1970 USAC Championship Car season

The 1970 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 18 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 28 and concluding at the same location on November 21. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Al Unser. After this season, dirt courses did not reappear in the USAC Championship until 1981-82. Road courses after this season did not reappear in the USAC Championship until 1977. The Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb was the only non-championship event.

1970 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races18
Start dateMarch 28
End dateNovember 21
Awards
National championUnited States Al Unser
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited States Al Unser

Schedule and results

RndDateRace NameLengthTrackLocationTypePole PositionWinning Driver
1March 28 Phoenix 150150 mi (240 km)Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaPaved Mario Andretti Al Unser
2April 4 Golden Gate 150151.38 mi (243.62 km)Sears Point RacewaySonoma, CaliforniaRoad Mark Donohue Dan Gurney
3April 26 Trenton 200201 mi (323 km)Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyPaved Al Unser Lloyd Ruby
4May 30 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes500 mi (800 km)Indianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, IndianaPaved Al Unser Al Unser
5June 7 Rex Mays Classic150 mi (240 km)Wisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, WisconsinPaved Mario Andretti Joe Leonard
6June 14 Langhorne 150150 mi (240 km)Langhorne SpeedwayLanghorne, PennsylvaniaPaved Bobby Unser Bobby Unser
7June 28 Rocky Mountain 150151.62 mi (244.01 km)Continental Divide RacewaysMead, ColoradoRoad Al Unser Mario Andretti
8July 4 Michigan Twin 200s200 mi (320 km)Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, MichiganPaved Gary Bettenhausen Gary Bettenhausen
NCJuly 4 Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb12.42 mi (19.99 km)Pikes Peak HighwayPikes Peak, ColoradoHill Orville NanceA Ted Foltz
9July 26 Indy 150150 mi (240 km)Indianapolis Raceway ParkClermont, IndianaRoad Mario Andretti Al Unser
10August 22 Tony Bettenhausen 100100 mi (160 km)Illinois State FairgroundsSpringfield, IllinoisDirt Larry Dickson Al Unser
11August 23 Tony Bettenhausen 200200 mi (320 km)Wisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, WisconsinPaved Al Unser Al Unser
12September 6 California 500500 mi (800 km)Ontario Motor SpeedwayOntario, CaliforniaPaved Lloyd Ruby Jim McElreath
13September 7 Ted Horn Memorial 100100 mi (160 km)DuQuoin State FairgroundsDu Quoin, IllinoisDirt Al Unser Al Unser
14September 12 Hoosier Hundred100 mi (160 km)Indiana State FairgroundsIndianapolis, IndianaDirt Johnny Parsons Al Unser
15September 19 Sedalia 100100 mi (160 km)State Fair RacewaySedalia, MissouriDirt Al Unser Al Unser
16October 3 Trenton 300264 mi (425 km)BTrenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyPaved Al Unser Al Unser
17October 4 Golden State 100100 mi (160 km)California State FairgroundsSacramento, CaliforniaDirt Mario Andretti Al Unser
18November 21 Bobby Ball 150150 mi (240 km)Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaPaved Al Unser Swede Savage
  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.
^B Scheduled for 300 miles, stopped early due to rain.

Final points standings

Note: Mark Donohue, Kevin Bartlett, Peter Revson, LeeRoy Yarbrough, John Cannon, Donnie Allison, Ron Grable, Jack Eiteljorg and Jack Brabham are not eligible for points.

PosDriverPHX1
SON
TRE1
INDY
MIL1
LAN
CDR
MIC
IRP
SPR
MIL2
ONT
DQSF
ISF
SED
TRE2
SAC
PHX2
Pts
1 Al Unser13313251811191111125130
2 Bobby Unser218411614224919222DNQDNQ26172260
3 Jim McElreath675DNS31Wth1013DNP1652060
4 Mike Mosley57521731541410514185438201900
5 Mario Andretti13226581211824241017112211481890
6 Roger McCluskeyDNQDNQ252Wth79DNP225105531380
7 Gordon Johncock1841528121071234DNQ1160
8 Art Pollard11213018DNP1917DNP1126241110
9 A. J. Foyt4Wth61024381215715103DNQ231105
10 Dick Simon  R 2469141191119133DNQDNQ91080
11 Dan Gurney13181000
12 Johnny RutherfordDNP5201814DNQ31711213111DNQ124136960
13 Mel Kenyon16DNQ10369860
14 Lloyd Ruby31274DNP1720232216790
15 Bentley Warren  R DNQ8DNQ10654DNQ852011775
16 Gary Bettenhausen17211226951222017199DNQ16DNQ919710
17 Wally Dallenbach Sr.10171787DNP165928DNS154620
18 Swede Savage28271615
19 Jim Malloy3319451622DNQ11DNQ12713DNP13570
20 Greg Weld1832DNQDNP2771578DNQ4530
21 George Snider720232314DNQ414151827460
22 Carl Williams9212DNQ15DNQ10440
23 Jerry Grant22717DNP621DNQ14420
24 Rick Muther8DNQ14DNQ33822400
25 Sam Sessions12DNQ21617DNQ411DNP12365
26 Steve Krisiloff81510DNQ221318DNQ297DNS315
27 Larry DicksonDNQ25DNQ3DNQ3DNS11310
28 John Mahler  R 1316DNQ158961412DNQ305
29 Joe Leonard24113300
30 Bill Simpson221019DNQ20191476DNQ1921295
31 Ralph LiguoriDNQ1352DNQ15260
32 Bill Vukovich IIDNS20DNP231312DNPDNQ310200
33 Max Dudley8229DNQ10DNQ195
34 Bruce Jacobi199DNQ2020415DNQDNQDNQDNQDNQ180
35 Tom BigelowDNQDNQ17DNQ7137DNQ61717DNQ180
36 Bob Harkey1216176139DNQDNQ130
37 Merle Bettenhausen  R DNP87110
38 Dee JonesDNQ8DNQ100
39 Karl Busson  R 911DNS182223DNSDNQDNQDNQ1415100
40 Bud TingelstadDNQ252416DNQ101890
41 Bruce Walkup16292116DNS1326231614614DNQDNQDNQ80
42 Jimmy Caruthers  R 6DNP80
43 Jerry Karl122413DNQDNQ11DNQDNP1225DNQ65
44 Ludwig Heimrath Sr.231423DNQ121060
45 Ronnie Bucknum1615DNQDNP20DNP1160
46 Dick Tobias  R 19850
47 Will Cagle  R 21DNQ9DNQDNQ40
48 Arnie KnepperDNQ15111822DNQDNQDNQ40
49 Johnny ParsonsDNQ16121718DNQDNQ10
50 Johnny Anderson201210
- Mark Donohue2522300
- John Cannon11DNQDNP4DNQ0
- Donnie Allison  R 40
- Peter Revson2250
- LeeRoy Yarbrough1980
- Jack Eiteljorg10DNQ0
- Ron Grable  R 110
- Kevin Bartlett12DNQ16260
- Ned Spath141713DNQ0
- Larry Cannon  R DNQDNQ1813DNQDNQ16DNPDNQ0
- Jack Brabham13DNQ0
- Darrell Dockery  R 152314DNQ2323DNQDNQ0
- Al Loquasto24DNQDNQ14DNP230
- John Martin  R 15DNQ0
- Al Miller150
- Bill PuterbaughDNQDNSDNQDNQ1617DNP0
- Sonny AtesDNQ16DNP0
- Salt Walther  R DNS180
- Jerry Poland  R DNQ18DNQ0
- Crockey Peterson  R 1920DNQ0
- Scooter Patrick  R 190
- George Follmer3121200
- Bud Morley21DNQ0
- Nick Dioguardi  R 210
- Gig Stephens22260
- Bob DeJong  R DNPDNQDNQ22DNQDNQ0
- Don Brown  R 24DNQ0
- Jim HurtubiseDNQ320
- Ron BurkeDNQDNQDNQDNS0
- Ed MarshallDNQDNS0
- Leigh EarnshawDNQDNQDNQDNQ0
- Jigger SiroisDNQDNPDNQ0
- Keith RachwitzDNQDNPDNQ0
- Lee KunzmanDNQDNQ0
- Denny ZimmermanDNQDNQ0
- Rollie BealeDNQDNQ0
- Jim ReynardDNQDNQ0
- Bob GreggDNPDNQ0
- Tony AdamowiczDNQ0
- Chris AmonDNQ0
- Charlie GlotzbachDNQ0
- Denny HulmeDNQ0
- Bruce McLarenDNQ0
- Butch MorleyDNQ0
- Carlos PairettiDNQ0
- Sam PoseyDNQ0
- Bob VeithDNQ0
- Les ScottDNQ0
- Gary PonziniDNQ0
- Bob AllenDNQ0
- Tom SnevaDNQ0
- Dave StricklandDNQ0
- Carl AdamsDNP0
PosDriverPHX1
SON
TRE1
INDY
MIL1
LAN
CDR
MIC
IRP
SPR
MIL2
ONT
DQSF
ISF
SED
TRE2
SAC
PHX2
Pts
ColorResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
Green4th & 5th place
Light Blue6th-10th place
Dark BlueFinished
(Outside Top 10)
PurpleDid not finish
(Ret)
RedDid not qualify
(DNQ)
BrownWithdrawn
(Wth)
BlackDisqualified
(DSQ)
WhiteDid not start
(DNS)
BlankDid not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
BoldPole position
ItalicsRan fastest race lap
*Led most race laps
 RY  Rookie of the Year
 R  Rookie

References

  • Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1970". Driver Database. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
  • "1970 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
  • Harms, Phil. "1970 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. 232-237)

See also