Mike Groff
10 G Force/Aurora
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1996-97 Season in Review
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Mike Groff took a solid points lead into the 1997 Indy 200 at Walt Disney World and maintained it with a second-place finish there and a sixth at Phoenix. However, his Inifinti engine proved uncompetitive at Indianapolis, where he finished 12th. His season took a serious turn for the worse with a practice crash at Texas Motor Speedway, which put him out until the VisionAire 500K in Charlotte. Another practice crash sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Still, he finished 14th in the season standings despite running in only six races. Groff returns to the Byrd-Cunningham team in 1998.
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Career
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Mike Groff was the fastest rookie qualifier at Indianapolis in 1991. He qualified at 219.015 mph as the third driver out on the second day of qualifications. That showing also placed him tops in the field among Cosworth-powered drivers. Starting 18th his rookie luck did not hold as overheating problems sent him to sidelines in a 24th place finish.
He won 200 of 250 starts in quarter-midgets from 1971-78, winning three Grand National titles. He was named Rookie of the year in the Super Vee series in 1985. He won the American Racing Series in 1989.
In 1992 he qualified the second Walker Motorsports entry at 221.801 mph on the third qualifying day as "insurance" for regular driver Scott Goodyear ... Goodyear was bumped and took over the car for Race Day.
The following year at Indy, Groff practiced in the Rahal-Hogan entry on a day team lead driver Bobby Rahal was ill. However, he did not attempt to qualify the car.
In 1994 he joined the Rahal-Hogan team at Indianapolis and had the first accident of the month, hitting the south chute wall, after an engine problem on May 9. He came back as the 14th qualifier of month on the first day at 218.808 mph with Honda power.
The team acquired a car from Penske Racing, which would be available for second weekend of qualifications. With a field full, the team withdrew teammate Bobby Rahal's car and Groff qualified to refill the field with 14 minutes left in third-day time trials at 221.355 mph. Race Day efforts ended after 28 laps when he tangled with Dominic Dobson in Turn 1.
Courtesy SpeedNet, from the Indianapolis Star/News
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Driver Stats
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Team: Jonathan Byrd-Cunningham Racing
Series: Indy Racing League
Car: #10 G Force / Aurora / Firestone
Sponsor: Jonathan Byrd's / VisionAire / Bryant Heating & Cooling
Car Owner: Jonathan Byrd, Clayton Cunningham
Chief Mechanic: Mark Olson
Resides: Los Angeles, Calif.
D.O.B: 11/16/62
Top Indy car finish: 2nd (Orlando, 1997)
IRL points (standing): 228 (6th); 1996-97 - 169 (14th)
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