Jimmy Vasser

Former Champ Car driver
Name = Jimmy Vasser


Nationality = flagicon|USA American
Years = 1992 - 2006, 2008
Team(s) = Hayhoe/Cole Racing (1992-1994), Target Chip Ganassi Racing (1995-2000), Patrick Racing (2001), Rahal Letterman Racing (2002), American Spirit Team Johansson (2003), PKV Racing (2004-2006), KV Racing (2008)
Races = 232
Championships = 1 (1996)
Wins = 10
Podiums = 33
Poles = 9
First race = 1992 Dailkyo IndyCar Grand Prix (Surfer's Paradise)
First win = 1996 Marlboro Grand Prix of Miami (Homestead)
Last win = 2002 The 500 Presented by Toyota (Fontana)
Last race = 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach

Jimmy Vasser (born November 20 1965 in Canoga Park, California ) is an American racing driver and current race team owner. Vasser won the 1996 Champ Car champion with Chip Ganassi Racing, and scored ten victories in the series. Vasser was the last American to win the Champ Car championship.

Driving career

Indy Car/ChampCar

Vasser made his Champ Car debut in 1992 and looked set to become a successor to legends such as A.J. Foyt and Rick Mears. Although he did become a top driver, his rise to prominence coincided with the infamous CART-IRL (Indy Racing League) 'split' so Vasser's best years were spent away from the important Indianapolis 500, although he has raced in the event on a one-off basis a few times since, finishing as high as 4th in the 2001 race.

1996 season/Ganassi

Vasser won 4 of the first 5 races in 1996 and did enough to maintain a lead in the standings, although rookie teammate Alex Zanardi outperformed him in the second half of the season, and over the next 2 years. He had a poor 1999 season teamed with Juan Pablo Montoya, and left the team at the end of 2000.

PKV Racing

In 2004 he became part owner of PKV Racing along with Dan Pettit and Kevin Kalkhoven where he became one of the drivers for the two-car operation. Vasser retired from open wheel racing in 2006, but still has an ownership stake. He temporarily came out of retirement to drive the 3rd KV Racing Technology car in the final Champ Car World Series event at the 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

ports car racing

Also in 2006, Vasser competed in three Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series races, including the 24 Hours of Daytona, driving for GAINSCO/Blackhawk Racing. In 2007, he again drove for the renamed GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing at the 24 Hours of Daytona, and on Sept. 4, 2007, it was announced that he would return to the team for the season-ending Sunchaser 1000km. Vasser will again drive for Stallings' team beginning at Laguna Seca in May 2008, pairing with fellow Champ Car champion Cristiano da Matta.

Motorsports Career Results

American Open-Wheel

() (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in "italics" indicate fastest race lap)

Champ Car

* *New points system implemented in 2004

Indianapolis 500 results

Notes

Winner of fastest Champ Car race: Fontana 2002, Average Speed: 197.995mph

Co-owner of PKV Racing

External links

* [http://pkvracing.homestead.com/AboutPKV_Vasser.html Official bio] at PKVRacing.com
* [http://www.gainscoracing.com/race_team/bio_jvasser.html Bob Stallings Racing bio]