Championships: Three (1984-Mario Andretti, 1991-Michael Andretti and 1993-Nigel Mansell)
Racing Milestones, Year-By-Year
1982 Paul Newman and racing entrepreneur Carl Haas who had been competing against each other in the Can-Am Series began discussing the possibility of joining forces and forming an Indy car team to compete in the CART sanctioned PPG Indy Car World Series.
1983 Newman/Haas Racing began its inaugural season of competition with driver Mario Andretti. The team scored their first pole in their fourth event (Cleveland) and their first win at their sixth event (Elkhart Lake, from the pole). Scored their second win at Las Vegas. Andretti scored the second pole for the team at Elkhart Lake. Finished their first season third in the PPG Cup. (Overall Wins - 2, Poles - 2, Laps Led by Team - 214 of 1812)
1984 In only the team's second year, Mario Andretti captured the PPG Cup with six wins, eight pole positions and 10 track records. Andretti received a unanimous vote for Driver of the Year. (CHAMPIONSHIP/Overall Wins - 6, Poles - 8, Laps Led by Team - 572 of 2286)
1985 In his third season with Newman/Haas, Andretti won three races and topped the lap-leader standings with 514. Finished second in the Indianapolis 500 to Danny Sullivan. Set qualifying record (109.066 mph) and race record at Long Beach. Andretti broke his shoulder in an accident at Michigan and missed the first race of his career (Elkhart Lake) due to an injury. Alan Jones became the second driver to compete for the team as a substitute for the injured Andretti at Elkhart Lake. Finished fifth in the PPG Cup point race. (Overall Wins - 3, Poles - 3, Laps Led by Team - 514 of 2051)
1986 Mario beat his son Michael (driving for Kraco) to the finish line at Portland on Father's Day in the closest margin of victory in modern Indy car history (0.07 seconds). At Phoenix, sat on the pole next to son Michael for the first father-son Indy car front row start. Mario surpassed AJ. Foyt as all-time pole position leader. Finished fifth in the PPG Cup. (Overall Wins - 2, Poles - 3, Laps Led by Team - 204 of 2434).
1987 Andretti brought the team their first (and only) Indy 500 pole position. Andretti set a qualifying record (129.237 mph) at Laguna. Andretti and Newman/Haas Racing brought Chevrolet/lllmor their first Indy car win (from the pole) at Long Beach. Mario became the all-time lap leader. Finished sixth in the PPG Cup. (Overall Wins - 2, Poles - 8, Laps Led by Team - 610 of 2067).
1988 Andretti became first driver to top $6 million in career Indy car earnings. Won 50th race of career at Phoenix. Finished fifth in the PPG Cup. In November, the team announced that they would debut the first father-son Indy car team in 1989 with the addition of Michael Andretti. (Overall Wins - 2, Poles - 0, Laps Led by Team - 240 of 2221).
1989 Newman/Haas Racing made history with the first father-son Indy car team with Mario and Michael Andretti. Michael won two events and two pole positions en route to a third place finish in the PPG Cup. Michael set a qualifying record at Cleveland. Mario finished sixth in the PPG Cup. (Overall Wins - 2, Poles - 2, Laps Led by Team - 518 of 2083).
1990 Michael won five races and four pole positions to finish runner-up in the PPG Cup. Michael's Detroit win marked the first time a driver led every lap of the race since his father, Mario, did it in August 1987. Michael set the race record at Detroit. Team scored two, one-two finishes at Portland and Mid-Ohio Mario finished seventh in the PPG Cup. Mario was given the AutoSport award for Special Achievement for Contributions to Motorsports. (Overall Wins - 5, Poles - 4, Laps Led by Team - 581 of 2040).
1991 Michael Andretti earned his first PPG Cup title and the second for the team with a CART-record eight wins, eight poles, and 15 track records. Earned a record number of points under the modern (1983) system. Michael became the first driver *to win the Marlboro Challenge twice, the first* to win from the pole and win the PPG Cup in the same season. Michael set single-season earnings mark of $2,461,734. Topped Indy car's only all-Andretti podium finish with cousin, John, and father, Mario, at Milwaukee. Team scored a one-two finish in Toronto.. Mario was the leader in the laps and miles completed category for the season. Mario finished seventh in the PPG Cup. (CHAMPIONSHIP/Overall Wins - 8, Poles - 8, Laps Led by Team - 1067 of 2110).
1992 Team secured Ford/Cosworth factory status and made the switch from the dominant Chevy/Illmor. Michael finished runner-up in the PPC Championship to Bobby Rahal by the second-closest margin in history (196-192). Michael led nearly 54 percent of all laps raced during the season and set race records at Milwaukee and Vancouver as well as a qualifying record (110.746 mph) at Vancouver. Mario missed the Detroit race (second in his career for an injury) after breaking his toes in an accident in the Indy 500. Teo Fabi became the fourth different driver to compete for Newman/Haas when he substituted for Mario at Detroit. Mario was named Driver of the Quarter Century by vote of the past Drivers of the Year and a panel of 12 journalists. Mario surpassed AJ. Foyt in record number of Indy car starts. In last race as teammates, Michael and Mario finished one-two in season finale at Laguna. Mario finished sixth in the PPG Cup. Michael announced he would leave the CART circuit after 10 years of competition to race in Formula One the next season. Team announced on September 18, that Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell would compete for Newman/Haas Racing in 1993. (Overall Wins - 5, Poles - 8, Laps Led by Team - 1178 of 2110).
1993 In perhaps the boldest move ever, Haas brought 1992 Formula One World Champion Nigel Mansell to his team in 1993 to replace Michael Andretti, who Left to compete in Formula One. The association brought historic results, with Mansell becoming the first true rookie ever to win the title along with five victories in his "rookie" season. Mansell was the first driver to win Formula One and CART titles in consecutive years. Set race records at Australia and Nazareth. Mansell missed the Phoenix race after a 180 mph practice crash. Recovered from surgery to finish third at Indy 500 and earn Rookie of the Year honours. Mario scored his 52nd career Indy car win at Phoenix, making him the oldest winner in Indy car history. First driver to win Indy car races in four decades. Marked 100th racing career victory. Mario earned record-setting 65th pole at Michigan, and became the oldest Indy car pole winner, qualifying at 230.150 mph. Scored record-setting pole position at Michigan 500 (234.275 mph), setting world closed-course record. Mario finished sixth in the PPG Cup. (CHAMPIONSHIP/Overall Wins - 6, Poles - 7, Laps Led by Team - 742 of 2083).
1994 Mario Andretti spent 12 years of his illustrious career with Paul Newman and Carl Haas. The dedication and combined efforts of the three brought about an emotional final season for Mario before his retirement from full-time Indy car racing at the conclusion of the 1994 season. Mansell scored eight top-10 finishes, five top-five finishes and set the race record at Detroit. Mario finished 14th in the PPG Cup and Nigel finished eighth. It was announced in September that Canadian Paul Tracy would replace Nigel Mansell at the team in 1995. It was also announced that Michael Andretti would rejoin the team and carry on the Andretti tradition at Newman/Haas Racing. (Overall Wins - 0, Poles - 3, Laps Led by Team - 103 of 2083).
1995 Michael's return brought about a competitive season for the team although the results didn't always equal the effort. Andretti scored three poles and led more laps than any other driver but only scored one win due to various problems. Set race record at Long Beach. Andretti's teammate, Paul Tracy, won two events and set a race record at Australia. Andretti finished fourth in the PPG Cup and Tracy finished sixth. Team announced at Laguna Seca that former Formula One driver Christian Fittipaldi would replace Paul Tracy, who was returning to Team Penske, for 1996. (Overall Wins - 3, Poles - 3, Laps Led by Team - 569 of 2194).
1996 Team won their 50th (followed by their 51st) race. Andretti had a slow start to the season but the momentum of five wins put him in the hunt for the championship as it came down to the wire at the season finale. Andretti drove to a season-high five wins and was a threat in most of the races. PPG Cup champion Jimmy Vasser's consistency of finishing all 16 races, while Andretti retired after various problems in six of the 16 events, added strength to Vasser's charge. Andretti finished the season as runner-up to the champion for the fifth time. Brazilian Christian Fittipaldi's debut season established him as one of the series' most consistent drivers with 13 top-10 finishes in 16 races. On one occasion in Detroit, Fittipaldi looked sure to score his first Indy car win after jumping into the lead from sixth place on the first lap and leading a total of 64, only to lose the lead to his teammate, Michael Andretti, with six laps to go. Andretti and Fittipaldi scored a one-two finish at Detroit. Fittipaldi made three podium appearances in 1996 and finished fifth in the PPG Cup. Team announced on April 12, that they would design and build a chassis with Swift Engineering, Inc. to compete in the 1997 season. (Overall Wins - 5, Poles - 0, Laps Led by Team - 361 of 2005).
1997 The team will debut an American-made chassis that was built in co-operation with California-based Swift Engineering, Inc. Newman/Haas Racing engineers Peter Gibbons and Brian Lisles assisted in the David Bruns-design. The 1997 season marks the first time in Newman/Haas history that the team has competed with a chassis other than a Lola.
Did you know? Since Newman/Haas Racing was formed in 1983, the team has finished in the top-eight of the season point standings all but one time with 22 total entries. Newman/Haas Racing has won the PPG Cup three times and was runner-up three times. Overall, the team finished in the top-five 11 times.
Newman/Haas Racing co-owner Paul Newman drove to victory in the GTS class of the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1995.
