1966-1968 USAC Championship Car Seasons (partially found footage of IndyCar races; 1966-1968)

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1966trenton1501.jpg

Program for the 1966 Trenton 150.

Status: Partially Found

The 1966, 1967 and 1968 USAC Championship Car Seasons were respectively the ninth, tenth, and eleventh seasons of USAC's top-level open-wheel championship. 1966 saw Mario Andretti claim his second consecutive USAC Championship, whereas 1967 had A.J. Foyt earn his fifth. 1968 saw Bobby Unser gain his first of two titles. During this time period, five races were televised, with the 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100 historic for being the first IndyCar race to receive live flag-to-flag coverage.

1966 Races

1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial

The 1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial was the inaugural race of the 1966 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 20th March at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by Jim McElreath in a Brabham-Ford, controlling the race after Brawner-Ford's Mario Andretti spun out.

It was the third running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.[1] It was one of two 1966 USAC Championship Car Season races to commence at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the 1966 Bobby Ball Memorial,[2] which occurred on 20th November and was won by Mario Andretti.[3] The race, named in honour of 1958 Indianapolis 500 winner Jimmy Bryan,[4] would have ties with Phoenix events like the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, before Phoenix events were dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018 following low attendance.[5]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Andretti winning the pole position with a speed of 122.075 mph.[1] Directly behind him was previous year's winner Don Branson in a Gerhardt-Ford, with Gerhardt-Offenhauser driver Gordon Johncock lining up third.[1] Jim McElreath qualified fifth out of 23 competitors.[1]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial commenced on 20th March.[1] Andretti held his lead from the start, holding it for the first 46 laps.[1] During this time period, Branson retired after 37 laps following an ignition failure.[1] On lap 47, McElreath passed Andretti, in what turned out to be the sole lead change.[1] A lap later, Andretti spun out of the race.[1] This enabled McElreath to generally control proceedings, thus claiming victory and $3,602 in prize money.[1] Roger Ward finished second in a Lola-Offenhauser, being the only other driver on the lead lap.[1] Chuck Hulse took third in a Blum-Offenhauser.[1]

1966 Trenton 150

The 1966 Trenton 150 was the second race of the 1966 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 24th April at the Trenton Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Roger Ward in a Lola-Offenhauser, his final victory in motorsport, in a race shortened to 102 laps because of rain.

It was the fifth running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.[6] It was one of two 1966 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Trenton Speedway,[2] the other being the Trenton 200, which occurred on 25th September and was won by Mario Andretti in a Brawner-Ford.[7] Trenton would continue hosting IndyCar races until 1979 before it was dropped from the schedule and demolished in 1980.[8]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Andretti winning the pole position with a speed of 115.718 mph.[6] Directly behind him was Eagle-Ford driver Lloyd Ruby, with Brabham-Ford racer Jim McElreath lining up third.[6] Roger Ward qualified eighth out of 22 competitors.[6]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1966 Trenton 150 commenced on 24th April.[6] Andretti maintained his lead from the start, holding it for 17 laps before ultimately being overtaken by Lotus-Ford's A.J. Foyt on lap 18.[6] The latter would defend his lead until dropping it back to Andretti on lap 40.[6] Andretti would then achieve the longest uninterrupted duration in the lead at 47 laps, with Foyt retiring after 85 laps due to a rear end failure.[6] Two laps later, Ward overtook Andretti for the first position, in what was ultimately the final lead change of the race.[6]

With Andretti out of the picture and even a lap down to Ward by the end, it enabled Ward to control proceedings.[6] Rain then started pouring down, forcing the race to end after 102 of the scheduled 150 laps.[6] Ward therefore claimed victory and $5,617 in prize money.[6] This also marked his final win, as he retired from racing following the 1966 Indianapolis 500.[9] Gordon Johncock finished second in a Gerhardt-Offenhauser, while McElreath took third, with the two being the only other drivers on the lead lap.[6]

1967 Races

1967 Trenton 150

The 1967 Trenton 150 was the second race of the 1967 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 23rd April at the Trenton Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Mario Andretti in a Brawner-Ford, setting two track records in the process after leading from start to finish.

It was the sixth running of the event, with the annual race again lasting 150 miles.[10] It was one of two 1967 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Trenton Speedway,[11] the other being the Trenton 200, which occurred on 24th September and was won by A.J. Foyt in a Coyote-Ford.[12]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Mario Andretti winning the pole position with a record speed of 116.403 mph.[13][10] He was entering a new car after his previous one was badly damaged in a crash two weeks prior.[13] Directly behind him was Lloyd Ruby in a Mongoose-Offenhauser, with Gerhardt-Offenhauser driver Art Pollard lining up third out of 21 competitors.[10] Heading into the event, it was expected that rear-engine cars were to dominate the race, as they had in previous Trenton events.[14] It was also known that future three-time Formula One World Champion Jackie Stewart was attempting to enter the race, but was unable to pull out of a Formula 2 commitment.[15]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1967 Trenton 150 commenced on 23rd April.[10] Andretti held his lead from the start, and would ultimately not relinquish it for the entirety of the race.[13][10] His main challenge proved not to be the other drivers, but the wind, which caused multiple drivers to spin-off, particularly after Turn 2.[13] After 15 laps, Ruby retired due to a broken turbo hose.[10] Meanwhile, Lotus-Ford's A.J. Foyt climbed the order after qualifying in seventh, and was about 10 seconds behind Andretti when a suspension failure forced him to retire after 86 laps.[10][13]

With Foyt out, Andretti controlled proceedings, lapping everyone bar Eagle-Ford's Roger McCluskey.[13][10] He therefore claimed victory and $10,600 in prize money.[13][10] His average speed of 109.837 mph also set a Trenton record.[13][10] McCluskey held on to finish second, while fellow Eagle-Ford driver Bobby Unser took third.[13][10]

1968 Races

1968 Trenton 150

The 1968 Trenton 150 was the fourth race of the 1968 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 21st April at the Trenton Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Bobby Unser in an Eagle-Offenhauser, after fending off a comeback by Brawner-Ford's Mario Andretti.

It was the seventh running of the event, with the annual race once again lasting 150 miles.[16] It was one of two 1968 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Trenton Speedway,[17] the other being the Trenton 200, which occurred on 22nd September and was won by Mario Andretti.[18]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with previous year's winner Andretti winning the pole position with a speed of 115.979 mph.[16] Directly behind him was Eagle-Offenhauser's Roger McCluskey, with Lloyd Ruby lining up third in a Mongoose-Offenhauser.[16] Bobby Unser qualified fourth out of 23 competitors,[16] with him aiming to win his third consecutive USAC event.[19][17]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1968 Trenton 150 commenced on 21st April.[16] Andretti maintained his lead from the start, holding it for eight laps before dropping it to Unser.[19][16] Andretti then fell to fourth, as Unser began to control proceedings.[19] Indeed, The New York Times noted that Unser was never seriously threatened throughout the remaining 142 laps, but caution periods resulted in him repeatedly losing the gaps he had built up.[19][16]

On lap 65, Andretti began to recover, duelling for second with Finley-Offenhauser's Wally Dallenbach and Gerhardt-Offenhauser's Gordon Johncock.[19] He managed to move into the second position after Johncock spun-out.[19] Andretti then attempted to make a move for the lead, chasing Unser for the final 30 laps.[19] Ultimately, Unser remained in control, taking victory with a 100-yard margin and $6,603 in prize money.[19][16] Andretti finished second, while Dallenbach took third.[19][16] Post-race, Unser claimed he could have built a bigger lead were it not for the caution periods, stating "I could have gone faster, but there wasn't any point in pressing my early advantage with all those yellow flags waving."[19] Hence, this marked Unser's third consecutive victory of the 1968 USAC Championship.[19][17]

1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100

The 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100 was the 19th race of the 1968 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 17th August at the Illinois State Fairground, the race would ultimately be won by Roger McCluskey in a Kuzma-Offenhauser. The race made IndyCar television history, as it was the first to receive live flag-to-flag coverage, and in colour.

It was the eighth running of the event, the annual race being named in memory of two-time IndyCar champion Tony Bettenhausen, who had also won three times at the Illinois State Fairground in Springfield.[20] The only 1968 USAC Championship Car Season race to take place at Springfield,[17] the dirt event lasted 100 miles.[21] In modern times, the Tony Bettenhausen 100 still occurs annually, with the 2021 edition being won by Kody Swanson.[20]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Al Unser winning the pole position in a Dunlop-Offenhauser with a speed of 102.975 mph.[21] Directly behind him was Ward-Offenhauser driver Gary Bettenhausen, with A.J. Foyt lining up third in a Meskowski-Offenhauser.[21] Roger McCluskey qualified fourth out of 18 runners.[21]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1968 Bettenhausen 100 commenced on 17th August.[21] Bettenhausen shot into the lead from the first lap, and would dominate the first 71.[21] However, he suddenly retired from the lead shortly afterwards following an engine failure.[21] Unser took back the lead, but also had to retire a lap later, after experiencing terminal steering issues.[21] This enabled McCluskey to assume the first position, which he would hold for the remaining 28 laps. He therefore took victory and claimed $4,734 in prize money.[21] Larry Dickson finished second in a Blum-Offenhauser, with George Snider taking third in a Watson-Offenhauser.[21]

Availability

All five races are known to have received some television coverage, as documented by IndyCar on TV. It claims 30 minutes of highlights from the 1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial were televised by CBS on 27th March 1966 as part of its CBS Sports Spectacular, alongside international water-skiing championships.[22] This broadcast has yet to resurface, however, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available. Nevertheless, photos of the race are viewable online.

Meanwhile, ABC provided highlights from all three Trenton 150s. 1966 had 45 minutes of highlights be televised by ABC on 30th April 1966 as part of its Wide World of Sports, alongside the World Pocket Billiards Championship.[23] The 1967 edition only had 30 minutes broadcast on 29th April 1967, along with an "anniversary retrospective" and pocket billiards.[24] Finally, the 1968 edition was extended back to 45 minutes, being aired on 27th April 1968 alongside the North American Gymnastics Championships.[25] None of the broadcasts have fully resurfaced, although a fragment of the 1966 Trenton 150 broadcast was uploaded to YouTube by applepitz on 1st June 2016. Additionally, a silent one-minute highlight reel can be viewed on eFootage.

Finally, the 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100 is significant in that it was the first IndyCar race to receive live flag-to-flag television coverage.[26][27] According to IndyCar on TV, a 90-minute live broadcast was achieved by ABC as part of its Wide World of Sports.[26] Despite its historical significance, the broadcast has yet to resurface, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available.

Gallery

Videos

Fragment of the 1966 Trenton 150 ABC broadcast.

nascarman History's Top 10 Lost IndyCar Broadcasts detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100 (2:16-2:31).

External Links

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial. Retrieved 27th May '22
  2. 2.0 2.1 Racing-Reference detailing the 1966 USAC Championship Car Season schedule. Retrieved 27th May '22
  3. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1966 Bobby Ball Memorial. Retrieved 27th May '22
  4. Motorsport Memorial page for Jimmy Bryan. Retrieved 27th May '22
  5. IndyStar reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018. Retrieved 27th May '22
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1966 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  7. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1966 Trenton 200. Retrieved 28th May '22
  8. Racing Circuits detailing the history of the Trenton Speedway. Retrieved 28th May '22
  9. Motorsport noting the 1966 Trenton 150 was Ward's final win, and his retirement following the 1966 Indianapolis 500. Retrieved 28th May '22
  10. 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1967 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  11. Racing-Reference detailing the 1967 USAC Championship Car Season schedule. Retrieved 28th May '22
  12. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1967 Trenton 200. Retrieved 28th May '22
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 The New York Times reporting on Andretti winning the 1967 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  14. The New York Times reporting on rear-engine cars being expected to dominate the 1967 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  15. The New York Times reporting on Jackie Stewart attempting to enter the 1967 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 16.6 16.7 16.8 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1968 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Racing-Reference detailing the 1968 USAC Championship Car Season schedule. Retrieved 28th May '22
  18. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1968 Trenton 200. Retrieved 28th May '22
  19. 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 The New York Times reporting on Unser winning the 1968 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  20. 20.0 20.1 STL Racing detailing the 2021 Tony Bettenhausen 100 and noting Bettenhausen himself won three Springfield events. Retrieved 3rd May '22
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 21.6 21.7 21.8 21.9 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100. Retrieved 3rd May '22
  22. IndyCar on TV detailing the CBS broadcast of the 1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial. Retrieved 27th May '22
  23. IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1966 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  24. IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1967 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  25. IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1968 Trenton 150. Retrieved 28th May '22
  26. 26.0 26.1 IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100. Retrieved 3rd May '22
  27. Motorsport noting the 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100's television significance. Retrieved 3rd May '22