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Bill Alsup (July 15, 1938 inHonolulu – August 9, 2016) was an Americanrace car driver. He was the first Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Rookie of the Year in 1979 and competed in the1981Indianapolis 500, finishing 11th. He made 57 CART & USAC Champ Car starts in his career. His best race finish of third came three times and he was the 1981 CART Championship runner-up, putting in a winless but consistent season forPenske Racing, his only effort with a top-level team. He returned to his own team the next year and struggled until leaving Champ Car following the 1984Sanair Super Speedway race.
Alsup made his CART debut at theArizona Republic/Jimmy Bryan 150 atPhoenix International Raceway driving the #41 WASP RacingMclaren-Offenhauser for WASP Racing starting twenty fourth (last) and finishing eleventh. He attempted to qualify for theIndianapolis 500, first driving the #67 WASP RacingMcLaren-Offenhauser, but the car was not fast enough to make a qualifying run. He then attempted the #19Sta-OnEagle 74-Offenhauser forGehlhausen Racing but the engine failed. The final car he attempted to qualify was the #68CAM 2 Motor OilPenske PC7-Cosworth DFX forTeam Penske. He qualified for the race butUSAC officials ruled that the car used the engine from Penske teammateBobby Unser's car and Alsup was disqualified.[1] He drove the remainder of the CART season for WASP Racing. He had a best finish of ninth in the second heat of theTrenton Indy atTrenton Speedway, theKent Oil 150 atWatkins Glen International, the first heat of theNorton Twin 125s and theGould Grand Prix, the latter two atMichigan International Speedway, and finished the season fifteenth in points to win the firstCART Rookie of the Year Award.
In 1980, Alsup purchased the inventory of WASP Racing and started his own team called Alsup Racing, Alsup driving the #41Polaroid Time ZeroPenske PC7-Cosworth DFX. He started the season by finishing sixth in the season openingDastun Twin 200 atOntario Motor Speedway. He failed to qualify for theIndianapolis 500, rebounded to finish third at theRed Roof Inns 150 atMid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and finished the season seventh in points, earning him theCART Most Improved Driver Award.
In 1981, ALsup drove forTeam Penske in a Norton-Spirit sponsored car alongside teammatesBobby Unser andRick Mears. Driving for Penske in the #7A.B. DickPenske PC9B-Cosworth DFX and for himself in the #41Polaroid Time ZeroPenske PC7-Cosworth DFX he had a best finish of third at theNorton Michigan 500 atMichigan International Speedway where he led for three laps. He also finished third at theLos Angeles Times 500 atRiverside International Raceway and at theAB Dick Tony Bettenhausen 200 atWisconsin State Fairgrounds Park Speedway. He ended the season with a career best second in points in the CART standings but it wasn't enough to keep his ride with TEAM Penske, and he was released from the team at the end of the season.
In 1982, Alsup was back to driving for himself using the #2A.B. DickPenske PC9B-Cosworth DFX and had a best finish of fourth at theStroh's 200 atAtlanta Motor Speedway. He dropped to eleventh in points for the season.
In 1983, Alsup began working withArgo Racing Cars driving the #11 Alsup Racing/Indy Car AnnualArgo JM-15-Cosworth DFX. He failed to qualify for theIndianapolis 500 and soon started driving aMarch 83C-Cosworth DFX. He scored no points that year.
In 1984, Alsup switched between aMarch 83C-Cosworth DFX and anArgo JM-15-Cosworth DFX. He failed to qualify for theIndianapolis 500 and started his last race at theMolson Indy Montreal atSanair Super Speedway. He once again failed to score points.
Alsup died in a crane accident near Silverton, Colorado where he was a long-term resident on August 9, 2016.[2]
| Year | Track | Car | Engine | Class | Finish | Start | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Road Atlanta | Caldwell | Ford | Formula Ford | 15 | 19 | Running |
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Bill Alsup | TRE 7 | MIL 14 | MOS 7 | PIR 2 | 5th | 280 | ||||||
| 1978 | William Alsup, Jr. | PIR1 21 | TRE1 2 | MOS 1 | MIL1 23 | TEX 2 | MIL2 10 | OMS1 1 | OMS2 2 | TRE2 4 | PIR2 12 | 1st | 1046 |
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Bill Alsup | Argo JM2 | VWBrabham | CLT 1 | RAL 1 | MOH Ret | CMT 1 | WG1 1 | BRN 3 | ROA 4 | WG2 3 | 1st | 114 | ||
| Year | Team | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | WASP Racing | McLaren | Offenhauser | PHX 11 | ATL 16 | ATL 15 | INDY DNQ | TRT 12 | TRT 9 | MIC 9 | MIC 13 | WGL 9 | TRT 10 | ONT 22 | MIC 9 | ATL 10 | PHX 11 | 15th | 400 | [6] | ||
| Gehlhausen Racing | Cosworth | INDY DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Team Penske | Penske | INDY DNQ | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980 | Alsup Racing | ONT 7 | INDY DNQ | MIL 9 | POC 4 | MOH 3 | MIC 10 | WGL 8 | MIL 21 | ONT 16 | MIC 10 | MXS 16 | PHX 21 | 7th | 1,214 | [7] | ||||||
| 1981 | PHX 5 | MIL | MIC 4 | WTG 3 | 2nd | 175 | [8] | |||||||||||||||
| Team Penske | ATL 8 | ATL 8 | MIC 4 | RIR 3 | MIL 11 | MXC 5 | PHX 17 | |||||||||||||||
| 1982 | Alsup Racing | PHX 11 | ATL 5 | MIL 16 | CLE 12 | MIC 13 | MIL 9 | POC 13 | RIV 8 | ROA 16 | MIC 6 | PHX 8 | 11th | 70 | [9] | |||||||
| 1983 | March Argo | ATL DNS | INDY DNQ | MIL 21 | CLE 20 | MIC 16 | ROA | POC 20 | RIV | MOH 19 | MIC 22 | CPL | LAG 27 | PHX 14 | 38th | 0 | [10] | |||||
| 1984 | LBH DNQ | PHX DNQ | INDY DNQ | MIL | POR | MEA | CLE DNQ | MIC 16 | ROA | POC 24 | MOH | SAN 14 | MIC | PHX | LAG | CPL | 40th | 0 | [11] | |||
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | USFormula Super Vee Champion 1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | USAC Mini-Indy Series Champion 1978 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by None | CART Rookie of the Year 1979 | Succeeded by |
