1975 Indianapolis 500

Last updated
59th Indianapolis 500
Indy500winningcar1975.JPG
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body USAC
Season 1975 USAC Trail
DateMay 25, 1975
Winner Bobby Unser
(435 miles, rain)
Winning team All American Racers
Average speed149.213 mph (240.135 km/h)
Pole position A. J. Foyt
Pole speed193.976 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
StarterPat Vidan [1]
Estimated attendance300,000 [2]
TV in the United States
Network ABC
Announcers Keith Jackson and Jackie Stewart
Nielsen ratings 14.9 / 30
Chronology
PreviousNext
1974 1976

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.

Contents

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
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat

 

 

 

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

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

Time trials

Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, at the 1975 race. Tony Hulman.jpg
Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, at the 1975 race.

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

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

Alternates

Failed to qualify

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

FinishStartNoNameChassisEngineQualLapsTime/Retired
1348 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Unser  W  Eagle Offenhauser 191.0731742:54:55.08
272 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Rutherford  W  McLaren Offenhauser 185.998174+1:04.05
3114 Flag of the United States.svg A. J. Foyt  W  Coyote Foyt 193.976174+1:48.66
41811 Flag of the United States.svg Pancho Carter Eagle Offenhauser 183.449169Flagged (-5 laps)
52215 Flag of the United States.svg Roger McCluskey Riley Offenhauser 183.964167Flagged (-7 laps)
686 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Vukovich II Eagle Offenhauser 185.845166Flagged (-8 laps)
71583 Flag of the United States.svg Bill Puterbaugh  R  Eagle Offenhauser 183.833165Flagged (-9 laps)
82497 Flag of the United States.svg George Snider Eagle Offenhauser 182.918165Flagged (-9 laps)
92140 Flag of the United States.svg Wally Dallenbach Sr. Wildcat SGD190.648162Piston
102333 Flag of the United States.svg Bob Harkey
(Salt Walther Laps 18–162)
McLaren Offenhauser 183.786162Flagged (-12 laps)
112998 Flag of the United States.svg Steve Krisiloff Eagle Offenhauser 182.408162Flagged (-12 laps)
122619 Flag of the United States.svg Sheldon Kinser  R Kingfish Offenhauser 182.389161Flagged (-13 laps)
132030 Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Karl Eagle Chevrolet 182.537161Flagged (-13 laps)
141078 Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Caruthers Eagle Offenhauser 185.615161Flagged (-13 laps)
151945 Flag of the United States.svg Gary Bettenhausen Eagle Offenhauser 182.611158Crash FS
16114 Flag of the United States.svg Al Unser  W  Eagle Offenhauser 185.452157Rod
172536 Flag of the United States.svg Sammy Sessions Eagle Offenhauser 182.751155Engine
183317 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Bigelow Vollstedt Offenhauser 181.864151Magneto
191293 Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Parsons Eagle Offenhauser 184.521140Transmission
201473 Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Grant Eagle Offenhauser 184.266137Piston
213044 Flag of the United States.svg Dick Simon Eagle Foyt 181.891133Flagged (-31 laps)
22468 Flag of the United States.svg Tom Sneva McLaren Offenhauser 190.094125Crash T2
231724 Flag of the United States.svg Bentley Warren Kingfish Offenhauser 183.589120Flagged (-54 laps)
243258 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Eldon Rasmussen  R Ras-Car Foyt 181.910119Valve
251316 Flag of the United States.svg Bobby Allison McLaren Offenhauser 184.398112Gearbox
26512 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Mosley Eagle Offenhauser 187.83394Engine
271689 Flag of the United States.svg John Martin McLaren Offenhauser 183.65561Radiator
282721 Flag of the United States.svg Mario Andretti  W  Eagle Offenhauser 186.48049Crash BS
293194 Flag of the United States.svg Mike Hiss Finley Offenhauser 181.75439Crash T3
302863 Flag of the United States.svg Larry McCoy  R Ras-Car Offenhauser 182.76024Piston
31220 Flag of the United States.svg Gordon Johncock  W  Wildcat SGD191.65311Ignition
3267 Flag of the United States.svg Lloyd Ruby McLaren Offenhauser 186.9847Piston
33977 Flag of the United States.svg Salt Walther McLaren Offenhauser 185.7012Ignition

Note: Relief drivers in parentheses [5]

 W  Former Indianapolis 500 winner

 R  Indianapolis 500 Rookie

All cars utilized Goodyear tires.

Race statistics

Notes

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 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
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

See also

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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.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 California 500</span> Motor car race

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 California 500</span> Motor car race

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

  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. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  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. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  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.
  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. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  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. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  10. 1 2 "A sports potpourri". Idaho State Journal. May 23, 1975. p. 41. Retrieved April 2, 2018 via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg

Works cited

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