1961 USAC Championship Car season

1961 USAC Championship Car season
1961 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races	12
Start date	April 9
End date	November 19
Awards
National champion	A. J. Foyt
Indianapolis 500 winner	A. J. Foyt
	← 1960 1962 →

Last updated September 08, 2025

The 1961 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 9 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 19. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. The season was marred by the deaths of 1951 and 1958 season champion Tony Bettenhausen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Al Keller at Phoenix.

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Track	Location	Type	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	April 9	Trenton 100	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Tony Bettenhausen	Eddie Sachs
2	May 30	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Paved	Eddie Sachs	A. J. Foyt
3	June 4	Rex Mays Classic	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Dick Rathmann	Rodger Ward
4	June 18	Langhorne 100	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Dirt	Al Keller	A. J. Foyt
NC	July 4	Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb	Pikes Peak Highway	Pikes Peak, Colorado	Hill	Bobby Unser ^A	Bobby Unser
5	August 20	Tony Bettenhausen 200	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Don Branson	Lloyd Ruby
6	August 21	Tony Bettenhausen Memorial	Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, Illinois	Dirt	Parnelli Jones	Jim Hurtubise
7	September 4	Ted Horn Memorial	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	Du Quoin, Illinois	Dirt	Jim Hurtubise	A. J. Foyt
8	September 9	Syracuse 100	New York State Fairgrounds	Syracuse, New York	Dirt	Rodger Ward	Rodger Ward
9	September 16	Hoosier Hundred	Indiana State Fairgrounds	Indianapolis, Indiana	Dirt	A. J. Foyt	A. J. Foyt
10	September 24	Trenton 100	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Eddie Sachs	Eddie Sachs
11	October 29	Golden State 100	California State Fairgrounds	Sacramento, California	Dirt	Shorty Templeman	Rodger Ward
12	November 19	Bobby Ball Memorial	Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix, Arizona	Dirt	Al Keller	Parnelli Jones

Paved/Dirt Oval

Road Course/Hill Climb

Non-championship race

^A No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb.

Final points standings

Pos	Driver	TRE1	INDY	MIL1	LAN	MIL2	SPR	DQSF	SYR	ISF	TRE2	SAC	PHX	Pts
1	A. J. Foyt	5	1	22	1	3	2	1	18	1	14	12	15	2150
2	Eddie Sachs	1	2	Wth	3	5	DNS	3	DNQ	DNQ	1	DNQ	6	1760
3	Rodger Ward	18	3	1		19	6	17	1	17	3	1	2	1680
4	Shorty Templeman		4	DNQ		10	5	2	2	5	16	16	12	1190
5	Al Keller		5	2	15	12	18	5	4	16	5	18	17	1000
6	Jim Hurtubise	2	22	5	8	7	1	18	3	18	2	14	DNS	939
7	Len Sutton	DNQ	19	4		2	10	9	9	4	11	4	8	860
8	Bobby Marshman RY	17	7	19	11	15	9	8	7	2	19	3	11	769
9	Parnelli Jones	15	12		2	23	11	12	5	12	9	2	1	750
10	Dick Rathmann	4	13	3	6	4	3	DNQ		10	20			750
11	Lloyd Ruby		8	21		1	16	16	11	DNQ	18	DNQ		670
12	Don Branson	16	33	6	14	24	15	6	17	8	4	7	3	530
13	Elmer George	8		8	4	DNQ	8	14	6	15		6	9	470
14	Chuck Stevenson		6											400
15	Roger McCluskey	6	27	17	5	DNQ		15	8	14	7	11	7	370
16	A. J. Shepherd	11	26	DNQ		6	4	7	15	DNQ				360
17	Chuck Hulse	12	DNQ	14	18	17	13	4	DNQ	6	6	DNQ	14	302
18	Jim McElreath R									3	21	10	4	290
19	Al Farmer	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	16		7	13	16	DNQ	DNQ	5	5	260
20	Jack Brabham R		9											200
21	Johnny Boyd		21	7		8			DNQ		15			160
22	Norm Hall R		10	DNQ		DNQ						DNQ		150
23	Troy Ruttman	3	20	16										140
24	Don Davis		29	DNQ	13	13	14	10	12	13	8	8	DNQ	140
25	Ronnie Duman R		DNQ	15	DNS	11	DNQ	DNQ	10	DNQ	13	9	DNQ	128
26	Bob Christie		17	20		9					10			110
27	Gene Hartley		11											100
28	Red Riegel R	DNQ			7		DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	13	18	60
29	Ralph Liguori			DNQ		DNQ				7	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	60
30	Len Duncan	7												60
31	Jiggs Peters	9			12		DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ			50
32	Danny Jones		DNQ						14	9	DNQ			40
33	Don Freeland		DNQ	9		DNQ								40
34	Allen Crowe R					16	17		13	DNQ	12	DNQ	10	40
35	Bruce Jacobi	14	DNQ	DNQ	10									30
36	Wayne Weiler	DNQ	15	10										30
37	Bob Cleberg	10	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ									30
38	Rex Easton	DNQ		DNQ	9		DNQ							22
39	Bud Tingelstad		DNQ	DNQ		14	DNQ	11	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ		20
40	Eddie Johnson		18	11		DNQ					DNQ			20
41	Bob Mathouser R								DNQ	11	DNQ	DNQ		20
42	Dempsey Wilson		16	12		20	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ			15	DNQ	10
43	Jack Turner		25			21	12		DNQ	DNQ				10
-	Bill Cheesbourg		28	13							DNQ		DNQ	0
-	Don Horvath R	13										DNQ		0
-	Leroy Neumayer R											DNQ	13	0
-	Paul Goldsmith		14	18										0
-	Keith Rachwitz R											DNQ	16	0
-	Jack Rounds	20	DNQ		17									0
-	Bob Veith		DNQ			25					17			0
-	Ray Wearne R			DNQ								17	DNQ	0
-	Leon Clum R		DNQ	DNQ		18				DNQ	DNQ			0
-	Tony Bettenhausen	19	DNQ											0
-	Tommy Copp R	21		DNQ										0
-	Johnny Coy R	22			DNQ						22			0
-	Ernie Koch			DNQ	DNQ	22	DNQ							0
-	Ebb Rose R		23			26								0
-	Cliff Griffith		24											0
-	Jim Rathmann	DNQ	30	DNQ					DNQ					0
-	Jimmy Daywalt		31											0
-	Bobby Grim		32				DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ				0
-	Beau Clerke	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ		DNQ		0
-	Jim McWithey		DNQ	DNQ		DNQ				DNQ			DNQ	0
-	Jim Hemmings					DNQ		DNQ	DNQ		DNQ			0
-	Harry Beck		DNP			DNQ				DNQ	DNQ			0
-	Tony Bonadies	DNQ		DNQ		DNQ								0
-	Vern Harriman								DNQ	DNQ	DNQ			0
-	Ray Crawford		DNQ									DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Bill Randall	DNQ	DNQ											0
-	Bert Brooks		DNQ	DNQ										0
-	Jack Conely			DNQ		DNQ								0
-	Ed Kostenuk							DNQ	DNQ					0
-	Chuck Arnold		DNQ								DNQ			0
-	Al Pombo											DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Tony Romit	DNQ												0
-	Duane Carter		DNQ											0
-	Russ Congdon		DNQ											0
-	Jack Ensley		DNQ											0
-	Mike Magill		DNQ											0
-	Chuck Rodee		DNQ											0
-	Paul Russo		DNQ											0
-	Bud Sterrett		DNQ											0
-	Bob Wente		DNQ											0
-	Chuck Weyant		DNQ											0
-	Cliff Spalding			DNQ										0
-	Ray Brown										DNQ			0
-	Hal Rettberg										DNQ			0
-	Bill Hyde											DNQ		0
-	Russ Long											DNQ		0
-	Jimmy Davies												DNQ	0
Pos	Driver	TRE1	INDY	MIL1	LAN	MIL2	SPR	DQSF	SYR	ISF	TRE2	SAC	PHX	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)
Blank	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

Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1961". Driver Database. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
"1961 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (p. 272-273)

v t e American Championship car racing (Indy car) seasons
AAA	1905 1906–1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
USAC	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95
CART	1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
CCWS	2004 2005 2006 2007 ~~2008~~
IRL	1996 1996–97 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
IndyCar	2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Years marked in italics are not official championship years or upcoming seasons.

v t e USAC Championship Cars (1956–1970)
Seasons	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
Indianapolis 500s	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
National Champions	Mario Andretti (three times) Tony Bettenhausen Jimmy Bryan (twice) A. J. Foyt (five times) Al Unser Bobby Unser Rodger Ward (twice)
Tracks	Arizona State Fair Atlanta Brainerd California State Fair Continental Divide Darlington Daytona Dover DuQuoin State Fair Hanford Illinois State Fair Indianapolis Indianapolis Raceway Park Indiana State Fair Lakewood Langhorne Michigan Michigan State Fair Milwaukee Missouri State Fair Mont-Tremblant Mosport Nazareth New York State Fair Ontario Phoenix Pikes Peak Riverside Stardust Sears Point Seattle Trenton

1961 USAC Championship Car season

Contents

Schedule and results

Final points standings

References

See also