Login
Login

Della Penna Motorsports

{{refimprove|date=December 2017}}

{{ infobox motor racing team

| name = {{flagicon|USA}} Della Penna Motorsports

| logo =

| founded = 1990

| base = Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

| principal = {{flagicon|Argentina}} John Della Penna

| current series =

| former series = IndyCar Series
CART
Toyota Atlantic

| car numbers = 44, 10

| former drivers =

| website =

| driver titles = 1995 Atlantic (Hearn)

| team titles =

| folded = 2000

}}

{{Infobox NASCAR team

| Debut = Toyota Atlantic:
1990 Sonoma
(Sonoma Raceway)
Indy Racing League:
1996 Walt Disney World
(Walt Disney World Speedway)
CART:
1996 Grand Prix of Long Beach
(Streets of Long Beach)

| Final = Toyota Atlantic:
1995 Laguna Seca
(Laguna Seca)
Indy Racing League:
1996 Las Vegas
(Las Vegas Motor Speedway)
CART:
2000 Fontana
(Auto Club Speedway)

| Car Numbers =

| Races =

| Drivers_champ =

| Wins = Toyota Atlantic: 14
Indy Racing League: 1
CART: 0

| Poles = Toyota Atlantic: 19
Indy Racing League: 1
CART: 0

}}

Della Penna Motorsports was an auto racing team that competed in the Toyota Atlantic, IndyCar, and CART series from 1990 to 2000. The team was founded by Argentinian businessman and engineer John Della Penna, who himself raced in Formula Atlantic during the 1980s. Della Penna got its start in Toyota Atlantic with support from driver Jimmy Vasser in 1990, and by the following season was consistently scoring wins. After Vasser left to drive in CART, Della Penna took a two-year sabbatical from the series, with the hopes of returning with young, untested talent.

In 1994 Della Penna signed Richie Hearn to drive in Toyota Atlantic with the hopes of moving up to CART by 1997. Hearn finished second in points that season and won the championship the following season. Della Penna joined the upstart Indy Racing League in 1996 with the goal of transitioning into CART the following year. In five races between 1996 and 1997, Hearn placed 3rd at the Indianapolis 500, scored a pole position at New Hampshire, and won at Las Vegas.{{cite web|title=Hearn On The Rise In Cart Thanks In Part To Della Penna|author=Skip Myslenski|date=May 30, 1997|access-date=October 3, 2017|publisher=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/05/30/hearn-on-the-rise-in-cart-thanks-in-part-to-della-penna/}} That same year Della Penna ran three races during the 1996 CART season using the same equipment as during the 1996 IRL season.

Della Penna went full-time beginning in 1997, but found itself struggling for points and would never finish higher than 5th, despite major sponsorship deals with Ralphs/Food 4 Less, Budweiser, and Fujifilm. The team formed a close relationship with Toyota in 1999 to test its new racing engine program, but still the team's fortunes did not improve. Finally, in 2000, Hearn left CART to pursue a drive in the IRL and was replaced by ex-Formula One driver Norberto Fontana. Fontana failed to impress early on and was replaced mid-season by Memo Gidley for the rest of the season.

After the 2000 season it was announced that Toyota had ended its partnership with Della Penna, leaving the team without an engine for the 2001 season.{{cite web|title=Toyota Drops Della Penna|date=October 26, 2000|publisher=Crash.net|access-date=October 3, 2017|url=http://www.crash.net/indycar/news/12138/1/toyota-drops-della-penna}} Rather than sign with another manufacturer, the team officially folded before the beginning of the season. The team and its assets were sold to Blair Racing while John Della Penna went on to mentor Argentinian driver Pablo Pérez Companc through an open-wheel and sports car career.

Racing Results

=Complete SCCA Toyota Atlantic Championship results=

(key)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

! Year

! style="white-space: nowrap;"|Chassis

! style="white-space: nowrap;"|Engine

! style="white-space: nowrap;"|Drivers

! No.

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! {{Tooltip|Pts Pos|Points Position For The Entire Season, even though the driver might have driven for another team during the course of the season; Will be noted if applicable}}

! {{Tooltip|Pos|Points scored for the season}}

rowspan=2|1990 West

!colspan=4|

|{{tooltip|LBH|Grand Prix of Long Beach}}

|{{tooltip|SON|Sonoma Raceway}}

|colspan=2|{{tooltip|CGY|Race City Motorsport Park (Calgary)}}{{ref|1|1}}

|{{tooltip|LAG1|Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca}}

|{{tooltip|WST|Westwood Motorsport Park}}

|{{tooltip|VAN|Streets of Vancouver}}

|{{tooltip|ROA|Road America}}

|colspan=2|{{tooltip|LAG2|Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca}}

!colspan=7|

Swift DB-4

|Toyota 4A-GE

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Vasser

|36

|

|style="background:#efcfff;"|16

|

|

|style="background:#efcfff;"|18

|

|

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#efcfff;"|17

|style="background:#efcfff;"|16

|

|

|

|

|

|21st

|20

rowspan=3|1991

!colspan=4|

|{{tooltip|LBH|Grand Prix of Long Beach}}

|{{tooltip|PHX|Phoenix International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|LIM|Lime Rock Park}}

|{{tooltip|MON|Circuit Gilles Villeneuve}}

|{{tooltip|WGL|Watkins Glen International}}

|{{tooltip|DES|Des Moines Street Circuit}}

|{{tooltip|TOR|Streets of Toronto}}

|colspan=2|{{tooltip|CGY|Race City Motorsport Park (Calgary)}}{{ref|1|1}}

|{{tooltip|TRI|Circuit Trois-Rivières}}

|{{tooltip|VAN|Streets of Vancouver}}

|{{tooltip|MDO|Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course}}

|{{tooltip|NAZ|Nazareth Speedway}}

|colspan=2|{{tooltip|LAG|Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca}}

!colspan=5|

rowspan=2|Swift DB-4

|rowspan=2|Toyota 4A-GE

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Jamie Galles

|35

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|11

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"|3

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|14

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|6

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|17

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|8

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|22

|

|

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"|20

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|10

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|13

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|5

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"|16

|9th

|76

align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Jimmy Vasser

|36

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#efcfff;"|21

|style="background:#efcfff;"|22

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#efcfff;"|23

|

|

|style="background:#efcfff;"|21

|style="background:#efcfff;"|7

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|style="background:#efcfff;"|27

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2nd

|153

rowspan=3|1994

!colspan=4|

|{{tooltip|PHX|Phoenix International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|LBH|Grand Prix of Long Beach}}

|{{tooltip|MOS|Mosport International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|MIL|Milwaukee Mile}}

|{{tooltip|MON|Circuit Gilles Villeneuve}}

|{{tooltip|TOR|Streets of Toronto}}

|{{tooltip|TRI|Circuit Trois-Rivières}}

|{{tooltip|MDO|Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course}}

|{{tooltip|VAN|Streets of Vancouver}}

|{{tooltip|NAZ|Nazareth Speedway}}

|{{tooltip|LAG|Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca}}

!colspan=6|

rowspan=2|Ralt RT-40/41

|rowspan=2|Toyota 4A-GE

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Clint Mears

|4

|

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|6

|

|style="background:#efcfff;"|12

|

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|6

|

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|5

|

|11th

|35

align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn

|19

|style="background:#efcfff;"|10

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|7

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"|3

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|4

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"|3

|style="background:#efcfff;"|14

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2nd

|160

rowspan=3|1995

!colspan=4|

|{{tooltip|MIA|Tamiami Park}}

|{{tooltip|PHX|Phoenix International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|LBH|Grand Prix of Long Beach}}

|{{tooltip|NAZ|Nazareth Speedway}}

|{{tooltip|MIL|Milwaukee Mile}}

|{{tooltip|MON|Circuit Gilles Villeneuve}}

|{{tooltip|TOR|Streets of Toronto}}

|colspan=2|{{tooltip|TRI|Circuit Trois-Rivières}}

|{{tooltip|MDO|Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course}}

|{{tooltip|VAN|Streets of Vancouver}}

|{{tooltip|LAG|Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca}}

!colspan=5|

rowspan=2|Ralt RT-40/41

|rowspan=2|Toyota 4A-GE

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Clint Mears

|3

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|10

|style="background:#efcfff;"|19

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|6

|style="background:#efcfff;"|12

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|7

|style="background:#efcfff;"|19

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|5

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|7

|style="background:#efcfff;"|19

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|9

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"|6

|style="background:#efcfff;"|25

|

|9th

|66

align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn

|4

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"|3

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|5

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"|5

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"|2

|

|

|

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"|1st

|201

colspan=22|Source{{cite web|title=Jimmy Vasser stats|author=Champcarstats.com|access-date=October 3, 2017|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/atlantic/drivers/VasserJimmy.htm}}{{cite web|title=Richie Hearn stats|author=Champcarstats.com|access-date=October 3, 2017|url=http://www.champcarstats.com/atlantic/drivers/HearnRichie.htm}}

{{refbegin}}

  1. {{note|1}} Non-championship event.

{{refend}}

=Complete Indy Racing League results=

(key)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

! Year

! Chassis

! Engine

! Tyres

! Drivers

! No.

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! {{Tooltip|Pts Pos|Points Position For The Entire Season, even though the driver might have driven for another team during the course of the season; Will be noted if applicable}}

! {{Tooltip|Pos|Points scored for the season}}

rowspan=3| 1996

!colspan=5|

| WDW

| PHX

| INDY

!colspan=9|

rowspan=2| Reynard 95i

|rowspan=2| Ford XB V8t

|rowspan=2| {{Goodyear}}

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn

|4

|style="background:#EFCFFF;" align=center| 19

|style="background:#DFFFDF;" align=center| 4

|style="background:#FFDF9F;" align=center| 3

|

|4th

|237

align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Scott Harrington

|44

|

|

|style="background:#EFCFFF;" align=center| 15

|

|31st

|20

rowspan=2| 1996–1997

!colspan=5|

| NHA

| LSV

| WDW

| PHX

| INDY

| TXS

| PPIR

| CLT

| NHA2

| LSV2

!colspan=2|

Reynard 95i

|Ford XB V8t

|{{Goodyear}}

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn

|4

|style="background:#EFCFFF;" align=center| 14

|style="background:#FFFFBF;" align=center| 1*

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|33rd

|59

=Complete PPG CART Indycar World Series/CART FedEx Championship Series results=

(key)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

! Year

! Chassis

! Engine

! Tyres

! Drivers

! No.

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! 11

! 12

! 13

! 14

! 15

! 16

! 17

! 18

! 19

! 20

! {{Tooltip|Pts Pos|Points Position For The Entire Season, even though the driver might have driven for another team during the course of the season; Will be noted if applicable}}

! {{Tooltip|Pos|Points scored for the season}}

rowspan=2| 1996

!colspan=5|

| MIA

| RIO

| SFR

| LBH

| NAZ

| 500

| MIL

| DET

|{{tooltip|POR|Portland International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|CLE|Burke Lakefront Airport (Cleveland)}}

| TOR

|{{tooltip|MCH|Michigan International Speedway}}

|{{tooltip|MDO|Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course}}

|{{tooltip|ROA|Road America}}

|{{tooltip|VAN|Streets of Vancouver}}

|{{tooltip|LAG|Laguna Seca Raceway}}

!colspan=7|

Reynard 95i

|Ford XB V8t

|{{Goodyear}}

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn (R)

|44

|

|

|

| style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10

|

|

|

|

|

|

| style="background:#efcfff;"| 25

|

|

|

|

| style="background:#cfcfff;"| 17

|

|

|

|

|29th

|3

rowspan="3" | 1997

!colspan=5|

|{{tooltip|MIA|Homestead-Miami Speedway}}

| SFR

|{{tooltip|LBH|Grand Prix of Long Beach}}

|{{tooltip|NAZ|Nazareth Speedway}}

|{{tooltip|RIO|Autódromo de Jacarepaguá}}

|{{tooltip|GAT|Gateway International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|MIL|Milwaukee Mile}}

|{{tooltip|DET|The Raceway on Belle Isle}}

|{{tooltip|POR|Portland International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|CLE|Burke Lakefront Airport (Cleveland)}}

|{{tooltip|TOR|Streets of Toronto}}

|{{tooltip|MCH|Michigan International Speedway}}

|{{tooltip|MDO|Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course}}

|{{tooltip|ROA|Road America}}

| VAN

|{{tooltip|LAG|Laguna Seca Raceway}}

| FON

!colspan=6|

Lola T97/00

| rowspan="2" |Ford XB V8t

| rowspan="2" |{{Goodyear}}

| rowspan="2" align="left" |{{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn

| rowspan="2" |21

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 11

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 27

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 18

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 14

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 9

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 23

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 23

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 14

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 28

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 27

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 22

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 9

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 22

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 25

|

|

|

|

| rowspan="2" |21st

| rowspan="2" |10

Swift 007.i

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15

|

|

|

rowspan=3| 1998

!colspan=5|

| MIA

| MOT

| LBH

| NAZ

| RIO

| GAT

| MIL

| DET

| POR

| CLE

| TOR

| MCH

| MDO

| ROA

| VAN

| LAG

| HOU

| SFR

| FON

!colspan=4|

Swift 009.c

|rowspan=2|Ford XB V8t

|rowspan=2| {{Firestone}}

|align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn

|10

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 27

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 23

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 7

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 28

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 23

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 18

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 7

|style="background:#dfffdf;"| 5

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 24

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 16

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 11

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 9

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 18

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 8

|

|16th

|47

Swift 007.i

|align=left|{{flagicon|Japan}} Hideshi Matsuda

|43

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 18

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|34th

|0

rowspan=3| 1999

!colspan=5|

| MIA

| MOT

| LBH

| NAZ

| RIO

| GAT

| MIL

| POR

| CLE

| ROA

| TOR

| MCH

| DET

| MDO

|{{tooltip|CHI|Chicago Motor Speedway}}

| VAN

|{{tooltip|LAG|Laguna Seca Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|HOU|Streets of Houston}}

| SRF

| FON

!colspan=3|

Swift 010.c

|rowspan=2| Toyota RV8D/E V8t

|rowspan=2| {{Firestone}}

|rowspan=2 align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Richie Hearn

|rowspan=2|10

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 23

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 11

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 20

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 19

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|rowspan=2|22nd

|rowspan=2|26

Reynard 98i/99i

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 21

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 22

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 16

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 12

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 13

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 12

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 16

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 16

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 8

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 23

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| 27

rowspan=4| 2000

!colspan=5|

|{{tooltip|MIA|Homestead-Miami Speedway}}

|{{tooltip|LBH|Grand Prix of Long Beach}}

|{{tooltip|RIO|Autódromo de Jacarepaguá}}

|{{tooltip|MOT|Twin Ring Motegi}}

|{{tooltip|NAZ|Nazareth Speedway}}

|{{tooltip|MIL|Milwaukee Mile}}

|DET

|{{tooltip|POR|Portland International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|CLE|Burke Lakefront Airport (Cleveland)}}

|{{tooltip|TOR|Streets of Toronto}}

| MCH

|{{tooltip|CHI|Chicago Motor Speedway}}

|{{tooltip|MDO|Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course}}

|{{tooltip|ROA|Road America}}

|VAN

|{{tooltip|LAG|Laguna Seca Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|GAT|Gateway International Raceway}}

|{{tooltip|HOU|Streets of Houston}}

| SRF

|{{tooltip|FON|Auto Club Speedway}}

!colspan=3|

rowspan=3| Reynard 2Ki

|rowspan=3| Toyota RV8E V8t

|rowspan=3| {{Firestone}}

|align=left|{{flagicon|Argentina}} Norberto Fontana (R)

|rowspan=3|10

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 15

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 15

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 23

|style="background:#DFC484;"| Wth

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 20

|style="background:#DFC484;"| Wth

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 14

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 21

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 11

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 20

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|28th

|2

align=left|{{flagicon|USA}} Memo Gidley

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 10

|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 12

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 6

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 16

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 19

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 22

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 21

|

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 21

|{{tooltip|20th|Raced for Forsythe Racing at Rds. 2-4.}}

|20

align=left|{{flagicon|Australia}} Jason Bright (R)

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|

|style="background:#efcfff;"| 18

|

|31st

|0

References

{{reflist}}

{{Della Penna Motorsports}}

{{IndyCar Series teams}}

{{Champ Car teams}}

Category:1990 establishments in the United States

Category:American auto racing teams

Category:Champ Car teams

Category:IndyCar Series teams

Category:2000 disestablishments in the United States

Category:Atlantic Championship teams