Paul Tracy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paul Tracy
Tracy at the 2018 ABC Supply 500
Nationality	Canadian
Born	Paul Anthony Tracy (1968-12-17) December 17, 1968 (age 56) Scarborough, Ontario, Canada
IndyCar Series
Years active	2002, 2008–2011
Teams	Team Green Vision Racing A. J. Foyt Enterprises KV Racing Technology Dragon Racing Dreyer & Reinbold Racing
Starts	20
Best finish	22nd in 2009
Previous series
1986 1988–90 1991–2003 2004–07 2006–07, 12 2013–14, 16	Can-Am Series American Racing Series CART Champ Car World Series Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Stadium Super Trucks
Championship titles
1990 2003	American Racing Series CART/Champ Car World Series
Awards
1990 1993 1999 2000	Bruce McLaren Trophy Most Improved Driver All-Star Team All-Star Team
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
6 races run over 1 year
Best finish	76th (2006)
First race	2006 Hershey's Kissables 300 (Daytona)
Last race	2006 Ameriquest 300 (Fontana)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish	84th (2008)
First race	2008 Chevy Silverado 350K (Texas)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0

Paul Anthony Tracy (born December 17, 1968) is a Canadian professional auto racing driver. He competed in major open-wheel racing series like Champ Car World Series and the IndyCar Series. Paul Tracy is known for his exciting and aggressive driving style. Fans nicknamed him "The Thrill from West Hill."

Early Life and Racing Start

Paul Tracy was born in Scarborough, Canada, on December 17, 1968. He grew up in a working-class area near Toronto. His father, Tony Tracy, was a house painter. Tony used to race motorcycles himself.

Paul started racing mini-bikes at age four. He got his first small go-kart at age five. His father's painting business helped fund his racing dreams. Paul raced every weekend in Canada and the United States. He learned a lot about go-karting from driver Scott Goodyear. Paul won the Canadian Senior Karting Championship twice. He won 91 out of 94 races in his first full senior season.

Moving to Car Racing

When Paul was 15, he stopped karting. His father had Scott Goodyear teach him how to drive race cars. At 16, Paul started car racing. He finished third in the 1985 Formula Ford 1600 championship. He also won the "Rookie of the Year" award.

In 1985, Paul became the youngest Canadian Formula Ford champion. The next year, he became the youngest Can-Am race winner at age 17. He raced a Porsche 944 in the Porsche Challenge Series. Paul also raced in the British Formula 2000 Championship.

American Racing Series Success

In 1988, Paul Tracy joined the American Racing Series (ARS). This was a development series for CART. He won his first ARS race at Phoenix Raceway. He finished tenth overall and was named ARS Rookie of the Year.

In 1989, his father created the Maple Leaf Racing team for him. Paul finished in the top ten five times. In 1990, Paul joined Landford Racing. He completely dominated the season. He won nine out of fourteen races. He set records for most pole positions (seven) and most wins in a row (four). Paul won the ARS series title with three races left.

CART and Champ Car Career

Paul Tracy's career in Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) began in 1991. He first drove for Dale Coyne Racing. Then, he got a chance to drive for Penske Racing.

Early Years with Penske

Tracy driving for Penske at the 1991 Monterey Grand Prix

In 1991, Paul Tracy signed a testing contract with Penske Racing. He tested cars for champions Emerson Fittipaldi and Rick Mears. He was so good that Penske put him in a race car. In August 1991, he crashed at the Michigan 500. He broke bones in his lower left leg. After therapy, he returned for the last two races.

In 1992, Paul raced eleven times for Penske. He finished second twice, at Detroit and Mid-Ohio. He also got his first CART pole position at Road America. He finished 12th in the Drivers' Championship.

First Wins and Championship Fight

In 1993, Paul Tracy raced full-time for Penske. He won his first CART race at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. He then won two more races in a row. He won the Grand Prix of Cleveland and the Molson Indy Toronto. Paul won five races that season. He finished third in the drivers' standings.

In 1994, Paul won three more races. He won in Detroit, Nazareth, and Laguna Seca. He finished third in the championship again.

Moving Teams and Challenges

In 1995, Paul moved to Newman/Haas Racing. He won two races that year. He then returned to Penske for the 1996 season. In 1996, he had a big accident at Michigan. He broke a vertebra in his back. He finished 13th in the championship.

In 1997, Paul won three races in a row. He won at Nazareth, Rio, and Gateway. He finished fifth in the championship. However, he criticized his car's performance. Because of this, Penske let him go before the 1998 season.

Joining Team Green

Paul Tracy then signed with Team Green for 1998. He had some accidents and finished 13th overall. In 1999, he stayed with Team Green. He won two races and finished third in the championship.

In 2000, Paul won three more races. He led the championship early on. But he had some bad luck and crashes. He finished fifth in the final standings. His performance dropped in 2001 and 2002. He won one race in 2002.

Tracy competing in the 2002 Sure for Men Rockingham 500

In May 2002, Paul Tracy made his Indy Racing League (IRL) debut. This was at the 2002 Indianapolis 500. He finished second in a very close and disputed race. He believes he actually won that race.

Winning the Champ Car Title

In 2003, Paul Tracy joined Forsythe Racing. He started the season with three wins in a row. This made him the first Champ Car driver since 1971 to do that. He won his first (and only) series title that year. He won seven races in total. He became the first Canadian driver to win two Canadian races in the same year.

Later Champ Car Years

In 2004, CART became the Champ Car World Series (CCWS). Paul Tracy continued to race for Forsythe. He won two races and finished fourth overall. In 2005, he won two more races and finished fourth again.

Tracy driving in the 2005 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

In 2006, Paul had three second-place finishes. He was involved in some on-track arguments with other drivers. He broke his shoulder blade in an ATV accident before the last race. He finished seventh in the standings. His final Champ Car victory came in 2007. He finished 11th that year.

Tracy competed in the final Champ Car race, the 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

In 2008, the Champ Car World Series merged with the IndyCar Series. Paul Tracy raced in the final Champ Car race at Long Beach. He finished 11th. He then raced part-time in the IndyCar Series for a few years.

Tracy driving for KV Racing Technology at the 2009 Honda 200 at Mid-Ohio

He raced six times in 2009, with a best finish of sixth. In 2010, he raced six more times. He lost a lot of weight to get fitter. His best finish was sixth in Edmonton. In 2011, he had a five-race deal with Dragon Racing. He also raced in the Indianapolis 500. He stopped racing full-time after 2011.

Other Racing Adventures

Paul Tracy also tried other types of racing.

Sports Car Racing

He raced in the Rolex Sports Car Series. He competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012, and 2013. His best finish was third place in the Mexico City 400km in 2006 and the Montreal 200 in 2012.

NASCAR Racing

Paul Tracy also raced in NASCAR. He competed in the Busch Series in 2006 for five races. He also drove in one Craftsman Truck Series race in 2008.

Stadium Super Trucks

Between 2013 and 2016, he raced in the Stadium Super Trucks series. This is a short course off-road racing series. He finished in the top ten in four of his five races. His best finish was fourth in Toronto in 2014.

Superstar Racing Experience

Since 2021, Paul Tracy has competed in the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) series. This is a short track racing series. He finished seventh in the standings in 2021. In 2022, he got his first podium finish, coming in third at Stafford Motor Speedway. He was suspended from SRX in 2023 after a multi-car accident.

Driving Style

Paul Tracy is known for his aggressive driving style. He has been this way since he was a child. He was famous for taking his car into places on the track that other drivers wouldn't consider. This sometimes led to crashes. Over time, he learned to control his aggression better.

Personal Life

Paul Tracy has been married three times. He has two children from his first marriage. He is a citizen of both Canada and the United States. He enjoys collecting power boats, classic cars, and motorcycles.

Paul Tracy has also worked as a race analyst. He analyzed IndyCar races for Sportsnet (a Canadian broadcaster) and later for NBCSN. He is a member of the Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame and the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame.

Images for kids

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  Sébastien Bourdais and Tracy were involved in a physical altercation after colliding on the final lap of the 2006 Grand Prix of Denver.