DETROIT (Nov. 4, 1996) – PPG Cup champion Jimmy Vasser, buoyed by the year-end $1 million bonus from PPG Industries, became only the second driver in PPG Indy Car World Series history to surpass the $3 million barrier for prize money in a single season.

Vasser, a 30-year-old Californian, earned a total of $3,071,500 with Target/Chip Ganassi Racing to join Al Unser Jr. as the only drivers to reach that lofty mark. Unser Jr. holds the single-season record with earnings of $3,535,813 in 1994. The bulk of Vasser’s season income came courtesy of The Inaugural U.S. 500, the Memorial Day weekend event at Michigan International Speedway which he won from the pole. His payday was $1,156,250, which included $1 million for winning the race as well as a Marlboro Pole Award-record $100,000 for taking the pole.

Vasser, driving a Target Reynard Honda, was second in the PPG Indy Car World Series in victories and poles with four of each. His triumphs came at Miami, Australia, Long Beach and the U.S. 500. He won Australia and the U.S. 500 from the pole and added pole positions at Cleveland and Michigan to earn a record $250,000 from the Marlboro Pole Award program. He also won a Mercedes-Benz E420 Sport in a drawing of pole winners at the season finale in Monterey, Calif. In addition, Vasser earned awards from AC Delco ($28,000), STP ($10,000) and Bosch ($7,000) out of the record $1 million in contingency funds.

Target/Chip Ganassi teammate Alex Zanardi, third in the points championship, was second in season earnings with $1,408,250. The total is the second-best by a rookie in PPG Indy Car World Series history, trailing only the $2,526,953 won by PPG Cup champion Nigel Mansell in 1993. Zanardi (Target Reynard Honda) recorded three victories and a series-leading six poles en route to a $50,000 bonus for winning the Jim Trueman Rookie of the Year award. He won from the pole at Portland, Mid-Ohio and Laguna Seca and had additional top positions at Rio, Elkhart Lake and Vancouver to earn $220,000 from the Marlboro bonus program. He had contingency earnings from AC Delco ($18,000) and Bosch ($7,000).

Michael Andretti (Kmart/Texaco/Havoline Lola Ford), the PPG Cup runnerup with a series-high five victories, topped the $1 million mark for the sixth time in his career to finish third on the money list. Andretti won $1,386,750, his third-best season total, and currently ranks fourth in all-time earnings with $13,862,619. In contingency awards, he won $22,000 from AC Delco, $15,000 from STP and $8,000 from Bosch. Andretti’s victories came at Nazareth, Milwaukee, Detroit, Road America and Vancouver.

Unser Jr. (Marlboro Penske Mercedes), fourth in the points race, also finished fourth on the money list with $987,000. He earned $3,000 in contingencies from Bosch and $1,000 from the Budweiser Accelerator Award. The season winnings increased his record all-time career earnings to $17,735,906.

Christian Fittipaldi (Kmart/Budweiser Lola Ford), fifth in the points, closed out the top five with $913,750 in season earnings. He won contingency awards from AC Delco ($10,500), STP ($4,000) and Bosch ($2,000). In his two years of PPG Indy Car World Series competition, he has been among the top six in earnings.