Paul Tracy
A brash, wheel-to-wheel racer whose aggressive style and outspoken personality made him one of the most compelling and successful drivers in Champ Car history.
Born 1968 (age 58)·Canadian racing driver·Birthday: December 17·Generation X
Biography
Paul Tracy drove as he talked: with maximum attack. Bursting onto the North American open-wheel scene as a teenage prodigy from Canada, he quickly established a reputation for breathtaking overtakes and occasional controversy. His raw speed was undeniable, fueling a successful, often tumultuous partnership with Team Penske. The apex of his career came in 2003 when he seized the Champ Car World Series title after a season-long, bitter feud with rival Bruno Junqueira, a championship defined by sheer will. Tracy's career was a highlight reel of audacious moves and memorable quotes, making him a polarizing but must-watch figure. Though an Indianapolis 500 victory eluded him amid disputed circumstances in 2002, his 31 Champ Car wins stand as a testament to a driver who refused to yield an inch, embodying the swaggering spirit of the CART era.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Paul was born in 1968, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paul Was Born
The biggest hits of 1968
#1 Movie
2001: A Space Odyssey
Best Picture
Oliver!
#1 TV Show
The Andy Griffith Show
Paul's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1968Born
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1973Started school
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1981Became a teenager
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Could drive
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1986Could vote
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Turned 21
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1998Turned 30
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 40
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 50
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 58 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the 2003 Champ Car World Series championship, securing seven wins that season.
- Achieved 31 career victories in Champ Car competition, placing him among the series' all-time winners.
- Won the 1990 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award.
- Scored his first major open-wheel victory at the 1993 Michigan 500.
Did You Know?
He is known by the nickname 'The Thrill from West Hill' (referencing his hometown in Toronto).
His 2002 apparent victory at the Indianapolis 500 was controversially overturned by a penalty issued well after the race ended.
He began karting at age five and won his first karting championship at age eight.
He has served as a color commentator for IndyCar Series broadcasts on NBC Sports.
“I don't race for second place.”
