Scott McLaughlin preparing to qualify at
Indianapolis. (The Tomaso Collection)
Although obviously, He’s still smarting over not
winning this year’s Indianapolis 500! Along with a disappointing race in
Detroit…
In another languishing No Fenders story. Surely
which should be a decent vintage, having begun fermentin’ over a decade ago!
Once again, although I swore I wouldn’t do it after my Heart surgery. Here I am
trying to cobble another story together Justin-time’…
As we all know, Scott McLaughlin whose just
basked in the limelight of winning this year’s Indianapolis 500 enroute to His
best Indy 500 race finish of sixth. Arguably is one of the Badest All-time
Tintop Boyz’ to make the switch from Saloons to single seaters.
Since when I think of Detroit, I never think of
Indy Cars. Along with forgetting that’s where I saw my first ever Formula 1
race on TV Wayback nearly 40yrs ago, but I digress…
Nope, instead I think of those Nasty Ford
Mustang Trans Am “Pony” cars from the Cat in the Hat’, ergo Jack Roush and
Roush Racing instead. Even if the Chevrolet Camaro gave Ford constant fits.
McLaughlin, whom I enjoy calling ScottyMac’,
was a Bad Arse Australian V8 Supercars pilote. Winning three consecutive titles
between 2018-20, with an astonishing win rate of 56 career W’s. Along with 106
podiums and 76 Poles, Aye Karumba! Before shrewdly, Team Penske inserted Him
into their No. 3 IndyCar as Helio Castroneves replacement…
McLaughlin’s has scored five wins, six Poles
and a best overall finish of third last year in His burgeoning IndyCar career.
Thus the only former Tintop to IndyCar driver I
can think of currently whose overall body of work eclipses the Kiwi’ is another
driver ironically with the first name of Scott. As Scotty Scooter’ Pruett began
His illustrious racing career by winning the 1986 & 1988 IMSA GTO titles
for Jack Roush. With the first of His three eventual Trans Am Championship
titles sandwiched in-between, before making the leap to IndyCar.
As my memory’s totally foggy now. Although I’ve
still got the article I tore out of Autoweek detailing how Pruett invested His
life savings of $80k to buy a ride in the ’88 Long Beach Grand Prix IndyCar
race for Dick simon Racing somewhere in a box in Tomaso Manor…
As Pruett would finish 18th in His debutante
IndyCar start. Before capping the ’88 season with two further IndyCar drives
for the Machinists Union team.
As Pruett would go onto record a total of 145
CART PPG/IndyCar starts over ten years. With two wins at the 1995 Michigan 500
and 1997 Surfers Paradise races. Along with scoring Toyota’s first IndyCar Pole
at Fontana’s Marlboro 500 in 1999. Where Pruett captured the pole with a speed
of 235.398mph! Yet this race sadly is solely remembered for the Death of Greg
Moore…
As I know I scribbled another zany No Fenders
post about Pruett’s watch collection, primarily made up from His multiple Rolex
24 wins. While I think Pruett mentioned how He’d “treated” Himself to another Rolex.
This one being a Gold Wristwatch to
celebrate scoring Toyota’s maiden IndyCar Pole position, after blowing up
several engines in the process!
Pruett went onto a long IndyCar career with a
brief NASCAR stint before turning His attention to Sports Cars fulltime.
Ultimately winning multiple Grand Am titles for Chip Ganassi Racing. Not to
mention that Scooter’s currently tied with Hurley Haywood for most overall 24
Hours of Daytona victories with five apiece.
Wally Dallenbach Jr, son of the late CART Chief
Steward and IndyCar racer Himself – also had a impressive Trans Am career
before making the leap to “Bigger ‘n Better” things. As Wally claimed the 1983
SCCA Pro Racing Tans Am Rookie of The Year Honours. Then scored the first of
His two back-to-back; Hmm, where have I heard that expression lately in
IndyCar’s, Eh?
As Dallenbach “Junior” first won the 1985 Trans
Am title for Jack Roush before jumping ship and winning the next season’s title
in a rival Camaro! Yet His IndyCar career was far less successful, making only
a total of four starts over three years.
Substituting as Dick Simon’s replacement at
Road America in 1987. And then filling in at Leader Car Racing in late 1990
after Pancho Carter had left the team…
Dallenbach’s 1985 Roush teammate needs no
introduction to Y’all. As willy t. Ribbs finished runner-up that year with
seven wins vs. Dallenbach’s five. Before Ribbs went on to make history as the
first African American IndyCar driver to race in the Indianapolis 500 in 1991.
Before making His second and final Indy 500 start in ’93. As Ribbs drove for
Raynor-Cosby and Walker Racing during His brief IndyCar career.
Another driver whose persona resembles Mr.
Uppity’s, aka Willy t. ribs on the
Brashness scale is Robby DirtMann’ Gordon, whom later I began calling Gourdoun
for several reasons. Including being caught throwing His Headrest out of His
racecar in order to trigger a Full course caution! Which I think was to keep
Him from going a lap down?
Robby is a prolific Offroad racer with multiple
Championship titles, following in the footsteps of His late father “Baja Bob”.
But I first became a fan of Robby’s when He won the infamous Roush Racing Gong
Show! And quickly began winning races in both IMSA GTO and Trans Am in a nasty
Whistler Ford Mustang. Including four consecutive Rolex 24 and three
consecutive 12 Hours of Sebring Class victories!
Robby than made the leap to the CART/PPG
IndyCar World Series as a rookie driving for A.J. Foyt in 1992, before moving
to Walker Racing. Having His best success driving for Derrick Walker between
1994-96, when He won His only two IndyCar races. Before ultimately jumping to
the Dark side and joining the IRL.
Gordon gravitated to NASCAR, where He contested
396 races in a span of 19yrs, winning three times before returning to Offroad
racing. Running several years in the grueling Dakar Rally, where He bcame the
first American to win a stage. Along with creating His Stadium Super Truck
series, for which I believe He still competes in…
Last on this list is Scott sharp, who came from
a road racing background and captured multiple titles, including the 1991 and
1993 Trans Am Championships, before making His IndyCar debut in 1999 for
Bettenhausen Motorsports.
Sharp drove for Pacwest Racing during the team’s inaugural season, along with being His first full season (CART) IndyCar campaign, before moving to the rival Indy Racing League in ‘96. Where Sharp went on to win a total of nine races, along with being the series inaugural Co-champion with Buzz Calkins in 1996. Before moving onto Sports Cars in the American Le Man Series. Ultimately setting up His own Sports Car team named Extreme Speed Motorsports…