1996 Dura Lube 200

1996 Phoenix

Race details
2nd round of the 1996 Indy Racing League season
Date	March 24, 1996
Official name	Dura Lube 200
Location	Phoenix International Raceway
Course	Permanent racing facility 1.000 mi / 1.609 km
Distance	200 laps 200.000 mi / 321.869 km
Weather	Dry with temperatures reaching up to 79 °F (26 °C); wind speeds reaching up to 19.8 miles per hour (31.9 km/h)
Pole position
Driver	Arie Luyendyk ( Byrd-Treadway Racing)
Time	19.608
Fastest lap
Driver	Arie Luyendyk ( Byrd-Treadway Racing)
Time	20.791 (on lap 11 of 200)
Podium
First	Arie Luyendyk ( Byrd-Treadway Racing)
Second	Scott Sharp ( AJ Foyt Enterprises)
Third	Mike Groff ( AJ Foyt Enterprises)

The 1996 Dura Lube 200 was the second round of the 1996 Indy Racing League. The race was held on March 24, 1996 at the 1.000 mi (1.609 km) Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona.

Report

Key	Meaning
R	Rookie
W	Past winner

Qualifying

Pos	No.	Name	Lap 1	Lap 2	Best (in mph)
1	5	Arie Luyendyk W	19.608	19.675	183.599
2	4	Richie Hearn R	19.905	19.694	182.797
3	21	Roberto Guerrero W	20.133	19.884	181.050
4	20	Tony Stewart R	20.065	19.885	181.041
5	2	Scott Brayton	20.057	19.963	180.334
6	11	Scott Sharp	20.034	19.982	180.162
7	41	Mike Groff	20.541	20.441	176.117
8	12	Buzz Calkins R	20.753	20.465	175.910
9	14	Davey Hamilton R	20.665	20.505	175.567
10	75	Johnny O'Connell R	20.804	20.611	174.664
11	45	Robbie Buhl	21.134	20.773	173.302
12	9	Stephan Gregoire R	21.152	20.830	172.828
13	18	John Paul, Jr.	21.170	20.966	171.707
14	22	Michel Jourdain, Jr. R	21.038	21.069	171.119
15	7	Fermín Vélez R	21.565	21.326	168.808
16	96	Paul Durant R	21.632	21.355	168.579
17	16	Johnny Parsons	21.772	22.732	165.350
18	27	Jim Guthrie R	22.673	22.019	163.495
19	64	Johnny Unser	22.518	22.218	162.031
20	15	David Kudrave	22.869	22.363	160.980
21	33	Michele Alboreto R	Waved off	22.408	160.657
22	90	Lyn St. James†	Didn't qualify		No speed

• † St. James couldn't qualify after his chassis had been damaged in a practice crash with Cheever. She was allowed to start the race at the back of the field.

Failed to qualify or withdrew

• Eddie Cheever for Team Menard - Crashed in practice on Friday March 22 and was hospitalised with a whiplash injury and a brain concussion.
• Buddy Lazier for Hemelgarn Racing - Crashed in practice on Friday March 22 and was hospitalised with a fractured backbone.
• Stan Wattles R for Leigh Miller Racing - Crashed in practice on Friday March 22 and was hospitalised with a whiplash injury.
• Dan Drinan R for Loop Hole Racing - Did not attempt to qualify after suffering an engine failure in practice.
• Billy Roe R for Tempero-Giuffre Racing - Did not attempt to qualify after suffering an oil leak in practice.

Race

On the 128th lap, Foyt Racing drivers Scott Sharp and Mike Groff (running 1st-2nd) ducked into the pits for their final stop. However, they did not see that the yellow flag had come out, and were penalized one lap for pitting while the pits were closed. Robbie Buhl suffered a broken header, which left Arie Luyendyk in the lead for the final 66 laps to victory.

Pos	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Laps Led	Points
1	5	Arie Luyendyk W	Byrd-Treadway Racing	200	1:42:14.000	1	122	35
2	11	Scott Sharp	A. J. Foyt Enterprises	200*	+ 0.886	6	37	33
3	41	Mike Groff	A. J. Foyt Enterprises	199*	+ 1 lap	7	1	32
4	4	Richie Hearn R	Della Penna Motorsports	198	+ 2 laps	2	0	31
5	75	Johnny O'Connell R	Cunningham Racing	197	+ 3 laps	10	0	30
6	12	Buzz Calkins R	Bradley Motorsports	193	+ 7 laps	8	0	29
7	9	Stephan Gregoire R	Hemelgarn Racing	190	+ 10 laps	12	0	28
8	33	Michele Alboreto R	Team Scandia	187	+ 13 laps	21	0	27
9	64	Johnny Unser	Project Indy	185	+ 15 laps	19	0	26
10	15	Dave Kudrave	Tempero-Giuffre Racing	168	Out of Fuel	20	0	25
11	20	Tony Stewart R	Team Menard	165	Electrical	4	0	24
12	16	Johnny Parsons	Blueprint Racing	149	Fuel pump	17	2	23
13	45	Robbie Buhl	Beck Motorsports	148	Header	11	2	22
14	18	John Paul, Jr.	PDM Racing	116	Engine	13	0	21
15	27	Jim Guthrie R	Blueprint Racing	115	Accident T3	18	0	20
16	21	Roberto Guerrero W	Pagan Racing	89	CV Joint	3	0	19
17	14	Davey Hamilton R	A. J. Foyt Enterprises	77	Electrical	9	28	18
18	2	Scott Brayton	Team Menard	70	Accident T4	5	0	17
19	7	Fermín Vélez R	Team Scandia	32	Contact w/#21 T3	15	0	16
20	22	Michel Jourdain, Jr. R	Team Scandia	14	Accident T4	14	0	15
21	90	Lyn St. James	Team Scandia	11	Electrical	22	0	14
22	96	Paul Durant R	ABF Motorsports	1	Front end	16	0	13

Standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Buzz Calkins	128
2	Mike Groff	122
3=	Johnny O'Connell	116
3=	Michele Alboreto	116
5=	Scott Sharp	114
5=	Tony Stewart	114

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for the standings.

References