1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series
| 1985 CART season | |
|---|---|
| PPG Indy Car World Series | |
 |
|
| Season | |
| Races | 15 |
| Start date | April 14 |
| End date | November 10 |
| Awards | |
| Drivers' champion |
 Al Unser
|
| Constructors' Cup |
 March
|
| Manufacturers' Cup |
Cosworth
|
| Nations' Cup |
United States |
| Rookie of the Year |
 Arie Luyendyk
|
| Indianapolis 500 winner |
Danny Sullivan
|
The 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 7th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 15 races. Al Unser, Sr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Arie Luyendyk. The 1985 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Danny Sullivan won the Indy 500, in dramatic fashion, a race that became known as the "Spin and Win."
In the fall of 1984, Rick Mears suffered serious leg injuries in a crash at Sanair. Mears drove only a part-time schedule in 1985, racing at Indianapolis, and subsequently on ovals only. Al Unser, Sr. took Mears' full-time seat at Penske Racing as a substitute for the season. Unser, Sr. had one win, ten top fives, and one other top ten, en route to the championship, a battle that climaxed in dramatic fashion in the final race of the season.
Defending series champion Mario Andretti won the season opener, finished 2nd at Indy, and won the next two races, jumping out to the early points lead. A mid-season slump, however, saw him have only one top five finish the remainder of the year. He then broke his collarbone in a crash at Michigan, and was forced to sit out one race. The driver of the season became Al Unser, Jr., who won the next two races (Meadowlands and Cleveland), and finished the year with nine finishes in the top 4.
At the midpoint of the season, Mario Andretti's points lead had dwindled, while Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser, Sr., and Al Unser, Jr. were all closing in. At the Pocono 500, Rick Mears triumphantly returned to victory lane after his leg injuries. Finishing second and third were Al Jr. and Al Sr., respectively, with Al Sr. now taking the points lead. Unser, Jr. ate away at the points lead over the next four races, and the Unsers were neck-and-neck approaching the season finale. Meanwhile, Bobby Rahal was making a championship run of his own, winning 3 of 5 races, and closing within 13 points of the points lead.
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