes at Indianapolis and Las Vegas and third place at Orlando -- his first IRL race -- and Charlotte. Goodyear actually scored the second most points in the 1997 calendar year after missing the two 1996 races while driving for a CART team. Goodyear joins the new Panther Racing team, headed by a host of owners that includes Indianapolis Colts quarterback Jim Harbaugh.
|
|
Career
|
|
The Toronto native has been racing since age nine. He won national and North American karting championships between 1969 and 1976.
By 1980 he'd entered the Formula Ford circuit, winning a Canadian Formula Ford championship. He continued capturing three consecutive Canadian Formula Ford titles.
Goodyear's first season in Indy cars came in 1987 when he started seven Indy Car races for Gohr Racing. In 1988 he returned to Rothmans Porsche Turbo Cup Series, winning three of eight races and championship. He resumed Indy car racing in 1989 with two starts, Toronto and Road America.
He also competed in three IMSA GTO races, driving for factory Audi Sport team; drove at LeMans in the Porsche Turbo Cup Invitational; and drove an IMSA GTP Corvette with Jacques Villeneuve in 1989.
Driving for Mackenzie Financial in 1990 he earned nine top-10 finishes in
16 events; was Voted Most Improved Driver by his Indy Car peers; finished 10th in his first Indy 500, then the highest finish for a Canadian; scored a career best finish of seventh at inaugural Vancouver event; and finished 13th in points.
With Shierson Racing the following year he recorded 10 point-paying finishes and started 12th at Indy, but finished 27th with engine problems.
Walker Racing got a new driver in 1992 as Goodyear joined the team. He climbed the podium for his first career Indy car victory, at the Michigan 500, and Walker Racing's first Indy car win.
Goodyear finished second, to Al Unser Jr., after starting last, in the closest Indianapolis 500 in history -- by 0.043 sec. He co-drove to second-place finish in Daytona 24-Hour race in a Jaguar XJR-12D.
His first career pole position came at Phoenix in 1993. He also got his second the same year at Vancouver. Earning 10 top-10 finishes in 16 races his best finish came at Nazareth with a second place. He finished ninth in points.
1994 brought his second career victory at Michigan. The following year he competed in three Indy Car events, Indianapolis, Mid-Ohio and Vancouver. He sat in the front row at Indy, third, with a qualifying speed of 230.759 mph. Leading for 42 laps he won the Fastest Lap Award.
In 1996 Goodyear competed on the Championship Auto Racing Team circuit with Walker Racing, but spent most of the season recovering from back injuries sustained during a qualifying accident at Brazil in March.
Courtesy SpeedNet, from the Indianapolis Star/News
|
|
 |
|
Driver Stats
|
Team: Panther Racing
Series: Indy Racing League
Car: #4 G Force / Aurora / Goodyear
Sponsor: Pennzoil
Car Owner: Jim Harbaugh, Gary Pedigo, Terry Lingner, John Barnes, Doug Boles, Mike Griffin
Chief Mechanic: Kevin Blanch
Resides: Carmel, Ind.
Indy car victories: 1992: Michigan 500; 1994: Michigan 500
PPG points (standing): 1987 - 7 (28th); 1989 - 0 (48th); 1990 - 36 (13th); 1991 - 42 (13th); 1992 - 108 (5th); 1993 - 86 (9th); 1994 - 55 (12th); 1995 - 1 (32nd); 1996 - 5 (25th)
IRL points (standing): 1996-97 - 226 (5th)
|
|
