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| {{InfoboxLost
| | #REDIRECT [[1969 USAC Championship Car Season (lost footage of IndyCar races; 1969)]] |
| |title=<center>1969 Trenton 200</center>
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| |image=1969trenton2001.jpg
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| |imagecaption=Program for the race.
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| |status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
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| }}
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| The '''''1969 Trenton 200''''' was the ninth race of the 1969 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 19th July at the Trenton Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by polesitter Mario Andretti in a Brawner-Ford, achieving a comeback from 12th after suffering a puncture early in the race.
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| ==Background==
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| The ''1969 Trenton 200'' was the eighth running of the event, with the annual race being expanded to run for 200 miles.<ref name="results">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1969_Trenton_200/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the qualifying and race results of the event.] Retrieved 28th May '22</ref> It was one of two 1969 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Trenton Speedway,<ref name="calendar">[https://www.racing-reference.info/season-stats/1969/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the 1969 USAC Championship Car Season schedule.] Retrieved 28th May '22</ref> the other being the Trenton 300, which occurred on 21st September and was won by Mario Andretti.<ref>[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1969_Trenton_300/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the results of the 1969 Trenton 300.] Retrieved 28th May '22</ref> Trenton would continue hosting IndyCar races until 1979 before it was dropped from the schedule and demolished in 1980.<ref>[https://www.racingcircuits.info/north-america/usa/trenton-speedway.html ''Racing Circuits'' detailing the history of the Trenton Speedway.] Retrieved 28th May '22</ref>
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| The race was originally scheduled to run in late-April.<ref name="soft">[https://www.nytimes.com/1969/04/26/archives/spongy-track-puts-off-trenton-title-auto-race.html ''The New York Times'' reporting on the race's first delay because of soft spots.] Retrieved 28th May '22</ref> However, rainfall resulted in soft spots being generated on the track, which was recently paved over.<ref name="soft"/> Thus, the USAC decided to postpone the race for a week on safety grounds.<ref name="soft"/> But while subsequent tests performed by Wally Dallenbach revealed optimism for the new track, which was expected to be "one of the finest tracks on the circuit", the USAC further delayed the race until 20th July, as the organisation believed that not enough competitors would be present to produce a full grid.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1969/05/01/archives/auto-race-at-trenton-is-put-off-till-july-20.html ''The New York Times'' reporting on the race's second delay because of schedule issues.] Retrieved 28th May '22</ref> The race however, would be run on 19th July.<ref name="results"/>
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| Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Andretti winning the pole position with a speed of 153.044 mph.<ref name="nyt">[https://www.nytimes.com/1969/07/20/archives/andretti-overcomes-dallenbachs-lead-to-take-trenton-200-by-six.html ''The New York Times'' reporting on Andretti winning the race.] Retrieved 28th May '22</ref><ref name="results"/> Directly behind him was Al Unser in a Lola-Ford, with Eagle-Offenhauser's Bobby Unser lining up third out of 26 competitors.<ref name="results"/>
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| ==The Race==
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| With the starting order decided, the 1969 Trenton 200 commenced on 19th July.<ref name="results"/> A commitment with ABC led to the race being delayed until 4:40pm.<ref name="nyt"/> When it finally did start, Al Unser moved into the lead on the first lap after passing Andretti on the first turn, only for Andretti to re-take it a lap later.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/> Unser would then retire after 22 laps because of a broken turbocharger.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/> Andretti maintained his lead for the next 36 laps, but he suddenly suffered a right rear tyre puncture that necessitated a pitstop.<ref name="nyt"/> Thus, Dallenbach moved into the first position, maintaining position until A.J. Foyt in a Coyote-Ford briefly passed him on lap 98.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/> Dallenbach retook the lead a lap later however, with Foyt retiring after 119 laps as his turbocharger failed.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/>
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| After his unplanned pitstop, Andretti re-joined the race in 12th place.<ref name="nyt"/> But over the next 114 miles, Andretti moved his way up the field, eventually challenging for the lead.<ref name="nyt"/> Dallenbach pitted on lap 98 for fuel, but was now at a disadvantage, as Andretti had far less fuel on-board having pitted earlier for the aforementioned tyre pitstop.<ref name="nyt"/> Thus, Andretti was able to close the gap by about a second a lap, eventually achieving the final lead change on lap 112.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/> By the end, Andretti held a six-second lead, but almost ran out of fuel by doing so, as he estimated that by the time he crossed the line to claim victory, he had just one gallon of fuel left.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/> By winning this race, he claimed $13,400.<ref name="nyt"/> Dallenbach finished second, with Mike Mosley taking third in a Watson-Offenhauser, a lap down from Andretti.<ref name="results"/><ref name="nyt"/>
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| ==Availability==
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| According to ''IndyCar on TV'', the race received live flag-to-flag coverage by ABC as part of its ''Wide World of Sports''.<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/indycarontv/home/the-races/usac/1969/1969-trenton-200 ''IndyCar on TV'' detailing the ABC broadcast of the race.] Retrieved 28th May '22</ref> The broadcast has yet to resurface however, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available. Nevertheless, some photos of the event can be viewed online.
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| ==See Also==
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| *[[1962 Trenton 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1962)]]
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| *[[1962 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1962)]]
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| *[[1963 Trenton 100 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1963)]]
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| *[[1963 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1963)]]
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| *[[1964 Golden State 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1964)]]
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| *[[1964 Trenton 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1964)]]
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| *[[1965 Golden State 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1965)]]
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| *[[1965 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1965)]]
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| *[[1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1966)]]
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| *[[1966 Trenton 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1966)]]
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| *[[1967 Trenton 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1967)]]
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| *[[1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1968)]]
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| *[[1968 Trenton 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1968)]]
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| *[[1969 Langhorne 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)]]
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| *[[1969 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)]]
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| *[[1970 Langhorne 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
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| *[[1970 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
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| *[[1970 Rocky Mountain 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
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| *[[1970 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
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| *[[1971 Michigan 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
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| *[[1971 Rex Mays Classic (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
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| *[[1972 Rex Mays Classic (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
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| *[[1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
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| *[[1981 Pocono 500 (lost televised footage of IndyCar race; 1981)]]
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| *[[Indianapolis 500 WFBM-TV Broadcasts (lost racing footage; 1949-1950)]]
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| *[[Indianapolis 500 MCA closed-circuit broadcasts (partially lost racing footage; 1964-1970)]]
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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| [[Category:Lost recordings of real incidents]]
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| [[Category:Lost TV]]
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| [[Category:Completely lost media]]
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