Bill Alsup

Bill Alsup (July 15, 1938 in Honolulu – August 9, 2016) was an American race car driver. He was the first Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) Rookie of the Year in 1979 and competed in the 1981 Indianapolis 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 for Penske 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 1984 Sanair Super Speedway race.

CART career Alsup made his CART debut at the Arizona Republic/Jimmy Bryan 150 at Phoenix International Raceway driving the No. 41 WASP Racing Mclaren-Offenhauser for WASP Racing starting twenty fourth (last) and finishing eleventh. He attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, first driving the #67 WASP Racing McLaren-Offenhauser, but the car was not fast enough to make a qualifying run. He then attempted the No. 19 Sta-On Eagle 74-Offenhauser for Gehlhausen Racing but the engine failed. The final car he attempted to qualify was the No. 68 CAM 2 Motor Oil Penske PC7-Cosworth DFX for Team Penske. He qualified for the race but USAC officials ruled that the car used the engine from Penske teammate Bobby Unser's car and Alsup was disqualified. He drove the remainder of the CART season for WASP Racing. He had a best finish of ninth in the second heat of the Trenton Indy at Trenton Speedway, the Kent Oil 150 at Watkins Glen International, the first heat of the Norton Twin 125s and the Gould Grand Prix, the latter two at Michigan International Speedway, and finished the season fifteenth in points to win the first CART 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 No. 41 Polaroid Time Zero Penske PC7-Cosworth DFX. He started the season by finishing sixth in the season opening Dastun Twin 200 at Ontario Motor Speedway. He failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, rebounded to finish third at the Red Roof Inns 150 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and finished the season seventh in points, earning him the CART Most Improved Driver Award.

In 1981, Alsup drove for Team Penske in a Norton-Spirit sponsored car alongside teammates Bobby Unser and Rick Mears. Driving for Penske in the No. 7 A.B. Dick Penske PC9B-Cosworth DFX and for himself in the #41 Polaroid Time Zero Penske PC7-Cosworth DFX he had a best finish of third at the Norton Michigan 500 at Michigan International Speedway where he led for three laps. He also finished third at the Los Angeles Times 500 at Riverside International Raceway and at the AB Dick Tony Bettenhausen 200 at Wisconsin 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 No. 2 A.B. Dick Penske PC9B-Cosworth DFX and had a best finish of fourth at the Stroh's 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He dropped to eleventh in points for the season.

In 1983, Alsup began working with Argo Racing Cars driving the No. 11 Alsup Racing/Indy Car Annual Argo JM-15-Cosworth DFX. He failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and soon started driving a March 83C-Cosworth DFX. He scored no points that year.

In 1984, Alsup switched between a March 83C-Cosworth DFX and an Argo JM-15-Cosworth DFX. He failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and started his last race at the Molson Indy Montreal at Sanair Super Speedway. He once again failed to score points.

Death Alsup died in a crane accident near Silverton, Colorado where he was a long-term resident on August 9, 2016.

Racing record

SCCA National Championship Runoffs

Year Track Car Engine Class Finish Start Status 1973 Road Atlanta Caldwell Ford Formula Ford 15 19 Running

Complete USAC Mini-Indy Series results Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos Points 1977 Bill Alsup TRE7 MIL14 MOS7 PIR2 5th 280 1978 William Alsup, Jr. PIR121 TRE12 MOS1 MIL123 TEX2 MIL210 OMS11 OMS22 TRE24 PIR212 1st 1046

Formula Super Vee Year Team Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rank Points 1978 Bill Alsup Argo JM2 VW Brabham CLT1 RAL1 MOHRet CMT1 WG11 BRN3 ROA4 WG23 1st 114

SCCA/CART Indy Car Series 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 PHX11 ATL16 ATL15 INDYDNQ TRT12 TRT9 MIC9 MIC13 WGL9 TRT10 ONT22 MIC9 ATL10 PHX11 15th 400 Gehlhausen Racing Cosworth INDYDNQ Team Penske Penske INDYDNQ 1980 Alsup Racing ONT7 INDYDNQ MIL9 POC4 MOH3 MIC10 WGL8 MIL21 ONT16 MIC10 MXS16 PHX21 7th 1,214 1981 PHX5 MIL MIC4 WTG3 2nd 175 Team Penske ATL8 ATL8 MIC4 RIR3 MIL11 MXC5 PHX17 1982 Alsup Racing PHX11 ATL5 MIL16 CLE12 MIC13 MIL9 POC13 RIV8 ROA16 MIC6 PHX8 11th 70 1983 March Argo ATLDNS INDYDNQ MIL21 CLE20 MIC16 ROA POC20 RIV MOH19 MIC22 CPL LAG27 PHX14 38th 0 1984 LBHDNQ PHXDNQ INDYDNQ MIL POR MEA CLEDNQ MIC16 ROA POC24 MOH SAN14 MIC PHX LAG CPL 40th 0