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Buddy Lazier

Robert Buddy Lazier is an American auto racing driver, best known for winning the 1996 Indianapolis 500 and the 2000 Indy Racing League season championship.

Career
Lazier was originally a competitive skier, and for a time was part of the U.S. Olympic developmental program. but ultimately was unable to do so. As a result, Lazier did not contest any part of the Indianapolis 500 for the first time since 1988. In 2011, Lazier was reported to be in line for a drive at the Indianapolis 500 for Dragon Racing. Dragon Racing opted to run Ho-Pin Tung and Scott Speed, with Speed later being replaced by Patrick Carpentier. For the second year in a row, Lazier did not attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. 2013–15 Lazier returned to the IndyCar Series after a three-year absence in 2013 when on May 8, Lazier's father, Bob Lazier, formed a team called Lazier Partners Racing with Corbet Krause, Chris Nielsen and Jason Peters. The team purchased a Dallara DW12 chassis from Fan Force United for $250,000. The chassis needed to be modified to have a Chevrolet engine placed into it. Lazier originally drove the car with no sponsorship and the paint scheme remained the same as when Fan Force United fielded the car, albeit with orange replacing the original gold stripes. Lazier first practiced on May 16, completing only installation laps. Lazier took his refresher test the next day and was quickly practicing at speeds greater than . On Pole Day, the team gained sponsorship from Advance Auto Parts and Lazier posted a qualifying speed of , failing to make the race on Pole Day. On Bump Day, Lazier qualified for the race in 32nd place with a speed of . Lazier officially drove the car as the No. 91 entry, with Spirit of Oklahoma added to the car after the tornados in Moore, Oklahoma on May 20 as a sign of respect for the victims. Lazier retired from the race after completing 44 laps due to mechanical problems. Lazier only competed at Indianapolis and was ranked in 38th place in the final championship standings with eight points. For 2014, Lazier returned with Lazier Partners Racing to drive the No. 91 Dallara-Chevrolet at the Indianapolis 500. Lazier did not practice until May 15. On the first day of qualifying, Lazier posted a speed of and had the 33rd-fastest speed. On Pole Day, Lazier qualified for the race with a speed of and started in 33rd place. On the first lap of the race, Lazier narrowly avoided Ryan Briscoe, who had nearly spun coming off turn 2. Lazier completed 87 laps before retiring due to clutch problems, and was scored in 32nd place. By starting the race, Lazier joined Tom Sneva and Roger McCluskey in a tie for tenth place for the most Indianapolis 500 starts with eighteen. Lazier also moved into seventh place for the most laps completed, with 2,797. Lazier only competed at Indianapolis and ultimately finished in 35th place in the final standings with eleven points. In 2015, Lazier returned with Lazier Partners Racing to drive the No. 91 Dallara-Chevrolet at the Indianapolis 500. Lazier used using Chevrolet's new aero kit on the car. Lazier first practiced on May 14, completing 28 laps prior to Pole Day. The car then suffered gearbox issues prior to qualifying and Lazier was unable to make an attempt to qualify in the original line, but was repaired in time for the Last Row Shootout. The speed of Lazier's first qualifying attempt was , compared to Bryan Clauson's next-slowest speed of . Lazier's pit crew made wing adjustments to reduce the car's downforce. Lazier improved to a speed of , but ultimately ran out of time and failed to qualify. Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series In 2001, Lazier competed in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. Lazier drove the No. 74 Riley & Scott Mk III-Judd with Jack Baldwin, George Robinson and Irv Hoerr for Robinson Racing in the Sport Racing Prototype (SR) class. Lazier only competed with the team at the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona. The car started in 2nd place overall and led ten laps during the race. The car then suffered an engine failure after completing 563 laps; the car was classified in fifth place in its class and 22nd place overall. Lazier finished in 35th place in the final championship standings with 29 points. International Race of Champions In 2001, Lazier competed in the International Race of Champions as a representative of the Indy Racing Northern Light Series, with Eddie Cheever, Mark Dismore and Scott Goodyear – latterly replaced by Al Unser Jr. for the final two races of the season due to injuries received at the Indianapolis 500 – also representing the series. Lazier, as with the other drivers, drove a Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. At the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway, Lazier started in eighth place and finished in eleventh place due to a crash on lap 27 with Jeff Burton. At the following race at Talladega Superspeedway, Lazier started and finished in third place. At the third race of the season at Michigan International Speedway, Lazier started in seventh place and finished in sixth place. At the final race of the season at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lazier started in fourth place and finished in eleventh place due to another crash with Burton, who had led every lap in the race up to that point. Lazier finished in ninth place in the final championship standings with 31 points, earning $40,000 for his efforts. Lazier returned to the series in 2002, with Sam Hornish Jr., Scott Sharp and Unser Jr. joining him from the IRL. At the season-opening race at Daytona, Lazier started in seventh place and finished in tenth place. At the second race of the season, at California Speedway, Lazier started in third place and finished in ninth place. At the following race at Chicagoland Speedway, Lazier qualified on pole position, and led flag-to-flag. At the final race of the season at Indianapolis, Lazier started in eighth place and finished in fourth place. As a result, Lazier finished in second place in the final standings with 49 points, five points behind champion Kevin Harvick. NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Later in his career, Lazier participated in NASCAR for a brief time. In 2005, Lazier tested a Chevrolet Silverado for Billy Ballew Motorsports at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In 2007, Lazier returned to drive for Billy Ballew Motorsports in the No. 15 Chevrolet Silverado at the Smith's Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Lazier said of the opportunity, "The opportunity arose for us to race in Las Vegas and I am extremely excited. They are racers on that team and to me it's a perfect fit, and I feel right at home with the whole team." Lazier started in 21st place and finished in 24th place, three laps down. ==Media appearances==
Media appearances
Television After winning the Indianapolis 500, Lazier made a guest appearance on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien''. The episode that Lazier appeared on aired on May 29, 1996. Lazier was nominated for the Best Driver ESPY Award in 2001 against Bobby Labonte, John Force and Gil de Ferran. ==Personal life==
Personal life
Lazier was born in and currently resides in Vail, Colorado. According to his father Bob, Buddy was born on Halloween night at Loveland Pass after his father's 1963 Corvette broke down on the way to the hospital. Lazier is married to Kara, and the couple have two children: a son, Flinn, and a daughter, Jacqueline. Lazier's father Bob Lazier was a former racing driver who won the CART Rookie of the Year Award in 1981. Lazier's brother, Jaques Lazier, competed in the Indy Racing League from 1998 to 2010, winning the 2001 Delphi Indy 200 at Chicagoland Speedway. With both drivers having won races, they are the only brothers to have both won races in that series. Lazier and his relatives operate the Tivoli Lodge in Vail, Colorado, which his father opened in 1968. ==Motorsports career results==
Motorsports career results
American open–wheel racing results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) CART IndyCar Series • Season still in progress. : 1 Run on same day. : 2 Non-points-paying, exhibition race. Indianapolis 500 NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.) Craftsman Truck Series International Race of Champions (key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.) ==References==
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