Indy 500 Winner Luyendyk Joins New Team

Arie Luyendyk, the defending Indianapolis 500 champion, will be the driver for a new Phoenix-based Indy car team headed by owners Robert J. Tezak and Vince Granatelli.

Luyendyk, a native of the Netherlands who moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., last year, won the 500 in a Lola-Chevrolet owned by Doug Shierson and sponsored by Domino’s Pizza. Shortly thereafter, Domino’s announced it was withdrawing from racing, and Shierson sold the team to Tezak, whose company produces the UNO card games.

Granatelli said from his shop in Phoenix: “After the last race at Laguna Seca last year, we sat down and looked at our options for 1991. When Bob Tezak told me he wanted to operate out of Phoenix, I suggested we get together and use our Granatelli racing facility, which is right near where we both live.

“Luyendyk has been living here ever since he came to Phoenix to test last year and fell in love with the place. Suddenly everything fell into place.”

Engineer Morris (Mo) Nunn, who helped Emerson Fittipaldi to the CART PPG Indy car championship and a victory in the 1988 Indy 500 for Pat Patrick and Chip Ganassi, is leaving Patrick’s March-Alfa Romeo team to become team manager.

Luyendyk said: “I’m pretty much an optimist for the most part, but this arrangement is something that most drivers just dream about. I think we have all the parts to be a very tough team.”

Tezak has been involved with Indy cars for 11 years. In 1980 he owned the car that the late Tim Richmond drove to ninth place at Indianapolis. Richmond was named rookie of the year. Tezak also owns a second Indy car team, based in Adrian, Mich., with Canadian Scott Goodyear the driver.

Luyendyk will begin testing a 1991 Lola-Chevy on Jan. 20 at Phoenix International Raceway. He also will drive in the 24 Hours of Daytona road race in a Nissan GT Prototype with Geoff Brabham.