IndyCar Facts for Kids

This page is about the sanctioning body. For the racing series which it sanctions, see IndyCar Series. For an overview of Indy car racing, see American open-wheel car racing.

Quick facts for kids
IndyCar, LLC
Official website

Sport	Auto Racing
Category	Open-wheel cars
Jurisdiction	United States Canada
Founded	1994
Affiliation	ACCUS-FIA
Affiliation date	1997
Headquarters	Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
President	Jay Frye
CEO	Mark Miles

IndyCar, LLC (also known as INDYCAR) is a group that organizes and manages car races in North America. They are in charge of open-wheel car racing. This means the wheels are outside the car's main body.

IndyCar manages two main racing series. The most famous is the IndyCar Series, which features the legendary Indianapolis 500 race. They also have a series called Indy NXT for younger drivers. IndyCar is part of a bigger international racing group called the FIA.

The organization started in 1994 as the Indy Racing League. It was created by Hulman & Company, which also owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Races began in 1996. The name "INDYCAR" became official on January 1, 2011. The sport of open-wheel racing has a long history, going back to 1905. IndyCar is one of several groups that have managed this type of racing over the years.

Today, IndyCar is owned by Roger Penske. He bought IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2019.

The Story of IndyCar Racing
Sadly, Drivers Lost
See also

The Story of IndyCar Racing

What is an Indy Car?

The name "Indy Car" first came from the cars that raced in the Indianapolis 500. This race is super popular. Over time, "Indy Car" became more common than the official name, "championship car."

In 1992, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway officially registered the name "IndyCar." They allowed another racing group, CART, to use it. CART called its main series the "CART PPG Indy Car World Series."

The Name Battle

In 1996, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway started a new racing series called the Indy Racing League (IRL). This led to a disagreement over the "IndyCar" name. Both groups wanted to use it.

Eventually, they reached an agreement. CART stopped using the "IndyCar" name after the 1996 season. The IRL agreed not to use the name until after 2002. CART then went back to being called just CART. They started calling their cars "champ cars" again.

After six years, the Indy Racing League announced a change. Their main series would be called the IndyCar Series starting in 2003. In 2008, the two main racing series, IRL and Champ Car, joined together. The combined series kept the IndyCar Series name.

Since then, the focus has been on using "IndyCar" instead of "IRL." This became official on January 1, 2011. The company's legal name changed to INDYCAR LLC in 2013.

Why the Split Happened

The disagreement between CART and the IRL was mainly about the Indianapolis 500. This race was seen as the most important event in the sport. From 1980 to 1995, the Indy 500 was managed by USAC. But most of the drivers were from CART.

Tony George, who owned the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, felt his ideas were being ignored. He wanted to lower costs and share money differently. CART team owners felt George had too much power.

So, in 1994, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway formed the Indy Racing League (IRL). This new series started racing in 1996. CART had been the main group for Indy car racing since 1979. George wanted the IRL to be a cheaper option than CART. He thought CART had become too expensive and only a few rich teams could win.

The IRL was designed for oval tracks only. This was to help American drivers from smaller racing series move up to Indy cars. Famous drivers like A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti had done this in the past.

In the first IRL season, 25 of the 33 spots in the Indy 500 were saved for full-time IRL teams. In response, CART scheduled its own big race, the U.S. 500, on the same day as the Indy 500 in 1996.

The IRL also introduced new rules in 1997. These rules made cars less expensive. The new cars were not compatible with CART's cars. In its early years, the IRL had fewer races and less experienced teams. This made the Indianapolis 500 seem less important for a while.

However, starting in 2002, top teams from CART began to join the IRL. This led to CART having money problems. CART was replaced by the Champ Car World Series in 2003. Finally, in 2008, Champ Car joined with the IRL.

After joining with Champ Car, the IndyCar Series became very similar to what CART used to be. Many top teams like Chip Ganassi Racing and Team Penske now win races often. There are many drivers from other countries. The cars use more electronics and special aerodynamic parts. The racing schedule now includes more road and street courses, not just oval tracks.

Joining Forces with Champ Car

On January 23, 2008, Tony George offered a plan to Champ Car. He offered free cars and engine leases to Champ Car teams. This was if they raced in the whole 2008 IndyCar Series. In return, IndyCar would add some of Champ Car's races to its schedule. This would bring American open-wheel racing back together.

On February 10, 2008, Tony George and other IndyCar leaders went to Japan. They talked about moving the Indy Japan 300 race. This was needed to make room for the Long Beach Grand Prix, which was on the same weekend. Everyone felt good about the meeting.

In February 2008, Tony George and the owners of the Champ Car World Series made a deal. They agreed to combine the sport for 2008. The Champ Car World Series stopped, except for the Long Beach Grand Prix. Many Champ Car teams then moved to the IndyCar Series. IndyCar provided them with equipment.

Randy Bernard became the new CEO of the IRL in February 2010. In 2011, the group officially changed its name to IndyCar. This showed that the series had merged. A new race car, the Dallara DW12, was introduced for the 2012 season. IndyCar even worked with DreamWorks Animation for the movie Turbo in 2013. Randy Bernard was replaced by Mark Miles in October 2012.

Driver Safety in IndyCar

Driver safety is very important in IndyCar. Sadly, some drivers have been seriously hurt, especially in the early years. There have been five fatal crashes in the series' history.

Oval tracks have less space for cars to slow down if something goes wrong. Also, the cars go very fast on the long straight parts and banked turns. This means there is less room for mistakes. Early car designs were a cause of some injuries. So, the series made changes to the car's body to make it safer.

After several big accidents in 2003, IndyCar made more changes. These changes helped reduce speeds and make racing safer.

IndyCar was the first racing series to use the SAFER barrier system. These are special soft walls that absorb impact. They first appeared at the Indianapolis 500. Now, almost all major oval tracks use them. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway helped pay for the research and development of the SAFER system.

Sadly, Drivers Lost

Here are the drivers who have passed away during IndyCar events:

Scott Brayton – (May 17, 1996), during practice for the 1996 Indianapolis 500.
Tony Renna – (October 22, 2003), during a private testing session.
Paul Dana – (March 26, 2006), during practice for the 2006 Toyota Indy 300.
Dan Wheldon – (October 16, 2011), during the 2011 IZOD IndyCar World Championship race.
Justin Wilson – (August 24, 2015), during the 2015 ABC Supply 500 race.

(You can find a longer list here: List of IndyCar fatalities)

IndyCar facts for kids

Contents