Patrick Rankin

Patrick Racing was an auto racing team in USAC, CART, Champ Car and the Indy Racing League. Patrick Racing was started by U.E. "Pat" Patrick in the 1970s. The team is best known for winning the Indianapolis 500 on three occasions (1973, 1982, 1989), and the Indy car title twice (1976, 1989). Patrick Racing achieved 45 Indy car wins (19 in USAC and 26 in CART). Noteworthy drivers that competed for Patrick include Gordon Johncock, Wally Dallenbach, Mario Andretti, Emerson Fittipaldi, Danny Sullivan, Roberto Guerrero, Scott Pruett, and Adrián Fernández. The team nearly notched a fourth victory at Indianapolis (with Andretti), the controversial 1981 race. After a lengthy protest and appeals process, Andretti eventually was placed second; Patrick would record three runner-up finishes at Indy (1981, 1986, 1988) alongside their three wins. The team fielded its own cars from 1975 to 1983 under the name Wildcat, and on a couple of occasions, fielded unique powerplants (the DGS and the Alfa-Romeo). Over its history, the team had three distinct manifestations. The current-day Chip Ganassi Racing is a direct spin-off from the original Patrick Racing organization.