1988 IndyCar season
| 1988 CART season | |
|---|---|
| PPG Indy Car World Series | |
 |
|
| Season | |
| Races | 16 |
| Start date | April 10 |
| End date | November 6 |
| Awards | |
| Drivers' champion |
 Danny Sullivan
|
| Constructors' Cup |
 Lola
|
| Manufacturers' Cup |
Chevrolet
|
| Nations' Cup |
United States
|
| Rookie of the Year |
 John Jones
|
| Indianapolis 500 winner |
Rick Mears
|
The 1988 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 10h national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 15 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Danny Sullivan was the national champion, winning for Team Penske. The rookie of the year was John Jones. The 1988 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Rick Mears won the Indy 500, his third victory at Indy.
The 1988 season was the breakout year for the Ilmor Chevrolet Indy V-8 engine. After being introduced in 1986, and earning its first victory in 1987, the Ilmor Chevy dominated the series in 1988, and established itself as the best powerplant on the circuit. Chevy won 14 of the 15 races, and all 15 pole positions. Along the way, the Ilmor Chevy earned its first victory at Indianapolis in 1988, with Rick Mears winning from the pole.
Danny Sullivan won four races, nine pole positions, and had 11 top five finishes en route to the championship title. Sullivan got off to a slow start, but at Indy, he and his Penske teammates (Rick Mears and Al Unser, Sr.) dominated the month of May. The Penske team swept all three spots on the front row, and led 192 of the 200 laps. Sullivan himself qualified second and dominated the first half of the race. He dropped out just beyond the halfway point when a wing adjuster failed and sent his car into the wall. He rebounded over the next six races, posting two wins and no finish worse than 4th.
Sullivan's nearest competitors during the season were Al Unser, Jr. and Bobby Rahal. Unser, Jr. left Doug Shierson Racing and returned to Galles Racing for 1988, and also got use of the coveted Chevrolet engine. Unser won at Long Beach and Toronto, then won a controversial race at the Meadowlands. Battling for the lead in the late stages of the race, he tangled with Emerson Fittipaldi, sending Fittipaldi into the tire barrier.
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