1971 USAC Championship Car season

1971 USAC Championship Car season
1971 USAC Championship Car season
USAC Marlboro Championship Trail
Season
Races	12
Start date	February 28
End date	October 23
Awards
National champion	Joe Leonard
Indianapolis 500 winner	Al Unser
	← 1970 1972 →

Last updated December 17, 2023

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

All races running on Oval/Speedway. 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 He alleged that the event had been boycotted by a number of drivers refusing to race at the outdated venue, which was torn down at the end of the year.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 & the Pocono 500 added in this season.^[1]^[2]

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

Final points standings

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		PHX1	TRE1	INDY	MIL1	POC	MIC	MIL2	ONT	TRE2	PHX2	Pts
1	Joe Leonard	6	3	4	24	19	2	2	19	DNQ	1	3	10	3015
2	A. J. Foyt			17		3	20	3	17	2	16	5	1	2320
3	Bill Vukovich II				25	5	3	5	2	14	10	4	3	2250
4	Al Unser	1	1	1	21	1	1	31	24	17	15	17	21	2200
5	Lloyd Ruby	2	2	5	13	11	7	8	21	6	4	23	24	1830
6	Bobby Unser	27		2	4	12	14	9	18	1	21	1	8	1805
7	Gary Bettenhausen	11	7	20	16	10	16	6	22	3	3	24	5	1800
8	Mark Donohue			6	19	25		1	1		18	6	16	1760
9	Mario Andretti	Wth		9	18	30	11	4	12	19	33	2	4	1370
10	Wally Dallenbach Sr.			7	2	24	4	15	4	4	23	9	11	1220
11	Art Pollard	DNP		24	6	26	5	16	16	16	2	20	9	1170
12	Peter Revson					2		21			7			1100
13	Roger McCluskey	5	4	22	22	9	23	25	3	18	28	22	2	1050
14	Jim Malloy	14	21	11		4	DNS	26	13	DNQ	6			1030
15	Steve Krisiloff			DNQ	11	31		10	7	24	5	7	20	990
16	Cale Yarborough	8	8	13	5	16	DNQ	32	5	8	14	11	DNQ	710
17	Mike Mosley	3	23	10	1	13							19	655
18	Swede Savage	4	5	3							12	16	23	590
19	Johnny Rutherford	7	20	21	17	18	6	7	10		26	Wth	22	570
20	Dick Simon	13	6	12	7	14	9	17	15	DNQ	22	25	7	405
21	Jim McElreath					DNQ		27			8	27	6	370
22	Bud Tingelstad					7	DNQ	19			17			300
23	LeeRoy Yarbrough				3		DNQ							280
24	George Eaton RY									9	11	10	18	270
25	Greg Weld					DNQ	18	12		10	30	8	14	260
26	Denny Zimmerman	24	19	19		8	22	24	26		20	13	DNQ	250
27	Gordon Johncock	9	10	8	15	29	10	20	23	25	27	DNQ	DNQ	225
28	Sam Sessions				DNQ	27		11	DNQ	7	DNQ		13	220
29	George Snider			18		33	21	33	14	5	32	14	15	200
30	John Mahler	16	16		23	Wth		23			9			200
31	Larry Dickson	DNP				28			6	15	13	DNS		160
32	Bentley Warren	10	24	16	26	23	8	22		Wth	DNP			120
33	Karl Busson	DNP			DNQ				8	23		DNQ	DNQ	100
34	Bruce Walkup			DNQ	8	DNQ					29		DNQ	100
35	John Martin					DNQ	15		9	12	DNQ		DNQ	100
36	Al Loquasto				9	DNQ		DNQ			DNQ			80
37	Ludwig Heimrath Sr.	25	18		10				DNQ					60
38	Jerry Karl				12	DNQ			11	22				60
39	Carl Williams					DNQ				11	31	26	17	40
40	Salt Walther	15	11		DNQ	DNQ			20		DNP			30
41	Mel Kenyon					32	DNQ				25	12	DNQ	30
42	Bill Simpson	17	13	23		DNQ	19	18	DNQ		DNQ	28	12	15
43	Jimmy Caruthers					DNQ	12	13			19		DNQ	15
44	Dee Jones	26	12	15		DNQ								15
-	Donnie Allison					6	17	28			24			0
-	Carlos Pairetti R	12	9											0
-	Bill Puterbaugh					DNQ		14	DNQ	13		19		0
-	Jerry Grant					DNQ	13				DNP			0
-	Don Brown	18	14		14					21		15	DNQ	0
-	Bob Harkey			14		22		29	DNQ		DNQ			0
-	Dave Strickland	19	15			DNQ								0
-	George Follmer					15		DNQ						0
-	Max Dudley	20	17					DNQ						0
-	Denny Hulme					17								0
-	Eldon Rasmussen R											18	DNQ	0
-	Arnie Knepper				20	DNQ			25	20			DNQ	0
-	David Hobbs					20								0
-	Rick Muther	22	25	DNQ	DNQ	21	24							0
-	Tom Bigelow	21	22		DNQ									0
-	Tom Sneva R											21	DNQ	0
-	Larry Cannon	23	26			DNQ			DNQ					0
-	Jim Hurtubise					DNQ		30			DNQ			0
-	Jorge Cupeiro	DNS												0
-	Omar Cuvertino	DNS												0
-	Ángel Monguzzi	DNS												0
-	Carlos Salatino	DNS												0
-	Jigger Sirois				DNQ						DNP			0
-	Bruce Jacobi	DNP				DNQ								0
-	Tony Adamowicz					DNQ		DNP						0
-	Les Scott					DNQ					DNP			0
-	Ralph Liguori			DNQ										0
-	Danny Ongais			DNQ										0
-	Bobby Allen				DNQ									0
-	Jim Reynard				DNQ									0
-	Gig Stephens				DNQ									0
-	Ronnie Bucknum					DNQ								0
-	Bobby Johns					DNQ								0
-	Sam Posey					DNQ								0
-	Dick Tobias											DNQ		0
-	Don Hawley												DNQ	0
-	Johnny Parsons												DNQ	0
-	Crockey Peterson												DNQ	0
-	Jorge Ternengo	DNP												0
-	Lothar Motschenbacher										DNP			0
Pos	Driver	RAF1	RAF2	PHX1	TRE1	INDY	MIL1	POC	MIC	MIL2	ONT	TRE2	PHX2	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

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References

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 2 3 4 Waltz, Keith. "Sweeping Changes For USAC After 1970 Season". Speed Sport. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
1 2 Braddock, Bill (November 15, 1970). "$300,000 Marlboro Auto Slate Hits Paved Oval Trail in 1971". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
↑ Klopfer, Wolfgang (2004). Formula A and Formula 5000 in America. Books on Demand. p. 79. ISBN 383340566X.

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
Years marked in italics are not official championship years or upcoming seasons.

v t e USAC Championship Cars (1971–1995)
Seasons	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
Indianapolis 500s	1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
National Champions	Emerson Fittipaldi (twice) A. J. Foyt (twice) Gordon Johncock Joe Leonard (twice) Arie Luyendyk Roger McCluskey Rick Mears (three times) Bobby Rahal Johnny Rutherford Tom Sneva (three times) George Snider Danny Sullivan Al Unser Al Unser Jr. (twice) Bobby Unser Jacques Villeneuve
Tracks	Atlanta Brands Hatch DuQuoin State Fair Illinois State Fair Indianapolis Indiana State Fair Michigan Mid-Ohio Milwaukee Mosport Nazareth Ontario Phoenix Pocono Rafaela Silverstone Texas World Trenton

1971 USAC Championship Car season

Contents

Schedule and results

Final points standings

Related Research Articles

References

See also