The 1986 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the 8th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by CART. The season consisted of 17 races, and one non-points exhibition event. Bobby Rahal was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Chip Robinson. The 1986 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Bobby Rahal won the Indy 500, and would later become the first driver since 1980 to win Indy and the CART championship in the same season.
The first two races of the season were won by Kevin Cogan (Phoenix) and Michael Andretti (Long Beach), respectfully, the first career wins for both drivers on the CART circuit. Rain delayed the Indianapolis 500, postponing it for six days. Bobby Rahal, driving for Truesports, passed Kevin Cogan with two laps to go, and won for car owner Jim Trueman, who was stricken with cancer. Trueman died less than two weeks later.
The season would shape up as a two-man battle between Rahal and Michael Andretti. Andretti won at Milwaukee, which put him in the points lead for the first time. On Father's Day, Andretti was leading on the final lap at Portland. His car ran out of fuel on the final turn of the final lap, and his father Mario beat him to the finish line by 0.07 seconds. It would go down in lore as one of the most shocking finishes in Indy car history, as well as the closest finish in Indy car history on a road course (until 1997).
Rahal was back in victory lane in July, winning the inaugural Molson Indy Toronto, but Michael Andretti still held the points lead. Rahal won four out of five races during a stretch in August and September, and emerged with a 9-point lead in the standings with two races left. Michael Andretti won a key victory at the second-to-last race of the season at Phoenix, while Rahal finished 3rd.
Going into the season finale at Tamiami Park, Rahal held a scant 3-point lead over Andretti. Neither driver was a factor at Miami, and just past the halfway point, Andretti dropped out with a broken halfshaft. Rahal effectively clinched the championship when Andretti dropped out. Roberto Guerrero won the pole and dominated the race, leading the first 111 laps. But on the final lap, his car sputtered and he ran out of fuel. Al Unser, Jr. slipped by to steal the victory, his lone win of 1986. Unser, Jr. won from 19th starting position, the furthest back any driver had won a CART road/street course race at the time. Taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986_CART_PPG_Indy_Car_World_Series.

Race Results:

	Date	Site	Cars	Winner(s)	St	Chassis / Engine	Miles	Pole	Cau	Laps	Speed	LC	Time of Race
CART	4/6/1986	Phoenix	24	Kevin Cogan	4	March / Cosworth	200	165.776	7	45	120.345	11	1:39
CART	4/13/1986	Long Beach	24	Michael Andretti	7	March / Cosworth	159	90.318	2	11	80.965	6	1:57
USAC	5/31/1986	Indianapolis	33	Bobby Rahal	4	March / Cosworth	500	216.828	6	29	170.722	20	2:55
CART	6/8/1986	Milwaukee	24	Michael Andretti	1	March / Cosworth	200	152.905	5	27	116.788	4	1:42
CART	6/15/1986	Portland	21	Mario Andretti	7	Lola / Cosworth	199	94.084	0	0	107.759	7	1:50
CART	6/29/1986	Meadowlands	25	Danny Sullivan	5	March / Cosworth	168	100.028	0	0	92.34	5	1:49
CART	7/6/1986	Cleveland	25	Danny Sullivan	1	March / Cosworth	218	135.144	0	0	127.106	2	1:43
CART	7/20/1986	Toronto	24	Bobby Rahal	2	March / Cosworth	183	106.248	1	23	87.414	7	2:05
CART	8/2/1986	Michigan	28	Johnny Rutherford	14	March / Cosworth	500	223.401	9	72	137.139	21	3:38
CART	8/17/1986	Pocono	29	Mario Andretti	3	Lola / Cosworth	500	205.724	7	43	152.106	7	3:17
CART	8/31/1986	Mid-Ohio	25	Bobby Rahal	4	March / Cosworth	202	113.331	1	7	103.43	4	1:56
CART	9/7/1986	Sanair	21	Bobby Rahal	3	March / Cosworth	186	148.132	7	54	103.157	4	1:48
CART	9/28/1986	Michigan	23	Bobby Rahal	8	March / Cosworth	250	219.445	3	17	181.701	9	1:22
CART	10/4/1986	Elkhart Lake	24	Emerson Fittipaldi	5	March / Cosworth	200	124.321	2	11	81.8	5	2:26
CART	10/12/1986	Laguna Seca	24	Bobby Rahal	2	March / Cosworth	186	128.969	0	0	119.693	6	1:33
CART	10/19/1986	Phoenix	23	Michael Andretti	4	March / Cosworth	200	162.918	2	13	134.676	5	1:29
CART	11/9/1986	Miami	27	Al Unser, Jr.	19	Lola / Cosworth	200	113.043	0	0	106.322	1	1:52