Galles Racing

Al Unser Jr.'s 1992 Indy 500 winningGalmer.

Galles Racingis a formerauto racingteam owned byRick Gallesthat competed in theCARTseries,Can-Amand theIndy Racing League.The team won the1990 CART championshipas well as the1992 Indianapolis 500,both with driverAl Unser Jr.The team won a total of 21Indy carraces along its history. In addition to Unser's 1992 victory, the team finished second at Indianapolis on three separate occasions (1989,1990,1996).

In 1992, the team notably fielded their own in-houseGalmerchassis. The team achieved two victories with the car during its very brief foray into the sport.

History

1980s

The team first competed in a partial CART season in 1980, then was away from CART until 1983 when it fielded a car for rookieAl Unser Jr.Unser left the team after the 1984 season.

For 1985, Galles fielded theBuickV-6 engine at theIndy 500,with driverPancho Carterwinning the pole position. Carter, however, dropped out early and finished last.

In 1986-1987, Galles Racing became the primary support team for the newBrabham-Hondaengine (later known as the Judd AV).Geoff BrabhamandJeff MacPhersonfielded the engine at Indy in 1987, with MacPherson finishing a respectable 8th. Later in the season, Brabham scored second-place finishes at thePocono 500and atRoad America.

In 1988,Al Unser Jr.returned to the team, and the entry was granted a lease for the Ilmor Chevrolet Indy-V-8 engine. In 1989, Unser Jr. then driving his familiarValvoline-sponsored Chevy machine, nearly won theIndy 500,finishing second after crashing out with just over a lap to go in a famous duel withEmerson Fittipaldi.

Bobby Rahal driving the Galles-Kracocar atLaguna Seca Racewayin 1991

Championship years

After the 1989 season, Galles merged teams with Maurice Kranes (who had fieldedKraco-sponsored cars forMichael Andrettiand thenBobby Rahal). Kranes brought Rahal and Kraco with him, while Unser Jr. remained in the Valvoline-sponsored machine. The team competed asGalles-Kraco Racingfrom 1990 to 1992 and Unser won the1990 CART Championshipwith five wins. The Galles-Kraco duo of Unser andBobby Rahalwas one of the top teams in CART during that period. Unser and Rahal teamed up for three 1-2 finishes, including the 1990Michigan 500.The two drivers finished on the podium in the same race six times. Rahal himself earned an impressive, yet frustrating, eleven second-place finishes for the team in 1990-1991. Rahal finished fourth in the championship in 1990 and second in the championship in 1991, winning one race in 1991.

Al Unser Jr. finished third in points in both 1991 and 1992.

Rahal was replaced in 1992 by veteranDanny Sullivanas the team introduced their new proprietaryGalmerchassis. Unser won the1992 Indianapolis 500in a Galmer in what would be the closest finish in race history. Despite winning, the Galmer chassis was scrapped after only one season. Sullivan won the race at Long Beach, after being involved in a controversial incident with less than four laps to go. Unser Jr. was leading the race, and Sullivan was running second. The two cars tangled, and Unser was sent spinning into a tire barrier, while Sullivan went on to win. The incident created friction inside the team.

Unser and Sullivan retained their seats in 1993, and were joined byKevin Coganand Mexican rookieAdrián Fernández,who would share a third car for selected races throughout the season. At the 1993 Indy 500, Sullivan was the first to retire from the race after a crash, but Unser finished in 8th place and Cogan finished 14th. After a lackluster season that saw only three podium finishes, Unser would leave forPenske Racing,and Sullivan moved into semi-retirement (he raced stock cars in 1994, and raced forPacWestin 1995). The final two wins of Sullivan's Indy car career came with the team, but it was later revealed that behind-the-scenes, there was a toxic atmosphere and internal friction inside the team that got worse when Sullivan tangled with Unser; it led to Sullivan being fired before the season concluded, right when Sullivan was not in a position to easily find himself a new job.

For 1994, Fernández was the team's lone entry, as the team reverted to its Galles Racing name. Fernández was joined by Brazilian journeymanMarco Grecofor 1995, with a 3rd place for Fernández at the Michigan 500 being their best finish for the season.

Transition to IRL

1996 saw several drivers in Galles cars as the team was one of the few CART teams to cross over and compete in the rival Indy Racing League's firstIndianapolis 500with driverDavy Joneswho finished second. Jones also drove a partial schedule in CART while rookie and former Motorcycle championEddie Lawsondrove Galles' full-time CART entry. In1997the team moved full-time to the IRL with rookieKenny Bräck.Bräck switched toA. J. Foyt Enterprisesfor1998and the team again ceased operations. Galles returned in1999with veteranDavey Hamilton.Hamilton was replaced in2000by a returning Al Unser Jr., who was switching over from CART after being released from Penske Racing. Unser was one of the first CART stars to switch full-time to the IRL. The team's final year was2001where Unser was joined by rookiesDidier AndréandCasey Mears.

Summary

Throughout the team's 22-year history, their drivers captured 21 wins - 18 by Al Unser Jr. (6 in 1990, 4 in 1988, 2 in 1991 and 1 each in 1984, 1989, 1992, 1993, 2000, and 2001), two by Danny Sullivan (1 each in 1992 and 1993), and one by Bobby Rahal in 1991 in addition to capturing the 1990 CART championship and 1992 Indianapolis 500 with Unser.

Former drivers

CART

• Geoff Brabham(1985-1987)
• Pancho Carter(1984-1986)
• Kevin Cogan(1993)
• Dick Ferguson(1980)
• Adrián Fernández(1993-1995)
• Tom Gloy(1984)
• Marco Greco(1995)
• Davy Jones(1996)
• Eddie Lawson(1996)
• Jeff MacPherson(1987)
• Roberto Moreno(1985-1986)
• Bobby Rahal(1990-1991)
• Danny Sullivan(1992-1993)
• Al Unser Jr.(1983-1984, 1988-1993)

IRL

• Didier André(2001)
• Kenny Bräck(1997)
• Marco Greco(1997)
• Davey Hamilton(1999)
• Davy Jones(1996)
• Casey Mears(2001)
• Al Unser Jr.(2000-2001)
• Jeff Ward(1997)

Racing Results

Complete CART results

(key)

Year	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Pts Pos	Pos
Galles Racing
1983						ATL	INDY	MIL	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	RIV	MDO	MCH	CPL	LAG	PHX
	Eagle83	CosworthDFXV8t	G	Al Unser Jr.	17	6			9	7	2		4*	18	10	10	4	8					7th	89
					19		10
	March83C				17			13				2
1984						LBH	PHX	INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	MDO	SAN	MCH	PHX	LAG	CPL
	March84C	CosworthDFXV8t	G	Al Unser Jr.	7	Ret	Ret	Ret	3	1*	4	Ret	Ret	13	Ret	Ret	6	6	2	4	4		6th	103
				Tom Gloy	77			17			Ret	Ret											40th	0
				Pancho Carter									6		7						11		21st	22
1985						LBH	INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	MDO	SAN	MCH	LAG	PHX	MIA
	March85C	Buick3300V6t	G	Pancho Carter	6	13	33																16th	37
		CosworthDFXV8t						5	13		16	16		12		2	10		7
				Roberto Moreno						28			16		25			16		5			28th	10
				Geoff Brabham	7	6	19	12	14	24	2	29	15	19	13	4	16	10	12	22			15th	41
1986						PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	TOR	MCH	POC	MDO	SAN	MCH	ROA	LAG	PHX	MIA
	LolaT86/00	CosworthDFXV8t	G	Geoff Brabham	8	10	3	12	21								11	11		6	8	5	12th	64
		Brabham-HondaV8t								7	22	14	14	4	12	20			22
		CosworthDFXV8t		Roberto Moreno	9	20	6	19	13	18	18	25	18	6	10	16		6	16	20	10	17	16th	30
				Pancho Carter													15						19th	28
					15			16						3	3
1987						LBH	PHX	INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	TOR	MCH	POC	ROA	MDO	NAZ	LAG	MIA
	March87C	Brabham-HondaV8t	G	Jeff MacPherson	11	10	13	8	8	13	21	17	22	23									19th	21
		CosworthDFXV8t													20			9	9	24
	LolaT86/00	Brabham-HondaV8t														25	21
	March87C			Geoff Brabham	15	16	8	24	12	9	4	22	DNS	8	2	2	7	12	5	3			8th	90
1988						PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	POR	CLE	TOR	MEA	MCH	POC	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LAG	MIA
	March88C	Chevrolet265AV8t	G	Al Unser Jr.	3	18	1*	13	20	4	4	1*	1	21	2	4	7	19	6	1*			2nd	149
1989						PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	MEA	TOR	MCH	POC	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LAG
	LolaT89/00	Chevrolet265AV8t	G	Al Unser Jr.	2	2	1*	2	8	21	10	7	5	20	4	9	2	20	4	3			5th	136
Galles-KracoRacing
1990						PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	MEA	TOR	MCH	DEN	VAN	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LAG
	LolaT90/00	Chevrolet265AV8t	G	Al Unser Jr.	5	3	1*	4	1	27	3	15*	11	1*	1	1*	1*	3	4	16	2		1st	210
				Bobby Rahal	18	2	12	2	4	2	11	2	25	22	2	3	8	6	7	3	5		4th	153
1991						SFR	LBH	PHX	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	MEA	TOR	MCH	DEN	VAN	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LAG
	LolaT91/00	Chevrolet265AV8t	G	Al Unser Jr.	1	16*	1*	6	4	19	4	4	4	2	23	3	1*	3	5	2	4	2	3rd	197
				Bobby Rahal	18	2	2	2	19	4	2	3	3	1*	3	11	20	2	3	4	2	24	2nd	200
1992						SFR	PHX	LBH	INDY	DET	POR	MIL	NHA	TOR	MCH	CLE	ROA	VAN	MDO	NAZ	LAG
	GalmerG92	Chevrolet265AV8t	G	Al Unser Jr.	3	4	5	4*	1	9	3	7	8	7	4	3	2	2	3	11	9		3rd	169
				Danny Sullivan	18	5	12	1	5	5	12	12	9	3	8	20	7	7	8	17	7		7th	99
Galles Racing
1993						SFR	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MCH	NHA	ROA	VAN	MDO	NAZ	LAG
	LolaT93/07	Chevrolet265CV8t	G	Al Unser Jr.	3	15	4	21	8	5	6	5	19	5	8	8	25	1	8	25	5		7th	100
				Danny Sullivan	7	13	23	8	33	16	1*	14	14	3	Wth	22	26	10	27	20	27		12th	43
				Adrian Fernández											DNS								24th	7
					11			23		21	7					29
				Kevin Cogan					14			27	13	15									35th	0
1994						SFR	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MCH	MDO	NHA	VAN	ROA	NAZ	LAG
	Reynard94i	Ilmor265DV8t	G	Adrian Fernández	7	13	10	8	28	16	23	10	7	13	23	6	8	22	5	21	7		13th	46
1995						MIA	SFR	PHX	LBH	NAZ	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	ROA	TOR	CLE	MCH	MDO	NHA	VAN	LAG
	LolaT95/00	Mercedes-BenzIC108BV8t	G	Adrian Fernández	10	11	26	12	18	9	21	10	6	9	6	7	12	3	4	26	22	10	12th	66
				Marco Greco	55				13	21	DNQ		13	11	23	20	15		22	20	25	23	29th	2
1996						MIA	RIO	SFR	LBH	NAZ	500	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MCH	MDO	ROA	VAN	LAG
	LolaT96/00	Mercedes-BenzIC108CV8t	G	Eddie Lawson	10	15	21	7	9	17	6	20	6	15	24	15							20th	26
				Davy Jones													12	16	24	14	14		31st	1

Indy Racing League results

(key)

Year	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Drivers	No.	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Pts Pos	Pos
1996						WDW	PHX	INDY
	LolaT95/00	Mercedes-BenzIC108CV8t	G	Davy Jones	70			2											26th	33
1996–97						NHA	LSV	WDW	PHX	INDY	TXS	PPIR	CLT	NHA	LSV
	G-ForceGF01	OldsmobileAuroraV8	G	Davy Jones	4			Wth											—	0
				Jeff Ward				16											30th	69
				Kenny Bräck					11	33	18	14	5	5	20				19th	139
				Marco Greco	70							13	9	20	10				3rd	230
1999						WDW	PHX	CLT	INDY	TXS	PPIR	ATL	DOV	PPIR	LSV	TXS
	G-ForceGF01C	OldsmobileAuroraV8	G	Davey Hamilton	9	8													4th	237
	DallaraIR9								11	7	3	7	23	2	13	2
2000						WDW	PHX	LSV	INDY	TXS	PPIR	ATL	KTY	TXS
	G-ForceGF05	OldsmobileAuroraV8	F	Al Unser Jr.	3	25	9	1	29	3*	10	3	27	17*					9th	188
2001						PHX	HMS	ATL	INDY	TXS	PPIR	RIR	KAN	NSH	KTY	GAT	CHI	TXS
	G-ForceGF05	OldsmobileAuroraV8	F	Al Unser Jr.	3	23	6	17	30	8	11	3	20	14	4	1	8	6	7th	287
				Casey Mears	31	20	11	23	DNQ										31st	36
				Didier André	32	27	10	13	DNQ	17	19	4	16	21	11	12	13	15	20th	188

IndyCar wins

#	Season	Date	Sanction	Track / Race	No.	Winning Driver	Chassis	Engine	Tire	Grid	Laps Led
1	1984	June 17	CART	Grand Prix of Portland(R)	7	Al Unser Jr.	March84C	CosworthDFXV8t	Goodyear	10	68
2	1988	April 17	CART	Grand Prix of Long Beach(S)	3	Al Unser Jr. (2)	March 88C	Chevrolet265AV8t	Goodyear	4	73
3		July 17	CART	Streets of Toronto(S)	3	Al Unser Jr. (3)	March 88C	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	3	85
4		July 24	CART	Meadowlands Street Circuit(S)	3	Al Unser Jr. (4)	March 88C	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	6	32
5		November 6	CART	Tamiami Park, Miami(S)	3	Al Unser Jr. (5)	March 88C	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	5	82
6	1989	April 16	CART	Grand Prix of Long Beach(S)	2	Al Unser Jr. (6)	LolaT89/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	Pole	84
NC		October 14	CART	Laguna Seca Raceway(R)	2	Al Unser Jr.	Lola T89/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	6	33
7	1990	April 22	CART	Grand Prix of Long Beach(S)	5	Al Unser Jr. (7)	Lola T90/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	Pole	91
8		June 3	CART	Milwaukee Mile(O)	5	Al Unser Jr. (8)	Lola T90/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	9	82
9		July 22	CART	Streets of Toronto(S)	5	Al Unser Jr. (9)	Lola T90/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	8	62
10		August 5	CART	Michigan 500(O)	5	Al Unser Jr. (10)	Lola T90/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	5	40
11		August 26	CART	Streets of Denver(S)	5	Al Unser Jr. (11)	Lola T90/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	2	33
12		September 2	CART	Streets of Vancouver(S)	5	Al Unser Jr. (12)	Lola T90/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	6	58
13	1991	April 14	CART	Grand Prix of Long Beach(S)	1	Al Unser Jr. (13)	Lola T91/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	2	93
14		July 14	CART	Meadowlands Street Circuit(S)	18	Bobby Rahal	Lola T91/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	4	89
15		August 25	CART	Streets of Denver(S)	1	Al Unser Jr. (14)	Lola T91/00	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	3	64
16	1992	April 12	CART	Grand Prix of Long Beach(S)	18	Danny Sullivan	GalmerG92	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	2	7
17	1992	May 24	USAC	Indianapolis 500(O)	3	Al Unser Jr. (15)	Galmer G92	Chevrolet 265A V8t	Goodyear	12	25
18	1993	June 13	CART	Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix(S)	7	Danny Sullivan (2)	Lola T93/07	Chevrolet265CV8t	Goodyear	10	30
19		August 29	CART	Streets of Vancouver(S)	3	Al Unser Jr. (16)	Lola T93/07	Chevrolet 265C V8t	Goodyear	5	38
20	2000	April 22	IRL	Las Vegas Motor Speedway(O)	3	Al Unser Jr. (17)	G-ForceGF05	OldsmobileAuroraV8	Firestone	21	21
21	2001	August 26	IRL	Gateway Motorsports Park(O)	3	Al Unser Jr. (18)	G-Force GF05	Oldsmobile Aurora V8	Firestone	8	75

External links

• Galles Racing statistics at Race Database