 Winning car of the 1986 Indianapolis 500 (Bobby Rahal) | |
| Category | CART IndyCar |
|---|---|
| Designer | Adrian Newey |
| Production | 1986 38 cars built |
| Predecessor | March 85C |
| Successor | March 87C |
| Technical specifications[1] | |
| Chassis | AluminiumHoneycombMonocoque |
| Suspension (front) | Double wishbones |
| Engine | Ford-Cosworth DFX 90°V8Turbocharger Ilmor-Chevrolet 265-A engine V8 Turbocharger Buick Indy V6 Turbocharger |
| Transmission | Hewland 5-speed manual |
| Competition history | |
| Notable entrants | Penske Racing Truesports |
| Notable drivers |  Al UnserBobby Rahal |
TheMarch 86C is a highly successful and extremely competitiveopen-wheelrace car, designed byAdrian Newey, and built byMarch Engineering, to compete in the1986 CART Indy Car season, and eventually the1987 Indy Car season. The season was another whitewash and a clean-sweep for March, following up on the success of their 1985 campaign. The 86C chassis dominated the season, winning 14 out of the 17 races, and taking 13 pole positions. Newey's March 86C chassis successfully clinched the1986 CART Indy Car championship and the1986 Indianapolis 500 withBobby Rahal. It was primarily powered by theFord-Cosworth DFX turbo V8 engine, but also used both theBuick Indy V6 turbo engine, and theIlmor-Chevrolet 265-A Indy V8 turbo engine.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
Owing much to its success and competitiveness, the 86C enjoyed extended use on the Indy car circuit after the 1986 season. It was used by some teams in 1987 and 1988. At the1987 Indianapolis 500, after experiencing difficulties with their in-housePC-16 chassis, thePenske team switched their cars mid-month back to 86C.Rick Mears qualified on the front row, andAl Unser Sr. won the race, giving the 86C back-to-back Indy 500 victories. Later in the year, Mears won thePocono 500, giving the 86C two wins in 1987.
Later, the chassis saw additional life in theAmerican Indycar Series.
Media related toMarch 86C at Wikimedia Commons
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