1971 Indianapolis 500

55th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body	USAC
Season	1971 USAC Trail
Date	May 29, 1971
Winner	Al Unser, Sr.
Winning team	Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing
Average speed	157.735 mph (253.850 km/h)
Pole position	Peter Revson
Pole speed	178.696 mph (287.583 km/h)
Fastest qualifier	Peter Revson
Rookie of the Year	Denny Zimmerman
Most laps led	Al Unser, Sr. (103)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthem	Purdue Band
"Back Home Again in Indiana"	Peter DePaolo
Starting command	Tony Hulman
Pace car	Dodge Challenger
Pace car driver	Eldon Palmer
Starter	Pat Vidan
Estimated attendance	261,000
TV in the United States
Network	ABC
Announcers	Jim McKay, Jackie Stewart
Chronology
1970	1972

Last updated August 11, 2024

The 55th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was a motor race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Saturday, May 29, 1971. Al Unser Sr. won for the second consecutive year, dominating most of the race.^[3]^[4] Unser became the fourth driver to win the Indy 500 in back-to-back years, and it was his second of a record-tying four Indy victories.

Peter Revson started on the pole with a record speed of 178.696 miles per hour (287.6 km/h), more than a mile per hour faster than any other qualifier, with defending Indy 500 winner and USAC National Champion Al Unser in the middle of the second row. Mark Donohue, who qualified in the middle of the front row, took the lead at the start of the race and led the first 50 laps. A mechanical issue ended his day, however, on lap 66, at which time Unser assumed the lead. He and Joe Leonard swapped the lead several times during the middle portion of the race, but Unser led for the final 83 laps, giving him a win for the second year in a row. He was the first to successfully defend his title since Bill Vukovich won in 1953–1954.

Unser became the first and only driver to-date to win the race on his birthday (32nd); which was also coincidentally the first time the race had ever been held on May 29, and he also became the first winner to celebrate in the new victory lane. The new winner's area, now featuring black and white checkered ramps, was moved from the south end of the pits to the "horseshoe" area immediately below the Master Control Tower, near the start/finish line.

The 1971 Indy 500 was part of the newly re-organized USAC Marlboro Championship Trail, in which dirt tracks were separated from the paved ovals and road courses. From then on, the Gold Crown championship schedule would consist solely of paved tracks (both ovals and road courses), giving the national championship a decidedly new look for the 1970s and beyond. In addition, with 500-mile races at Ontario and Pocono now on the schedule, Indy car racing formed its first "triple crown."

The city of Indianapolis celebrated its Sesquicentennial in 1971, and the occasion was reflected on the bronze and silver pit badges for the month of May.^[7] During the week leading up to the race, Indianapolis was also the site of 1971 NATO International Conference of Cities.^[8]

Race schedule

In the days leading up to the race, Speedway officials announced that female reporters would be allowed in the pit area and garage area for the first time.

For this race, and again in 1972, the race was scheduled for the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. The Uniform Monday Holiday Act had taken effect in 1971, and the Speedway moved the race off of its original traditional fixed date of May 30. Through 1970, Memorial Day was a fixed date holiday observed on May 30 regardless of the day of the week. From 1911 to 1970, the race was scheduled for May 30, regardless of the day of the week, unless May 30 fell on a Sunday. In those cases, the race would be scheduled for Monday May 31. In 1973, it was scheduled for Monday (but rain delayed it until Wednesday), and from 1974 onward, it was scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.

For 1971, the traditional Carburetion Day practice, held on Wednesday May 26, was officially open to the public for the first time.^[9]

Race schedule — May, 1971
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
						1 Practice
2 Practice	3 Practice	4 Practice	5 Practice	6 Practice	7 Practice	8 Practice
9 Practice	10 Practice	11 Practice	12 Practice	13 Practice	14 Practice	15 Pole Day
16 Time Trials	17 Practice	18 Practice	19 Practice	20 Practice	21 Practice	22 Time Trials
23 Bump Day	24	25	26 Carb Day	27	28 Parade	29 Indy 500
30	31 Memorial Day

Color	Notes
Green	Practice
Dark Blue	Time trials
Silver	Race day
Red	Rained out*
Blank	No track activity

*Includes days where track
activity was significantly
limited due to rain

Time trials

For the first time, USAC firmed up the rules regarding pole day qualifying. As had been done in previous years, a blind draw would be held to determine the order of qualifying on pole day. However, starting in 1971, all drivers/cars in the original qualifying draw order would be allowed the opportunity to make at least one attempt in the pole round regardless if rain halted the session and pushed it off to another day.^[10] Previously, if rain interrupted the qualifying line on pole day, any cars left in the original qualifying order at the time the track closed because of weather or the track closing at 6:00 p.m. were deemed to qualify on the next round.

During practice, McLaren arrived at the track with the new M16 chassis, drawing attention and some controversy due to presence of a large rear wing affixed to the engine cover. USAC rules through 1971 required that any aerodynamic devices were to be an integral part of the bodywork.^[11] After inspection, officials ultimately approved the device, as McLaren argued it was part of the engine cover. The engine cover was not much more than a flat, plate-like shape that ran along the top of the engine, with the wing affixed to the rear.^[12] As practice began, the McLaren entries quickly established themselves as favorites for the pole position.

Pole Day - Saturday May 15

McLaren M16 cars dominated qualifying during a record-shattering afternoon. The chassis took 1st, 2nd, and 4th starting positions, but the results were not without some surprise. Mark Donohue in the Penske-owned McLaren had broken the 180 mph barrier during practice on Thursday, establishing himself as the favorite for the pole. Donohue lucked out with an early draw on Pole Day, going out third in line. He posted a four-lap average of 177.087 mph to sit on the provisional pole. It was a new track record, but a little disappointing compared to the 180 mph lap he had two days earlier.

Later in the day, Peter Revson, driving a works McLaren, bumped Donohue from the pole with a four-lap average of 178.696 mph.^[13] The pole position far out of reach for the rest of the field. Donohue reportedly suffered handling problems with his car during his run, purportedly as a result of his crew refusing to dial it in as he requested. Donohue then confided with his friend Revson, who then clandestinely borrowed Donohue's chassis set-up advice to knock him off the pole.^[14] Bobby Unser in an Eagle chassis, squeezed between the three McLaren cars by qualifying third.

Second Day - Sunday May 16

Three drivers completed runs, with Bud Tingelstad (170.156 mph) the fastest of the afternoon. Mike Mosley returned after two crashes the previous day, and qualified solidly over 169 mph.

Third Day - Saturday May 22

A busy day saw the field filled to 33 cars car. The day concluded with Steve Krisiloff bumping out rookie Sam Posey.

Bump Day - Sunday May 23

Strong winds kept speeds down, and only three drivers successfully bumped their way into the field. The windy conditions led to six crashes, and hopefuls waited until the final 45 minutes before they took to the track. The session started out with Mel Kenyon bumping out Carl Williams. Bob Harkey bumped Dick Simon, and Art Pollard got back into the field by bumping Jim McElreath.

Jim Hurtubise once again tried to qualify his front-engined roadster, but on his second lap, hit the outside wall at the head of the main stretch. His first two laps would not have been fast enough to bump his way in. The day ended as Dick Simon (waved off) and Jerry Grant (waved off) made unsuccessful attempts.

After qualifying, car owner Dick Simon announced he was going to take over the machine qualified by John Mahler. By rule, the car must move to the rear of the grid (33rd) on race day.

Starting grid

Row	Inside		Middle		Outside
1	86	Peter Revson	66	Mark Donohue	2	Bobby Unser W
2	85	Denny Hulme	1	Al Unser W	9	A. J. Foyt W
3	12	Lloyd Ruby	15	Joe Leonard	5	Mario Andretti W
4	42	Jim Malloy	32	Bill Vukovich II	7	Gordon Johncock
5	16	Gary Bettenhausen	21	Cale Yarborough	95	Bentley Warren R
6	68	David Hobbs R	58	Bud Tingelstad	38	Rick Muther
7	4	Mike Mosley	84	Donnie Allison	80	George Snider
8	6	Roger McCluskey	22	Wally Dallenbach Sr.	18	Johnny Rutherford
9	98	Sammy Sessions	45	Larry Dickson	20	Steve Krisiloff R
10	43	Denny Zimmerman R	41	George Follmer	32	Mel Kenyon
11	64	Art Pollard	99	Bob Harkey	44	Dick Simon

R Indianapolis 500 rookie

W Indianapolis 500 winner

Alternates

First alternate: Jim McElreath (#14, #46)

Failed to Qualify

Tony Adamowicz R (#17)
Ronnie Bucknum (#17, #97)
Larry Cannon R (#47)
Jimmy Caruthers R (#64)
Jerry Grant (#17, #78, #92)
Jim Hurtubise (#56)
Bruce Jacobi R (#71)
Bobby Johns (#97)
Dee Jones R (#51)
Jerry Karl R (#71)
Arnie Knepper (#19, #29, #30, #65)
Al Loquasto R (#26, #31)
John Mahler R (#44) - Replaced by Dick Simon
John Martin R (#69)
Sam Posey R (#78)
Bill Puterbaugh R (#30)
Les Scott R (#50)
Bill Simpson R (#28)
Jigger Sirois R (#65)
Dave Strickland R (#50)
Bruce Walkup (#94, #97, #98)
Salt Walther R (#77) - Failed rookie test
Greg Weld (#31, #35)
Carl Williams (#77)
LeeRoy Yarbrough (#42, #48)^[15]

Pace car crash

The repaired 1971 Dodge Challenger pace car. 1971Indianapolis500PaceCar.jpg — The repaired 1971 Dodge Challenger pace car.

For 1971, none of the Big Three auto manufacturers chose to supply a pace car for the Indianapolis 500, as the muscle car market had dried up and marketing efforts were shifted elsewhere. Four local Indianapolis-area Dodge dealers, spearheaded by Eldon Palmer, stepped up to supply the fleet of pace cars. The vehicle chosen was the Dodge Challenger 383-4V.^[16] Palmer was chosen to drive the pace car at the start of the race.

In preparation for the race, Palmer or an aide supposedly set up an orange flag (sometimes reported as an orange traffic cone) in the pit lane to provide himself with a braking reference point. However, there has been some dispute regarding the existence of the marker at all.^[17] One account claimed it had not been there for several days.^[18] During the parade and pace lap, Tony Hulman, ABC broadcaster Chris Schenkel, and John Glenn served as passengers in the car. Palmer practiced the run the day before the race.

As the field came down the main stretch for the start, Palmer pulled into the pits and accelerated down the pit lane. Palmer continued to accelerate, under the impression that he was required to cross the start/finish line in the pit area prior to, or at the same time, as the race cars doing so out on the track.^[18] His reference flag (or cone) had been removed and he missed his planned braking spot. Moving upwards of perhaps 125 miles per hour (201 km/h), Palmer realized he was going too fast, and rather than perilously veering back on to the racing surface, he braked heavily and lost control. Palmer had refused to blame the car, stating afterwards that "the equipment was good, disc brakes. I just didn't have enough track to stop."^[19] However, testimony during a 1974 civil trial stated that the pace car was supposed to be ordered with power disc brakes, but was built and delivered to the track with only manual drum brakes.^[18]^[20] Furthermore, Palmer's attorney added that a security guard running out of the way effectively blocked the exit to the pits.^[18]

The car swerved and skidded to the end of the pit lane, and crashed into a photographers' stand.^[21] The stand toppled and collapsed, injuring 29 people, but no one was killed. Dr. Vicente Alvarez, a freelance photographer from Argentina, was one of two on the stand who were seriously injured. Alvarez survived, and died in the late 1990s.^[22] Tony Hulman suffered a sprained ankle, and a shaken Schenkel sat out the remainder of the ABC broadcast.

Palmer maintained possession of the car, and eventually it was repaired and restored. Ultimately, Palmer himself was largely exonerated.^[23] Indiana businessman Steven Cage purchased the vehicle in 2006, and it currently is displayed at his RPM Collection in Fishers, Indiana.^[24] Reactions of the accident were very critical afterwards, and for the next several years, the pace car drivers selected were either former Indy drivers or people with racing experience.

Race details

First half

Despite the pace car crash near the exit of the pits, the green light came on, and the race continued underway. Mark Donohue grabbed the lead from the middle of the front row.

On lap 12, Steve Krisiloff blew an engine, spilling oil in turn three. Mel Kenyon slid in the oil making contact with the turn three wall. Gordon Johncock and Mario Andretti continued to race each other through three yellow lights. When they arrived at turn three, track workers were on the scene beside the Kenyon machine. Having not heeded the yellow lights, both Johncock and Andretti slid in the oil with Johncock crashing into the Kenyon car, running over the top of it and destroying both cars. Kenyon, fortunately, had seen Johncock coming and dropped back down into the cockpit of his race car. Johncock's car left a tire mark on the top of Kenyon's helmet. The only injury received by Kenyon was a small cut on his shin from the dash board being pushed down onto his legs.^[25] All four cars were out of the race, and the yellow light was on for 19 minutes to clean up the accident.

Donohue led the first 50 laps, then the lead traded hands during pit stops between Joe Leonard, Bobby Unser, as well as Al Unser. After leading a total of 52 laps, Mark Donohue dropped out on lap 66 with broken gears. He came to a stop in turn four, and parked the car in the infield, just north of the entrance to the pits.

Lloyd Ruby led at the halfway point.

Second half

On lap 111, David Hobbs blew an engine on the main stretch. Rick Muther spun in the oil, his car veered to the inside wall, then bounced across the track, hitting Hobbs, and lifting up on two wheels. Hobbs' car was pushed head-on into the wall, but he was not seriously injured. Both cars slid down the main stretch, and came to a rest just beyond the start/finish line. The track was blocked except for a narrow portion on the inside where other cars were able to skirt by. The incident happened right in front of Al Unser, who was the leading the race at the moment. The yellow light came on for 12 minutes to clean up the crash.

After a series of pit stops by the leaders under the yellow, the green eventually came back out with Al Unser leading.

With less than 40 laps to go, Al Unser continued to lead, with Peter Revson second, Bobby Unser third, and A. J. Foyt fourth.

On lap 167, Mike Mosley lost a wheel in turn 4. He smacked the outside wall in turn four hard, then bounced across the track and hit the inside wall. Leader Al Unser was ahead of the crash, and second place Peter Revson just slipped by. Third place Bobby Unser spun to avoid Mosley, and hit the outside wall. Mosley's car then crashed into the parked cars of Mark Donohue and Steve Krisiloff, that were sitting near the entrance to the pits. A fire broke out, at which time 8th running^[26] Gary Bettenhausen stopped his car, and ran to the scene to help. Fire crews quickly doused the flames, and Mosley suffered a broken leg. Bill Vukovich II also spun to avoid the crash, but he was able to continue. The yellow remained on for 22 minutes to clean up the crash.

The green light came back on with less than 20 laps to go. Al Unser held a comfortable lead, and won his second 500 in a row. Despite four yellows for 53 minutes (about 48 laps), the average speed of 157.735 mph was a new record at the time. Bettenhausen, who finished 10th, was given a cheer at the finish for stopping to help Mosley and Unser on lap 164.^[27]

Box score

Finish	Start	No	Name	Chassis	Engine	Tires	Qual	Laps	Status
1	5	1	Al Unser W	Colt	Ford	F	174.621	200	157.735 mph
2	1	86	Peter Revson	McLaren	Offenhauser	G	178.695	200	+22.91
3	6	9	A. J. Foyt W	Coyote	Ford	G	174.317	200	+2:01.82
4	10	42	Jim Malloy	Eagle	Offenhauser	G	171.838	200	+3:53.14
5	11	32	Bill Vukovich II	Brabham	Offenhauser	F	171.674	200	+3:54.19
6	20	84	Donnie Allison	Coyote	Ford	G	171.903	199	Flagged (-1 lap)
7	17	58	Bud Tingelstad	Brabham	Offenhauser	F	170.156	198	Flagged (-2 laps)
8	28	43	Denny Zimmerman R	Vollstedt	Offenhauser	F	169.755	189	Flagged (-11 laps)
9	22	6	Roger McCluskey	Kuzma	Ford	G	171.241	188	Flagged (-12 laps)
10	13	16	Gary Bettenhausen	Gerhardt	Offenhauser	G	171.233	178	Flagged (-22 laps)
11	7	12	Lloyd Ruby	Mongoose	Ford	F	173.821	174	Gears
12	3	2	Bobby Unser W	Eagle	Offenhauser	G	175.816	164	Crash T4
13	19	4	Mike Mosley	Eagle Watson	Ford	F	169.579	159	Crash T4
14	33	44	Dick Simon	Vollstedt	Ford	F	170.165	151	Flagged (-23 laps)
15	29	41	George Follmer	Kingfish	Offenhauser	F	169.205	147	Piston
16	14	21	Cale Yarborough	Mongoose	Ford	F	170.770	140	Cam Cover
17	4	85	Denis Hulme	McLaren	Offenhauser	G	174.910	137	Valve
18	24	18	Johnny Rutherford	Eagle	Offenhauser	G	171.152	128	Flagged (-46 laps)
19	8	15	Joe Leonard	Colt	Ford	F	172.761	123	Turbocharger
20	16	68	David Hobbs R	Lola	Ford	G	169.571	107	Crash FS
21	18	38	Rick Muther	Brawner	Offenhauser	F	169.972	85	Crash FS
22	32	99	Bob Harkey	Gerhardt	Offenhauser	F	169.197	77	Gears
23	15	95	Bentley Warren R	Eagle	Offenhauser	F	169.627	76	Gears
24	23	22	Wally Dallenbach Sr.	Kuzma	Offenhauser	G	171.159	69	Valve
25	2	66	Mark Donohue	McLaren	Offenhauser	G	177.087	66	Gears
26	31	64	Art Pollard	Scorpion	Ford	G	169.499	45	Valve
27	25	98	Sammy Sessions	Lola	Ford	F	170.357	43	Valve
28	26	45	Larry Dickson	Kingfish	Offenhauser	F	170.285	33	Engine
29	12	7	Gordon Johncock	McLaren	Offenhauser	G	171.388	11	Crash T3
30	9	5	Mario Andretti W	McNamara	Ford	F	172.612	11	Crash T3
31	27	20	Steve Krisiloff R	McNamara	Ford	F	169.835	10	Oil Leak
32	30	23	Mel Kenyon	Kuzma	Ford	G	170.205	10	Crash T3
33	21	80	George Snider	Eagle	Offenhauser	F	171.600	6	Stalled

W Former Indianapolis 500 winner

R Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

Lap Leaders
Laps	Leader
1–50	Mark Donohue
51–52	Joe Leonard
53–64	Bobby Unser
65–66	Mark Donohue
67–72	Al Unser, Sr.
73–82	Joe Leonard
83–87	Al Unser, Sr.
88–94	Joe Leonard
95–98	Al Unser, Sr.
99–101	Lloyd Ruby
102–110	Bobby Unser
111–115	Al Unser, Sr.
116–117	Joe Leonard
118–200	Al Unser, Sr.

Total laps led
Driver	Laps
Al Unser, Sr.	103
Mark Donohue	52
Bobby Unser	21
Joe Leonard	21
Lloyd Ruby	3

Yellow Lights: 4 for 53 minutes (48 laps)
Laps*	Reason
5	Dennis Hulme spun in turn 4 (< 1 minute)
9–10	Rick Muther stalled in turn 4 (< 2 minutes)
12–26	Steve Krisloff blew engine in turn 3 Johncock, Andretti, Kenyon crashed (19 minutes)
113–122	David Hobbs / Rick Muther crash on frontstretch (12 minutes)
167–184	Mike Mosley / Bobby Unser crash in turn 4 (22 minutes)
* - Approximate lap counts

Tire participation chart^[28]^[29]
Supplier	No. of starters
Goodyear	15
Firestone	18*
* - Denotes race winner

Qualifying chronology

Att #	Car #	Driver	Laps	Qual Time	Qual Speed	Rank	Start	Comment
Saturday, May 15, 1971
1	4	Mike Mosley	0	—	—	—	—	accident
2	9	A. J. Foyt	4	3:26.52	174.317	6	6
3	66	Mark Donohue	4	3:23.29	177.087	2	2
4	32	Billy Vukovich II	4	3:29.70	171.674	12	11
5	10	Dick Simon	4	3:33.14	168.903	—	—	Bumped by #99
6	14	Jim McElreath	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
7	16	Gary Bettenhausen	4	3:30.24	171.233	16	13
8	68	David Hobbs	4	3:32.30	169.571	30	16
9	1	Al Unser	4	3:26.16	174.622	5	5
10	7	Gordon Johncock	4	3:30.05	171.388	14	12
11	42	Jim Malloy	4	3:29.50	171.838	11	10
12	86	Peter Revson	4	3:21.46	178.696	1	1
13	77	Carl Williams	1	—	—	—	—	Waved off
14	8	Art Pollard	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
15	18	Johnny Rutherford	0	—	—	—	—	Blown engine
16	15	Joe Leonard	4	3:28.38	172.761	8	8
17	2	Bobby Unser	4	3:24.76	175.816	3	3
18	83	Donnie Allison	1	—	—	—	—	Waved off
19	28	Bill Simpson	4	3:33.94	168.271	—	—	Bumped by #45
20	12	Lloyd Ruby	4	3:27.11	173.821	7	7
21	5	Mario Andretti	4	3:28.56	172.612	9	9
22	85	Denis Hulme	0	—	—	—	—	Pulled off
23	45	Larry Dickson	3	—	—	—	—	Accident
24	14	Jim McElreath	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
25	83	Donnie Allison	4	3:34.12	168.130	—	—	Withdrawn 5/22
26	85	Denis Hulme	4	3:25.82	174.910	4	4
27	92	Jerry Grant	4	3:33.66	168.492	—	—	Bumped by #78
28	21	Cale Yarborough	4	3:30.81	170.770	19	14
29	14	Jim McElreath	4	3:34.52	167.817	—	—	Bumped by #6; Reinstated by #83; Bumped by #84
30	38	Rick Muther	3	—	—	—	—	Blown engine
31	77	Carl Williams	4	3:33.29	168.784	—	—	Bumped by #23
32	8	Art Pollard	4	3:33.82	168.366	—	—	Bumped by #46
33	95	Bentley Warren	4	3:32.23	169.627	28	15
Sunday May 16, 1971
34	4	Mike Mosley	0	3:32.29	169.579	29	19
35	38	Rick Muther	0	3:31.80	169.972	25	18
36	58	Bud Tingelstad	0	3:31.57	170.156	24	17
Saturday May 22, 1971
37	80	George Snider	4	3:29.79	171.600	13	21
38	43	Denny Zimmerman	4	3:32.07	169.755	27	28
39	44	John Mahler	3	—	—	—	—
40	98	Sam Sessions	4	3:31.32	170.358	20	25
41	22	Wally Dallenbach	4	3:30.33	171.160	17	23
42	94	Bruce Walkup	2	—	—	—	—	Waved off
43	45	Larry Dickson	3	—	—	—	—	Waved off
44	41	George Follmer	4	3:32.76	169.205	32	29
45	44	John Mahler	4	3:31.56	170.164	23	33	Replaced by Dick Simon
46	18	Johnny Rutherford	4	3:30.34	171.151	18	24
47	6	Roger McCluskey	2	—	—	—	—	Out of fuel
48	6	Roger McCluskey	4	3:30.23	171.241	15	22	Bumps #14
49	20	Steve Krisiloff	0	—	—	—	—	Pulled off
50	84	Donnie Allison	4	3:29.42	171.903	10	20	Bumps #14
51	45	Larry Dickson	4	3:31.41	170.285	21	26	Bumps #28
52	46	Jim McElreath	4	3:32.81	169.165	—	—	Bumps #8; Bumped by #64
53	94	Bruce Walkup	1	—	—	—	—	Pulled off
54	78	Sam Posey	4	3:33.30	168.776	—	—	Bumps #92; Bumped by #20
55	20	Steve Krisiloff	4	3:31.97	169.835	26	27	Bumps #78
Sunday May 23, 1971
56	23	Mel Kenyon	4	3:31.51	170.205	22	30	Bumps #77
57	99	Bob Harkey	4	3:32.77	169.197	33	32	Bumps #10
58	17	Jerry Grant	1	—	—	—	—	Waved off
59	64	Art Pollard	4	3:32.39	169.500	31	31	Bumps #46
60	56	Jim Hurtubise	2	—	—	—	—	Accident
61	33	Dick Simon	1	—	—	—	—	Waved off
62	17	Jerry Grant	1	—	—	—	—	Waved off

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. It was carried on over 1,200 affiliates, including shortwave transmission to Europe, Asia, and Vietnam. The broadcast reached an estimated 100 million listeners worldwide. Sid Collins served as chief announcer and Len Sutton served as "driver expert." At the conclusion of the race, Lou Palmer reported from victory lane.

The entire on-air crew remained mostly consistent from 1966 to 1970. Bob Forbes was assigned as "wireless" microphone, covering the garages and roving reports. The pre-race coverage was 30 minutes long. In a departure from previous years, Sid Collins decided to eliminate booth interviews with celebrities during the race. The only exception was an interview with Hugh Downs, but that was during the post-race coverage. In addition, Luke Walton interviewed Evel Knievel in the pit area during the early stages of the race. Knievel was making his first visit to the 500, as a guest of the A. J. Foyt team.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Booth Announcers	Turn Reporters	Pit/garage reporters
Chief Announcer: Sid Collins Driver expert: Len Sutton Statistician: John DeCamp Historian: Donald Davidson	Turn 1: Mike Ahern Turn 2: Howdy Bell Backstretch: Doug Zink Turn 3: Ron Carrell Turn 4: Jim Shelton	Chuck Marlowe (north) Luke Walton (center) Lou Palmer (south) Bob Forbes (wireless)

Television

For the first time, the race was carried in the United States the same day the race was held, on ABC Sports on a same-day tape delay basis. The race was held in the afternoon, and the broadcast aired in prime time later in the day.

The broadcast totaled two hours, and came on-air at 8:30 p.m. (eastern). Among the notable appearances, was David Letterman, at the time employed by then-ABC Indianapolis affiliate WLWI, who served as a roving turn reporter. Letterman interviewed Mario Andretti after he dropped out of the race.

Chris Schenkel began what would be a decade-long tenure as host, while Jim McKay anchored the broadcast as play-by-play announcer. But Schenkel's day as host was short. Riding in (and broadcasting from) the pace car at the start of the race, he was slightly injured when the pace car crashed after coming into the pits at the start of the race.

The broadcast was re-aired numerous times on ESPN Classic from February 2002 until the network's shutdown at the end of 2021.

ABC Television
Booth Announcers	Pit/garage reporters
Host: Chris Schenkel Announcer: Jim McKay Color: Jackie Stewart	Chris Economaki Bill Flemming Keith Jackson David Letterman (turns)

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1970 Indianapolis 500</span> 54th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 54th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Saturday, May 30, 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1972 Indianapolis 500</span> 56th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 56th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Saturday, May 27, 1972. The race is notable in that for the first time, the cars were permitted bolt-on wings, and speeds climbed dramatically. Bobby Unser won the pole position at a then-remarkable speed of 195.940 mph (315.3 km/h) for four laps, breaking Peter Revson's track record of 178.696 mph (287.6 km/h) from 1971 by 17.244 mph (27.8 km/h) – the largest one-year track record increase in Indy history. The race average speed of 162.962 mph (262.3 km/h) was also a new record, which stood until 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 Indianapolis 500</span> 57th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 57th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Wednesday, May 30, 1973. The race was held over three days because of rain and two major accidents. Three competitors—two drivers and one pit crew member—died from injuries suffered as a result of accidents that occurred during the month, another driver was critically injured, and over a dozen spectators suffered injuries and/or burns. After 133 laps, rain halted the race, and Gordon Johncock was declared the winner, the first of his two Indy triumphs.

The 58th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 26, 1974. Johnny Rutherford, in his eleventh attempt, won the race from the 25th starting position, the farthest back since Louis Meyer in 1936. It was the first of his three Indy victories, and started a three-year stretch where he finished 1st-2nd-1st.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1975 Indianapolis 500</span> 59th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 59th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 25, 1975. A. J. Foyt started on the pole position and Bobby Unser won his second Indianapolis 500. Dan Gurney, one of the founders of All American Racers, who finished second as a driver himself in 1968–1969, won his first and only Indy 500 as a car owner. Gurney's Eagle chassis itself scored its third "500" win. The race was part of the 1975 USAC National Championship Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Indianapolis 500</span> 61st running of the Indianapolis 500

The 61st 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 29, 1977. Considered one of the most historically significant editions of the Indianapolis 500, several sidebar stories complemented the unprecedented accomplishment of race winner A. J. Foyt. Foyt became the first driver to win the Indianapolis 500 four times. As of 2024, Foyt's record has been tied by Al Unser Sr., Rick Mears and Hélio Castroneves, but still stands as an Indy 500 record. Foyt's victory is also the last time the winning car was built entirely within the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Indianapolis 500</span> 62nd running of the Indianapolis 500

The 62nd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1978. Danny Ongais dominated the early stages of the race but eventually dropped out with a blown engine. Al Unser Sr. dominated the second half, and held a large lead late in the race. However, Unser bent the front wing of his Lola during a pit stop on lap 180, causing his handling to go away over the final twenty laps. Second place Tom Sneva charged to catch Unser's crippled Lola but came up 8 seconds short at the finish line – the second-closest finish in Indy history to that point. Unser held off the challenge, and became a three-time winner of the 500. It was Al Unser's third Indy victory in the decade of the 1970s, and the fifth of nine overall victories by the Unser family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979 Indianapolis 500</span> 63rd running of the Indianapolis 500

The 63rd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 27, 1979. Second-year driver Rick Mears took the lead for the final time with 18 laps to go, and won his first of four Indianapolis 500 races. It was also Mears' first of a record six Indy 500 pole positions. Brothers Al and Bobby Unser combined to lead 174 of the 200 laps, but Al dropped out around the midpoint, and Bobby slipped to 5th place at the finish nursing mechanical issues. It was also Roger Penske's second Indy 500 victory as a car owner.

The 64th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 25, 1980. Johnny Rutherford won the pole position, led 118 laps, and won the race by a commanding 29.92 second margin. After failing to finish the race the year before, Jim Hall's radical new Chaparral 2K ground effects chassis was a heavy favorite entering the month, and drove a flawless race. Rutherford, the winner in 1974 and 1976, became the sixth driver to win the Indy 500 three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 Indianapolis 500</span> 66th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 66th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 1982. Gordon Johncock, who had previously won the rain-shortened 1973 race, was the winner. Polesitter Rick Mears finished second by a margin of 0.16 seconds, the closest finish in Indy 500 history to that point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Indianapolis 500</span> 71st running of the Indianapolis 500

The 71st Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 24, 1987. After dominating practice, qualifying, and most of the race, leader Mario Andretti slowed with mechanical problems with only 23 laps to go. Five laps later, Al Unser Sr. assumed the lead, and won his record-tying fourth Indianapolis 500 victory. At age 47, just days short of his 48th birthday, Unser became the oldest winner of the Indy 500, a record that still stands as of 2024. During the month of May, an unusually high 25 crashes occurred during practice and qualifying, with one driver in particular, Jim Crawford, suffering serious leg injuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Indianapolis 500</span> 68th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 68th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday May 27, 1984. Rick Mears, who previously won in 1979, won his second Indy 500 victories driving for Penske. Contenders Tom Sneva and Mario Andretti dropped out of the race in the second half, leaving Mears alone two laps ahead of the field, and he cruised to the victory. Three months after the race, however, Mears would suffer severe leg injuries in a practice crash at Sanair.

The 1979 SCCA/CART Indy Car Series was the inaugural Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) American open wheel racing championship series. The season consisted of 14 races. Rick Mears was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Bill Alsup. The 1979 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Rick Mears won the Indy 500, his first of four victories in the event.

The Pocono 500 was an IndyCar Series race held at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, located in the Pocono Mountains. The first Indy car race at Pocono was held in 1971. It was the first major event held at the track, shortly after its completion. The race was sanctioned by USAC from 1971 to 1981, and then by CART from 1982 to 1989, and was known as the Pocono 500. The race was removed from the CART calendar following the 1989 running, due to poor track conditions, as well as poor revenue for the promoter.

The 1971 Pocono 500, the inaugural running of the event, was held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 3, 1971. Branded as the 1971 Schaefer 500 for sponsorship reasons, the race is notable as the first IndyCar win for Team Penske and the first for driver Mark Donohue.

The 1972 Pocono 500, the 2nd running of the event, was held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, July 29, 1972. Branded as the 1972 Schaefer 500 for sponsorship reasons, the race was won by Joe Leonard. The race is notable for its impact by Hurricane Agnes and the confrontation between the track and USAC.

The 1973 Pocono 500, the 3rd running of the event, was held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, July 1, 1973. Branded as the 1973 Schaefer 500 for sponsorship reasons, the race was won by A. J. Foyt who passed Roger McCluskey on the last lap.

The 1971 California 500, the second running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 5, 1971. The event was race number 10 of 12 in the 1971 USAC Championship Car season. The race was won by Joe Leonard.

The 1972 California 500, the third running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 3, 1972. The event was race number 8 of 10 in the 1972 USAC Championship Car season. The race was won by Roger McCluskey, his first 500-mile Indy Car victory. In qualifying, Jerry Grant became the first IndyCar driver to ever break to 200 mile per hour barrier.

The 1973 California 500, the fourth running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 2, 1973. The event was race number 11 of 16 in the 1973 USAC Championship Car season. The race was won by Wally Dallenbach Sr., his only 500-mile Indy Car victory.

References

↑ Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
↑ Marquette, Ray (May 30, 1971). "Defending Champion Garners Biggest Birthday Gift-$$$". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Unser triumphs again". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. May 30, 1971. p. 1B.
↑ Woolford, Dave (May 30, 1971). "Al Unser captures second 500 in a row". Toledo Blade. p. B1.
↑ "Pace car accident mars Indy race; Al Unser first". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. May 29, 1971. p. 1.
↑ Jones, Robert F. (June 7, 1971). "Johnny Lightning drives through the wreckage". Sports Illustrated. p. 26.
↑ "National Indy 500 Collectors Club: Indianapolis 500 Pit Badges 1970-1979". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
↑ "NATO'S Third Dimension". Archived from the original on 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2014-03-18.
↑ "Pit Pass". The Indianapolis Star. May 24, 1971. p. 26. Retrieved March 7, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "The Talk of Gasoline Alley" 1070 WIBC, May 11, 2002
↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 17, 2003. 1070 WIBC-AM.
↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 10, 2007. 1070 WIBC-AM.
↑ "The Rochester Sentinel - Google News Archive Search".
↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 25, 2001. 1070 WIBC-AM.
↑ "1971 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
↑ Piurkowski, Eugene. "The 1971 Dodge Challenger Pace Car". allpar.com. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 11, 2010. WFNI.
1 2 3 4 Ito, Craig S. (January 16, 1974). "1971 Indy 500 - Pace Car crash - Newspapers.com". The Indianapolis Star. p. 3. Retrieved December 10, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
↑ George, Vecsey (1971-05-30). "Crash at Start: 20 Injured". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
↑ Ito, Craig S. (February 8, 1974). "1971 Indy 500 Pace Car Crash - Newspapers.com". The Indianapolis Star. p. 24. Retrieved December 10, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "The 1971 Challenger Pace Car Crash at the Indianapolis 500". The 1970 Hamtramck Registry. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
↑ "Al Blixt Auto Racing History" . Retrieved 2012-05-10.
↑ "Clipping from The Indianapolis Star - Newspapers.com". The Indianapolis Star. February 17, 1974. p. 61. Retrieved December 10, 2021– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Collector Recounts Pace Car Crash 40 Years Later". rtv6. 2011-05-27. Archived from the original on 2011-07-31. Retrieved 2012-05-10.
↑ Mel Kenyon
↑ Barnet, Bob (May 30, 1971). "For the Unsers - Victory and Survival". The Star Press. p. 1C. Retrieved 2017-07-11– via Newspapers.com.
↑ UPI (May 30, 1971). "He Deserves a Cheer - And Crowd Gave It!". The Star Press. p. C1. Retrieved 2017-07-11– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Here's Your 500-Mile Race Scorecard". Indianapolis News . May 28, 1971. p. 7. Retrieved August 10, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Race Scorecard". The Indianapolis Star . May 29, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved August 10, 2024– via Newspapers.com.

Works cited

1971 Indianapolis 500 Press Information - Daily Trackside Summary
Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats - Official Site
1971 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network

1970 Indianapolis 500 Al Unser	1971 Indianapolis 500 Al Unser	1972 Indianapolis 500 Mark Donohue
Preceded by 156.867 mph (1969 Indianapolis 500)	Record for the fastest average speed 157.735 mph	Succeeded by 162.962 mph (1972 Indianapolis 500)

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Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
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[Illustrated-1] Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.

[2] Marquette, Ray (May 30, 1971). "Defending Champion Garners Biggest Birthday Gift-$$$". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.

[ustri-3] "Unser triumphs again". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. May 30, 1971. p. 1B.

[aucap-4] Woolford, Dave (May 30, 1971). "Al Unser captures second 500 in a row". Toledo Blade. p. B1.

[pcacc-5] "Pace car accident mars Indy race; Al Unser first". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. May 29, 1971. p. 1.

[sivjldt-6] Jones, Robert F. (June 7, 1971). "Johnny Lightning drives through the wreckage". Sports Illustrated. p. 26.

[7] "National Indy 500 Collectors Club: Indianapolis 500 Pit Badges 1970-1979". Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2014-03-18.

[8] "NATO'S Third Dimension". Archived from the original on 2014-03-18. Retrieved 2014-03-18.

[Star05-24-1971pg26-9] "Pit Pass". The Indianapolis Star. May 24, 1971. p. 26. Retrieved March 7, 2022– via Newspapers.com.

[10] "The Talk of Gasoline Alley" 1070 WIBC, May 11, 2002

[11] The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 17, 2003. 1070 WIBC-AM.

[12] The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 10, 2007. 1070 WIBC-AM.

[13] "The Rochester Sentinel - Google News Archive Search".

[14] The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 25, 2001. 1070 WIBC-AM.

[15] "1971 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 27 June 2015.

[16] Piurkowski, Eugene. "The 1971 Dodge Challenger Pace Car". allpar.com. Retrieved 2012-05-10.

[17] The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 11, 2010. WFNI.

[Star01-16-1974pg3-18] 1 2 3 4 Ito, Craig S. (January 16, 1974). "1971 Indy 500 - Pace Car crash - Newspapers.com". The Indianapolis Star. p. 3. Retrieved December 10, 2021– via Newspapers.com.

[19] George, Vecsey (1971-05-30). "Crash at Start: 20 Injured". The New York Times. Retrieved 2020-08-14.

[Star02-08-1974pg24-20] Ito, Craig S. (February 8, 1974). "1971 Indy 500 Pace Car Crash - Newspapers.com". The Indianapolis Star. p. 24. Retrieved December 10, 2021– via Newspapers.com.

[name-21] "The 1971 Challenger Pace Car Crash at the Indianapolis 500". The 1970 Hamtramck Registry. Retrieved 2012-05-10.

[22] "Al Blixt Auto Racing History" . Retrieved 2012-05-10.

[Star02-17-1974pg61-23] "Clipping from The Indianapolis Star - Newspapers.com". The Indianapolis Star. February 17, 1974. p. 61. Retrieved December 10, 2021– via Newspapers.com.

[24] "Collector Recounts Pace Car Crash 40 Years Later". rtv6. 2011-05-27. Archived from the original on 2011-07-31. Retrieved 2012-05-10.

[25] Mel Kenyon

[26] Barnet, Bob (May 30, 1971). "For the Unsers - Victory and Survival". The Star Press. p. 1C. Retrieved 2017-07-11– via Newspapers.com.

[27] UPI (May 30, 1971). "He Deserves a Cheer - And Crowd Gave It!". The Star Press. p. C1. Retrieved 2017-07-11– via Newspapers.com.

[News05-28-1971pg7-28] "Here's Your 500-Mile Race Scorecard". Indianapolis News . May 28, 1971. p. 7. Retrieved August 10, 2024– via Newspapers.com.

[Star05-29-1971pg1-29] "Race Scorecard". The Indianapolis Star . May 29, 1971. p. 1. Retrieved August 10, 2024– via Newspapers.com.

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