IndyCar's split history and recovery after the CART merger

IndyCar is best known for the Indianapolis 500, which is held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The championship reached its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the sanctioning body CART, when former Formula 1 champions including Nigel Mansell, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti competed in it.

The creation of the rival Indy Racing League in 1996 split the sport and badly damaged the championship. CART, which rebranded as Champ Car, went into decline, and by 2008 it was close to collapse before the two series merged.

Today's IndyCar championship uses a single-specification chassis and races on road, street and traditional American oval circuits.