Patrick Racing

Pat Patrick started his Indy Car racing career as a sponsor of the team fielded by fellow Jackson oilman Walt Michner in 1967.

After dropping back down to a one-car effort, Fittipaldi won two more races in 1988, finished 2nd at Indy, and improved to 7th in points.

Patrick was preparing to retire from the sport, and began putting the pieces in place to sell the team at season's end.

Patrick struck a lucrative deal with Ganassi, Penske Racing, and Phillip Morris.

Furthermore, Penske would receive interim Marlboro sponsorship to field a third car (Al Unser Sr.) at the three 500-mile races in 1989 (Indy 500, Michigan 500, Pocono 500).

For 1990, Chip Ganassi would take over the assets of Patrick Racing (including the two coveted PC-18 chassis, as well as the important Ilmor Chevrolet engine lease), which he would use to start his own team.

After winning the 1989 Indianapolis 500 and the 1989 CART championship, at some point Pat Patrick changed his mind about retiring.

With the wheels already in motion to dissolve his existing team, he decided to explore options, and was coaxed out of retirement for 1990.

Pat Patrick took over the upstart Alfa Romeo Indy car project previously run by Alex Morales Motorsports.

Roberto Guerrero signed on as primary driver with Al Unser Sr. driving a second car at the Indy 500 and the Michigan 500.

Guerrero, meanwhile, had been with Alex Morales Motorsports running the Alfa Romeo on a part-time schedule in 1989.

This despite a significant investment by Alfa Romeo, and the retention of key crew members including Jim McGee and Mo Nunn.

[7][8] Facing a decidedly uncompetitive powerplant situation for 1992, and escalating legal problems, in December 1991, Patrick sold the team outright to Bobby Rahal and his partner Carl Hogan.

They ran Al Unser Jr. until his mid-season retirement and then Jeff Simmons, Jaques Lazier, and Tomáš Enge.