Jump to content

1971 USAC Championship Car season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1971 USAC Championship Car season
USAC Marlboro Championship Trail
Season
Races12
Start dateFebruary 28
End dateOctober 23
Awards
National championUnited States Joe Leonard
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited States Al Unser
← 1970
1972 →

The 1971 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Rafaela, Argentina on February 28 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on October 23. The USAC National Champion was Joe Leonard and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Al Unser. For 1971 it was decided that there should be three separate points championships, for paved ovals, dirt ovals, and road courses.[1][2]

The existing Championship Car championship was then restricted to only paved ovals, and two new championships were created. The National Dirt Car Championship (which would become the modern Silver Crown Series in 1981) was run over four races, and won by George Snider.[1] The Road Racing championship was originally to be run over between 8 and 10 races, however a lack of interest lead to just two races being held on the same day, on the 7th of August at Seattle International Raceway. Continental Championship cars were allowed, and made up the majority of the grid, with just 5 USAC specification cars entered. Jim Dittemore won the series in a Formula 5000 specification Lola T192-Chevrolet.[1][3] The Road Racing championship did not continue in 1972.

Schedule and results

[edit]

All races were run on oval speedways. On February 18, the non-championship races at Rafaela were transformed into a points-paying double round, due to a request from race organizers. On June 3, the Langhorne round was cancelled by its promoter because of insufficient entries. He alleged that the event had been boycotted by a number of drivers refusing to race at the outdated venue, which was torn down at the end of the year. On June 30, USAC cancelled the race at the new Mountaineer Speedway, which was never built to completion. The 1971 season was the first time the 500 mile triple crown was on the schedule with the addition of Ontario Motor Speedway's California 500 the previous year and the Pocono 500 added in this season.[1][2]

Rnd Date Race Name Track Location Pole Position Winning Driver
1 February 28 Argentina Rafaela Indy 300 Heat 1 Autódromo de Rafaela Rafaela, Argentina United States Lloyd Ruby United States Al Unser
2 Argentina Rafaela Indy 300 Heat 2 United States Al Unser United States Al Unser
3 March 27 United States Phoenix 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona United States Bobby Unser United States Al Unser
4 April 25 United States Trenton 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey United States Bobby Unser United States Mike Mosley
5 May 29 United States International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana United States Peter Revson United States Al Unser
6 June 6 United States Rex Mays Classic 150 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin United States Bobby Unser United States Al Unser
- June 13 United States Langhorne 150 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Race cancelled due to security concerns
7 July 3 United States Inaugural Pocono 500 Pocono International Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania United States Mark Donohue United States Mark Donohue
8 July 18 United States Michigan 200 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan United States Bobby Unser United States Mark Donohue
- August 8 United States Mountaineer 150 Mountaineer Speedway Parkersburg, West Virginia Race cancelled
9 August 15 United States Tony Bettenhausen 200 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin United States Bobby Unser United States Bobby Unser
10 September 5 United States California 500 Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario, California United States Mark Donohue United States Joe Leonard
11 October 3 United States Trenton 300 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey United States Bobby Unser United States Bobby Unser
12 October 23 United States Bobby Ball 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona United States Bobby Unser United States A. J. Foyt

Final points standings

[edit]

Note 1: Donnie Allison, Carlos Pairetti, Denny Hulme, David Hobbs and Jim Hurtubise are not eligible for points.

Note 2: John Mahler qualified 21st at Indianapolis. His car was driven in the race by Dick Simon who started 33rd as a result of the driver change.

Pos Driver RAF
Argentina
PHX1
United States
TRE1
United States
INDY
United States
MIL1
United States
POC
United States
MIC
United States
MIL2
United States
ONT
United States
TRE2
United States
PHX2
United States
Pts
1 United States Joe Leonard 6 3 4 24 19 2 2 19 DNQ 1 3 10 3015
2 United States A. J. Foyt 17 3 20 3 17 2 16 5 1 2320
3 United States Bill Vukovich II 25 5 3 5 2 14 10 4 3 2250
4 United States Al Unser 1 1 1 21 1 1 31 24 17 15 17 21 2200
5 United States Lloyd Ruby 2 2 5 13 11 7 8 21 6 4 23 24 1830
6 United States Bobby Unser 27 2 4 12 14 9 18 1 21 1 8 1805
7 United States Gary Bettenhausen 11 7 20 16 10 16 6 22 3 3 24 5 1800
8 United States Mark Donohue 6 19 25 1 1 18 6 16 1760
9 United States Mario Andretti Wth 9 18 30 11 4 12 19 33 2 4 1370
10 United States Wally Dallenbach Sr. 7 2 24 4 15 4 4 23 9 11 1220
11 United States Art Pollard 24 6 26 5 16 16 16 2 20 9 1170
12 United States Peter Revson 2 21 7 1100
13 United States Roger McCluskey 5 4 22 22 9 23 25 3 18 28 22 2 1050
14 United States Jim Malloy 14 21 11 4 DNS 26 13 DNQ 6 1030
15 United States Steve Krisiloff DNQ 11 31 10 7 24 5 7 20 990
16 United States Cale Yarborough 8 8 13 5 16 DNQ 32 5 8 14 11 DNQ 710
17 United States Mike Mosley 3 23 10 1 13 19 655
18 United States Swede Savage 4 5 3 12 16 23 590
19 United States Johnny Rutherford 7 20 21 17 18 6 7 10 26 Wth 22 570
20 United States Dick Simon 13 6 12 7 14 9 17 15 DNQ 22 25 7 405
21 United States Jim McElreath DNQ 27 8 27 6 370
22 United States Bud Tingelstad 7 DNQ 19 17 300
23 United States LeeRoy Yarbrough 3 Wth 280
24 Canada George Eaton  RY  9 11 10 18 270
25 United States Greg Weld DNQ 18 12 10 30 8 14 260
26 United States Denny Zimmerman 24 19 19 8 22 24 26 20 13 DNQ 250
27 United States Gordon Johncock 9 10 8 15 29 10 20 23 25 27 DNQ DNQ 225
28 United States Sam Sessions DNQ 27 11 DNQ 7 DNQ 13 220
29 United States George Snider 18 33 21 33 14 5 32 14 15 200
30 United States John Mahler 16 16 23 Wth 23 9 200
31 United States Larry Dickson 28 6 15 13 DNS 160
32 United States Bentley Warren 10 24 16 26 23 8 22 Wth 120
33 United States Karl Busson DNQ 8 23 DNQ DNQ 100
34 United States Bruce Walkup DNQ 8 DNQ 29 DNQ 100
35 United States John Martin DNQ 15 9 12 DNQ DNQ 100
36 United States Al Loquasto 9 DNQ DNQ DNQ 80
37 Canada Ludwig Heimrath Sr. 25 18 10 DNQ 60
38 United States Jerry Karl 12 Wth 11 22 60
39 United States Carl Williams DNQ 11 31 26 17 40
40 United States Salt Walther 15 11 DNQ DNQ 20 30
41 United States Mel Kenyon 32 DNQ 25 12 DNQ 30
42 United States Bill Simpson 17 13 23 DNQ 19 18 DNQ DNQ 28 12 15
43 United States Jimmy Caruthers Wth 12 13 19 DNQ 15
44 United States Dee Jones 26 12 15 DNQ 15
- United States Donnie Allison 6 17 28 24 0
- Argentina Carlos Pairetti  R  12 9 0
- United States Bill Puterbaugh DNQ 14 DNQ 13 19 0
- United States Jerry Grant DNQ 13 0
- United States Don Brown 18 14 14 21 15 DNQ 0
- United States Bob Harkey 14 22 29 DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Dave Strickland 19 15 Wth 0
- United States George Follmer 15 DNQ 0
- United States Max Dudley 20 17 DNQ 0
- New Zealand Denny Hulme 17 0
- Canada Eldon Rasmussen  R  18 DNQ 0
- United States Arnie Knepper 20 DNQ 25 20 DNQ 0
- United Kingdom David Hobbs 20 0
- United States Rick Muther 22 25 DNQ DNQ 21 24 0
- United States Tom Bigelow 21 22 DNQ 0
- United States Tom Sneva  R  21 DNQ 0
- United States Larry Cannon 23 26 Wth DNQ 0
- United States Jim Hurtubise DNQ 30 DNQ 0
- Argentina Jorge Cupeiro DNS 0
- Argentina Omar Cuvertino DNS 0
- Argentina Ángel Monguzzi DNS 0
- Argentina Carlos Salatino DNS 0
- United States Jigger Sirois DNQ 0
- United States Les Scott DNQ 0
- United States Ralph Liguori DNQ 0
- United States Danny Ongais DNQ 0
- United States Bobby Allen DNQ 0
- United States Jim Reynard DNQ 0
- United States Gig Stephens DNQ 0
- United States Bobby Johns DNQ 0
- United States Sam Posey DNQ 0
- United States Dick Tobias DNQ 0
- United States Don Hawley DNQ 0
- United States Johnny Parsons DNQ 0
- United States Crockey Peterson DNQ 0
- United States Bruce Jacobi Wth 0
- United States Tony Adamowicz Wth 0
- United States Ronnie Bucknum Wth 0
Pos Driver RAF1
Argentina
RAF2
Argentina
PHX1
United States
TRE1
United States
INDY
United States
MIL1
United States
POC
United States
MIC
United States
MIL2
United States
ONT
United States
TRE2
United States
PHX2
United States
Pts
Color Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green 4th & 5th place
Light Blue 6th-10th place
Dark Blue Finished
(Outside Top 10)
Purple Did not finish
(Ret)
Red Did not qualify
(DNQ)
Brown Withdrawn
(Wth)
Black Disqualified
(DSQ)
White Did not start
(DNS)
Blank Did not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
Italics Ran fastest race lap
* Led most race laps
 RY  Rookie of the Year
 R  Rookie


References

[edit]
  • Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1971". Driver Database. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  • Harms, Phil; Ferner, Michael; Measures, Gerry; Brown, Allen. "Indy 500 and USAC racing 1971". OldRacingCars.com.
  • "1971 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
  • Harms, Phil. "1971 Championship Driver Summary" (PDF). Motorsport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  • http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (p. 230-231)
  1. ^ a b c d Waltz, Keith. "Sweeping Changes For USAC After 1970 Season". Speed Sport. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  2. ^ a b Braddock, Bill (November 15, 1970). "$300,000 Marlboro Auto Slate Hits Paved Oval Trail in 1971". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  3. ^ Klopfer, Wolfgang (2004). Formula A and Formula 5000 in America. Books on Demand. p. 79. ISBN 383340566X.

See also

[edit]