Jeff Simmons (racing driver)

Last updated
Jeff Simmons
Nationality Flag of the United States.svg American
Born (1976-08-05) August 5, 1976 (age 47)
Hartford, Connecticut, U.S.
Related to Chris Simmons (brother)
IRL IndyCar Series
Years active2004, 2006–2008
Teams Mo Nunn Racing
Patrick Racing
Rahal Letterman Racing
A. J. Foyt Enterprises
Starts26
Wins0
Poles0
Best finish16th in 2006
Previous series
2000, 2003–2006, 2008 Indy Lights
Awards
1999 Team USA Scholarship

Jeff Simmons (born August 5, 1976) is an American former race car driver [1] who competed in the Indy Racing League. [2]

Contents

Early career

Born in Hartford and grew up in East Granby, Simmons began his professional career in the Barber Dodge Pro Series in 1998. In his first season, he won the rookie of the year and the series championship, becoming only the second rookie ever to win the title. The "Career Enhancement Award" of $250,000 that went with the title was not enough to secure him a ride at the next level, Indy Lights, so he returned to Barber Dodge in 1999. He successfully defended his championship and in so doing became the only person ever to win the championship twice. With two "Career Enhancement Awards" ($500,000) behind him he moved up to the Indy Lights with Team Green in 2000, finishing 7th overall. When Michael Andretti joined Team Green to form Andretti Green Racing, the Indy Lights effort was disbanded. Simmons tested at the end of that year with the 2000 Indy Lights champs, PacWest Racing. However, Simmons’ lack of funding left him without a team for both 2001 and 2002. He made his return to racing in 2003 in the Infiniti Pro Series, leading his first race back and ultimately finishing 2nd in the championship with 2 wins. In 2004, Simmons once again lacked the sponsorship needed for a full-time ride, However, AJ Foyt put him in his Infiniti Pro Series car at Indianapolis where the finished 2nd. That led to Mo Nunn giving him a chance to qualify his second car for the Indianapolis 500, which he did, with just 37 laps ever in an IndyCar, and finished 16th in the race. He made one additional start that year for Patrick Racing after the retirement of Al Unser Jr. at Kansas Speedway. He put the Patrick car in the highest position it had seen all year and was set to record a top-10 when he was taken out by two of his competitors. Unable to find a ride in IndyCar for 2005, he returned to the Pro Series, finishing second in the series championship with 4 victories for Team ISI/Kenn Hardley Racing.

IndyCar Series

Expecting another season in the Pro Series in 2006, those plans were turned upside down when Paul Dana was killed in a practice crash before the first IndyCar series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway on a weekend where Simmons won the IPS race.

Simmons was rewarded for his resilience when Rahal Letterman Racing announced April 4, 2006, he would drive the No. 17 Ethanol-sponsored Panoz – Honda effective April 22 in Motegi and was eligible to compete for the Rookie of the Year award, although he was no longer an Indy 500 rookie due to his start in 2004. He contested the remainder of the 2006 IRL IndyCar Series season and finished 16th in series points despite missing the first two races. His best finish in 2006 was 7th place at Nashville Superspeedway and Infineon Raceway.

Simmons practicing his Foyt Enterprises #41 car for the 2008 Indianapolis 500 JeffSimmonsNo41.jpg
Simmons practicing his Foyt Enterprises #41 car for the 2008 Indianapolis 500

For the 2007 season, Simmons was joined at Rahal Letterman by IRL veteran Scott Sharp. The season saw the team hampered by engineering and mechanical issues ultimately resulting in a lawsuit by Sharp against the team and its owners. Simmons led the Indianapolis 500 that year and ran in the top-5 most of the race until rain forced an early end to the event and Simmons to finish in 11th. On July 19, after 11 races, Simmons was let go from the team, who replaced him with fellow American Ryan Hunter-Reay.

In February 2007, Jeff became engaged to WTHR Sunrise reporter, Stephanie Soviar. They were married in September of that year, but ended up getting divorced in April 2010.

Simmons returned to the Indy Lights Series (formerly the Indy Pro Series) at the beginning of the 2008 season, driving for Team Moore Racing. He was given a chance to return to the IndyCar Series, albeit temporarily, to drive a second entry for A. J. Foyt Enterprises in the 2008 Indianapolis 500 and qualified 24th. He quickly moved up the field in the race until a pit lane incident damaged the car. A mechanical failure finally sent him into the wall during a caution period, resulting in a 28th-place finish.

Motorsports Career Results

American open–wheel racing results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Complete USF2000 National Championship results

YearEntrant123456789101112PosPoints
1997 Falcon Racing Services WDW STP PIR DSC1 DSC2 SAV PPI CHA1 CHA2 MID
45		 WGI
5		 WGI
6		N.C.N.C.

Barber Dodge Pro Series

Year123456789101112RankPoints
1997 STP
SEB
SAV
27		 LRP
MDO
WGI
10		 MIN
MDO
ROA
LS
7		 REN
LS
??????
1998 SEB
LRP
10		 DET
1		 WGI
1		 CLE
3		 GRA
2		 MDO
26		 ROA
5		 LS1
2		 ATL
1		 HMS
2		 LS2
2		1st158
1999 SEB
5		 NAZ
2		 LRP
20		 POR
1		 CLE
3		 ROA
1		 DET
24		 MDO
2		 GRA
7		 LS
1		 HMS
4		 WGI
5		1st152

Indy Lights / Indy Pro Series

YearTeam12345678910111213141516RankPoints
2000 Team KOOL Green LBH
4		 MIL
7		 DET
9		 POR
3		 MIS
15		 CHI
7		 MDO
6		 VAN
3		 LS
3		 STL
14		 HOU
11		 FON
6		7th88
2003 Keith Duesenberg Racing HMS
14		 PHX
5		 INDY
4		 PPIR
2		 KAN
14		 NSH
4		 MIS
2		 STL
1		 KTY
1		 CHI
3		 FON
8		 TXS
2		2nd407
2004 A. J. Foyt Enterprises HMS PHX INDY
2		 KAN NSH MIL MIS KTY 12th150
Kenn Hardley Racing PPIR
9		 CHI
2		 FON
10		 TXS
6
2005 Kenn Hardley Racing HMS
9		 PHX
12		 STP
12		 INDY
7		 TXS
8		 IMS
13		 NSH
2		 MIL
1		 KTY
5		 PPIR
1		 SNM
3		 CHI
1		 WGL
1		 FON
2		2nd474
2006 Kenn Hardley Racing HMS
1		 STP1
2		 STP2
4		 INDY WGL IMS NSH MIL KTY SNM1 SNM2 CHI 12th122
2008 Team Moore Racing HMS STP1
4		 STP2
19		 KAN
7		 INDY
8		 MIL
2		 IOW
6		 WGL1
3		 WGL2
6		 NSH
15		 MDO1
6		 MDO2
21		 KTY
23		 SNM1 SNM2 CHI 13th285
2010 Team E STP ALA LBH INDY
15		 IOW WGL TOR EDM MDO SNM CHI KTY HMS 34th15

IndyCar Series

YearTeam12345678910111213141516171819RankPointsRef
2004 Mo Nunn Racing HMSPHXMOT INDY
16		TXSRIR29th26 [3]
Patrick Racing KAN
19		NSHMILMISKTYPPIRNZRCHIFONTX2
2006 Rahal Letterman Racing HMS STP MOT
18		 INDY
23		WGL
19		TXS
15		RIR
19		KAN
10		NSH
7		MIL
9		MIS
10		KTY
14		SNM
7		CHI
8		16th217 [4]
2007 Rahal Letterman Racing HMS
17		 STP
14		 MOT
8		 KAN
10		 INDY
11		 MIL
10		 TXS
6		 IOW
17		 RIR
18		 WGL
10		 NSH
14		 MDO MIS KTY SNM DET CHI 18th201 [5]
2008 A. J. Foyt Enterprises HMS STP MOT 1 LBH 1 KAN INDY
28		 MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL NSH MDO EDM KTY SNM DET CHI SRF 2
39th10 [6]
1 Run on same day.
2 Non-points race.
YearsTeamsRacesPolesWinsPodiums
(Non-win)		Top 10s
(Non-podium)		Indianapolis 500
Wins		Championships
44260001100

Indianapolis 500

YearChassisEngineStartFinishTeam
2004 Dallara Toyota 2916 Mo Nunn Racing
2006 Panoz Honda 2623 Rahal Letterman Racing
2007 Dallara Honda 1311 Rahal Letterman Racing
2008 Dallara Honda 2428 A. J. Foyt Enterprises

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References

  1. ↑ "Jeff Simmons – Bio". jeffsimmons.com. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  2. ↑ "Simmons in at Team E for Indianapolis". junioropenwheeltalent.com. Archived from the original on 9 October 2016. Retrieved 26 December 2010.
  3. ↑ "Jeff Simmons – 2004 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Jeff Simmons – 2006 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  5. ↑ "Jeff Simmons – 2007 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  6. ↑ "Jeff Simmons – 2008 IndyCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
Sporting positions
Preceded by Barber Dodge Pro Series Champion
1998 – 1999 		Succeeded by
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