Despite having an engine that was widely accepted as equal or superior to that of its competitors, the record book will not show how successful Mercedes-Benz was during its sophomore year of PPG Indy Car World Series competition.

Often on the wrong side of the tire and chassis battles, and suffering more than its fair share of racing misfortunes, the eight-driver Mercedes-Benz contingent turned in 13 podium finishes, three pole positions and, most notably, not a single visit to victory lane in 1996.

"By the end of the season, we had the best engine on the track," Hal Whiteford, vice president, operations, for Mercedes-Benz of North America. "We had team after team approach us about using our engines in 1997. It really is due to Ilmor Engineering (the race engine-building arm of Mercedes) working with each of our teams and coming up with the horsepower gains. Obviously, with five wins in our first year, we’re disappointed with this season’s statistics, but we’ve got a new version of the engine on the way for 1997 with still more power and increased reliability. So, it’s not too hard to put this year behind us and focus on next season."

Early Horsepower Gains
For 1996, the "C" version of the Mercedes-Benz IC108 engine was introduced in phases, with each of the new parts compatible with last year’s engine. This process allowed horsepower gains while extending the design and development stages.

Winter testing at the Mercedes-Benz’s transient dynamometer in Stuttgart, Germany, and at Ilmor’s Bixworth, England facilities resulted in improved power. The new strength was proven when Marlboro Penske/Mercedes-Benz pilot Paul Tracy won the pole position at the Grand Prix of Miami. Tracy led the first 83 laps of the race until transmission trouble ended his day.

"We were very pleased with the off-season horsepower gains we made," said Paul Ray, vice president of Ilmor Engineering. "Early indications were very good, but we know just how competitive Indy car racing is and for that reason, our development progress is ongoing."

In the next three races, Tracy’s Marlboro Team Penske teammate Al Unser Jr. scored a second and two third-place finishes, and Players/Forsythe Racing’s rookie sensation Greg Moore, the lone Mercedes driver with Firestone tires, led impressively in Rio de Janeiro and scored his first podium finish in a PPG Cup at Surfers Paradise, Australia.

At Nazareth (Pa) Speedway, Mercedes-Benz dominated, with Tracy scoring his second pole and leading the most laps. But what seemed a sure victory evaporated when blistered tires caused him to skid into the pit lane wall, injuring three of his crew members. Tracy would recover to finish fifth as Mercedes-powered cars swept second through sixth place.

The Phase II Inlet System
Qualifying weekend for the inaugural U.S. 500 at Michigan International Speedway marked the on-track debut of the Phase II inlet system. Conceived to optimize the IC108C at the lower turbo boost pressure mandated by IndyCar for races at the two-mile MIS oval, the Phase II would later prove its worth on road courses as well.

"Ilmor has always placed a premium on reliability," said Ray, reflecting back on the season. "This year we made big performance improvements, but those gains exposed some fundamental weaknesses in the engine design. We knew what to do to fix them but manufacturing constraints kept us from making the changes this season. All we could do was incorporate the lessons we learned in the design for next year’s engine and wait."

At Milwaukee, Tracy took another pole position, and another seemingly sure victory slipped (literally) from Unser’s grasp as Michael Andretti’s tires gave him the traction to overtake Unser during a late-race re-start.

Straight-Line Speed
The Phase II inlet system made its road-course debut in the Miller Genuine Draft 200 at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, and Mercedes-Benz Junior Team member Jan Magnussen, an International Touring Car championship competitor and Marlboro-McLaren-Mercedes Formula One test driver, sat in for the injured Tracy before switching to Emerson Fittipaldi’s car for the remaining three races.

Bryan Herta continued a string of strong finishes with a fourth-place showing (he would score top-six finishes in the final seven races of 1996), but it was the Phase II-equipped Mercedes-Benz IC108C that made the biggest news of the day when Ilmor technicians announced that Mercedes-powered cars had recorded the highest top speeds at the end of Mid-Ohio’s back straight.

"Although top speed at the end of the straight can be affected by tires and aerodynamic drag from the chassis setup, it is a very strong indication of the overall horsepower of the engine," Paul Ray said at the time. "On-track data indicates that our in-season development program has paid off and that, with the new Phase II engine, we’ve at least achieved parity with the other manufacturers, if not surpassed them."

Last-Lap Heartbreak
It looked as if the long dry spell would end at Road America, in Elkhart Lake, Wis., as Unser took the lead at half-distance and Mercedes-powered teams held four of top-six spots. At the end of the day, however, despite claiming three of the top-five finishing positions, there was little joy among the supporters of the three-pointed star because the 25 laps Unser led - more than any other driver in the race - did not include the last one. His engine expired two turns from the checkered flag, handing the win to Andretti, with Bobby Rahal a close second.

The trend of last lap disappointment and promises unfulfilled continued to the end. In round 16 at Laguna, it took a last-lap, banzai pass by Alex Zanardi to keep Herta and Mercedes out of victory lane. With an unbelievable pass, Zanardi managed to overtake Herta, who had dominated the second half of the race, three corners from the checkered flag. Moore finished sixth to claim second in the Rookie of the Year standings, while Unser, struggling with handling problems, wound up 16th and four in the final PPG Cup points. Despite no wins, Unser parlayed his Mercedes-power to consistently strong finishes, remaining in contention for the title until the final race.

Looking Ahead
The 1996 silly season – particularly at Laguna Seca – was exceptionally active for Mercedes-Benz, as many teams clamored to join the Mercedes-powered family. Ironically, one of the first announcements of the weekend was the departure of Team Rahal to the Ford/Cosworth camp. Mercedes’ Whiteford reacted to the news, saying: "We are saddened by the news that one our primary customer teams in the PPG Indy Car World Series will not be with us next year but understand Bobby’s decision.

Professional auto racing is a business endeavor, and Ford made Team Rahal a commercial offer which was too good to pass up." Whiteford also underlined the fact that the move would in no way affect Rahal’s status as a Mercedes-Benz dealer.

Happier news came in the form of an announcement that the PacWest Racing Group, with drivers Mauricio Gugelmin and Mark Blundell, would use Mercedes engines and Firestone tires next season. In addition to citing the competence and professionalism of the Bruce McCaw-led team, Steve Potter explained that tires played a major role in the decision. "This season, we have often been at the mercy of the tire war," said Potter. "Greg Moore and the Players/Forsythe Racing Team were our sole Firestone-tired team, and while they performed extremely well - on those occasions when the tire war slanted in Firestone’s favor, that meant all our eggs were in one basket. The arrangement with PacWest affords us a measure of diversification."

The full slate of Mercedes-powered teams has yet to be determined, but one thing is certain - they’ll be due for a win going into the 1997 PPG Indy Car World Series season.