1976 USAC Championship Car season

The 1976 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 14 and concluding at the same location on November 7. The USAC National Champion was Gordon Johncock and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Johnny Rutherford.

1976 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races13
Start dateMarch 14
End dateNovember 7
Awards
National champion Gordon Johncock
Indianapolis 500 winner Johnny Rutherford

Schedule and results

All races running on Oval/Speedway.

Rnd Date Race Name Track Location Pole Position Winning Driver
1 March 14 Jimmy Bryan 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Al Unser Bobby Unser
2 May 2 Trenton 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey A. J. Foyt Johnny Rutherford
3 May 30 International 500 Mile SweepstakesA Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Johnny Rutherford Johnny Rutherford
4 June 13 Rex Mays Classic Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Gordon Johncock Mike Mosley
5 June 27 Schaefer 500 Pocono International Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania Johnny Parsons Al Unser
6 July 18 Norton Twin 200s Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan A. J. Foyt Gordon Johncock
7 August 1 Texas 150 Texas World Speedway College Station, Texas A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt
8 August 15 Trenton 200B Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey A. J. Foyt Gordon Johncock
9 August 22 Tony Bettenhausen 200 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Johnny Rutherford Al Unser
10 September 5 California 500 Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario, California A. J. Foyt Bobby Unser
11 September 18 Michigan 150 Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt
12 October 31 Benihana World Series of Auto Racing Texas World Speedway College Station, Texas A. J. Foyt Johnny Rutherford
13 November 7 Bobby Ball 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Bobby Unser Al Unser
^A Scheduled for 500 miles, stopped early due to rain.
^B Scheduled for 200 miles, stopped early due to rain.

Final points standings

Note: David Hobbs, Danny Ongais and Vern Schuppan are not eligible for points.

Pos Driver PHX1
TRE1
INDY
MIL1
POC
MIC1
TXS1
TRE2
MIL2
ONT
MIC2
TXS2
PHX2
Pts
1 Gordon Johncock 3 2 3 2 27 1 5 1 2 3 2 2 2 4240
2 Johnny Rutherford 18 1 1 9 4 2 3 7 3 2 11 1 16 4220
3 Wally Dallenbach, Sr. 16 6 4 12 3 20 2 4 17 4 3 6 4 3105
4 Al Unser 4 7 4 1 10 17 2 1 32 18 3 1 3020
5 Mike Mosley 5 5 15 1 2 22 4 5 5 15 7 22 DNQ 2120
6 Bobby Unser 1 DNQ 10 3 32 4 1 4 17 21 2080
7 A. J. Foyt 21 18 2 17 31 3 1 19 DNP 23 1 11 Wth 1720
8 Tom Sneva 17 3 6 13 7 6 16 3 13 26 5 DNQ 1570
9 Mario Andretti 8 5 4 3 1200
10 Johnny Parsons 6 4 12 5 22 4 18 6 12 DNQ 13 15 20 980
11 Roger McCluskey DNQ 30 DNP 6 5 DNQ 22 6 21 10 19 5 955
12 Pancho Carter 2 7 5 18 14 29 DNQ 10 920
13 Tom Bigelow 20 17 14 11 29 12 7 21 7 5 9 14 18 820
14 Bill Vukovich II DNQ 22 31 6 26 6 8 15 24 5 6 660
15 Jan Opperman 16 19 7 10 6 580
16 Rick Mears  RY  DNQ 8 9 9 390
17 Bill Puterbaugh 22 DNQ 7 8 375
18 Steve Krisiloff 24 8 16 6 21 17 370
19 George Snider 13 9 22 7 10 365
20 Salt Walther 9 9 9 18 DNQ 22 340
21 Dick Simon 7 16 32 14 10 19 13 16 30 21 7 330
22 John Martin 11 8 21 7 21 9 17 18 18 300
23 Todd Gibson 17 DNQ 13 9 8 11 14 16 13 280
24 Bobby Olivero  R  13 DNQ 10 DNQ 11 9 DNQ 14 275
25 Larry Dickson 19 19 DNQ 11 14 15 11 DNQ 19 8 15 240
26 Al Loquasto 8 10 25 15 10 12 DNQ DNQ 12 215
27 Larry Cannon 17 30 11 8 DNQ 8 18 190
28 Bill Simpson DNQ 8 23 8 12 14 14 15 20 DNQ 190
29 Jerry Grant 22 27 10 150
30 Spike Gehlhausen 12 14 33 21 25 16 14 16 9 13 12 12 19 130
31 Lloyd Ruby 11 13 22 100
32 Lee Kunzman DNQ 13 18 9 DNQ 20 DNQ 11 90
33 Roger Rager  R  20 10 17 16 60
34 Sheldon Kinser 19 28 12 50
35 Bob Harkey 20 12 DNQ 20 50
36 Jim McElreath 10 DNQ DNQ 45
37 Ed Finley DNQ 13 15 DNQ 11 DNQ 40
38 Tom Frantz 15 11 DNQ DNQ DNQ 40
39 Ken Nichols  R  DNQ 12 20 18 14 DNQ 20
- Janet Guthrie  R  15 DNQ 24 13 15 DNQ DNQ 0
- Arlene Hiss  R  14 0
- Frank Weiss DNP DNQ 16 15 0
- Larry McCoy 26 16 0
- Eldon Rasmussen DNQ 20 17 31 17 0
- Vern Schuppan  R  18 0
- Jerry Karl DNQ 19 21 DNQ 0
- Mike Hiss DNQ DNQ 19 0
- Ed Crombie  R  DNQ 20 DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
- Jack Owens  R  DNQ 21 DNQ 0
- Billy Scott DNQ 23 DNQ 0
- John Mahler DNQ 25 0
- Gary Bettenhausen DNQ 28 DNQ 33 27 DNQ 0
- Danny Ongais  R  28 0
- David Hobbs 29 0
- Mel Kenyon DNQ 33 0
- Greg Hodges DNQ DNP DNQ DNQ 0
- Gary Allbritain DNQ DNQ DNP 0
- Butch Harris DNQ 0
- Bill Engelhart DNQ 0
- Woody Fisher DNQ 0
- Jim Hurtubise DNQ 0
- Ed Miller DNQ 0
- Rick Muther DNQ 0
Pos Driver PHX1
TRE1
INDY
MIL1
POC
MIC1
TXS1
TRE2
MIL2
ONT
MIC2
TXS2
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)
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 1976". Driver Database. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  • Harms, Phil; Ferner, Michael; Measures, Gerry; Brown, Allen. "Indy 500 and USAC racing (1971-1978)". OldRacingCars.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  • "1976 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
  • Harms, Phil. "1976 Championship Driver Summary" (PDF). Motorsport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-04. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
  • http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 219-220)

See also

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