Track: New Hampshire International Speedway
Date: Saturday, August 18, 1996
Start time: NA
Weather: Damp, windy
IRL historical: #1 of 10 in 1997 season, IRL race #4 overall
Track historical: IRL race #1, Indy car race #5 at this track
Track configuration: 1 mile oval, flat track
Wing package: Short track
The IRL inagurated its second season in the rolling hills of Concord, NH. This race was dominated -- but not won -- by Tony Stewart, who passed Arie Luyendyk on lap 15 and led most of the rest of the way. A starting-line crash eliminated contender Robbie Buhl and rookie Jim Guthrie. Buddy Lazier, fresh off of his historic Indy 500 victory and still competing with the back injuries that he had suffered at Phoenix, crashed hard early, but fortunately did not worsen his existing injuries. Tyce Carlson had an ignition problem right off and ran most of the first 120 laps on seven cylinders (they got it fixed during a red-flag period). Luyendyk, polesitter Ritchie Hearn, Scott Sharp, and Buzz Calkins contended for second; however, they and everyone else ran behind Stewart, who had a lap on the field by the time the race was briefly halted for rain on lap 123. The stoppage did several engines no good, among then that of Hearn, who had his engine go sour after the restart; it eventually blew on lap 170. The shocker came eleven laps after that. Stewart had two laps on everyone but Sharp and was threatening to make the race a laugher. It appeared that the mighty but erratic Menard V-6 engine was finally going to post a victory, in its second-to-last appearance ever in an Indycar, as it would not be legal under the recently announced engine formula for 1997. However, on lap 181, Stewart's engine suffered an engine computer failure and abruptly shut off as he entered turn 3. This in turn handed to race lead to Sharp, who after making up his lap to Stewart led the rest of the way and won with nearly a one-lap advantage over Calkins and Michele Alboreto. Sharp's win was the first for the Lola chassis and Goodyear tires in the IRL, and the first for A. J. Foyt as a car owner since his retirement from driving in 1992. A decision made shortly after this race changed the IRL seasons from May-to-May to align with the calendar year, making this race the beginning of a 17-month championship odyssey.
Fin St Qual Car C/E/T Driver Entrant Laps Status Laps Pts
Spd # Led
1 12 168.867 1 L/F/G Scott Sharp Foyt 200 Running 18 35
2 10 169.831 12 R/F/F Buzz Calkins Bradley 200 Running 33
3 2 175.125 33 R/F/G Michele Alboreto Scandia 200 Running 32
4 9 170.638 10 R/F/F Mike Groff Byrd 199 Running 31
5 17 165.903 14 L/F/G Davey Hamilton Foyt 196 Running 30
6 18 164.477 21 R/F/G Roberto Guerrero Pagan 196 Running 29
7 15 166.287 40 L/F/G Marco Greco Scandia 196 Running 28
8 14 168.322 22 L/F/G Stephan Gregoire Scandia 192 Running 27
9 6 171.197 7 L/F/G Eliseo Salazar Scandia 190 Running 26
10 11 169.416 18 L/M/G John Paul Jr. PDM 190 Running 25
11 16 165.975 28 L/M/G Tyce Carlson PDM 187 Running 24
12 7 171.190 2 L/M/F Tony Stewart Menard 182 Electrical 165 24
13 3 174.643 5 R/F/F Arie Luyendyk Treadway 170 Running 11 22
14 1 175.367 4 R/F/G Ritchie Hearn DellaPenna 166 Engine 6 23
15 8 170.852 51 L/M/G Eddie Cheever Cheever 166 Running 20
16 20 161.842 30 L/F/G Stan Wattles McCormack 163 Fuel Pres. 19
17 22 150.867 15 L/B/G David Kudrave Tempero 118 Clutch 18
18 23 No Spd. 9 R/F/F Brad Murphey Hemelgarn 79 Handling 17
19 4 172.664 91 R/F/F Buddy Lazier Hemelgarn 66 Crash T4 16
20 5 172.056 3 L/M/F Mark Dismore Menard 43 Clutch 15
21 21 154.196 96 L/B/G Joe Gosek ABF 30 Crash T4 14
22 13 168.710 54 L/F/F Robbie Buhl Beck 0 Crash T1 13
23 19 164.031 27 L/M/F Jim Guthrie Blueprint 0 Crash T1 12
Laps under green: 165 of 200 laps (82.5%)
Caution flags: 4 for 35 laps (17.5%)
#1: lap 1, crash (Buhl, Guthrie), T1, 5 laps
#2: lap 35, crash (Gosek), T4, 6 laps
#3: lap 67, crash (Lazier), T4, 12 laps
#4: lap 123, rain, 2 laps
Red flags: 1 for 25 minutes
#1: lap 123, rain, 25 minutes
Lead changes: 5, number of different leaders: 4
St: Hearn 1-6
#1: Luyendyk 7-13
#2: Stewart 14-37
#3: Luyendyk 38-41
#4: Stewart 42-182
#5: Sharp 183-200
C/E/T finish averages (# started / avg finish):
Lola: 15 / 13.1
Reynard: 8 / 9.9
Buick: 2 / 19.0
Ford Cosworth: 15 / 9.8
Menard: 6 / 15.2
Firestone: 9 / 14.8
Goodyear: 14 / 10.2