1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series

1985 CART season
PPG Indy Car World Series
Season
Races15
Start dateApril 14
End dateNovember 10
Awards
Drivers' championUnited States Al Unser
Constructors' CupUnited Kingdom March 85C/84C
Manufacturers' CupUnited Kingdom Cosworth DFX
Nations' CupUnited States United States
Rookie of the YearNetherlands Arie Luyendyk
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited States Danny Sullivan
← 1984
1986 →

The 1985 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 7th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 15 races. Al Unser Sr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Arie Luyendyk. The 1985 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Danny Sullivan won the Indy 500, in dramatic fashion, a race that became known as the "Spin and Win."

In September 1984, Rick Mears suffered serious leg injuries in a crash at Sanair. Mears drove only a part-time schedule in 1985, racing at Indianapolis, and subsequently on ovals only. Al Unser Sr. took Mears' full-time seat at Penske Racing as a substitute for the season. Unser had one win, ten top fives, and one other top ten, en route to the championship, a battle that climaxed in dramatic fashion in the final race of the season.