1970 USAC Championship Car Season (partially found footage of IndyCar races; 1970)

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1970trenton2001.jpg

Program for the 1970 Trenton 200.

Status: Partially Found

The 1970 USAC Championship Car Season was the 13th season of USAC's top-level open-wheel championship. The season saw Al Unser dominate proceedings to claim the championship. Of the races televised that season, at least six have been declared missing.

1970 Jimmy Bryan 150

The 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150 (also known as the 1970 Phoenix 150) was the inaugural race of the 1970 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 28th March at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by Al Unser in a Colt-Ford, dominating the race, with his brother Bobby finishing second in an Eagle-Ford.

It was the seventh running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.[1] It was one of two 1970 USAC Championship Car Season races to commence at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the 1970 Bobby Ball 150,[2] which shall be discussed later in this article. The race, named in honour of 1958 Indianapolis 500 winner Jimmy Bryan,[3] 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.[4]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Mario Andretti winning the pole position in a Brawner-Ford with a speed of 128.571 mph.[1] Directly behind him was Al Unser, with Bobby Unser lining up third out of 24 competitors.[1]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150 commenced on 28th March.[1] Andretti held his lead from the opening lap, defending it for 14 laps before Al Unser made what was ultimately the only lead change on lap 15.[1] Nevertheless, Andretti remained in contention, and according to The New York Times, was the only driver that would challenge Unser for the win.[5] On lap 41, a six-car crash occurred, resulting in a red flag period lasting 50 minutes, with no drivers being injured.[5][1] When it resumed 50 minutes later, Unser maintained his lead, with Andretti retiring after 78 laps due to a broken valve.[5][1]

From there, Unser controlled proceedings, being a mile in front of Bobby and at least two miles ahead of all other drivers.[5] He therefore claimed victory and $8,165 in prize money.[1][5] Bobby made it an Unser 1-2, with Laycock-Offenhauser's Lloyd Ruby finishing a lap down in third.[5][1]

1970 Trenton 200

The 1970 Trenton 200 was the third race of the 1970 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 26th April at the Trenton Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Lloyd Ruby in a Laycock-Offenhauser, edging out Mario Andretti, who entered a new Brawner-Ford design for the event.

It was the ninth running of the event, with the annual race lasting just over 200 miles.[6] It was one of two 1970 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Trenton Speedway, the other being the 1970 Trenton 300,[2] which occurred on 3rd October and was won by Al Unser in a Colt-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 Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 154.67 mph.[6] Directly behind him was Lloyd Ruby, with defending race winner Mario Andretti lining up third out of 24 competitors.[6] Heading into the event, Andretti expressed intrigue regarding a new STP‐McNamara car he was to enter for the race, calling it a "whole new concept". He, therefore, was keen to race it at Trenton to determine its competitiveness.[9]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 Trenton 200 commenced on 26th April.[10][6] Unser maintained his lead on the opening lap, leading until lap 33.[10][6] He was then overtaken by Eagle-Offenhauser driver Wally Dallenbach, who maintained it for another 26 laps.[6] Suddenly, he spun out following a wheel failure.[10][6] Ruby took over as the leader, where the race primarily centred upon him, Andretti and Unser, who transferred the lead to exclusively to one another for the remainder of the race.[10][6] Andretti passed Ruby on lap 65, only for Unser to regain it on lap 76.[6] Andretti then scraped a steel guardrail, being fortunate to escape having his car be damaged, before succeeding in passing Unser on lap 92.[10][6]

Ruby however remained in contention and began to close in on Andretti for the next eight laps.[10] On lap 104, he made a successful move into the first position on the right-hand dogleg, thanks to holding the inside position.[10][6] While Andretti still proved a challenge, he ultimately could not regain the lead for the remaining 31 laps.[6] Therefore, Ruby claimed victory, his first USAC win since 1968, and $14,000 in prize money.[10][6] Andretti finished second, while Unser took third, being the only drivers other than Ruby to be on the lead lap.[6][10] Post-race, Ruby stated that he pulled off the overtake because "Mario had no alternative but to back off."[10]

1970 Rex Mays Classic

The 1970 Rex Mays Classic (also known as the 1970 Milwaukee 150) was the fifth race of the 1970 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 7th June at the Milwaukee Mile, the race would ultimately be won by Joe Leonard in a Colt-Ford, climbing the field after starting ninth.

It was the 21st running of the race, the annual event being held in honour of Rex Mays, a two-time AAA champion who saved fellow racer Duke Dinsmore's life during the 1948 Milwaukee 100.[11] It was one of two 1970 USAC Championship Car Season races to be held at Milwaukee Mile,[2] the other being the 1970 Tony Bettenhausen 200, which occurred on 23rd August and was won by Al Unser in a Colt-Ford.[12] Lasting 150 miles,[13] the Rex May Classic would commence on an annual basis until it was renamed from 1988 onwards.[14]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Mario Andretti winning the pole position in a McNamara-Ford with a speed of 119.36 mph.[15][13] Directly behind him was Coyote-Ford's A.J. Foyt, with Al Unser lining up third in a Colt-Ford.[13] Joe Leonard started on the fifth row by qualifying ninth out of 24 competitors.[16][13]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 Rex Mays Classic commenced on 7th June.[13] Unser shot into the lead on the opening lap, holding it for 60 laps, while Foyt retired after 18 because of an oil leak.[13] On lap 61, Roger McCluskey assumed the first position in a Scorpion-Ford, maintaining it for the longest uninterrupted duration for this event at 81 laps.[13] However, Leonard climbed the order, and by lap 140, was able to challenge McCluskey for the lead.[16][13] He eventually achieved a lead change after 142 laps, edging out McCluskey and Unser to claim victory and $15,928 in prize money.[13][16] McCluskey finished second, while Unser held on to take third.[13][16]

1970 Langhorne 150

The 1970 Langhorne 150 was the sixth race of the 1970 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 14th June at the Langhorne Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by polesitter Bobby Unser in an Eagle-Offenhauser, his second consecutive victory at the event. It also marked the final IndyCar race to be held at the circuit.

It was the 15th running of the event, with the annual race typically lasting 150 miles.[17] The only 1970 USAC Championship Car Season race to occur at Langhorne Speedway,[2] this proved to be the event's final running, with a 1971 race being cancelled over safety concerns.[18] Following this, the track itself was converted into a shopping centre, with it being considered one of the fastest tracks, but also one of the most dangerous.[19][18]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with previous year's winner Bobby Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 129.463 mph.[17] Directly behind him was Gary Bettenhausen in a Gerhardt-Offenhauser, with Watson-Offenhauser driver Mike Mosley lining up third out of 23 competitors.[17]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 Langhorne 150 commenced on 14th June.[17] Unser maintained his lead from the start, holding onto it for the first 55 laps.[20][17] Meanwhile, Gerhardt-Offenhauser driver Sammy Sessions crashed out after ten laps,[17] slamming into a guardrail near the home stretch.[21] The impact was severe enough to rupture the right-hand fuel tank, resulting in a fireball.[21] Sessions' car ultimately grinded to a halt against the pit wall, with the driver being trapped in the car for five minutes as his right foot was stuck in the frame with rescuers needing to tackle the fire first.[21] Sessions, who was wearing a fire retardant driving suit, was hospitalised at the Lower Bucks County Hospital with burnt hands and feet, though was in "satisfactory condition" according to the hospital.[21]

Meanwhile, Unser then faced competition from his younger brother, Al Unser, with him achieving an overtake on lap 56.[17][20] Al defended the lead for the longest uninterrupted duration of 86 laps, before Bobby eventually emerged back in the first position on lap 142.[17][20] A tense duel emerged for the final nine laps, but ultimately, Bobby beat his brother to the line to claim victory and $9,413 in prize money.[17][20] Mosley finished third, a lap down from the brothers.[20][17]

1970 Rocky Mountain 150

The 1970 Rocky Mountain 150 was the seventh race of the 1970 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 28th June at the Continental Divide Raceways, the race would ultimately be won by Mario Andretti in a McNamara-Ford, controlling the race after passing Al Unser’s Colt-Ford on lap 17.

It was the third running of the event, with the annual race lasting just over 150 miles.[22] The only 1970 USAC Championship Car Season to occur at Continental Divide Raceways,[2] the race was also the final Rocky Mountain 150, with the event being dropped after 1970 as USAC turned its attention towards oval racing that sponsors preferred due to providing greater television exposure.[23]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Al Unser winning the pole position with a record speed of 91.461 mph.[24][22] Directly behind him was Mario Andretti, with Eagle-Ford's Bobby Unser lining up third out of 23 competitors.[22][24] The race also set an attendance record at Continental Divide Raceways, estimated to be around 20,000-22,500.[23][22]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 Rocky Mountain 150 commenced on 28th June.[22] Unser maintained his lead on the opening lap, holding it for the first 16.[22] However, Andretti successfully achieved an overtake at the start of lap 17, and from there, remained in the lead for the remaining 41 laps.[25][22] His main challenge appeared not to have been the other drivers, but the extreme heat, which he ultimately overcame.[25] He therefore claimed victory and $11,162 in prize money.[22][25] Swede Savage finished second in an Eagle Ford, while Coyote-Ford's A.J. Foyt took third, a lap down from Andretti.[25][22] This proved to be Andretti's first and only victory in the 1970 USAC Season.[25][2]

1970 Bobby Ball 150

The 1970 Bobby Ball 150 (also known as the 1970 Phoenix 150) was the final race of the 1970 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 21st November at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by Swede Savage in an Eagle-Ford, achieving his only USAC victory by passing Scorpion-Ford's Roger McCluskey on the final lap.

It was the 21st running of the event, with the annual race being shortened from 200 to 150 miles.[26][27] It was one of two 1970 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the aforementioned Jimmy Bryan 150,[2] It was named in memory of AAA driver Bobby Ball.[27]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 132.256 mph.[28][26] Directly behind him was brother Bobby Unser in an Eagle-Ford, with Coyote-Ford's A.J. Foyt lining up third.[26][28] Swede Savage qualified fourth out of 24 competitors.[26] Meanwhile, Mario Andretti crashed his McNamara-Ford while spinning out of Turn 4, causing terminal damage.[28] He therefore was forced to take the Brawner-Ford driven by Steve Krisiloff for the event.[28]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1970 Bobby Ball 150 commenced on 21st November.[26] Bobby Unser shot into the lead on the first lap by passing his brother heading into Turn 1, leading the first 61 laps.[28][26] For the early stages of the race, the Unsers and Foyt were well-clear at the front, with Bobby holding a strong lead over Al.[28] However, Foyt would retire after 35 laps after a brakes failure.[26][28] Then, following 61 laps, Bobby retired following a broken gearbox that also punched a hole into his vehicle's transmission case.[28][26] Al Unser therefore retook the lead, but his margin in front was nullified when Lloyd Ruby crashed out in a Laycock-Ford, forcing a caution period.[28][26]

When the race resumed, Unser began to rebuild his lead.[28] Nevertheless, second place Johnny Rutherford was making gains when he suddenly lost control of his Eagle-Ford coming out of Turn 4.[28] While he recovered, he lost several positions, with McCluskey moving into the second position.[28] On lap 120, Unser reported issues with his engine to his race crew, which slowed his pace.[29][28] His issues worsened when he was forced to dodge a spinning Vollstedt-Ford driven by Dick Simon, slamming into a guardrail rear-first.[28] While he recovered, Unser pitted to enable the car to be inspected, with the only damage being a bent nerf bar.[28] As he pitted, McCluskey and Savage passed him to take first and second respectively.[28][29][26]

McCluskey would then lead the next 22 laps of the race.[26] It seemed likely he would take victory when the final lap approached, but he was forced to slow as his car ran out of fuel.[28][29] Savage closed up the gap, and achieved an overtake with two turns to go when McCluskey went too high coming out of Turn 2, caused by the car drifting due to its lack of fuel.[28][29][26] Savage therefore claimed what was ultimately his only USAC victory and $11,500 in prize money.[28][29][26] It also turned out to be the first victory for new car owner Dan Gurney, who had recently retired from racing.[28] Unser also passed McCluskey to take second.[28][29][26] Initially, he was disqualified when a post-race inspection deemed his car was carrying more fuel than the 75 gallon maximum.[28] However, his second place was reinstated a few weeks later when it was discovered that the container USAC utilised to measure the fuel was not calibrated accurately.[28] McCluskey meanwhile finished third, blaming the lack of fuel for losing places at the end.[28][29][26]

Availability

According to IndyCar on TV, the 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150 received live coverage from ABC as part of its Wide World of Sports, alongside the Florida Derby.[30] Because of the red flag period, the coverage was extended from 90 minutes to two hours.[30] On 9th April 2013, SirDavidsMotorsports would upload the majority of the broadcast to YouTube. While it was claimed that the broadcast covered the Bobby Ball 150, analysis of the video proves it instead was transmitting the Jimmy Bryan 150, especially as clips of the Florida Derby can be seen in it.[30] The broadcast is partially lost, because the YouTube video cuts out mid-sentence with fewer than 11 laps remaining. Thus, footage of the race's finish is currently unavailable for public viewing.

Meanwhile 2 hours of footage from the 1970 Trenton 200 was shown by ABC on 2nd May 1970 as a special presentation.[31] Additionally, nascarman History's Top 10 Lost IndyCar Broadcasts claims the race was also televised by the TVS Television Network. But of twelve IndyCar races to have been televised by TVS, none are currently publicly available, with the ABC version also missing.[32] Nevertheless, photos of the race remain accessible.

TVS also provided live coverage of the 1970 Rex Mays Classic, the 1970 Langhorne 150, and the 1970 Rocky Mountain 150.[33][34] On 10th March 2023, YouTuber IanPerez2000 uploaded a ten minute highlights package of the race. Said package was obtained from a Racing Classics film consisting of footage from the 1970 USAC Championship Car Season. This in turn was originally uploaded to YouTube by FormulaFox on 4th September 2022, which among other races also included highlights of the 1970 Tony Bettenhausen 100.

Finally, the 1970 Bobby Ball 150 received live flag-to-flag coverage by ABC as part of its Wide World of Sports, being billed as the Phoenix 150.[35] While it was claimed that the broadcast had been uploaded to YouTube, analysis of the video reveals it was actually the coverage of the Jimmy Bryan 150, with Savage notably not even competing in that race.[1][26][30][35] The confusion may have arisen by the fact ABC billed both races as the Phoenix 150.[30][35] As of the present day, the broadcast has yet to resurface, with no footage of the race being publicly available. Nevertheless, photos and newspaper clippings of the event can be found online.[28]

Gallery

Videos

The majority of the 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150 ABC broadcast.

Racing Classics highlights of the 1970 Rex Mays Classic.

Silent footage of the 1970 Rocky Mountain 150.

nascarman History's Top 10 Lost IndyCar Broadcasts detailing TVS Television Network's IndyCar broadcasts (0:20-0:59).

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150. Retrieved 1st Jun '22
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Racing-Reference detailing the 1970 USAC Championship Car Season schedule. Retrieved 1st Jun '22
  3. Motorsport Memorial page for Jimmy Bryan. Retrieved 1st Jun '22
  4. IndyStar reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018. Retrieved 1st Jun '22
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 The New York Times reporting on Unser winning the 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150. Retrieved 1st Jun '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 6.13 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1970 Trenton 200. Retrieved 16th May '22
  7. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1970 Trenton 300. Retrieved 16th May '22
  8. Racing Circuits detailing the history of the Trenton Speedway. Retrieved 16th May '22
  9. The New York Times reporting on Andretti entering a new car for the 1970 Trenton 200. Retrieved 16th May '22
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.8 10.9 The New York Times reporting on Ruby winning the 1970 Trenton 200. Retrieved 16th May '22
  11. Motorsports Hall of Fame detailing how the Milwaukee 100 was renamed in honour of Rex Mays. Retrieved 13th May '22
  12. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1970 Tony Bettenhausen 200. Retrieved 13th May '22
  13. 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.4 13.5 13.6 13.7 13.8 13.9 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1970 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 13th May '22
  14. Race Department noting the Rex May Classic name lasted from 1950 to 1987. Retrieved 13th May '22
  15. The New York Times reporting on Andretti winning the pole position for the 1970 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 13th May '22
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 The New York Times reporting on Leonard winning the 1970 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 13th May '22
  17. 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 17.4 17.5 17.6 17.7 17.8 17.9 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1970 Langhorne 150. Retrieved 15th May '22
  18. 18.0 18.1 The New York Times reporting on the cancellation of the 1971 Langhorne 150 over safety concerns, and the track being converted into a shopping centre. Retrieved 15th May '22
  19. Racing Circuits detailing the Langhorne Speedway and its reputation. Retrieved 15th May '22
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 The New York Times reporting on Unser winning the 1970 Langhorne 150. Retrieved 15th May '22
  21. 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Newspaper clipping reporting on Sessions' crash (found on The Fastlane). Retrieved 15th May '22
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 22.8 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1970 Rocky Mountain 150. Retrieved 15th May '22
  23. 23.0 23.1 Racing Circuits detailing the history of the Continental Divide Raceways, and noting the 1970 event set an attendance record for the circuit. Retrieved 15th May '22
  24. 24.0 24.1 The New York Times reporting on Unser winning the pole position for the 1970 Rocky Mountain 150. Retrieved 15th May '22
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 The New York Times reporting on Andretti winning the 1970 Rocky Mountain 150. Retrieved 15th May '22
  26. 26.00 26.01 26.02 26.03 26.04 26.05 26.06 26.07 26.08 26.09 26.10 26.11 26.12 26.13 26.14 26.15 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1970 Bobby Ball 150. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  27. 27.0 27.1 Midwest Racing Archives detailing the origins of the Bobby Ball race and noting the 1970 edition was reduced to 150 miles. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  28. 28.00 28.01 28.02 28.03 28.04 28.05 28.06 28.07 28.08 28.09 28.10 28.11 28.12 28.13 28.14 28.15 28.16 28.17 28.18 28.19 28.20 28.21 28.22 28.23 28.24 Autoweek clippings reporting on the 1970 Bobby Ball 150 and Unser being reinstated after in initially being disqualified. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6 The New York Times reporting on Savage winning the 1970 Bobby Ball 150. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 30.4 IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150. Retrieved 1st Jun '22
  31. IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Trenton 200. Retrieved 16th May '22
  32. Track Forum listing publicly available IndyCar broadcasts. Retrieved 16th May '22
  33. IndyCar on TV detailing the TVS Television Network broadcast of the 1970 Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 13th May '22
  34. IndyCar on TV detailing the TVS Television Network broadcast of the 1970 Langhorne 150. Retrieved 15th May '22
  35. 35.0 35.1 35.2 IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the 1970 Bobby Ball 150. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22