The Dutch IndyCar driver Arie Luyendyk is best known for his sensational 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 victories, but throughout his distinguished career he has experienced success in many different forms of racing as well as celebrity in the media.
1997 The 1997 Indianapolis 500 proved to be a highly successful race for Arie. He was consistently the fastest driver in every practice session he participated in and once again won the pole position for the race. Although the race itself was delayed two days because of rain, Arie proved that talent and patience are a key combination and won the race, beating his own Treadway team-mate, Scott Goodyear, in the third closest finish in Indy 500 history.
1996-97 In the split 1996-1997 Indy Racing League season, he qualified third fastest for the season opener in the Treadway Racing entry. He led laps 7-13 and 38-41 during the race and coasted into the pits on Lap 152 to change a broken right front upright. Arie established the track record of 226.491 mph in getting the pole at the new Las Vegas Motor Speedway and led the first 25 laps until a blown tire in Turn 2 on Lap 78 ended his day in 20th place.
1996 In 1996 Arie competed in the newly formed Indy Racing League (IRL) and drove for Jonathan Byrd/Treadway Racing. At Indy he set the all-time-fastest speedway practice mark of 239.260 the day before Pole Day. He qualified on the second time trial day and set the all time four and one lap qualifying record of 236.986 and 237.498 respectively. He started the race in 20th place and ran as high as second until he was struck by Eliseo Salazar in the pit exit lane, causing mechanical problems, which ended his day in 16th position. Other season highlights included grabbing the pole for the Dura-Lube 200 at Phoenix with a track record speed of 183.699 and led four times for 122 laps en route to his second IndyCar victory at Phoenix posting the fastest lap of the race on Lap 11 of 173.152.
1995 In 1995, driving for Team Menard, Arie recorded the fastest official practice lap in the history of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a speed of 234.913 in the Menard/Lola V-6. Arie qualified in the middle of the front row (his 3rd front row start since 1990). In second place behind team mate Scott Brayton and went on to finish on the lead lap in 7th place after running the whole race with low boost.
1994 In 1994, his 11th year in IndyCar competition, Arie drove for the new Indy Regency Racing Team. He finished 2nd at the Michigan 500 and 6th at Vancouver and Laguna Seca.
1993 During 1993, Arie signed for a full season ride with Ganassi and secured the pole position for the Indy 500. During the 500 Arie exercised his skill at overcoming several cars in one move, advancing from sixth to third at one point in the competition and finally passing Nigel Mansell on the outside of turn one later in the race to secure second position. Then he duelled with Emerson Fittipaldi until the chequered flag. Emerson crossed the finish line a mere 2.662 seconds ahead of Arie. During the balance of the season Arie finished third at the Michigan 500 and at Laguna Seca. He had seven other top ten finishes during the year.
1992-93 Even though Arie and Granatelli Racing had enjoyed a successful 1991 season, adequate sponsorship failed to materialise. Luyendyk was left without a full-time ride for the 1992 season. Faced with the fact that a competitive ride was not available, Luyendyk took the bold step of sitting out the season with a view towards securing a top line seat for 1993. Arie hardly let the grass grow under his feet, however, during this period and continued his association with Nissan with drives at Daytona and Sebring. He also was invited to participate in the International Race of Champions. The IndyCar opportunity he was looking for came in the form of a two-race deal with Ganassi Racing for Indianapolis and Michigan. At Indy he qualified fourth and ran second until he was sidelined by an accident. Another strong qualifying performance at Michigan was cut short by an engine problem, but the seeds were sown and his efforts were rewarded.
1991 Luyendyk ran the 1991 season with the Granstelli Racing team and took an early win at Phoenix. He returned to Indy but did not qualify until the second day because of rain. Lining up in 14th position, he rebounded from an early mechanical problem to post the fastest lap of the race on his way to a third place finish. Arie also showed well at the Michigan 500. He finished second to "oval master" Rick Mears after starting 20th. His late season victory at the one mile oval in Nazareth confirmed Arie's transition from a pure road racer to a man to be reckoned with on any oval track.
1990 For any driver, his first win in a category is a memorable event. To win an IndyCar race is a tremendous accomplishment. To win the Indianapolis 500 is an accomplishment of a lifetime, and to win it twice is something only a handful of drivers have accomplished. In 1990 Arie took his first IndyCar win at the biggest race in the world. The season began with Luyendyk "moving" to the Shierson Racing Team after two years with Dick Simon Racing. During the 500 Arie ran a clever race. He laid back while other drivers set a blistering pace up front and later ran down Bobby Rahal and took the lead for good on Lap 188. Arie set the fastest winning average speed of 185.981 mph and this record still stands. Luyendyk had scaled the heights of racing and forever engraved his name in the record books.
1989 A couple of strong finishes at Portland and Road America were the highlights of his 1989 IndyCar season. Showing his versatility, Luyendyk won the classic 12 Hours of Sebring with Nissan. Arie had maintained a presence in sports cars over the years and had finished second in the gruelling 24 Hours of Daytona back in 1986.
1988 During the off season, Luyendyk moved to Dick Simon Racing and started the 1988 season with a strong performance at Phoenix by leading the race until a pit fire removed him from contention. Arie continued in good form at the Indianapolis 500, qualifying 6th and finishing 10th. At the fifth race of the year Arie battled for the pole position and took a strong second finish at the Portlands road circuit. The season was a difficult one from a mechanical standpoint and then Arie suffered leg and ankle injuries in a crash at Pocono. He recovered to put up some brave performances, only to be sidelined by mechanical problems.
1985-87 He put together a solid first year in 1985. A 7th place finish at his first Indianapolis 500 resulted in the Rookie of the Year Award. With five top ten finishes and a season high finish of 5th place at Cleveland, Arie also collected the IndyCar series Rookie of the Year Award. Suffering from somewhat of a sophomore jinx, Arie's second season in IndyCars was less noteworthy, but he rebounded strongly in 1987. Showing resilience, Luyendyk enjoyed his best season yet in IndyCars. He began to illustrate a new-found ability on the tough, short oval tracks with a third place finish at Phoenix. He posted nine top ten finishes, including four 4th place finishes. His efforts were rewarded by his peers when he was voted "The Most Improved Driver" for the 1987 season. The next season combined some high points and also proved to be a character building year for Luyendyk personally.
1984 The 1984 season was one to remember for Luyendyk, one that set the stage for the future of his racing career. Driving for Provimi Veal, Arie won the "Bosch" Super Vee Series and made his IndyCar debut at his "home" track, Elkhart Lake's Road America. After starting a modest 18th, Luyendyk ran a steady race into 8th place at the flag. The result led to a full-time drive in IndyCars for the 1985 season with Provimi Racing.
1978-83 In 1976 he progressed to Formula Three, which was the hotbed of talented drivers aspiring to drive in Europe's premier class, Formula One. Luyendyk was very competitive in F3 but only won one race in his two seasons. He continued to win in
