History of IndyCar in Timeline

IndyCar, LLC, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, is the sanctioning body for American open-wheel racing. It oversees two series: the premier IndyCar Series, highlighted by the Indianapolis 500, and the developmental Indy NXT series. IndyCar is a member of the FIA through ACCUS.

1979: CART broke away from USAC

In 1979, CART primarily sanctioned Indy car racing when the organization broke away from USAC.

March 1996: CART lawsuit against Indianapolis Motor Speedway

In March 1996, CART filed a lawsuit against the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an effort to protect their license to the IndyCar mark after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had attempted to terminate it.

1996: CART retaliates with U.S. 500 race

In 1996, CART retaliated by scheduling what was supposed to become its new showcase event, the U.S. 500, at Michigan International Speedway on Memorial Day, the traditional date for the Indy 500.

1997: CART returned to branding as CART

In 1997, CART returned to branding as simply CART, and resurrected the term "champ car" to describe their vehicles.

1997: New technical rules for IRL

In 1997, the new technical rules featured less expensive chassis and "production-based" engines that were purchased rather than leased, but most importantly, were technically incompatible with CART specifications.

2002: IRL to use IndyCar name at the end of 2002 season

Following a settlement, the IRL agreed not to use the name before the end of the 2002 season.

2002: IRL began to draw top teams from CART

In 2002, the IRL began to draw top teams from CART, contributing to the latter's bankruptcy.

2003: Additional safety changes implemented by IRL

Following a series of accidents in 2003, including accidents involving Mario Andretti and Kenny Bräck, as well as the death of Tony Renna, the IRL made additional changes to reduce speeds and increase safety.

2003: Indy Racing League renamed IndyCar Series

For the 2003 racing season, the Indy Racing League announced it would rename their premier series the IndyCar Series.

2003: Champ Car World Series replaced CART

In 2003, CART was replaced by the Champ Car World Series.

January 23, 2008: Tony George offered proposal to Champ Car management

On January 23, 2008, Tony George offered Champ Car management a proposal that included free cars and engine leases to Champ Car teams willing to run the entire 2008 IndyCar Series schedule in exchange for adding Champ Car's dates to the IndyCar Series schedule.

February 10, 2008: IRL representatives travel to Japan

On February 10, 2008, Tony George, along with IRL representatives, traveled to Japan to discuss moving the Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi to accommodate the Long Beach Grand Prix.

February 2008: Agreement to unify IndyCar and Champ Car

In February 2008, an agreement was completed to unify IndyCar and Champ Car for 2008.

2008: IRL absorbed Champ Car

In 2008, Champ Car was absorbed by the IRL.

2008: IndyCar Series and Champ Car World Series unified

In 2008, the IndyCar Series and the Champ Car World Series were unified, with the unified series using the IndyCar Series name.

February 2010: Randy Bernard announced as IRL CEO

In February 2010, Randy Bernard was announced as the new IRL CEO.

January 1, 2011: IndyCar name adopted

On January 1, 2011, the trademark name INDYCAR was officially adopted, replacing the Indy Racing League name.

2011: Indy Racing League name dropped, becomes IndyCar

In 2011, the sanctioning body dropped the Indy Racing League name, becoming IndyCar to reflect the merged series.

October 2012: Randy Bernard fired as CEO

In October 2012, Randy Bernard was fired as CEO and replaced by Mark Miles.

November 1, 2013: IndyCar LLC legal name change

On November 1, 2013, the company's legal name was changed to INDYCAR LLC.

2013: IndyCar collaborated with DreamWorks Animation to launch the film Turbo

In 2013, IndyCar collaborated with DreamWorks Animation to launch the comedy film Turbo.

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November 2019: Penske purchased IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway

In November 2019, Penske Entertainment Corp., a subsidiary of Penske Corporation, purchased IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from Hulman & Co.