1983 CART PPG Indy Car World Series

1983 CART season

PPG Indy Car World Series
Season
Races	13
Start date	April 17
End date	October 29
Awards
Drivers' champion	Al Unser
Constructors' Cup	March
Manufacturers' Cup	Cosworth
Nations' Cup	United States
Rookie of the Year	Teo Fabi
Indianapolis 500 winner	Tom Sneva
Chronology
Previous season	Next season
1982	1984

The 1983 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 5th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 13 races. Al Unser, Sr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Teo Fabi. The 1983 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but an arrangement was made such that it counted towards the CART points championship. Tom Sneva won the Indy 500, after three previous runner-up finishes.

Al Unser, Sr. jumped out to the early points lead, with second-place finishes in the first three races of the season. Unser, Sr. finished second at Indianapolis to Tom Sneva, but not without some controversy. Rookie Al Unser, Jr. was accused of blocking for his father, but Sneva prevailed, making the winning pass with ten laps to go. Unser won at Cleveland, finished second at the Michigan 500, and third at Road America. After 6 of 13 races, Unser, Sr. had a 35-point lead over Tom Sneva in the standings.

Rookie Teo Fabi made headlines at Indianapolis, becoming the first rookie to win the pole since 1950. His car dropped out, however, with a failed fuel o-ring. After a mixed start to the year, Fabi's season came alive in July, winning his first career race at the Pocono 500. Fabi jumped from 8th in points to as high as second following his win at Mid-Ohio. Fabi began to whittle away at Unser's point lead. Unser was running consistently, and had no finish worse than 11th.

In the next-to-last race of the season at Laguna Seca, Fabi dominated. He won the pole position and led 95 of 98 laps, winning his third race of the season. With only one race to go, Unser's point lead was down to 15 points. At the season finale in Phoenix, Fabi put in another dominating performance. He won the pole and led 138 of 150 laps. Fabi's championship hopes, however, fell just short as Al Unser came home 4th. Al Unser won the title by a mere 5 points over Fabi.

Other top stories from 1983 included Newman/Haas Racing joining the series with driver Mario Andretti, and the rookie debut of Al Unser, Jr. Though Unser, Jr. did not win any races, he had ten top-10 finishes en route to 7th in points.

Season Summary

Race results

Rd	Date	Race Name	Circuit	City/Location	Pole Position	Fastest Lap	Winning driver	Winning team	Report
1	April 17	Kraco Dixie 200	Atlanta Motor Speedway	Hampton, Georgia	Rick Mears	26.730	Gordon Johncock	Patrick Racing	Report
2	May 29	Indianapolis 500	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Teo Fabi	2:53.582	Tom Sneva	Bignotti-Cotter Racing	Report
3	June 12	Dana-Rex Mays 150	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Teo Fabi	26.259	Tom Sneva	Bignotti-Cotter Racing	Report
4	July 3	Budweiser Cleveland 500	Burke Lakefront Airport	Cleveland, Ohio	Mario Andretti	1:13.516	Al Unser	Penske Racing	Report
5	July 17	Michigan 500	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Teo Fabi	35.621	John Paul, Jr.	VDS Racing	Report
6	July 31	Promi Veal 200	Road America	Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin	Mario Andretti	1:58.898	Mario Andretti	Newman/Haas Racing	Report
7	August 14	Domino's Pizza 500	Pocono International Raceway	Long Pond, Pennsylvania	Tom Sneva	46.912	Teo Fabi	Forsythe Racing	Report
8	August 28	LA Times/Budweiser 500	Riverside International Raceway	Riverside, California	Teo Fabi	1:30.887	Bobby Rahal	Truesports	Report
9	September 11	Escort Radar Warning 200	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	Lexington, Ohio	Bobby Rahal	1:21.364	Teo Fabi	Forsythe Racing	Report
10	September 18	Detroit News Grand Prix	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Bobby Rahal	35.075	Rick Mears	Penske Racing	Report
11	October 8	Caesars Palace Grand Prix	Caesars Palace	Las Vegas, Nevada	John Paul, Jr.	34.888	Mario Andretti	Newman/Haas Racing	Report
12	October 23	Cribari Wines 300k	Laguna Seca Raceway	Monterey, California	Teo Fabi	56.920	Teo Fabi	Forsythe Racing	Report
13	October 29	Miller High Life 150	Phoenix International Raceway	Phoenix, Arizona	Teo Fabi	24.947	Teo Fabi	Forsythe Racing	Report

Oval/Speedway

Road Course/Street Circuit

Indianapolis was USAC-sanctioned but counted towards the CART title.

Logo of the series for this year

Final points standings

Further information: List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems

Pos	Driver	ATL	INDY	MIL	CLE	MIC	ROA	POC	RIV	MDO	MIC	CPL	LAG	PHX	Pts
1	Al Unser	2	2	2	1*	2	3	11	11	4	5	4	11	4	151
2	Teo Fabi	20	26	4	3	15	15	1*	2	1*	3	25	1*	1*	146
3	Mario Andretti	5	23	18	15	3	1	7	16	2	4	1*	2	2	133
4	Tom Sneva	14	1*	1*	5	25	4	12	5	7	21	15	18	3	96
5	Bobby Rahal	21	20	6	19	5	10*	5	1	3	2	9	7	DNQ	94
6	Rick Mears	8*	3	3	7	4	17	3	19	9	1*	13	21	17	92
7	Al Unser, Jr.	6	10	13	9	7	2	2	4*	18	10	10	4	8	89
8	John Paul, Jr.	3	DNQ		21	1*	5	29	3	20	7	2	26	11	84
9	Chip Ganassi		8		13	8	21	26		25	6	3	3	5	56
10	Pancho Carter	16	7	14	8	6	7	6	7	10	15	6	25	10	53
11	Pete Halsmer	4	DNQ	9	2	33	14	14	27	24	14	5	20	7	48
12	Roger Mears	7	28	8	6	DNQ	8	16	9	12	16	7	6	16	43
13	Howdy Holmes	9	6	7	12	32	16	13	13	8	8	17	5	21	39
14	Mike Mosley	13	13	5	4	17	25	4	24	DNQ	11			24	36
15	Kevin Cogan	15	5	20	25	27	19	15	21	6	20	16	22	6	26
16	Gordon Johncock	1	14	23	26	26									20
17	Chris Kneifel		12		27	9	26	8	22	13	24	8	9	15	19
18	Tony Bettenhausen, Jr.	10	17	10	18	18	12	10	8	14	9	21	14	18	19
19	Steve Chassey	17	11	19	22	10	6	25	17	DNP		12	10	19	17
20	Danny Ongais		21	12	28	23	18	24	10	5					14
21	Geoff Brabham		4			22			18		12	20	16		13
22	Josele Garza		25		17	19	11	9	20	23	17	11	12		9
23	Tom Klausler				DNP		22		6	DNP		DNQ			8
24	Jeff Wood											22	8		5
25	Scott Brayton		9		24	12		28		DNP	13	26			5
26	Derek Daly	22	19		DNS		9			22		18	23	22	4
27	Michael Andretti											19	24	9	4
28	Desiré Wilson		DNQ		10		20	31	14	16		23	19	13	3
29	Dick Simon	DNQ	15	11		14	13		25	15	19	14		23	2
30	Jim McElreath	11				13		23		DNP					2
31	Greg Leffler		DNQ		DNQ		24		15	11					2
32	Phil Krueger	DNQ	DNQ	17	11					27					2
33	Dick Ferguson		DNQ			11		22		DNP					2
34	Jerry Karl		DNQ	16	DNQ	21		32	12						1
35	Gary Bettenhausen		DNQ	22				27		DNS				12	1
36	Doug Heveron	12	DNQ												1
37	Randy Lewis												13		0
38	Bill Alsup	DNS	DNQ	21	20	16		20		19	22		27	14	0
39	Tom Bigelow		DNQ	15	DNQ	29				DNP			17	DNQ	0
40	Bill Whittington		18		15			19		DNP					0
41	Jorge Koechlin		DNP										15		0
42	Herm Johnson		DNQ		16	24	DNQ			17					0
43	Mike Chandler		16			31				DNP					0
44	Patrick Bedard		30			28		17							0
45	Chet Fillip	19	33							DNQ	18				0
46	Johnny Rutherford	18	DNQ					21		DNP	23	24		20	0
47	Al Loquasto		DNQ					18							0
48	Don Whittington, Jr.		27			20		33							0
49	Bill Tempero		DNQ		23		DNQ			21					0
50	Johnny Parsons, Jr.		22			30				DNP					0
51	Phil Caliva		DNQ						23						0
52	Drake Olson				DNQ		23								0
53	Dennis Firestone		24												0
54	Chip Mead		DNP							26	25				0
55	Bob Ward								26			DNQ		DNS	0
56	Steve Krisiloff		29		DNQ										0
57	Chuck Ciprich		DNQ		DNP			30							0
58	A. J. Foyt		31												0
59	George Snider		32												0
60	Tom Bagley				DNQ			34							0
-	Richard Hubbard				DNQ		DNQ			DNQ					0
-	Barry Ruble				DNQ		DNQ			DNP					0
-	Teddy Pilette		DNQ		DNS										0
-	Harry MacDonald		DNQ							DNP					0
-	Mark Alderson		DNQ												0
-	Jim Buick		DNQ												0
-	Larry Cannon		DNQ												0
-	Bob Frey		DNQ												0
-	Amber Furst		DNQ												0
-	Spike Gehlhausen		DNQ												0
-	Bob Harkey		DNQ												0
-	Sheldon Kinser		DNQ												0
-	Bob Lazier		DNQ												0
-	John Mahler		DNQ												0
-	Mack McClellan		DNQ												0
-	Graham McRae		DNQ												0
-	Dave Peperak		DNQ												0
-	Roger Rager		DNQ												0
-	Ken Schrader		DNQ												0
-	Jerry Sneva		DNQ												0
-	Rich Vogler		DNQ												0
-	Bill Vukovich, Jr.		DNQ												0
-	John Morton								DNQ						0
-	Lee Kunzman		DNP												0
-	Dave McMillan		DNP												0
-	Bobby Olivero		DNP												0
-	Bill Puterbaugh		DNP												0
-	Larry Rice		DNP												0
-	Dale Whittington		DNP												0
-	David Leslie									DNP					0
Pos	Driver	ATL	INDY	MIL	CLE	MIC	ROA	POC	RIV	MDO	MIC	CPL	LAG	PHX	Pts

Color	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	4th & 5th place
Light Blue	6th-10th place
Dark Blue	Finished (Outside Top 10)
Purple	Did not finish (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Brown	Withdrawn (Wth)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
Blank	Did not participate (DNP)
Blank	Not competing

In-line notation
Bold	Pole position (1 point)
Italics	Ran fastest race lap (N/A)
*	Led most race laps (1 point)
DNS	Any driver who qualifies but does not start (DNS)
Rookie of the Year
Rookie

References

Åberg, Andreas. "PPG Indy Car World Series 1983". Driver Database. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
"1983 PPG Indy Car World Series". Champ Car Stats. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
"Official Box Score: 67th Indianapolis 500-Mile Race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Retrieved 2009-05-19.
"Standings after Phoenix". Champ Car World Series. Archived from the original on 22 October 2008. Retrieved 2009-05-19.

American Championship car racing (IndyCar) seasons

AAA	1905 1906–1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955

NASCAR	1952 1953

USAC	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95

CART / CCWS	1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 ~~2008~~

INDYCAR	1996 1996–97 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Years marked in italics are not official championship years.

CART / Champ Car seasons (1979–2008)

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 ~~2008~~

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1983 CART PPG Indy Car World Series

Season Summary

Race results

Final points standings

See also

References