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Scott Sharp
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Scott Sharp (born February 14, 1968 in Norwalk, Connecticut) is an American race car driver in the Indy Racing League. He is the son of SCCA multiple champion Bob Sharp. Early in his career he was 1991 Trans-Am champion, also taking 7 poles the next season.
Sharp then competed in one NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Nextel Cup) event, coming in 1992 at Watkins Glen. Starting 22nd in the thirty-nine car field, Sharp completed all 51 laps in route to a solid 19th place effort.
He began racing in Champ Cars and the Indianapolis 500 in the early 90's, initially for PacWest, and later for owner A.J. Foyt and was one of the competitors in the first IRL race in 1996. He was the co-champion of the IRL's inaugural season in 1996 along with Buzz Calkins. He has started more IRL races than any other driver, including over 100 consecutive appearances (as of early 2006).
In 1997 two crashes resulting in severe concussions sidlined Sharp until 1998 when he began working with the newly formed Kelley Racing team. At Kelley, Sharp collected eight wins and four pole positions (one being in the Indy 500). He was 3rd in the championship in 2001, but an influx of strong teams from CART meant that Kelley was not one of the strongest teams after that season. In 2004 he was down in 13th in the championship with a best finish of 8th - his first winless season since 1998, and ending a run of top 8 championship finishes dating back to 1998.
In 2005, Sharp, along with Delphi, his personal sponsors, moved from Kelley Racing (which had folded) to Adrian Fernandez's Fernandez Racing. The switch brought about a resurgence in Sharp's career and he is once again one of the top drivers in the IRL. 2005 saw him finish 5th in the championship, collecting a win at Kentucky Speedway along the way. However, Sharp struggled through the 2006 season in an underpowered car, and finished 11th in the points standings.
For 2007, Sharp will join Rahal Letterman Racing, teaming with sophomore driver Jeff Simmons.
| Year | Team | Wins | Points | Championship Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Foyt Enterprises | 0 | 82 | 1st (tie) |
| 1996-1997 | Foyt Enterprises | 1 | 119 | 22nd |
| 1998 | Kelley Racing | 2 | 272 | 4th |
| 1999 | Kelley Racing | 1 | 220 | 8th |
| 2000 | Kelley Racing | 1 | 196 | 7th |
| 2001 | Kelley Racing | 1 | 355 | 3rd |
| 2002 | Kelley Racing | 1 | 332 | 6th |
| 2003 | Kelley Racing | 1 | 351 | 8th |
| 2004 | Kelley Racing | 0 | 282 | 13th |
| 2005 | Fernandez Racing | 1 | 444 | 5th |
| 2006 | Fernandez Racing | 0 | 291 | 11th |
9 Wins, 1 Championship
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Lola | Ford-Cosworth | 17th | 16th |
| 1995 | Lola | Ford-Cosworth | 30th | 26th |
| 1996 | Lola | Ford-Cosworth | 21st | 10th |
| 1997 | G-Force | Oldsmobile | Practice Crash | |
| 1998 | Dallara | Oldsmobile | 7th | 16th |
| 1999 | Dallara | Oldsmobile | 6th | 28th |
| 2000 | Dallara | Oldsmobile | 5th | 10th |
| 2001 | Dallara | Oldsmobile | 1st | 33rd |
| 2002 | Dallara | Chevrolet | 8th | 27th |
| 2003 | Dallara | Toyota | 9th | 20th |
| 2004 | Dallara | Toyota | 20th | 13th |
| 2005 | Panoz | Honda | 3rd | 7th |
| 2006 | Dallara | Honda | 8th | 9th |
| Preceded by none |
Indy Racing League Champion 1996 (with Buzz Calkins) |
Succeeded by Tony Stewart |