1974 Indianapolis 500

Last updated
58th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum in 2017 - Racecars 06.jpg
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body USAC
Season 1974 USAC Trail
DateMay 26, 1974
Winner Johnny Rutherford
Winning team McLaren
Average speed158.589 mph (255.224 km/h)
Pole position A. J. Foyt
Pole speed191.632 mph (308.402 km/h)
Fastest qualifierA. J. Foyt
Rookie of the Year Pancho Carter
Most laps led Johnny Rutherford (122)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthem Purdue Band
"Back Home Again in Indiana" Jim Nabors
Starting command Tony Hulman
Pace car Hurst/Olds Cutlass
Pace car driver Jim Rathmann
StarterPat Vidan [1]
Estimated attendance275,000 [2]
TV in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Jim McKay and Sam Posey
Nielsen ratings 16.4 / 31
Chronology
PreviousNext
1973 1975

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. [3] [4] It was the first of his three Indy victories, and started a three-year stretch where he finished 1st-2nd-1st.

Contents

The race was run relatively clean, with no major crashes or injuries, a sharp contrast from the tragic 1973 event. In order to increase safety, significant improvements were made to the track and cars. [4] Wings were reduced in size, fuel tank capacity was reduced, and pop-off valves were added to the turbocharger plenums in order to reduce horsepower and curtail speeds.

For the first time in Indy history, the race was scheduled for the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. This ended the "never on a Sunday" policy previously held from 1911 to 1973. At the time, it was also the earliest calendar date (May 26) that the race had ever been held. With the implementation of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1971, the holiday was now observed on the last Monday of May (25–31), creating a three-day weekend (Saturday–Monday) every year.

On race day, A. J. Foyt broke the all-time record for most career starts at Indianapolis. The 1974 race was his 17th Indy 500 start (all consecutive), breaking the record of 16 previously held by Cliff Bergere and Chet Miller. [5] Foyt would go on to start a total of 35 consecutive races (1958–1992), and as of 2024, still holds the record for most starts.

Race schedule

The race was run in the wake of the energy crisis, which precipitated several changes to the schedule. During the offseason, government officials were pressuring sports and recreational organizations to curtail their energy consumption. [6] Track management did not want to shorten the traditional 500-mile race distance, but agreed to voluntarily curtail other track activities. In the first half of 1974, NASCAR decided to trim all of their race distances by 10%, as well as scale back practice and ancillary events. Earlier in the year, the Daytona 500 was notably trimmed by 20 laps (the race officially started on lap 21), and the race ran a distance of only 450 miles. [7] Furthermore, the 24 Hours of Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring were canceled outright.

USAC opted to cut a week of practice out of the schedule for the Indy 500. Previously, the track would open for practice on May 1 (or as early as the Saturday before May 1). For 1974, the track opened three weeks before the race. Time trials were cut back from four days to two. Pole day would be held on the Saturday two weeks before the race, and Bump Day would be held on the Saturday one week before the race.

In addition, the track would begin opening on practice days around 12 noon, rather than the previous 9 a.m. [8] Normally, the first few hours of practice were quiet and leisurely with few cars taking advantage of the track time. Thus they were deemed superfluous and excessive on resources and operating costs. This change was also introduced because it made logical sense to have drivers practicing on the track at the same time of day as they would be running in time trials and the race itself (theoretically it would better mimic the conditions encountered on those days).

The reduced on-track time was seen as a way to reduce overall fuel consumption – fewer days that fans would drive their cars to the track – but a mostly insignificant reduction of the actual methanol fuel used by the race cars.

Race schedule – May, 1974
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

 

 

 
1
 
2
 
3
 
4
 
5
 
6
Opening Day
7
Practice
8
Practice
9
Practice
10
Practice
11
Pole Day
12
Practice
13
Practice
14
Practice
15
Practice
16
Practice
17
Practice
18
Bump Day
19
 
20
 
21
 
22
 
23
Carb Day
24
 
25
Parade
26
Indy 500
27
Memorial Day
28
 
29
 
30
 
31
 

 
ColorNotes
GreenPractice
Dark BlueTime trials
SilverRace day
RedRained out*
BlankNo track activity

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

Background

Safety improvements

After the tragic 1973 race, several changes were made to the course, as well as the car rules. The pit lane was widened, and lengthened to the north by about 856 feet. [9] In addition, the inside wall from turn 4 to the pit entrance, which had played a part in the fatal 1973 crash that killed Swede Savage and the 1964 crash that killed Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs, was moved in, which allowed cars to have a much easier entrance into the pit lane as asphalt replaced grass in that area. The heights of the inside and outside retaining walls were also raised and set at a uniform height, a second safety fence was added to the existing fencing throughout, and several rows of trackside seats on the main straightaway were removed. [10]

Also part of the improvements were a new flagstand and officials' booth. Tom Binford, the new chief steward for 1974, [11] requested the construction of an elevated booth, to be located on the outside of the track at the start/finish line. [12] [13] The flagging duties were moved to the new perch. Previously they were done from a small trackside platform on the inside grass along the pit lane, and prior to that, on the race track itself. Though flagman Pat Vidan did not particularly like the confines of the new flagstand [13] (it constricted his grandiose waving style), the officials preferred their improved view of the track and the isolation the booth provided [12] [13] (previously the officials were stationed on the pit lane, in full ear of the often confrontational participants [14] ).

Just three days after the 1973 race, USAC held an urgent meeting to draft emergency rule changes in time for the Pocono 500. Rear wings were reduced in size from 64 inches to 55 inches. On-board fuel capacity was reduced from 70 US gal (58 imp gal; 260 L) down to 40 US gal (33 imp gal; 150 L), and fuel tanks were only allowed on the left side of the car, with the exception of a 212 gallon pick-up tank. An energy-absorbing material was to be placed in the spot formerly occupied by the right-side tank, and total fuel allotment for the 500 miles was reduced from 375 to 340 gallons. [15] By May 1974, the rules were changed once more, further reducing the total fuel allotment to 280 gallons, [16] and rear wings down to 43 inches. [17]

Three-time Formula One World Champion Jackie Stewart who was reporting for ABC Sports filmed a piece on improved safety and he said "The cars wishing to enter the pitlane should continue though turn four low on the racetrack on the new black surface. I don't much like the idea of the infield to be used by emergency equipment to go in the opposite direction of the race cars themselves but of course these are ambulances and wreckers so it may have to happen. The pit lane has been extended by a full one and a half football fields in length, it's demarcation point is this structure. Now this I disapprove of because if a race car hit's this, it's going to be a horrible accident and I think it's unnecessary. The new pit lane operation however I think is going to be considerably safer and considerably better then what we ever seen at Indianapolis before." Stewart then question Binford about the changes saying "I think they are two benefits that I could think of off hand, one of is that we can bring the pace car off sooner then [sic] we were able to do in the past, out and away from the field in the fourth turn."

Rule changes

In response to the fatal accident of pit crew member Armando Teran in 1973, safety trucks were prohibited from driving on the racing surface in the opposite direction of the racing cars. Teran was struck by a fire truck rushing to the scene of Swede Savage's accident. [18]

During time trials, all cars were required to carry a pop-off valve to control turbocharger "boost." Maximum boost levels were set at 80 inHG. [16] The reduction of boost, reduction of wing sizes, and other technical changes lowered speeds by about 8–10 mph from 1973. As a result, top speeds would be around 190 mph, and the elusive 200 mph barrier would be out-of-reach for 1974.

In addition to the aforementioned race day restrictions, fuel restrictions were also put into place for practice and time trials. Each car would be permitted 300 gallons for practice (including Carburetion Day), and 50 gallons for time trials. Rookie drivers were allowed an extra 1212 gallons to be used during rookie tests only. Unused fuel from practice could not be carried over, or given to another team. However, any leftover fuel from time trials could be used on Carb Day. [19]

During time trials, a new safety rule was put into place to convey to the officials the start of a qualifying attempt. [20] When a driver was on his three warm-up laps, a crew member(s) from his team was now stationed at the north end of the mainstretch, and provided with two flags (green and yellow). When the car came around after the third and final warm-up lap, the crew member was instructed to wave a green flag in the air to signify the driver will begin the run. If the crew waves a yellow flag, or waves no flag, the run does not start, the car returns to the pits, and the attempt does not count. As in previous years, each car was still permitted up to three official qualifying attempts.

Previously, the driver himself would make the decision on whether to start the qualifying run. He would do so by raising his hand in the air as he approached the start/finish line. Due to the significantly rising speeds, and the awkwardness of doing so in the increasingly confined cockpits, this practice was abandoned. For instance, during qualifying in 1970, Lloyd Ruby raised his hand to make his attempt, but officials did not see it, and inadvertently waved him off. After he persuaded the officials for a do-over, he burned a piston. [21] It was also in the interest of safety, reflecting upon an incident that involved Bobby Grim during the 1959 race. Grim suffered magneto failure and began coasting to the pits. As was customary for drivers of the time, he raised his arm to signify to the other drivers he had lost power. However, due to the high speed he was still traveling, he painfully dislocated his arm in the process. [22]

This new arrangement also made it simpler for the crew to "wave off" an unsatisfactory attempt already in progress. At any time during the four-lap run, if the crew was dissatisfied with the performance, they could wave a yellow flag, and officials would immediately abort the run. Crews could now wave off a run without needing input from, or conveying the message to, the driver out on the track. Previously the only way to wave off a run was to pull into the pits. Typically, crew members would use hand-held stopwatches and clock their car from a reference point in turn four. That would give them enough time to estimate their forthcoming lap time, and decide whether to abort the run before the car crossed the start/finish line. Furthermore, the rules made it clear that the instant the yellow flag was waved by the crew, the run was aborted, irrespective of the position of the car out on the track. If the car continued down the mainstretch, it would not matter if he/she proceeded to cross the finish line. Previously, if a car physically crossed the finish line, the run counted and was locked in, even if the team was intending to wave off the run. That situation made for some precarious maneuvers to the pit lane or to cars stopping out on the track to avoid crossing the finish line and 'locking in' the undesirable qualifying time.

Departure of Firestone

The 1974 race would be the last, temporarily, for Firestone, who dropped out of Indy car competition effective at the end of the season. Firestone had been a fixture at the Indianapolis 500 dating back to 1911. Firestone-shod cars had won the Indianapolis 500 a total of 48 times to date, including the first race and 43 consecutive from 1920 to 1966. By the mid-1960s, Goodyear had joined the sport, and began a fiercely-competitive "tire war". Firestone had not won the 500 since Al Unser won back-to-back in 1970-1971. Starting in 1975, Goodyear became the lone tire supplier for Championship Car racing and the Indy 500 - an arrangement that would continue through 1994. Firestone made a heralded return to Indy car competition in 1995, [23] and eventually became the exclusive tire supplier starting in 2000.

Time trials

Due to the ongoing energy crisis, qualifying was scheduled for two days (Saturday May 11 and Saturday May 18), down from the traditional four days. Each day was slated to have two separate sessions, an "early" session from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., followed by a "late" session from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The four total sessions were intended to mimic the traditional four days. The pole position was to be the fastest driver during the "early" session on the first day (May 11). New chief steward Tom Binford was adamant that he was preparing to have the gun fire at exactly 2:30 p.m. to close the pole round. However, several observers noted that the 312 hours scheduled for pole round would not be enough time to make it through the entire qualifying draw (at least 46 cars). As a result, most expected the session to be extended at least until the original draw order exhausted. Qualifiers from the "late" session on May 11 would line up behind the qualifiers from the "early" session, followed by the "early" and "late" session qualifiers on May 18. [24] [25]

Rain, however, threw a wrench into the entire plan on both days. Pole qualifying ended up stretching into the second day. Once the pole round was finally completed, seconds day qualifying commenced. The four sessions plan was ultimately scrapped.

First Day - May 11

Pole qualifying was scheduled for the "early" session of Saturday May 11. A. J. Foyt drew the first spot in the qualifying order, and was the first car to make an attempt when the track opened at 11 a.m. His four-lap speed of 191.632 mph placed him tentatively on the pole position.

Wally Dallenbach completed a run of 189.683 mph, which put him in second starting position. His car featured a controversial "king sized" turbocharger, which some competitors complained was too large to be controlled by the standard issue pop-off valves. Ultimately, Dallenbach's blower was deemed legal, but USAC ruled that the team had to use the same turbo in the race. They would not be allowed to swap it out for the more fuel-conservative smaller turbo on race day.

At 12:25 p.m. rain halted qualifying. Only nine cars had completed an attempt.

At 3:35 p.m., the track was dried, and qualifying resumed. Five more cars were able to take to the track, but rain returned, and the track was closed for the day at 4:20 p.m. The field was only filled to 15 cars, and several drivers, including Mario Andretti and Gordon Johncock were still in line and eligible for the pole. Al Unser and Johnny Rutherford, however, both suffered blown engines during the morning practice session. Both teams made engine changes, but USAC declared them ineligible for the pole round since they were not in line at the stroke of 11 o'clock. Unser and Rutherford, both angered by the ruling, were forced to forfeit their respective spots in the qualifying line. Both would have to be second-day qualifiers.

Second Day - May 18

The track opened to continue time trials on Saturday May 18. Eleven cars were still eligible for the pole position round. Gordon Johncock was the first driver out, and he completed a run of 186.287 mph. The next car out was Mike Hiss, who qualified third at 187.490 mph. Mario Andretti was the last driver who was a factor for the pole, but he ended up fifth. At 12:30 p.m., the pole round was officially over, with A. J. Foyt holding on to the pole position. The field officially was filled to 24 cars.

As soon as the pole round had concluded, the Second Day "early" session began. Rick Muther completed his run, filling the field to 25 cars. Bob Harkey was the next driver out, but rain began to fall during his warm-up lap. The track was closed for over three hours. Officials deemed Muther the lone second day "early" qualifier.

At 4:20 p.m., the track was dried and re-opened for the Second Day "late" session. ump Day time trials. Harkey was re-dispatched, and became the 26th qualifier. Johnny Rutherford, who missed out on the pole round, qualified at 190.446 mph, the second-fastest car in the field. Since he was a second day qualifier, however, he was forced to line up behind the first-day qualifiers. Al Unser, also shut out from the pole round, completed a solid run at 183.889 mph.

A long line of cars stretched down the pit lane for the final hour. Numerous cars had not yet had an opportunity to make their guaranteed qualifying attempt, and time was running out. Rumors were circulating up and down pit lane that USAC might extend qualifying beyond the original 6 p.m. deadline. With fifteen minutes left in the day, the field was finally filled to 33 cars. Johnny Parsons - who controversially got out for a second qualifying attempt before other cars had been able to make their first attempt - bumped Jigger Sirois out of the field with nine minutes left. The final car to make an attempt was rookie Jan Opperman, who qualified for the 32nd position, bumping Denny Zimmerman. Sammy Sessions and others were left waiting in line at the 6 o'clock gun. USAC officials refused to extend time trials, claiming that the qualifying line had been "broken" by Parsons, and thus time trials was over.

A protest (and later a civil suit) was filed by owners representing nine cars that were not able to make an attempt. The controversy dragged on throughout the week, but it was ultimately dismissed.

Starting grid

RowInsideMiddleOutside
1 Flag of the United States.svg 14-A. J. Foyt  W  Flag of the United States.svg 40-Wally Dallenbach Sr. Flag of the United States.svg 68-Mike Hiss
2 Flag of the United States.svg 20-Gordon Johncock  W  Flag of the United States.svg 5-Mario Andretti  W  Flag of the United States.svg 98-Mike Mosley
3 Flag of the United States.svg 48-Bobby Unser  W  Flag of the United States.svg 24-Tom Sneva  R  Flag of the United Kingdom.svg 73-David Hobbs
4 Flag of the United States.svg 44-Dick Simon Flag of the United States.svg 8-Gary Bettenhausen Flag of the United States.svg 21-Jimmy Caruthers
5 Flag of the United States.svg 82-George Snider Flag of the United States.svg 77-Salt Walther Flag of the United States.svg 60-Steve Krisiloff
6 Flag of the United States.svg 4-Bill Vukovich II Flag of the United States.svg 55-Jerry Grant Flag of the United States.svg 9-Lloyd Ruby
7 Flag of the United States.svg 42-Jerry Karl Flag of the United States.svg 18-Bill Simpson  R  Flag of the United States.svg 11-Pancho Carter  R 
8 Flag of the United States.svg 89-John Martin Flag of the United States.svg 27-Tom Bigelow  R  Flag of the United States.svg 61-Rick Muther
9 Flag of the United States.svg 3-Johnny Rutherford Flag of the United States.svg 15-Al Unser  W  Flag of the United States.svg 1-Roger McCluskey
10 Flag of the United States.svg 56-Jim Hurtubise Flag of the United States.svg 94-Johnny Parsons  R  Flag of the United States.svg 45-Jim McElreath
11 Flag of the United States.svg 79-Bob Harkey Flag of the United States.svg 51-Jan Opperman  R  Flag of the United States.svg 59-Larry Cannon  R 

Alternates

Failed to Qualify

Race summary

Start

At the start, Wally Dallenbach blasted from the middle of the front row to take the lead into turn one. His aforementioned "king-sized" turbocharger was credited for the fast start, but its reliability was a source of considerable concern. Dallenbach set a new race record for one-lap of 191.408 mph on lap 2, as he pulled out to a sizable lead. The lead was short-lived, however, as Dallenbach broke a piston and coasted to a stop on lap 3. Attrition was very high early on, as eight cars dropped out with mechanical problems by lap 11. Mario Andretti and Gary Bettenhausen each broke a valve, and Mike Mosley blew an engine. Rick Muther pulled into the pits with problems during the pace lap, but rejoined the race, only to lose a piston after 11 laps.

A. J. Foyt took the lead when Dallenbach dropped out. Rutherford was charging dramatically from the 25th starting position. By lap 23, he was running third, and on lap 24, he passed Bobby Unser to take 2nd position.

First half

The top five consisted of Foyt, Rutherford, Bobby Unser, rookie Tom Sneva and Al Unser. By lap 45, Rutherford was driving very aggressively in traffic, and caught up to Foyt. The two cars ran nose-to-tail over the next several laps.

During the second sequence of pit stops around lap 50, teammates Gordon Johncock and Steve Krisiloff both ran out of fuel. They coasted back to the pits and lost considerable time on the track. Bobby Unser also ran out of fuel, and top of that, had a 39 second pit stop. On lap 62, the first caution came out when Larry Cannon stalled on the backstretch. Under the yellow, A. J. Foyt had a terrible pit stop of 53 seconds, which allowed Rutherford to take the lead for the first time on lap 65.

The green came out on lap 68, but only lasted three laps, as Jimmy Caruthers blew an engine, and dropped oil on the track. Five laps later, Pancho Carter lightly brushed the wall exiting turn four, but the car did not suffer significant damage.

On the next green flag pit stop around lap 90, Rutherford was on the receiving end of good luck. He ducked into the pits under green, but seconds later the caution came out for a spin by Jan Opperman, which allowed Rutherford to pit with little time lost.

Second half

Jerry Karl crashed in turn 3 after completing 115 laps. During the caution, Johnny Rutherford exited the pits right in front of second place A. J. Foyt, and held the lead. Seconds later, the green light came back on while the drivers were in the southchute. Foyt got the jump on the restart, and passed Rutherford for the lead in turn 2.

At lap 130, Foyt, Rutherford, and Bobby Unser were running 1st-2nd-3rd. Al Unser dropped out on lap 131 with a broken valve, bringing out the caution for a tow-in. Foyt ducked into the pits, and Rutherford was now the leader again.

On lap 138, the green light came back on. Foyt came through traffic and passed Rutherford for the lead down the mainstretch. A lap later though, Foyt's car began smoking, and he was issued the black flag due to leaking oil. After two pit stops, Foyt dropped out with a broken turbocharger scavenger pump.

Rutherford took over the lead on lap 141, and seemed to have the race in hand. Bobby Unser was the only other car on the lead lap, but was between 15-20 second behind. Rutherford had a close call in turn one while attempting to pass lap traffic. As he was lapping Pancho Carter and Jim McElreath, Carter spun right next to him in turn one. McElreath narrowly avoided him, and all three cars continued.

Rutherford gave up the lead only one more time on lap 176 during a pit stop. He led the final 24 laps to win his first Indianapolis 500. David Hobbs' 5th-place finish was the only top ten at Indianapolis for a foreign driver in the 1970s (except Andretti, who was born in Italy but was a naturalized U.S. citizen).

Immediately after the checkered flag was waved for Johnny Rutherford, a multitude of fans streamed onto the active track in turn 3. This forced the race steward to immediately halt the race, rather than give lapped drivers five extra minutes to complete the race distance [27] as had been the custom since 1964 (before 1964, the time allowed was even longer). The fan incursion caused the Indianapolis 500 race rules to be changed for 1975 and beyond, so that the winner crossing the line ends the race, and all competitors behind the race winner are allowed only to finish their current running lap under green. [28]

Box score

FinishStartNoNameChassisEngineTireQualLapsTime/Retired
1253 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Rutherford McLaren Offenhauser G 190.4462003:09:10.06
2748 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser  W  Eagle Offenhauser G 185.176200+22.32
3164 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Vukovich II Eagle Offenhauser G 182.500199Flagged (-1 lap)
4420 Flag of the United States.svg Gordon Johncock  W  Eagle Offenhauser G 186.287198Flagged (-2 laps)
5973 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Hobbs McLaren Offenhauser G 184.833196Flagged (-4 laps)
63045 Flag of the United States.svg Jim McElreath Eagle Offenhauser G 177.279194Flagged (-6 laps)
72111 Flag of the United States.svg Pancho Carter  R  Eagle Offenhauser F 180.605191Flagged (-9 laps)
83179 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Harkey Kenyon Foyt V-8 F 176.687189Flagged (-11 laps)
9189 Flag of the United States.svg Lloyd Ruby Eagle Offenhauser F 181.699187Out of fuel
101755 Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Grant Eagle Offenhauser F 181.781175Flagged (-25 laps)
112289 Flag of the United States.svg John Martin McLaren Offenhauser G 180.406169Flagged (-31 laps)
122327 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Bigelow  R Vollstedt Offenhauser F 180.144166Flagged (-34 laps)
132018 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Simpson  R  Eagle Offenhauser F 181.041163Piston
14368 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Hiss McLaren Offenhauser G 187.490158Flagged (-42 laps)
15114 Flag of the United States.svg A. J. Foyt  W  Coyote Foyt V-8 G 191.632142Oil Fitting
16271 Flag of the United States.svg Roger McCluskey Riley Offenhauser F 181.004141Rear End
171477 Flag of the United States.svg Salt Walther McLaren Offenhauser G 183.927141Piston
182615 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser  W  Eagle Offenhauser F 183.889131Valve
191942 Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Karl Eagle Offenhauser F 181.452115Crash T3
20824 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Sneva  R Kingfish Offenhauser F 185.14794Drive Gear
213251 Flag of the United States.svg Jan Opperman  R  Parnelli Offenhauser F 176.18685Spun T4
221560 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Krisiloff Eagle Offenhauser G 182.51972Clutch
231221 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Caruthers Eagle Offenhauser F 184.04964Gearbox
243359 Flag of the United States.svg Larry Cannon  R  Eagle Offenhauser F 173.96349Differential
252856 Flag of the United States.svg Jim Hurtubise Eagle Offenhauser F 180.28831Blown Engine
262994 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Parsons  R Finley Offenhauser F 180.25218Turbocharger
272461 Flag of the United States.svg Rick Muther Coyote Foyt V-8 G 179.99111Piston
281382 Flag of the United States.svg George Snider Atlanta Foyt V-8 G 183.9937Valve
29698 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Mosley Eagle Offenhauser F 185.3196Blown Engine
30240 Flag of the United States.svg Wally Dallenbach Sr. Eagle Offenhauser G 189.6833Piston
3155 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti  W  Eagle Offenhauser F 186.0272Valve
32118 Flag of the United States.svg Gary Bettenhausen McLaren Offenhauser G 184.4932Valve
331044 Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon Eagle Foyt V-8 G 184.5021Valve

 W  Former Indianapolis 500 winner

 R  Indianapolis 500 Rookie

Race statistics

Tire participation chart [30]
SupplierNo. of starters
Goodyear 16*
Firestone 17 
*Denotes race winner

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. The broadcast reached an estimated 1,200 affiliates and carriers. Sid Collins served as chief announcer and Fred Agabashian served as "driver expert." At the conclusion of the race, Lou Palmer reported from victory lane. The broadcast opened with a 45-minute prerace.

Several shuffles occurred amongst the reporters and locations, the most significant changes in almost a decade. Mike Ahern retired from the crew and his prestigious turn one location. Veteran Ron Carrell moved from turn three to take over turn one. Among the newcomers was Paul Page, who debuted as a pit reporter. The reporting location for turn three was moved to a platform on the "L" grandstand. Doug Zink took over turn three, and rookie Jerry Baker made his 500 radio debut on the backstretch. [31]

For the first time, there were five pit/garage reporters on the crew. For the 1974 race, the length of the pit road was increased, and the additional reporter was added to help cover the expansion. Bob Forbes was once again the "wireless" roving reporter.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Booth AnnouncersTurn 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  R 
Turn 3: Doug Zink
Turn 4: Jim Shelton

Paul Page  R  (north pits)
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. Jim McKay returned as announcer, but Jackie Stewart was in Monaco for coverage of the grand prix but Stewart recorded features during the qualifying weekends before he went to Monaco and the features were aired on race day before sending a report from Monaco of the race. Former driver Sam Posey joined the crew as booth analyst.

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

Since April 25, 2019 the full race broadcast was made available on the official Indianapolis Motor Speedway YouTube channel. [32]

ABC Television
Booth Announcers Pit/garage reporters

Host: Chris Schenkel
Announcer: Jim McKay
Color: Sam Posey

Chris Economaki
Bill Flemming
Jackie Stewart (Features)

Notes

See also

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<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">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">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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1969 Indianapolis 500</span> 53rd running of the Indianapolis 500

The 53rd International 500 Mile Sweepstakes was an auto race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Friday, May 30, 1969. It was the third round of the 1969 USAC Championship Car season. Polesitter A. J. Foyt led the race in the early stages, looking to become the first four-time winner of the 500. Near the halfway point, however, a lengthy pit stop to repair a broken manifold put him many laps down. Despite a hard-charging run towards the end, he wound up managing only an eighth-place finish, 19 laps down. Lloyd Ruby, a driver with a hard-luck reputation at the Speedway, was leading the race just after the midpoint. During a pit stop, he pulled away with the fueling hose still attached, ripped a hole in the fuel tank, and was out of the race. The incident put Mario Andretti in the lead for rest of the way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Indianapolis 500</span> 64th running of the Indianapolis 500

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">1994 Indianapolis 500</span> 78th running of the Indianapolis 500

The 78th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 29, 1994. The race was sanctioned by United States Auto Club (USAC), and was included as race number 4 of 16 of the 1994 PPG IndyCar World Series. For the second year in a row, weather was not a factor during the month. Only one practice day was lost to rain, and pole day was only partially halted due to scattered showers. Warm, sunny skies greeted race day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989 Indianapolis 500</span> 73rd running of the Indianapolis 500

The 73rd Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1989. The race was won by Emerson Fittipaldi, a two-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion. Fittipaldi became the first Indianapolis 500 winner from Brazil, the first foreign-born winner of the race since Mario Andretti in 1969, and the first non-American winner since Graham Hill in 1966. Though Fittipaldi started on the front row and dominated much of the race, he found himself running second in the waning laps. Michael Andretti passed Fittipaldi for the lead on lap 154, then led until his engine blew. Al Unser Jr. moved up to second, but trailed Fittipaldi by a big margin. Gambling on fuel mileage, Unser caught up to Fittipaldi after a fortuitous caution period on lap 181, and subsequently took the lead on lap 196.

<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.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocono 500 (IndyCar)</span> IndyCar race at Pocono

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 Pocono 500</span> Motor car race

The 1974 Pocono 500, the 4th running of the event, was held at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, June 30, 1974. Branded as the 1974 Schaefer 500 for sponsorship reasons, the race was won by Johnny Rutherford, who one month earlier won the 1974 Indianapolis 500.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 California 500</span> Motor car race

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 California 500</span> Motor car race

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.

References

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  3. "Rutherford hits jackpot". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. May 27, 1974. p. 1B.
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  32. 1974 Indianapolis 500 | Full-Race Broadcast 1080p - YouTube

Works cited

1973 Indianapolis 500
Gordon Johncock
1974 Indianapolis 500
Johnny Rutherford
1975 Indianapolis 500
Bobby Unser