Sunday, March 10, 2013

1995: When Subway was in IndyCar


Last week when Carl Edwards won the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix (in a Subway-sponsored car, no less – probably just one of those NASCAR coincidences), it got me thinking about back when Subway sponsored an Indy car.

Behold the No. 99 (same as Edwards’ number) of Dean Hall. This diecast is from 1995; unfortunately Dean failed to make the Indianapolis 500 that year. In fact, his attempt at the Brickyard may well have been his last appearance in Indy car period. The 1995-96 Autocourse yearbook shows no other appearances for him the rest of the season, citing evaporation of sponsorship. Who knows, maybe Jared and his size-62 pants had something to do with it.

What I’d really like to know is the story behind this sponsorship. How’d he land it? It wasn’t like Hall was a household name – he made his only start at Indianapolis in 1990, finishing 17th driving for Dale Coyne. By 1995 Hall was with Dick Simon, who more often than not got his cars into the field. Just not this time.

At least he was in good company – Al Unser Jr. and Emerson Fittipaldi also famously failed to quality that year as well.

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