FLASHBACK FRIDAY: Team Losi competing in the Indy 500

0 May 26, 2017, 12:01 p.m.

By Aaron Waldron
LiveRC.com

Everybody knows that Friday is meant for reminiscing old times. Each week we take you back in time as we flashback to some of R/C racing's greatest moments, products, drivers, and more!

Flashback: 1993-1999

Team Losi's record at the Indianapolis 500 as a sponsor and car owner

This weekend, the 101st Indianapolis 500 Mile Race will take place at the most famous racetrack in the United States, with 33 IndyCars capable of lapping the 2.5-mile circuit at well over 220 mph set to take part.

Back in the mid- to late-90s, Team Losi - then owned by the Losi family - participated in the Indy 500 and various IndyCar World Series/Indy Racing League events as a sponsor and car owner, sometimes using the name Proformance Motorsports which recalled the name of the upgrade kit produced for the JRX-2, though the car was actually called the “XX” - Losi’s flagship 2WD buggy at the time.

Team Losi also teamed up with car owners such as legendary engineer John Dick, but its longest relationship was that with McCormack Motorsports - which fielded most of the brand’s entries into the race, including a best finish of 9th in 1997, the year that Brian Kinwald won the company's first IFMAR World Championship.

One of the IndyCars owned by Team Losi sat in the reception desk area of Team Losi/Horizon Hobby headquarters in Ontario, CA along with some memorabilia. The car now resides at the home of Gil “Pops” Losi.

Here’s a record of how the Team Losi cars finished at the Indianapolis 500 - along with some photos.

1993

- Rocky Moran failed to qualify in an Alfa-Laval-sponsored, Buick-powered Lola owned by Team Losi

- Scott Pruett failed to qualify in a ProFormance Motorsports-sponsored, Chevrolet-powered Lola owned by John Dick

- Marco Greco failed to qualify in a Team Losi-sponsored, Chevrolet-powered Lola owned by McCormack Motorsports

1994

- John Paul Jr. finished 25th after crashing out behind the wheel of a Team Losi/ProFormance Motorsports sponsored and owned, Ilmor-powered Lola

1995

- did not compete

1996

- Randy Tolsma failed to qualify in a Team Losi-sponsored car owned by McCormack Motorsports

1997