For Sale: 2000 Toyota Pioneer/MCI Worldcom Reynard Indy Car No. 97
Rarely does owning a piece of racing history come at such a low price, especially for a complete vehicle in great condition. You are looking at the number 97 Pioneer/MCI WorldCom Toyota (presented as the No. 25 MCI WorldCom Toyota). This car was the first Toyota to win a major Indy Car race.
Driven by Brazilian racing sensation Cristiano Da Matta, the Pioneer Electronics/MCI WorldCom Toyota earned PPI its first win at Chicago Motor Speedway on July 30, 2000. Da Matta led 51 of 225 laps to reel in a nearly two-second margin of victory over Indy car legend Michael Andretti. Earlier that season, da Matta had also made PPI’s–and Toyota’s–podium debut with a third-place finish in Cleveland, Ohio.
Actual car in race winning livery
Da Matta, an Indy Lights series champion prior to joining PPI, was in his second and final year with the PPI team. After PPI’s Indy car operation ended at the close of the 2000 racing season, da Matta went on to win the 2002 CART championship and compete for Toyota in Formula One.
When asked about what this first Indy car win meant to him, da Matta said, “This win is for Cal [Wells] and for Jeff Krosnoff.” Krosnoff drove for PPI in 1996, the team’s first full season of Indy car competition. His life was tragically cut short when he was killed in a racing accident in Toronto that same year. Therefore, that’s why you see this car painted in PPG paint using the MCI WorldCom paint scheme as a tribute to Jeff Krosnoff.
Some facts about the car:
- 2000 Reynard chassis made in England
- Carbon fiber/honeycomb body construction
- Weighs 1,550 lbs
- 40/60 weight distribution
- Toyota 1.65 liter aluminum alloy V8
- Xtrac six-speed sequential shift
- Brembo ventilated steel discs with eight piston calipers
If you’re a fan of motorsports history, there’s no doubt that this car has earned a position in the finest collections.
Check it out on the MCG Marketplace, here
