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The ex-David Donohue NATCC championship winning
Dodge Stratus in later guise when for sale. (Image source: racecarsdirect.com)
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Even though the team was owned primarily by Bruce
McCaw and others, its success over the year's is largely attributed to its
wonderful Band Leader; Err Team Manager, the late John Anderson who was simply
known as 'Ando...
Team info
Name: PacWest Racing Group
Owners: Bruce McCaw, Tom Armstrong, Dominic Dobson
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Years: 1995-2001
Whilst PacWest Racing Group is primarily
known for its IndyCar exploits in the Championship Auto Racing Teams era,
pinicaling with four wins during the 1997 season, they also branched out into
two other Feeder Series categories until the team's ultimate demise at the
beginning of 2002.
North American Touring Car Championship
Championships: 1 (1997)
Wins: 12
The North American Touring Car Championship
(NATCC) was an extremely short-lived support series for the CART PPG IndyCar World
series between 1996-97 which featured various automobile makes competing under
the Super Touring format.
The series was co-founded by Gerald Forsythe,
whom put his hired hand in charge of the series from its Tampa offices. And
although it was a fun series to watch, having seen I-T both years at Portland
International Raceway... The series struggled to attract competitors, with only
11-12 participants during its inaugural season, slipping to just 9-10
competitors in year two before being cancelled...
Drivers
(Years/Name/Country)
1996-97 Dominic Dobson; Germany
1996-97 David Donohue; USA
Although for obvious reasons, PacWest was my
favourite team on the grid, yet it was more over as Randal, Thy Moniker King 'O
No Fenders would say BITCHIN! I just really thought their Dodge Stratuses were
Uber kOOL looking!
As PacWest was Dodge's Factory team for the
series, which saw both drivers win an equal number of victories, taking six
apiece, with Dominic Dobson finishing runner-up in 1996 and fourth in '97.
Meanwhile, David Donohue, the son of the
late, GURR-REAT Mark Donohue vaulted from third overall in '96 to capturing the
title in year two of the series before venturing off to Sports Car land where
he had a very successful career. Culminating with winning the (2009) Rolex 24
most appropriately on the 40th anniversary of his father winning the 24 Hours
of Daytona...
Indy Lights
Championships: 1 (2000)
Wins: 9
Although NO introduction's needed regarding
what's typically been Thy Indy Cars top Feeder Series, nevertheless, this was
the original variant 'O Indy Lights, i.e.; PPG Dayton Indy Lights series which
ran from 1991-2001, which I've briefly chronicled previously, as the B-I-G
BOYZ' as Thy late Awntie' Harriet enjoyed calling 'em! Nee IndyCar teams
supported the series by running Junior teams to groom potential drivers...
Drivers
(Years/Name/Country)
1995 Diego Guzman; Columbia
1996-97 Robby Unser; USA
1998-99 Didier Andre; France
1998 Paul Morris; Australia
1999-2000 Tony Renna; USA
2000 Scott Dixon; New Zealand
2001 Dan Wheldon; UK
2001 Mario Dominguez; Mexico
Had never heard of Columbian Diego Guzman
before starting this rant, whom apparently graduated to Lights as the defending
Barber Dodge champion. Splitting Seat-time between Dick Simon and PacWest, whom
he joined during the latter portion of the season - finishing tied for 13th
overall with 'Oh KanaDuhs' Claude Bourbonnais.
Robby Unser, a nine times Pikes Peak winner -
had a less than stellar outing the following year, finishing 15th overall.
Next, the son of Uncle Bobby' improved one spot in the points chase to 14th
overall in his sophomore season with the team.
Fortunes improved vastly for '98 when the
team Morphed to a two car operation, with the addition of another two unknown
drivers: Frenchman Didier
Andre and 'Aussie Paul Morris, for whom presumably was under Andos'
influence.
Andre
finished an excellent runner-up to somebody known as "Shorty," aka
Cristiano da Matta on the back of giving the team its first Clean-sweep weekend
at Laguna Seca, capturing Pole, Most laps led and victory! Whilst Morris
languished down in 21st before scampering back to Australia Mates! To take up a
very successful Tintops career - including forming his own V8 Supercars team.
Andre was joined by the late Tony Renna for
the '99 season, with Andre's sophomore campaign somewhat disappointing,
finishing eighth overall. While Renna finished 16th.
For Y2k, nee 2000, Kiwi' Scott Dixon switched
from Johansson Motorsports to rival PacWest, taking Andre's seat, where Dixon
smothered Thy Competizione with six victories en route to the championship
title ahead of series runner-up Townsend Bell! Whilst Renna moved quite nicely
up thee ladder to finish fifth overall.
Was totally Unawheres' that Thy late Dannyboy
SPIKE Wheldon had driven for my past Hometown Squad's Lights concern in the
final Dayton Indy Lights season, circa 2001 where he finished runner-up to
Townsend Bell with two wins. His team-mate was Mario BOOM-BOOM Dominguez who
finished fourth overall.
As CART elected to drop Indy Lights in favour
of focusing upon the Toyota Atlantics as their de facto Feeder Series the
following year, (2002) PacWest decided to forgo joining them, as perhaps the
die was already cast for the team's impending demise...
