The race distance each year was approximately 100 miles, which normally required one pit stop for fuel.
Drivers were required to make at least one pit stop (changing at least two tires and adding at least 5 gallons of fuel) during the 42-lap race.
With the track beginning to dry, Andretti switched to slicks during his pit stop on lap 30, as did Unser.
Unser hit a deep puddle of standing water which caused the car to bobble, spin, and crash into the outside wall.
Al Unser Jr. stretched his fuel to the finish, and captured the Marlboro Challenge in its first running at Laguna Seca.
After a pit stop on lap 72, Mears made the handling adjustments he needed to pull out to a 9-second lead.
A fuel pickup problem caused the car to sputter, and Michael Andretti pounced, darting by and taking the lead in the final few hundred yards.
[11] The final edition of the Marlboro Challenge was held at Nazareth, the second time at that track.
Exiting the pits, CART officials ruled that both Rahal and Andretti passed the pace car before crossing the blend line, and issued both drivers a stop-and-go penalty.
Rahal was later issued a second black flag penalty for an alleged fuel leak, which dropped him to 6th.
The competition went from a three-car battle to just Fittipaldi, who cruised unchallenged the remainder of the race to victory.