THE car that Bobby Rahal drove to an emotional victory in the 1986 Indianapolis 500 is going under the hammer next month.
March 86C chassis #13 is among the lots at Gooding & Company’s auctions at the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, scheduled for August 13 and 14.
Rahal and the Truesports team’s sole victory in the race was one of the most emotional in the event’s history given the circumstances surrounding team owner Jim Trueman, who was in the latter stages of a battle with colon cancer.
Rain washed out the originally scheduled race day on May 25 and the backup day on May 26, prompting the Speedway to reschedule the race to the following Saturday, May 31.
The race boiled down to a three-way shootout, which saw Rahal pick off race leader Kevin Cogan on a late restart and hold off both Cogan and Rick Mears to take the victory.
Trueman celebrated the win with Rahal in the winner’s circle, but sadly passed away 11 days later.
According to the listing, Rahal drove the chassis to five more race wins across the rest of the 1986 season to claim his maiden CART title.
Truesports, led by future Tasman Motorsport owner and Supercars Commission chairman Steve Horne, retired the car from active duty at the end of the 1986 season.
The team then restored the car back to its state when it won at Indianapolis, including reuniting the chassis with the race-winning Cosworth V8 turbocharged engine (#DFX255).
Private collector Patrick S. Ryan purchased the car from Truesports in 1990 and has owned it ever since, featuring among his Prisma Collection of immaculate road and race machinery.
The 1986 Indy 500 winner is one of a handful of Indycars that will be auctioned at Pebble Beach next month.
Also listed by Gooding & Company is the Lola T-90 raced by three-time Formula 1 World Champion Jackie Stewart as a rookie in the 1966 Indy 500 (which he led until engine problems with 10 laps to go) along with a rare example of Porsche’s final Indycar from 1990.
