1975 Indianapolis 500

59th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body	USAC
Season	1975 USAC Trail
Date	May 25, 1975
Winner	Bobby Unser ; (435 miles, rain)
Winning team	All American Racers
Average speed	149.213 mph (240.135 km/h)
Pole position	A. J. Foyt
Pole speed	193.976 mph (312.174 km/h)
Fastest qualifier	Foyt
Rookie of the Year	Bill Puterbaugh
Most laps led	Wally Dallenbach (96)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthem	Purdue Band
"Back Home Again in Indiana"	Jim Nabors
Starting command	Tony Hulman
Pace car	Buick Century Custom V-8
Pace car driver	James Garner
Starter	Pat Vidan
Estimated attendance	300,000
TV in the United States
Network	ABC
Announcers	Keith Jackson and Jackie Stewart
Nielsen ratings	14.9 / 30
Chronology
1974	1976

Last updated July 28, 2024

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.

On the 174th lap (435 miles), a heavy downpour pelted the Speedway, and officials immediately ended the race, just 26 laps short of the scheduled distance. Bobby Unser was leading the race at the red flag, and was declared the winner. Defending champion Johnny Rutherford was in second place, and pole-sitter A. J. Foyt came home third.

Tom Sneva survived a spectacular crash in turn two on lap 125. His car touched wheels with the car of Eldon Rasmussen, and flipped into the catch fence near the Turn Two Suites. The engine on Sneva's car ripped off in a huge fire-flash, and the car came to rest upright with Sneva trapped in the cockpit. Sneva miraculously suffered only minor injuries, and walked away from the wreck with assistance from the safety crews.

On the morning of the race, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was ceremoniously designated to the National Register of Historic Places. In addition, the Hulman family celebrated thirty years of ownership of the facility.

Race schedule

A year earlier (1974), the race was held in the wake of the energy crisis. USAC cut out a week of practice, and trimmed time trials from four days to two days, in order to reduce energy consumption. These changes were well received by competitors and fans, and USAC decided to make the reduction of practice time permanent; however, time trials were restored back to four days for 1975 and beyond.

Race schedule — May, 1975
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
				1	2	3 Practice
4 Opening Day	5 Practice	6 Practice	7 Practice	8 Practice	9 Practice	10 Pole Day
11 Time Trials	12 Practice	13 Practice	14 Practice	15 Practice	16 Practice	17 Time Trials
18 Time Trials	19	20	21	22 Carb Day	23	24 Parade
25 Indy 500	26 Memorial Day	27	28	29	30	31

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 second year in a row, pop-off valves were required during time trials. Turbocharger "boost" levels were set at 80 inHG maximum.^[3] Top speeds would be in the low to mid-190 mph range, and would not challenge the existing track record.

On Thursday May 8, Gordon Johncock showed himself as a favorite for the pole, completing a practice lap at 195.228 mph. Johncock consistently led the speed charts on four of the practice days. A. J. Foyt was close behind, topping the speed chart twice.

Pole Day – Saturday May 10

Pole day dawned sunny and mild. Rookie Al Loquasto was the first driver out to qualify. Mike Mosley (187.833 mph) led the speeds early on, and was the fastest car through the first hour. At 12:15 p.m., Tom Sneva (190.094 mph) moved into the top spot.

About an hour later, Bobby Unser took to the track, and at 191.073 mph, bumped Sneva off the pole spot. Unser's speed did not last long, as Gordon Johncock, the next car out, then took over the provisional pole at 191.652 mph. The track remained mostly quiet over the next three hours, as drivers waited for cooler conditions.

Shortly after 4 p.m., the track action ramped up once again. A. J. Foyt blistered the track, with his first lap coming in at 195.313 mph. His four-lap average of 193.975 mph secured the pole position.

The final qualifying attempt of the afternoon was put in by Bill Puterbaugh. After six years of failure, Puterbaugh finally qualified for his first Indy 500. He pumped his fist as he returned to the pits, putting in the 15th-fastest speed of the day.

The day closed with the field filled to 22 cars. With Foyt, Johncock, and Bobby Unser qualifying 1-2-3, it was the first time in Indy history that former winners swept the front row.

Second Day – Sunday May 11

After blowing his engine the day before, Wally Dallenbach returned to the track and qualified. His speed of 190.646 mph was the 4th-fastest overall, but as a second day qualifier, he would be forced to line up 21st.

A total of six cars qualified, and at the close of the first weekend of time trials, the field was filled to 28 cars.

Third Day – Saturday May 17

With five spots open in the field, qualifying opened with Mike Hiss the first car to make an attempt. The field was quickly filled to 33 cars, and Lee Kunzman was the first car on the bubble.

Mario Andretti returned from Monaco, and put his car solidly in the field with a speed of 186.480 mph, easily the fastest driver of the day, bumping Kunzman in the process. At 12:18 p.m., Al Loquasto was now on the bubble.

Billy Scott made two attempts to bump his way in, but blew his engine on the first attempt, and waved off the second. No other cars made an attempt the rest of the day.

Bump Day – Sunday May 18

On the final day of time trials, Al Loquasto still clung to the bubble spot. Eldon Rasmussen was the first car out to make an attempt. His first lap was over 183 mph, but the next two laps dropped off and the team waved off the run. Three hours later, Jim Hurtubise blew an engine after one slow lap, and Loquasto was still on the bubble after over 24 hours.

With about an hour left in the day, Loquasto survived yet two more attempts. At 5:18 p.m., with just under 42 minutes left in the day, Eldon Rasmussen made his second attempt. His speed of 181.910 mph bumped Loquasto and the field was set.

Starting grid

Row	Inside	Middle	Outside
1	A. J. Foyt W	Gordon Johncock W	Bobby Unser W
2	Tom Sneva	Mike Mosley	Lloyd Ruby
3	Johnny Rutherford W	Bill Vukovich II	Salt Walther
4	Jimmy Caruthers	Al Unser W	Johnny Parsons
5	Bobby Allison	Jerry Grant	Bill Puterbaugh R
6	John Martin	Bentley Warren	Pancho Carter
7	Gary Bettenhausen	Jerry Karl	Wally Dallenbach Sr.
8	Roger McCluskey	Bob Harkey	George Snider
9	Sammy Sessions	Sheldon Kinser R	Mario Andretti W
10	Larry McCoy R	Steve Krisiloff	Dick Simon
11	Mike Hiss	Eldon Rasmussen R	Tom Bigelow

Alternates

First alternate: Rick Muther (#46, #52) – Bumped
Second alternate: Al Loquasto R (#38, #86) – Bumped

Failed to qualify

Lee Kunzman (#52, #55) – Bumped
Jim Hurtubise (#52, #56) – Wave off
Tom Bigelow (#17) – Wave off
Graham McRae (#75) – Wave off
Billy Scott R (#76) – Wave off
Jan Opperman (#28, #46) – Incomplete run
Larry Cannon (#59) – Wrecked in practice
Chuck Gurney R (#23) – Wrecked in practice
Jigger Sirois R (#52) – Wrecked in practice
Jerry Sneva R (#37, #38) – Wrecked in practice
George Follmer (#28, #52) – Blew engine in practice
John Hubbard R (#53)
Dan Murphy R (#25)
Bob Nagel R
Bill Simpson (#52, #98)

Race summary

Start

The Speedway was placed on the National Register of Historic Places Indianapolis-motor-speedway-1985-1.JPG — The Speedway was placed on the National Register of Historic Places

Gordon Johncock took the lead at the start and led the first 8 laps. But Johncock dropped out on lap 11 with an ignition failure. Also out early were Salt Walther (his Indy record third last place finish), and Lloyd Ruby, both out with engine problems.

Polesitter A. J. Foyt took the lead on lap 9. He briefly lost the lead for three laps during a pit stop on lap 22, but re-assumed the lead on lap 25, and led through lap 58. Salt Walther, who had dropped out, summoned his teammate Bob Harkey to the pits on lap 18. Walther climbed in the car and took over the machine for the remainder of the race. While the driver switch was apparently agreed upon before the race if the circumstances arose, Walther was criticized for making the switch under green, and not waiting for a caution period. The Harkey/Walther car fell a few laps down during the stop.

First half

The first yellow came out on lap 45 for Mike Hiss, who went high and brushed the wall in turn three.

During his first scheduled pit stop, Mario Andretti's car stalled several times trying to leave the pit lane. He lost several laps, but eventually rejoined the race. On the leaders' lap 68, Andretti spun out on the backstretch, and slammed into the inside wall near the entrance to turn three. He was out of the race after completing only 49 laps.

Wally Dallenbach took the lead for the first time on lap 59. He would lead a total of 96 laps, giving up the lead only during pit stops.

NASCAR regular Bobby Allison managed to lead one lap during a pit stop shuffle, in what would be his final start at Indy. Allison had decided to skip the World 600 at Charlotte and was the final noteworthy "cross over" driver to the Indy 500 during that era.

On the 73rd lap, A. J. Foyt passed Cliff Bergere (2,425) for first place all-time in total laps completed at the Indy 500.

Second half

During a sequence of green flag pit stops, A. J. Foyt appeared to run out of fuel going into turn 1. Coasting down the backstretch, seemingly without power, it appeared that Foyt was fiddling with his headrest or something behind the cockpit. Seconds later, he was back up to speed, and made it to the pits for fuel.

On lap 125, Tom Sneva approached the lapped car of Eldon Rasmussen in turn 1. As the two cars went side-by-side in turn two, they touched wheels and Sneva's car flipped up into a huge wreck. Sneva did a barrel-roll over the front nose of Rasmussen's car, becoming completely airborne and upside-down. The car rolled upright, and hit the outside wall and catch fence with the back end. The engine, gearbox, and rear of the car were ripped from the chassis, leaving a huge fire flash as the fuel and oil ignited in front of the Turn Two Suites. The cockpit section continued down the track, flipping at least twice, and came to rest on the track, right side up, then spun for several yards, coming to rest facing backwards. The engine and other parts scattered in different directions, and littered the track with debris bringing out the caution.

Sneva was conscious when the car came to rest, and immediately started unbuckling his seat belts trying to get out. The back of the car was still on fire, and he unknowingly lifted his visor, which singed his face with burns. He then put his hand down in a pool of methanol, which burned his fingers.^[4] His legs were trapped in the cockpit, and he was not able to get out of the car on his own. Rescue workers immediately arrived at the scene, and put out the remaining fires. A moment later, he was pulled from the wreck, and with assistance, walked to the ambulance.

Sneva did not suffer any serious bodily injuries, but was listed in serious condition with burns to his face and hands. After a couple days, Sneva's condition was quickly upgraded, and after a month, he was back racing.

After leading 96 laps, Wally Dallenbach dropped out with a blown piston on lap 162. That handed the lead to Johnny Rutherford, with Bobby Unser now in second.

Bobby Unser took the lead on lap 165. The skies were threatening, and rain was expected to move into the vicinity of the Speedway.

Finish

On lap 170, Gary Bettenhausen's right rear hub exploded and he lost the wheel down the mainstretch. Precariously riding on three wheels, he skillfully managed to keep the car mostly off the wall, and was able to park the car down in the infield of turn one. The caution light came on for the debris, and leader Bobby Unser ducked into the pits for a quick stop (fuel only). Second place Johnny Rutherford also made a pit stop. A minor fire broke out in Dick Simon's pit, but it was quickly doused.

Under the yellow, the skies became increasingly dark, and the rain that had been threatening finally was about to arrive.

Bobby Unser suddenly ducked into the pits for a second "splash-and-go" pit stop, topping off the tank in just 6 seconds. Unser's pit stop allowed third place A. J. Foyt to unlap himself back onto the lead lap. One lap later, the skies opened up, and it began to pour rain. It was lap 174 and Bobby Unser was leading, with Johnny Rutherford about a half lap behind in second. The track became flooded and many of the cars began hydroplaning and spinning out of control. The visibility dropped to near zero, as the heavy rain and the "rooster tails" made it difficult for the drivers to see. Fans began scurrying for cover. Bill Vukovich II's car skidded in turn 4, slid backwards to the inside of the turn and backed into the fencing, narrowly missing a spectator, but Vukovich somehow managed to get it back under control.

Starter Pat Vidan took out the red and checkered flag, and the race was halted plus declared complete. The leaders had to precariously coast around to the finish line. Despite several wrecked cars blocking the track, Unser, Rutherford, and Foyt all managed to make it to the finish line cleanly. The race was officially called with Unser completing 174 laps (435 miles), just 26 laps short of the scheduled distance. Defending champion Johnny Rutherford followed with a second place, and pole-sitter Foyt finished third, still looking for the elusive fourth Indy win.

Box score

Finish	Start	No	Name	Chassis	Engine	Qual	Laps	Time/Retired
1	3	48	Bobby Unser W	Eagle	Offenhauser	191.073	174	2:54:55.08
2	7	2	Johnny Rutherford W	McLaren	Offenhauser	185.998	174	+1:04.05
3	1	14	A. J. Foyt W	Coyote	Foyt	193.976	174	+1:48.66
4	18	11	Pancho Carter	Eagle	Offenhauser	183.449	169	Flagged (-5 laps)
5	22	15	Roger McCluskey	Riley	Offenhauser	183.964	167	Flagged (-7 laps)
6	8	6	Bill Vukovich II	Eagle	Offenhauser	185.845	166	Flagged (-8 laps)
7	15	83	Bill Puterbaugh R	Eagle	Offenhauser	183.833	165	Flagged (-9 laps)
8	24	97	George Snider	Eagle	Offenhauser	182.918	165	Flagged (-9 laps)
9	21	40	Wally Dallenbach Sr.	Wildcat	SGD	190.648	162	Piston
10	23	33	Bob Harkey (Salt Walther Laps 18–162)	McLaren	Offenhauser	183.786	162	Flagged (-12 laps)
11	29	98	Steve Krisiloff	Eagle	Offenhauser	182.408	162	Flagged (-12 laps)
12	26	19	Sheldon Kinser R	Kingfish	Offenhauser	182.389	161	Flagged (-13 laps)
13	20	30	Jerry Karl	Eagle	Chevrolet	182.537	161	Flagged (-13 laps)
14	10	78	Jimmy Caruthers	Eagle	Offenhauser	185.615	161	Flagged (-13 laps)
15	19	45	Gary Bettenhausen	Eagle	Offenhauser	182.611	158	Crash FS
16	11	4	Al Unser W	Eagle	Offenhauser	185.452	157	Rod
17	25	36	Sammy Sessions	Eagle	Offenhauser	182.751	155	Engine
18	33	17	Tom Bigelow	Vollstedt	Offenhauser	181.864	151	Magneto
19	12	93	Johnny Parsons	Eagle	Offenhauser	184.521	140	Transmission
20	14	73	Jerry Grant	Eagle	Offenhauser	184.266	137	Piston
21	30	44	Dick Simon	Eagle	Foyt	181.891	133	Flagged (-31 laps)
22	4	68	Tom Sneva	McLaren	Offenhauser	190.094	125	Crash T2
23	17	24	Bentley Warren	Kingfish	Offenhauser	183.589	120	Flagged (-54 laps)
24	32	58	Eldon Rasmussen R	Ras-Car	Foyt	181.910	119	Valve
25	13	16	Bobby Allison	McLaren	Offenhauser	184.398	112	Gearbox
26	5	12	Mike Mosley	Eagle	Offenhauser	187.833	94	Engine
27	16	89	John Martin	McLaren	Offenhauser	183.655	61	Radiator
28	27	21	Mario Andretti W	Eagle	Offenhauser	186.480	49	Crash BS
29	31	94	Mike Hiss	Finley	Offenhauser	181.754	39	Crash T3
30	28	63	Larry McCoy R	Ras-Car	Offenhauser	182.760	24	Piston
31	2	20	Gordon Johncock W	Wildcat	SGD	191.653	11	Ignition
32	6	7	Lloyd Ruby	McLaren	Offenhauser	186.984	7	Piston
33	9	77	Salt Walther	McLaren	Offenhauser	185.701	2	Ignition

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses^[5]

W Former Indianapolis 500 winner

R Indianapolis 500 Rookie

All cars utilized Goodyear tires.

Race statistics

Lap Leaders
Laps	Leader
1–8	Gordon Johncock
9–21	A. J. Foyt
22–23	Johnny Rutherford
24	Bobby Allison
25–58	A. J. Foyt
59–69	Wally Dallenbach
70	A. J. Foyt
71–94	Wally Dallenbach
95–96	A. J. Foyt
97–120	Wally Dallenbach
121–123	A. J. Foyt
124	Bobby Unser
125–161	Wally Dallenbach
162–164	Johnny Rutherford
165–174	Bobby Unser

Total laps led
Driver	Laps
Wally Dallenbach	96
A. J. Foyt	53
Bobby Unser	11
Gordon Johncock	8
Johnny Rutherford	5
Bobby Allison	1

PACER Yellow Light Periods
5 for 34 laps
Laps*	Reason
45–49	Mike Hiss crash in turn 3 (5:47)
68–71	Mario Andretti crash on backstretch (4:26)
97–101	Al Unser & Jerry Karl out of fuel on backstretch (6:15)
127–141	Tom Sneva crash in turn 2 (25:20)
170–174	Gary Bettenhausen lost wheel on mainstretch (6:10)
174	Red Flag due to rain, end of race
* – Approximate lap counts

Notes

Race was given the red and checkered flags (signifying the race would end early) on lap 174 due to rain (caution begun on lap 171).
This was the final race for Mary Catherine "Mom" Unser (mother of Jerry, Bobby, and Al), a fixture in the garage area who was famous for her spicy chili. She died on December 18, 1975.^[6]
Jimmy Caruthers was diagnosed with cancer in late 1974,^[7] but after treatment went into remission, he was able to return to the cockpit for the 1975 race. He finished 14th, but eventually would succumb and died on October 26, five months after the race.

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. Sid Collins served as chief announcer. The broadcast crew was largely familiar from 1974. The broadcast was carried on 1,200 affiliates including shortwave transmissions via AFN to Europe, Asia, Thailand, and many other locales. It was heard by over 100 million listeners worldwide. Collins had no celebrity guests in the booth during the race. But during the pre-race coverage, Collins interviewed Senator Barry Goldwater as well as Pete DePaolo, who was celebrating fifty years since his victory in 1925.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Booth Announcers	Turn Reporters	Pit/garage reporters
Chief Announcer: Sid Collins Driver expert: Fred Agabashian Statistician: John DeCamp Historian: Donald Davidson	Turn 1: Ron Carrell Turn 2: Howdy Bell Backstretch: Jerry Baker Turn 3: Doug Zink Turn 4: Jim Shelton	Paul Page (north pits/roving) Chuck Marlowe (north-center pits) Luke Walton (south-center pits) Lou Palmer (south pits) Bob Forbes (garages/hospital)

Television

The race was carried in the United States on ABC Sports on a same-day tape delay basis. Longtime Indy fixture Jim McKay sat out the broadcast for one year and was replaced by announcer Keith Jackson.^[8] McKay was sent on other assignments in the 1975 season,^[9] including the 1975 Monaco Grand Prix.^[10] Jackie Stewart returned to serve as analyst after missing the 1974 race. Stewart covered both Monaco and Indianapolis.^[10] Sam Posey, who served as analyst in 1974, was moved to the pit area.

The broadcast has re-aired on ESPN Classic since May 2011.

ABC Television
Booth Announcers	Pit/garage reporters
Host: Chris Schenkel Announcer: Keith Jackson Color: Jackie Stewart	Chris Economaki Sam Posey

Notes

Related Research Articles

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">1976 Indianapolis 500</span> 60th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 60th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 1976. Polesitter Johnny Rutherford took the lead on lap 80, and was leading when rain halted the race on lap 103. Two hours later, the race was about to be resumed, but rain fell again. USAC officials called the race at that point, reverted the scoring back to the completion of lap 102, and Johnny Rutherford was declared the winner. Rutherford famously walked to Victory Lane, his second career Indy 500 triumph, having completed only 255 miles (410 km), the shortest official race on record. Janet Guthrie became the first female driver to enter the Indianapolis 500. However, her team was underfunded, and she experienced numerous mechanical and engine problems during the month. While she managed to pass her rookie test, and ran numerous practice laps in multiple cars, she was unable to make an attempt to qualify. She would return with a successful effort a year later in 1977.

<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 2023, 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">1981 Indianapolis 500</span> 65th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 65th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 24, 1981. The race is widely considered one of the most controversial races in Indy history. Bobby Unser took the checkered flag as the winner, with Mario Andretti finishing second. After the conclusion of the race, USAC officials ruled that Unser had passed cars illegally while exiting the pit area during a caution on lap 149. Unser was subsequently issued a one-position penalty. The next morning, the official race results were posted, and Unser was dropped to second place. Andretti was elevated to first place and declared the race winner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 Indianapolis 500</span> 67th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 67th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 29, 1983. After finishing second three times, winning the pole position twice (1977–1978), and being the fastest qualifier one additional time (1981), Tom Sneva finally shook his "bridesmaid" status and won his first and only Indianapolis 500. The win also represented the record seventh Indy victory that chief mechanic George Bignotti was involved with.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1991 Indianapolis 500</span> 75th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 75th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 26, 1991. Rick Mears won from the pole position, becoming the third four-time winner of the Indy 500, joining A. J. Foyt and Al Unser. During time trials, Mears also established an Indy record by winning his sixth career pole position. The month of May for Mears was tumultuous, as he suffered his first ever crash at Indy since arriving as a rookie in 1977. The wreck during a practice run totaled his primary car, and broke a bone in his right foot. Mears kept the injury mostly secret, and later admitted that the pain he experienced during the race was so bad, he had to cross his legs in the car and push the accelerator pedal down with his left foot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 Indianapolis 500</span> 72nd running of the Indianapolis 500

The 72nd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 29, 1988. Team Penske dominated the month, sweeping the top three starting positions with Rick Mears winning the pole position, Danny Sullivan at the center of the front row, and Al Unser, Sr. on the outside. Mears set a new track record, becoming the first driver to break the 220 mph barrier in time trials. On race day, the three Penske teammates proceeded to lead 192 of the 200 laps, with Rick Mears taking the checkered flag, his third-career Indy 500 victory. The race represented the milestone 50th victory in Championship car racing for owner Roger Penske and Penske Racing.

<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 1980 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the second in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing. It consisted of twelve races, beginning in Ontario, California on April 13 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on November 8. The PPG Indy Car World Series Drivers' Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Johnny Rutherford. Rookie of the Year was Dennis Firestone. The entire season, including the 64th Indianapolis 500, was to be co-sanctioned by both the USAC and CART under the banner of the Championship Racing League (CRL). However, USAC withdrew from the arrangement after five races.

The 1975 Pocono 500, the 5th running of the event, was held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, June 29, 1975. Branded as the 1975 Schaefer 500 for sponsorship reasons, A. J. Foyt became the first driver to win the Pocono 500 twice, with a rain-shortened victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Pocono 500</span> IndyCar motor race, held in 1980

The 1980 Pocono 500 was an IndyCar Series motor race held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday June 22, 1980. Branded as the 1980 True Value 500 for sponsorship reasons, it was the tenth running of the event. Bobby Unser won the race driving for Team Penske. It was Unser's first Pocono 500 win and the third for Penske.

The 1976 California 500, the seventh running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 5, 1976. The event was race number 10 of 13 in the 1976 USAC Championship Car season. The race was won by Bobby Unser, becoming the first man to win the California 500 twice. The race was also the first Indy Car race for Rick Mears.

The 1977 California 500, the eighth running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 4, 1977. The event was race number 12 of 14 in the 1977 USAC Championship Car season. The race was won by Al Unser, his first win in the California 500.

The 1978 California 500, the ninth running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 3, 1978. The event was race number 13 of 18 in the 1978 USAC Championship Car season. The race was won by Al Unser, who became the only driver with win all three races in IndyCar's Triple Crown in one year.

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 26, 1975). "Bobby U. Wins Rain-Cut '500'". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
↑ Stilley, Al (May 10, 1975). "Foyt, Johncock head list of Indy pole contenders". The Indianapolis Star . p. 1. Retrieved July 27, 2024– via Newspapers.com.
↑ "Sneva Looks to Next Race". The Modesto Bee. 1975-05-28. Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2012-04-17.
↑ "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 25, 1975". ChampCarStats.com.
↑ "Coronary Fatal To 'Mom' Unser". The Indianapolis Star. December 19, 1975. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
↑ Miller, Robin (1974-12-20). "Cancer Halts Fast Life of Caruthers". The Indianapolis Star. Daytona Beach News Journal. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
↑ Inman, Julia (May 21, 1975). "Keith Jackson In In Training fort ABC-TV's '500' Coverage". The Indianapolis Star. p. 17. Retrieved January 15, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
↑ Hill, Bill (April 27, 1975). "McKay Calls Terre Haute Special Spot". The Terre Haute Tribune. p. 70. Retrieved April 2, 2018– via Newspapers.com.
1 2 "A sports potpourri". Idaho State Journal. May 23, 1975. p. 41. Retrieved April 2, 2018– via Newspapers.com.

Works cited

1975 Indianapolis 500 Press Information – Official Track Report
Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats – Official Site
1975 Indianapolis 500 at RacingReference.info
1975 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network

1974 Indianapolis 500 Johnny Rutherford	1975 Indianapolis 500 Bobby Unser	1976 Indianapolis 500 Johnny Rutherford

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[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 26, 1975). "Bobby U. Wins Rain-Cut '500'". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.

[TDJ05-10-1975pg1-3] Stilley, Al (May 10, 1975). "Foyt, Johncock head list of Indy pole contenders". The Indianapolis Star . p. 1. Retrieved July 27, 2024– via Newspapers.com.

[4] "Sneva Looks to Next Race". The Modesto Bee. 1975-05-28. Archived from the original on 2016-03-13. Retrieved 2012-04-17.

[5] "International 500 Mile Sweepstakes – May 25, 1975". ChampCarStats.com.

[6] "Coronary Fatal To 'Mom' Unser". The Indianapolis Star. December 19, 1975. Retrieved February 20, 2018.

[7] Miller, Robin (1974-12-20). "Cancer Halts Fast Life of Caruthers". The Indianapolis Star. Daytona Beach News Journal. Retrieved 2012-08-27.

[Star05-21-1975-8] Inman, Julia (May 21, 1975). "Keith Jackson In In Training fort ABC-TV's '500' Coverage". The Indianapolis Star. p. 17. Retrieved January 15, 2018– via Newspapers.com.

[THT04-27-1975pg70-9] Hill, Bill (April 27, 1975). "McKay Calls Terre Haute Special Spot". The Terre Haute Tribune. p. 70. Retrieved April 2, 2018– via Newspapers.com.

[ISJ05-23-1975pg41-10] 1 2 "A sports potpourri". Idaho State Journal. May 23, 1975. p. 41. Retrieved April 2, 2018– via Newspapers.com.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

1975 Indianapolis 500

Contents

Race schedule

Time trials

Pole Day – Saturday May 10

Second Day – Sunday May 11

Third Day – Saturday May 17

Bump Day – Sunday May 18

Starting grid

Alternates

Failed to qualify

Race summary

Start

First half

Second half

Finish

Box score

Race statistics

Notes

Broadcasting

Radio

Television

Notes

See also

Related Research Articles

References

Works cited