|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| {{InfoboxLost
| | #REDIRECT [[1977 USAC Championship Car Season (lost footage of IndyCar races; 1977)]] |
| |title=<center>1977 Schaefer 500</center>
| |
| |image=1977schaefer5001.jpg
| |
| |imagecaption=Program for the race.
| |
| |status=<span style="color:red;">'''Lost'''</span>
| |
| }}
| |
| The '''''1977 Schaefer 500''''' was the seventh race of the 1977 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 26th June at the Pocono International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by Tom Sneva in a McLaren-Cosworth, taking victory after teammate Mario Andretti nearly crashed into his pitcrew during a pitstop.
| |
| | |
| ==Background==
| |
| The ''1977 Schaefer 500'' was the seventh running of the event, with the annual race lasting 500 miles.<ref name="results">[https://www.racing-reference.info/race-results/1977_Schaefer_500/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the qualifying and race results of the event.] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref> The only 1977 USAC Championship Car Season race to commence at Pocono,<ref>[https://www.racing-reference.info/season-stats/1977/UO/ ''Racing-Reference'' detailing the 1977 USAC Championship Car Season schedule.] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref> it was considered part of USAC's Triple Crown of 500-mile races that lasted between 1971-1980, also consisting of the Indianapolis 500 and California 500.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/racing/indycar/story/_/id/9444226/indycar-tony-kanaan-chasing-triple-crown-pocono-raceway ''ESPN'' detailing USAC's Triple Crown.] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref> Pocono IndyCar events would be run on an on-and-off basis, before the track was dropped from the IndyCar schedule from 2020 onwards.<ref>[https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/indycar-2020-calendar-revealed-richmond-returns-and-pocono-dropped-4989304/4989304/ ''Autosport'' reporting on Pocono being dropped from the 2020 IndyCar schedule.] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref>
| |
| | |
| Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with A.J. Foyt winning the pole position in a Coyote-Foyt with a speed of 189.474 mph.<ref name="bench">[http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-26-this-day-in-schaefer-racing.html ''Bench-Racing'' detailing the race and providing photos and newspaper clippings of it.] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref><ref name="evening">[http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-26-this-day-in-schaefer-racing.html ''The Evening News'' reporting on Foyt winning the pole position and his and Andretti's comments surrounding fans booing him (article found on ''Bench-Racing'').] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref><ref name="results"/> During this time period, the crowd was heavily against him following accusations that he made insulting gestures towards fans, with Citicorp threatening to withdraw its sponsorship of USAC if Foyt was not disciplined.<ref name="nyt">[https://www.nytimes.com/1977/06/27/archives/tom-sneva-triumphs-in-500-at-pocono-tom-sneva-500-winner-at-pocono.html ''The New York Times'' reporting on Sneva winning the race.] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref><ref name="evening"/> Foyt was critical of the fans, stating "I don't like the way the people act, why should I? Those guys who boo don't know what they're booing about. I think by going out and taking the pole I answered any questions that needed to be answered."<ref name="evening"/> Directly behind him were the McLaren-Cosworths of Johnny Rutherford and Mario Andretti, in second and third respectively.<ref name="evening"/><ref name="results"/> Andretti somewhat sympathised with Foyt, stating "I don't condone what A.J. did, but I know how he feels and I might do the same thing in that situation. After you hang your guys out in qualifying, you sure deserve better appreciation than that from the fans."<ref name="evening"/> Tom Sneva qualified fourth, while Janet Guthrie was the only woman to compete, lining up 22nd out of 33 competitors.<ref name="evening"/><ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/>
| |
| | |
| ==The Race==
| |
| With the starting order decided, the 1977 Schaefer 500 commenced on 26th June.<ref name="results"/> Foyt maintained his lead from the start, holding it for 13 laps before dropping it to Wildcat-DGS' Gordon Johncock.<ref name="results"/> He led until being passed by Rutherford on lap 31, although he would regain it eight laps later.<ref name="results"/> Following a caution period, Lightning-Offenhauser's Mike Mosley emerged in front on lap 47, but would lose the first position to Foyt on lap 51.<ref name="results"/> Foyt would then be passed by Johncock on lap 61, the latter holding it for a further 20 laps before Rutherford passed him.<ref name="results"/> With the race for the lead still being an open competition, Foyt remained in contention until he retired after 118 laps following a burned piston.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/> According to ''The New York Times'', the attendance of around 80,000 generally applauded his retirement from the event.<ref name="nyt"/>
| |
| | |
| On lap 129, Andretti overtook Sneva for the first position, defending it for 22 laps.<ref name="results"/> He lost it to Sneva on lap 151, the latter then dropping it a lap later to Wally Dallenbach in a Wildcat-DGS.<ref name="results"/> Dallenbach would be passed by Andretti, with Andretti holding a six-second lead on Sneva when he made what was meant to be his penultimate pitstop on lap 161.<ref name="wilmington">[http://bench-racing.blogspot.com/2010/06/june-26-this-day-in-schaefer-racing.html ''Wilmington NC Star-News'' reporting on Sneva winning the race and Penske's comments (article found on ''Bench-Racing'').] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref><ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/> The pitstop almost ended in disaster, as he was unable to sufficiently slow down, his crew having to leap out of the McLaren's way to avoid being hit at almost 100 mph.<ref name="nyt"/> Andretti post-race explained the incident, stating "My right rear tire was going flat, and my brakes were going bad."<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="wilmington"/> Aside from almost seriously injuring his crew, Andretti was forced to drive out of the pits and make a stop a lap later, because he was more than two pit areas down from where he was supposed to stop.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="wilmington"/> Had the crew reversed him back, he would have been penalised a lap.<ref name="nyt"/>
| |
| | |
| Sneva therefore not only took the lead, but now had a lap advantage over Andretti.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="wilmington"/><ref name="results"/> It seemed he would cruise to victory; however, Mosley crashed out after 183 laps, the accident not only spreading debris across the track, but also requiring hospitalisation for Mosley who was suspected to have suffered neck and back injuries.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="wilmington"/><ref name="results"/> Andretti was able to pit for fresh tyres, and unlapped himself when another caution occurred.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="wilmington"/><ref name="results"/> It meant he was directly behind Sneva when the race resumed on lap 196.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="wilmington"/><ref name="results"/> Sneva's lead of 3.5 seconds would be depleted to 1.75 seconds by the end.<ref name="nyt"/> This ultimately was not enough, with Sneva therefore claiming victory and around $86,000 in prize money.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="wilmington"/><ref name="results"/> Andretti finished second to make it a 1-2 victory for car owner Roger Penske.<ref name="wilmington"/><ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/> Post-race, Penske proclaimed the 1-2 to be his greatest achievement since Mark Donohue won the [[1972 Indianapolis 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)|1972 Indianapolis 500]] with one of his cars.<ref name="wilmington"/> He stated "A lot of people said when we lost Mark we were going downhill. We were snake bit. We put in a lot of long, hard hours and worked very hard. It took a number of years, but here we are now trying to win the national championship now."<ref name="wilmington"/> He also praised Sneva, stating "Tom has come of age. He's a very dedicated, clean cut, exemplary young man."<ref name="wilmington"/> Johncock finished a lap down in third.<ref name="nyt"/><ref name="results"/>
| |
| | |
| ==Availability==
| |
| According to ''IndyCar on TV'', an hour of highlights was televised by CBS on 2nd July 1977 as part of its ''CBS Sports Spectacular''.<ref>[https://sites.google.com/site/indycarontv/home/the-races/usac/1977/1977-schaefer-500 ''IndyCar on TV'' detailing the CBS broadcast of the race.] Retrieved 27th Jun '22</ref> The broadcast has yet to resurface however, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available. Nevertheless, photos and newspaper clippings of the event can be found online.<ref name="bench"/>
| |
| | |
| ==Gallery==
| |
| ===Images===
| |
| <gallery mode=packed heights=200px>
| |
| 1977schaefer5002.png|''The Evening News'' reporting on Foyt winning the pole position and the negative fan reception towards him.
| |
| 1977schaefer5003.jpg|Salt Walther's McLaren-DGS at the event. He would retire after 149 laps because of a ring failure.
| |
| 1977schaefer5004.jpg|Johnny Rutherford's McLaren-Cosworth at the event. He would finish fifth.
| |
| 1977schaefer5005.jpg|Tom Bigelow's Watson-Offenhauser at the event. He would retire after 13 laps because of an oil leak.
| |
| 1977schaefer5006.jpg|Al Unser retiring his Parnelli-Cosworth after 25 laps following a broken clutch.
| |
| 1977schaefer5007.jpg|Ray Mears retiring his McLaren-Offenhauser after seven laps because of a valve issue.
| |
| 1977schaefer5008.jpg|Danny Ongais driving a Parnelli-Cosworth at the event. He would retire after 30 laps because of a broken piston.
| |
| 1977schaefer5009.jpg|Andretti's McLaren-Cosworth.
| |
| 1977schaefer5010.jpg|Sneva's McLaren-Cosworth.
| |
| 1977schaefer5011.jpg|Sneva entering Victory Lane.
| |
| 1977schaefer5012.jpeg|Sneva celebrating his win with his wife.
| |
| 1977schaefer5013.jpeg|Sneva with the trophy.
| |
| 1977schaefer5014.jpeg|Roger Penske is congratulated for achieving a 1-2.
| |
| 1977schaefer5015.png|''Wilmington NC Star-News'' reporting on Sneva winning the race.
| |
| </gallery>
| |
| | |
| ==See Also==
| |
| *[[1962 Trenton 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1962)]]
| |
| *[[1962 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1962)]]
| |
| *[[1963 Trenton 100 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1963)]]
| |
| *[[1963 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1963)]]
| |
| *[[1964 Golden State 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1964)]]
| |
| *[[1964 Trenton 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1964)]]
| |
| *[[1965 Golden State 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1965)]]
| |
| *[[1965 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1965)]]
| |
| *[[1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1966)]]
| |
| *[[1966 Trenton 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1966)]]
| |
| *[[1967 Trenton 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1967)]]
| |
| *[[1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1968)]]
| |
| *[[1968 Trenton 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1968)]]
| |
| *[[1969 Langhorne 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)]]
| |
| *[[1969 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)]]
| |
| *[[1969 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)]]
| |
| *[[1970 Bobby Ball 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
| |
| *[[1970 Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
| |
| *[[1970 Langhorne 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
| |
| *[[1970 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
| |
| *[[1970 Rocky Mountain 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
| |
| *[[1970 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)]]
| |
| *[[1971 Bobby Ball 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
| |
| *[[1971 Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
| |
| *[[1971 Marlboro 300 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
| |
| *[[1971 Michigan 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
| |
| *[[1971 Rex Mays Classic (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
| |
| *[[1971 Schaefer 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
| |
| *[[1971 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)]]
| |
| *[[1972 Best Western Motels 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
| |
| *[[1972 Indianapolis 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
| |
| *[[1972 Phoenix 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
| |
| *[[1972 Rex Mays Classic (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
| |
| *[[1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
| |
| *[[1972 Trenton Times 300 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
| |
| *[[1972 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)]]
| |
| *[[1973 Schaefer 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1973)]]
| |
| *[[1973 Texas 200 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1973)]]
| |
| *[[1974 Phoenix 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)]]
| |
| *[[1974 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)]]
| |
| *[[1974 Trentonian 200 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)]]
| |
| *[[1975 Bricklin 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)]]
| |
| *[[1975 Michigan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)]]
| |
| *[[1975 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)]]
| |
| *[[1976 Indianapolis 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
| |
| *[[1976 Jimmy Bryan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
| |
| *[[1976 Michigan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
| |
| *[[1976 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
| |
| *[[1976 Trenton Times Auto Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
| |
| *[[1976 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
| |
| *[[1977 American Parts 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
| |
| *[[1977 Jimmy Bryan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
| |
| *[[1977 Michigan Grand Prix (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
| |
| *[[1977 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
| |
| *[[1977 Texas Grand Prix (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
| |
| *[[1977 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
| |
| *[[1978 Coors 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]
| |
| *[[1978 Daily Express Indy Silverstone (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]
| |
| *[[1978 Daily Mail Indy Trophy (partially found CBS and BBC One footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]
| |
| *[[1978 Norton Twin 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]
| |
| *[[1979 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; 1979)]]
| |
| *[[1979 California 500 (lost footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1979)]]
| |
| *[[1979 Gould Grand Prix (lost footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; 1979)]]
| |
| *[[1980 Miller High Life 150 (partially found footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)]]
| |
| *[[1980 Norton Twin 200 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)]]
| |
| *[[1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)]]
| |
| *[[1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)]]
| |
| *[[1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150 (lost CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1981)]]
| |
| *[[1981 Pocono 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1981)]]
| |
| *[[1996 Las Vegas 500K (partially lost footage of IRL Season race; 1996)]]
| |
| *[[Indianapolis 500 WFBM-TV Broadcasts (lost racing footage; 1949-1950)]]
| |
| *[[Indianapolis 500 MCA closed-circuit broadcasts (partially lost racing footage; 1964-1970)]]
| |
| | |
| ==References==
| |
| {{reflist}}
| |
| | |
| [[Category:Lost recordings of sports events]]
| |
| [[Category:Completely lost media]]
| |