Buddy Lazier
Robert Buddy Lazier is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship.
Lazier began his racing career in the 1980s by competing in such series as the IMSA GT Championship, the SCCA Canadian-American Challenge Cup and the American Indycar Series. Lazier won the American Indycar Series championship in 1988. Lazier started his IndyCar career in 1989 by competing in the Indy Car World Series. During the season, Lazier failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Lazier eventually qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 1991. During his Champ Car career, Lazier often drove for teams that used older chassis and engines; his best finish in the Champ Car standings was a nineteenth place finish in 1992.
Lazier began to compete in the newly formed Indy Racing League in 1996. Lazier won the Indianapolis 500 that season, and he became one of the most dominant drivers in the series for a period of time, winning eight races overall and the series championship in 2000. Lazier began to drive only at the Indianapolis 500 in 2007 and continued to enter the Indianapolis 500 through 2009. He did not return to the series until 2013 at the Indianapolis 500 when he competed for Lazier Partners Racing, a team started by his father Bob Lazier and various investors. Lazier and the team repeated their efforts in 2014, 2015, 2016 and, for the final time, in 2017.
Career
Lazier was originally a competitive skier, and for a time was part of the U.S. Olympic developmental program.Canadian-American Challenge Cup
For 1986, Lazier competed in the SCCA Canadian-American Challenge Cup, driving the No. 43 car for the Texas American Racing Team, driving a Watson 82. Lazier made his début at the second race of the season at Summit Point Motorsports Park. Lazier failed to start the race and was credited with an 18th-place finish. Lazier also competed at St. Louis International Raceway; he started fifth and finished in twelfth place due to a chassis issue. Lazier finished in 26th place in the final standings with four points. In 1987, Lazier remained with the Texas American Racing Team, driving the No. 19 March 85C car. At the season-opening race at Willow Springs International Raceway, Lazier qualified on pole position, led 22 of 48 laps and won the race. Lazier also qualified on pole position at Wisconsin State Fairgrounds Park Speedway, led for 25 laps but ultimately finished in ninth place. Lazier finished in third place at Pueblo Motorsports Park and fourth place at the season-ending race at Phoenix International Raceway. Lazier finished in fourth place in the final championship standings with 62 points.IMSA GT Championship
In 1989, Lazier competed in the IMSA GT Championship, driving the No. 43 Motorsports Marketing Fabcar CL FEP/002-Porsche with John Higgens, Lorenzo Lamas and Justus Reid in the Lights class. Lazier only drove the car at the season-opening SunBank 24 at Daytona. The car started in 46th place but ultimately retired after 395 laps due to an engine failure. The car was classified fourth place in its class and in 31st place overall. In 1993, Lazier returned to the series to compete, in the Lights class, in the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona in the No. 42 Pro-Technik Racing Fabcar FEP/002-Porsche with Anthony Lazzaro, Chris Ivey, Mike Sheehan and Sam Shalala. The car started in 58th place overall and finished in 25th overall, seventh place in its class. Lazier only competed at Daytona, therefore finishing in 23rd place in the final Lights championship standings with 18 points.American Indycar Series
Lazier began to compete in the American Indycar Series in 1988 after Lazier's car owner and teammate, Bill Tempero, purchased Can-Am. Lazier drove a March 85C for Tempero's Texas American Racing Team. At the season-opening race at Willow Springs International Raceway, Lazier qualified on pole position and won the race. Lazier also won the Illinois Grand Prix at St. Louis International Raceway from pole position, the race at Tioga Motorsports Park and both races at the season-ending Bud Light 100 at Willow Springs. The only race that Lazier did not win was the AMG Eurospeed Grand Prix of Colorado at Mountain View Motorsports Park, where Lazier finished second to Robby Unser. Lazier won the inaugural season championship with 152 points.For 1989, Lazier returned with the Texas American Racing Team, driving a March 85C. At the season-opening races at I-70 Speedway, Lazier finished second to Unser in the first race and crashed out of the second race after completing ten laps. At the second pair of races at Memphis Motorsports Park, Lazier qualified on pole position for the second race. Lazier won the second race at Colorado National Speedway. Lazier finished the season by winning the first race at Willow Springs before retiring from the second race due to a motor mount issue. Lazier finished in seventh place in the final standings with 173 points.
CART Indy Car World Series
1989–90
In 1989, Lazier attempted to qualify for his first CART Indy Car World Series race, the Indianapolis 500. Lazier drove the No. 35 Lazier Racing March 87C-Cosworth DFX. Lazier crashed in practice and failed to qualify for the race. Lazier later drove for Gary Trout Motorsports in the No. 23 March 87C-Cosworth DFX at the season-ending Champion Spark Plug 300 at Laguna Seca Raceway. Lazier again failed to qualify for the race. In 1990, Lazier first competed at the Indianapolis 500. Lazier drove for Hemelgarn Racing in the No. 91 Lola T88/00-Buick. Lazier crashed his primary car in practice but was able to provisionally qualify for the race in his back-up car. At the beginning of Bump Day, Lazier was the slowest car in the field. John Paul Jr. bumped Lazier from the field and Lazier ultimately failed to qualify. Lazier drove a partial season for Hemelgarn, moving to the team's No. 71 car. Lazier qualified for his first 500-mile race at the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway in the No. 24 Penske PC17-Buick for Arciero Racing. Lazier started and finished in 26th, retiring from the race early on due to a gearbox problem. Lazier achieved a best finish of twelfth place at the Molson Indy Vancouver at Concord Pacific Place, scoring his only championship point of 1990 – a result which scored him 29th place in the final standings.1991
For 1991, Lazier drove for various teams in various cars. Lazier first drove for Dale Coyne Racing in the No. 90 Lola T88/00-Cosworth DFX at the season-opening Gold Coast IndyCar Grand Prix at the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit. Lazier started 24th, but his race lasted just over a lap due to suspension failure. Lazier moved to Todd Walther Racing and the No. 44 Lola Cars T89/00-Cosworth DFS at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. Lazier started in 26th place, but retired after eight laps due to an engine failure. Lazier returned to Hemelgarn Racing at the Indianapolis 500 in the No. 71 Lola T90/00-Buick. Lazier qualified for the race for the first time, starting 23rd. On the first lap of the race, Gary Bettenhausen got sideways in the first turn and Lazier hit the outside wall in avoidance; he continued to the pit lane where he retired due to accident damage. Lazier was credited with a 33rd-place finish.Lazier was entered in the No. 19 Lola T90/00-Cosworth DFS for Dale Coyne Racing at the Miller Genuine Draft 200 at the Milwaukee Mile, but Dale Coyne replaced Lazier prior to qualifying. At the following race, the Valvoline Grand Prix of Detroit, Lazier returned to Coyne's No. 90 car, now utilizing a Lola T90/00-Cosworth DFS. Lazier started in twentieth place and finished in eighteenth place, five laps down. Lazier returned to the No. 19 car for the Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland at Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport. Lazier started in twentieth place but recorded his first points-scoring finish of the season with an eleventh-place finish, albeit four laps down. After the event, two of the teams that Lazier had driven for in the 1991 season – Hemelgarn Racing and Dale Coyne Racing – formed an alliance, resulting in the team being called Hemelgarn Coyne Racing. Lazier drove for the team at the Molson Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place. Lazier started in 20th place, but retired after seventeen laps due to an engine failure.
Image:BuddyLazier1991.jpg|thumb|left|Lazier driving at the 1991 Toyota Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca Raceway.
Lazier drove the same car at the Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Denver, where he recorded his best results of the 1991 season. Lazier started in sixteenth place and finished in ninth place, two laps down. Lazier moved to Walker Racing, driving the No. 10 Lola T90/00-Cosworth DFS at the Pioneer Electronics 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Lazier started in seventeenth place but did not complete a single lap due to an electrical issue. Lazier returned to Coyne's No. 90 car at the Texaco/Havoline 200 at Road America. Lazier started in nineteenth place but again did not complete a single lap due to an electrical issue. Lazier then competed in the season-ending Toyota Monterey Grand Prix at Laguna Seca for Hemelgarn Coyne Racing in No. 39 Lola T90/00-Cosworth DFS. Lazier started in 21st place but retired after 41 laps due to an engine failure. Lazier finished in 22nd place in the final championship standings with 6 points.
1992
In 1992, Lazier began to drive for Leader Card Racing and at first, drove the No. 21 Lola T90/00-Buick. At the season-opening Daikyo IndyCar Grand Prix at Surfers Paradise, Lazier started in twentieth place and finished in sixteenth place, eighteen laps down. At the Valvoline 200 at Phoenix International Raceway, Lazier started in seventeenth place and finished in fourteenth place, thirty-three laps down. Lazier scored his first point of the season at the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, scoring a twelfth-place finish despite running out of fuel after completing eighty of the race's 105 laps. At the Indianapolis 500, Lazier began to drive an unsponsored Lola T91/00-Buick. Lazier crashed during practice for the race, but he was able to make the field, in 24th place. Lazier retired due to an engine failure after completing 139 laps, and was scored in fourteenth place. At the following two races, the ITT Automotive Grand Prix of Detroit and the Budweiser G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland International Raceway, Lazier was scored in 24th place on both occasions, retiring due to a broken half shaft at Detroit and a clutch problem at Portland.The team regained sponsorship from Seaway Food Town and Project Pacific, when they used the T90/00 at the Miller Genuine Draft 200 at the Milwaukee Mile where Lazier started and finished in seventeenth place, twenty-four laps down. The team added sponsorship from Viper Auto Security for the rest of the season starting with the Molson Indy Toronto at Exhibition Place, where Lazier started in twentieth place and finished in fifteenth place, twelve laps down. Lazier recorded his best finish of the season at the following race, the Marlboro 500 at Michigan International Speedway, with a seventh-place finish, fourteen laps down. Starting at the Budweiser Grand Prix of Cleveland at Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport, the team used an Ilmor-Chevrolet engine; Lazier started and finished in 23rd place due to an engine failure after 25 laps. The team reverted to Buick for the Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix at Pennsylvania International Raceway. Lazier started in nineteenth place and finished in fifteenth place, fifteen laps down. Lazier finished a career-best nineteenth in the championship with ten points.