The American Indycar Series (AIS) was an American open wheel racing series founded in 1988 by Bill Tempero. It utilized used chassis and engines from the CART series and the Indy Racing League. CART and IRL drivers Buddy Lazier, Jaques Lazier, Robby Unser, and Johnny Unser found success in the AIS.
The series was reborn with new management in 2001-2002. A new management team formed United States Speedway Series (USSS), while a new AIS under different management conducted races as well. The USSS ceased racing after 2005; the AIS shut down after 2002.
Over the years, the series had a predominantly western-based schedule.
In the mid-1980s, the once-popular Can Am series was withering, and most teams had already defected to the CART Indy car series or IMSA. The last holdouts formed CAT (Can-Am Teams) in 1986 to take over sanctioning as part of the SCCA.
Two plans emerged, one keeping the Formula 5000-based cars, and others who favored using old CART Indy car machines. Bill Tempero led the Indy-style effort. CAT held one race in 1986, and folded after a short 1987 season. Tempero broke off and started his Indy car series in 1988, with the cars powered by 5.9-litre stock block Chevrolet engines.
As the series began to slowly gain competitors, the teams were allowed to run a choice of two powerplants. The aforementioned stockblock Chevy V-8, or a V-6 (best known as the Buick/Menard) in turbocharged or normally aspirated configuration. An equivalency formula was determined to provide for competitive balance among the different engine combinations.
The chassis used were used March, Lola, Reynard, Eagle, and Penske from CART competition. In later years, G-Force and Dallara cars from IRL competition were also used.
Date | Track | Location | Winner | Car | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 26 | Al Lamb | Frisbee GR2/Chevrolet | [2] | |||
May 3 | '85 March/Chevrolet | [3] | ||||
June 7 | Al Lamb | Frisbee GR2/Chevrolet | [4] | |||
July 19 | '85 March/Chevrolet | [5] | ||||
August 16 | '85 March/Chevrolet | [6] | ||||
September 6 | '85 March/Chevrolet | [7] | ||||
November 1 | '85 March/Chevrolet | [8] |
Date | Track | Location | Winner | Car | Reference | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 1 | March/Chevrolet | [9] | ||||
June 19 | March/Chevrolet | [10] | ||||
July 3 | Mountain View Motorsports Park | Lola/Chevrolet | [11] | |||
July 23 | March/Chevrolet | [12] | ||||
October 9 | March/Chevrolet | [13] | ||||
October 9 | March/Chevrolet | [14] |
Date | Track | Location | Winner | Car | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 5 | Shayne Stephens | Lola/Buick-Menard | |||
June 13 | Magic Valley Speedway | Mike Lee | March/Chevrolet | ||
July 28 | Hawkeye Downs Speedway | Ken Petrie | March/Chevrolet | ||
September 20 | Race City Speedway | Ken Petrie | March/Chevrolet | ||
September 20 | Greg Gorden | Lola/Buick-Menard |
Date | Track | Location | Winner | Car | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 23 | La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway | Ken Petrie | March/Chevrolet | ||
June 20 | Mountain View Motorsports Park | Lola/Buick-Menard | |||
July 10 | Magic Valley Speedway | Jimmy Santos | Lola/Chevrolet | ||
September 5 | Exposition Park street circuit | Lola/Menard |
Date | Track | Location | Winner | Car | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
May 19 | Greg Gorden | Lola/Buick-Menard | |||
July 3 | St. Johns Airpark | Jimmy Santos | Reynard/Ilmor-Mercedes-Benz | ||
August 14 | Lola/Buick-Menard | ||||
October 16 | Lola/Buick-Menard | ||||
November 26 | Mike Lee | G Force/Aurora |
Date | Track | Location | Winner | Car | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 8 | Las Vegas Motor Speedway (road) | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | ||
May 13 | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | |||
June 16 | Mike Lee | Hoffpauir Lola/Menard Buick | |||
July 14 | Phil Erickson | Fast Line Lola/Buick-Menard | |||
August 25 | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | |||
September 30 | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | |||
October 14 | Greg Gorden | G-Force/Oldsmobile | |||
November 25 | Greg Gorden | G-Force/Oldsmobile |
Date | Track | Location | Winner | Car | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 20 | Ken Petrie | Fast Line Lola/Buick-Menard | |||
May 5 | Greg Gorden | G-Force/Oldsmobile | |||
June 15 | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | |||
July 27 | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | |||
August 18 | Mike Lee | Hoffpauir Menard Lola | |||
September 7 | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | |||
October 5 | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | |||
December 1 |
Date | Track | Location | Winner | Car | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
April 12 | Eric Koselke March/Chevrolet | ||||
May 4 | Pikes Peak International Raceway (road) | Greg Gorden | G-Force/Oldsmobile | ||
May 18 | Ken Petrie March/Chevrolet | ||||
June 22 | California Speedway (road) | Fontana, California | Mike Koss Lola/Menard-Buick | ||
July 26 | Mike Koss | Dallara/Oldsmobile | |||
August 16 | Mike Lee | Lola-Menard Buick | |||
September 1 | St. Johns Airport | Ken Petrie | Precision March/Chevrolet | ||
September 14 | Pikes Peak International Raceway (road) | Greg Gorden | G-Force/Oldsmobile | ||
October 4 | Mike Lee | Lola-Menard Buick |