1971 Bobby Ball 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971): Difference between revisions

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(A.J. Foyt wins his first USAC Championship victory in two years! He managed to secure second position in the Championship with this win too.)
 
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==Background==
==Background==
The ''1971 Bobby Ball 150'' was the 22ndrunning of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.<ref name="results">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1971_Bobby_Ball_150/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the qualifying and race results of the event.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref> It was one of two 1971 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the Jimmy Bryan 150,<ref name="calendar">[https://www.racing-reference.info/season-stats/1971/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the 1971 USAC Championship Car Season schedule.] Retrieved 2nd Jun '22</ref> [[1971 Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)|which occurred on 27th March and was won by Al Unser in a Colt-Ford]].<ref name="jimmy">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1971_Jimmy_Bryan_150/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the results of the 1971 Jimmy Bryan 150.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref> Named in memory of AAA driver Bobby Ball,<ref name="bobby">[http://www.midwestracingarchives.com/2019/01/the-bobby-ball-memorial.html ''Midwest Racing Archives'' detailing the origins of the Bobby Ball race.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref> the race has ties with Phoenix events like the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, before Phoenix races were dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018 following low attendance.<ref>[https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/06/22/indycar-not-return-phoenix-2019/727625002/ ''IndyStar'' reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref>
The ''1971 Bobby Ball 150'' was the 22nd running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.<ref name="results">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1971_Bobby_Ball_150/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the qualifying and race results of the event.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref> It was one of two 1971 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the Jimmy Bryan 150,<ref name="calendar">[https://www.racing-reference.info/season-stats/1971/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the 1971 USAC Championship Car Season schedule.] Retrieved 2nd Jun '22</ref> [[1971 Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)|which occurred on 27th March and was won by Al Unser in a Colt-Ford]].<ref name="jimmy">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1971_Jimmy_Bryan_150/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the results of the 1971 Jimmy Bryan 150.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref> Named in memory of AAA driver Bobby Ball,<ref name="bobby">[http://www.midwestracingarchives.com/2019/01/the-bobby-ball-memorial.html ''Midwest Racing Archives'' detailing the origins of the Bobby Ball race.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref> the race has ties with Phoenix events like the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, before Phoenix races were dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018 following low attendance.<ref>[https://eu.indystar.com/story/sports/motor/2018/06/22/indycar-not-return-phoenix-2019/727625002/ ''IndyStar'' reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref>


Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 134.932 mph.<ref name="results"/> Directly behind him was McLaren-Offenhauser's Mark Donohue, with A.J. Foyt lining up third out of 24 competitors.<ref name="results"/> Foyt was seeking is first USAC win in two years, as well as to climb to second in the Championship standings, with Colt-Ford's Joe Leonard having claimed the title a month prior.<ref name="nyt">[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/24/archives/foyt-wins-at-phoenix-and-takes-2d-place-in-usac-final-standing.html ''The New York Times'' reporting on Foyt winning the race.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref><ref name="standings">[https://www.racing-reference.info/standings/1971/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the final standings of the 1971 USAC Championship Car Season.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref>
Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 134.932 mph.<ref name="results"/> Directly behind him was McLaren-Offenhauser's Mark Donohue, with A.J. Foyt lining up third out of 24 competitors.<ref name="results"/> Foyt was seeking is first USAC win in two years, as well as to climb to second in the Championship standings, with Colt-Ford's Joe Leonard having claimed the title a month prior.<ref name="nyt">[https://www.nytimes.com/1971/10/24/archives/foyt-wins-at-phoenix-and-takes-2d-place-in-usac-final-standing.html ''The New York Times'' reporting on Foyt winning the race.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref><ref name="standings">[https://www.racing-reference.info/standings/1971/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the final standings of the 1971 USAC Championship Car Season.] Retrieved 3rd Jun '22</ref>

Revision as of 09:41, 5 June 2022

1971bobbyball1501.jpg

Billboard promoting the race.

Status: Lost

The 1971 Bobby Ball 150 was the final race of the 1971 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 23rd October at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by A.J. Foyt in a Coyote-Ford, his first victory in two years.

Background

The 1971 Bobby Ball 150 was the 22nd running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.[1] It was one of two 1971 USAC Championship Car Season races to occur at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the Jimmy Bryan 150,[2] which occurred on 27th March and was won by Al Unser in a Colt-Ford.[3] Named in memory of AAA driver Bobby Ball,[4] the race has ties with Phoenix events like the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, before Phoenix races were dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018 following low attendance.[5]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 134.932 mph.[1] Directly behind him was McLaren-Offenhauser's Mark Donohue, with A.J. Foyt lining up third out of 24 competitors.[1] Foyt was seeking is first USAC win in two years, as well as to climb to second in the Championship standings, with Colt-Ford's Joe Leonard having claimed the title a month prior.[6][7]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1971 Bobby Ball 150 commenced on 23rd October.[1] Unser maintained his lead from the start, defending it for the first 26 laps.[6][1] Nevertheless, Foyt, having passed Donohue on the opening lap, nearly made it through on lap 26 before ultimately seizing the first position a lap later.[6][1] From there, he generally controlled proceedings.[6] After having led 64 laps, he made a pitstop, enabling Kuzma-Offenhauser's Roger McCluskey to take the lead.[6][1] McCluskey would lose the lead six laps later to Brabham-Offenhauser's Billy Vukovich, Jr., the latter then dropping it to Mario Andretti in a McNamara-Ford on lap 100.[1][6]

Ultimately, none could withstand the pressure from Foyt, with him passing Andretti for the lead on 108 laps, in what turned out to be the final lead change of the event.[6][1] He therefore led the remaining 43 laps to claim victory and $9,748 in prize money.[6][1] It was Foyt's first USAC Championship win since 1969, and his first on a paved track since 1968.[6] It also confirmed he would finish runners-up for that year's Championship.[6][7] McCluskey took second, with Vukovich, Jr finishing third, a lap down from Foyt.[1]

Availability

According to IndyCar on TV, the race received live flag-to-flag coverage from ABC as part of its Wide World of Sports.[8] The broadcast has yet to resurface however, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available.

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the event. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  2. ↑ Racing-Reference detailing the 1971 USAC Championship Car Season schedule. Retrieved 2nd Jun '22
  3. ↑ Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1971 Jimmy Bryan 150. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  4. ↑ Midwest Racing Archives detailing the origins of the Bobby Ball race. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  5. ↑ IndyStar reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 The New York Times reporting on Foyt winning the race. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Racing-Reference detailing the final standings of the 1971 USAC Championship Car Season. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
  8. ↑ IndyCar on TV detailing the ABC broadcast of the race. Retrieved 3rd Jun '22
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