Scott Sharp currently competes in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS), but is best known for his years in the Indycar Series, where he won on several occasions. Sharp comes from a racing family and has enjoyed success throughout his long career.
Sharp Enjoys Karting and SCCA Success
Born on Valentine’s Day, 1968, in Norwalk, Connecticut, Sharp’s father was a multiple Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) champion. Sharp’s early racing exploits brought great success in karting, where he won two thirds of the events he entered.
Sharp emulated his father Bob’s achievements by winning SCCA titles himself, including victories in the GT1 and Tran-Am classes. Despite this he soon switched his focus to open-wheel racing, making his Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) championship debut towards the end of the 1993 season with Bettenhausen Motorsports.
Sharp’s Indycar Series Career
The PacWest team signed Sharp for 1994, his first full season in CART. It was also the year that Sharp made his Indy 500 debut. He would go on to compete many times at the speedway, with a best result of sixth in 2007 while driving for Rahal Letterman. Sharp won pole for the 2001 event, only to crash out of the race at the very first corner, struggling for grip on a cold track surface.
Sharp was a starter at the inaugural Indy Racing League (IRL) event in 1996 and went on to become the series’ most seasoned competitor, establishing the record for most race starts. He also won at least one race a season for seven consecutive years, sharing the title in 1996 with Buzz Calkins. Eight of his victories came while driving for the Kelley Racing team. Sharp did suffer some setbacks during his time in the series, suffering two serious accidents during 1997. His final appearances in the renamed Indycar Series were for the Rahal Letterman team.
ALMS with Acura and David Brabham
Sharp left the Rahal Letterman team in unhappy circumstances after the 2007 Indycar Series season. Both parties filed breach of contract claims, although an amicable settlement was reached in early 2008. Sharp found a drive in the ALMS, sharing an Acura with Australian David Brabham in the Patrón Highcroft team. Patrón have been a personal sponsor of Sharp since his Indycar Series days. The pair had a successful season in 2008, finishing second overall in their P2 class. At Lime Rock Park Sharp claimed pole position and managed to win the race outright.
 |
 |
