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1981 Indianapolis 500
The 65th Indianapolis 500 was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday, May 24, 1981. The race is widely considered one of the most controversial races in Indy history. Bobby Unser took the checkered flag as the winner, with Mario Andretti finishing second. After the conclusion of the race, United States Auto Club, USAC officials ruled that Unser had passed cars illegally while exiting the Pit stop, pit area during a Racing flags#Yellow flag, caution on lap 149 (of 200). Unser was subsequently issued a one-position penalty. The next morning, the official race results were posted, and Unser was dropped to second place. Andretti was elevated to first place and declared the race winner. Controversy followed the ruling. After a lengthy protest and appeals process, the penalty was rescinded, and Unser was reinstated the victory on October 8. Officially, it became Unser's third-career Indy 500 victory and his final win in American Championship car racing, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
United States Auto Club
The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the List of USAC Championship Car seasons, United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500. USAC serves as the sport governing body, sanctioning body for a number of racing series, including the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Cars, National Midgets, Speed2 Midget Series, .25 Midget Series, Stadium Super Trucks, and GT World Challenge America. Seven-time USAC champion Levi Jones is USAC's Competition Director. History When the American Automobile Association (AAA) withdrew from auto racing after the 1955 season, citing the 1955 Le Mans disaster, Le Mans disaster and the death of Bill Vukovich at 1955 Indianapolis 500, Indianapolis as contributing factors, both the Sports Car Club of America, SCCA and NASCAR were mentioned as its potential successor. Ultimately, USAC was formed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1980 Indianapolis 500
The 64th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 25, 1980. Johnny Rutherford won the pole position, led 118 laps, and won the race by a commanding 29.92 second margin. After failing to finish the race the year before (with Al Unser behind the wheel), Jim Hall's radical new Chaparral 2K ground effects chassis was a heavy favorite entering the month, and drove a flawless race. Rutherford, the winner in 1974 and 1976, became the sixth driver to win the Indy 500 three times. Tom Sneva broke an Indy 500 record by becoming the first driver to start last (33rd) and lead the race. Sneva led two times for 16 laps, and finished the race in second position. Sneva likewise became the first driver in Indy history to start last and finish second (a feat tied by Scott Goodyear in 1992). It was Sneva's third runner-up finish in four years, matching Bill Holland's achievement exactly 30 years earlier in 1947, 1948 a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1980 CART PPG Indy Car World Series
The 1980 CART PPG Indy Car World Series season was the second in the CART era of U.S. open-wheel racing. It consisted of twelve races, beginning in Ontario, California on April 13 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on November 8. The PPG Indy Car World Series Drivers' Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Johnny Rutherford. Rookie of the Year was Dennis Firestone. The entire season, including the 64th Indianapolis 500, was to be co-sanctioned by both the USAC and CART under the banner of the Championship Racing League (CRL). However, USAC withdrew from the arrangement after five races. The season-opening race at Phoenix, set for March 2, was cancelled due to local flooding and washed out roads. Johnny Rutherford in Jim Hall's Chaparral 2K ground effects chassis dominated the season. Rutherford won five races, including a dominating performance at the 1980 Indianapolis 500. Rutherford finished in the top five in the first ten races, pulling out to a commanding and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Open-wheel Car Racing
American open-wheel car racing, generally and commonly known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2025, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar and is known as the IndyCar Series. Competitive events for professional-level, open-wheel race cars have been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies, and traces it roots as far back as 1902. A season-long, points-based, ''National Championship'' of drivers has been officially recognized in 1905, 1916, and each year since 1920 (except for a hiatus during WWII). As such, for many years, this discipline of motorsports was known as Championship car racing (or Champ car racing for short). That name has fallen from use, and the term ''Indy car'' racing (derived from the Indy 500) has become the preferred moniker. The machines, typically referred to as "Indy cars", are a formula of single-seat, open cockpit, open-wheel, pur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1979 Indianapolis 500
The 63rd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Sunday May 27, 1979. Brothers Al Unser, Al and Bobby Unser combined to lead 174 of the 200 laps, but Al dropped out around the midpoint, and Bobby slipped to 5th place at the finish nursing mechanical issues. Al was driving Jim Hall (racing driver), Jim Hall's radically new Chaparral Cars#2K, Chaparral 2K Ground effect (cars), ground effect chassis in its Indy debut. The car would be victorious the 1980 Indianapolis 500, following year with Johnny Rutherford behind the wheel. Second-year driver Rick Mears took the lead for the final time with 18 laps to go, and won his first Indianapolis 500. Mears would win again in 1984 Indianapolis 500, 1984, 1988 Indianapolis 500, 1988, and 1991 Indianapolis 500, 1991, to become the third driver (along with A. J. Foyt, Al Unser, Al Unser Sr., and later Hélio Castroneves) to win the Indy 500 a record four times. It was also Mears' f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1981 Michigan 500
The 1981 Michigan 500, the inaugural running of the event, was held at the Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan, on Saturday, July 25, 1981. Branded as the 1981 Norton Michigan 500 for sponsorship reasons, the event was race number 5 of 11 in the 1981 CART PPG Indy Car World Series. The race was won by Pancho Carter - his only Indy Car victory. The race commenced a 20-year history of the Michigan 500 being a part of Indy car racing's Triple Crown. Background Indy car racing's Triple Crown began in 1971 when Pocono Raceway opened and held their inaugural Pocono 500, joining the Indianapolis 500 and California 500. This continued for 10 years until late 1980, Ontario Motor Speedway closed and created a void in the Triple Crown where only two 500 mile races would be held. In 1979, Championship Auto Racing Teams was created as a way for Indy car teams to have greater control over the sport. It led to a split between CART and USAC, where two separate open ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rick Mears
Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (1979, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991). Mears is also a three-time Indycar series/World Series champion (1979, 1981 and 1982). Biography Early life Mears was born in Wichita, Kansas and raised in Bakersfield, California. He began his racing career in off-road racing. In 1976, he was recommended by a representative of Bill Simpson's helmet company, and Simpson gave him a ride at the USAC Champ Car's California 500 on an old Eagle-Offenhauser, finishing 8th. Simpson then sold the car to Art Sugai, on condition that Mears would continue driving it. In mid 1977 he switched to Theodore Racing. His speed attracted the attention of Roger Penske. Although at the time Penske Racing had the services of Mario Andretti and Tom Sneva, Andretti was al ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 – February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver. Ongais was the only Hawaiian born driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and drag racing. A fearless figure on the racing circuit, Ongais was nicknamed "On-the-Gas" and "The Flyin' Hawaiian." He is the only driver to have won the NHRA U.S. Nationals and the 24 Hours of Daytona. In the 1960s he won multiple drag racing championships and was named one of the National Hot Rod Association’s Top 50 Drivers for 1951-2000. In the 1970s he moved to competing in sports cars and Indy cars, winning races in both types, including the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1979 and several Indy car races in 1977 and 1978. He also raced in Formula One from 1977-78, in six Grands Prix, recording a best result of seventh. He was known as a fast and daring driver, but he experienced multiple crashes in his career, some resulting in injury. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Championship Car Racing
American open-wheel car racing, generally and commonly known as Indy car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2025 IndyCar Series, 2025, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar and is known as the IndyCar Series. Competitive events for professional-level, open-wheel car, open-wheel race cars have been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies, and traces it roots as far back as 1902. A season-long, points-based, ''National Championship'' of drivers has been officially recognized in 1905, 1916, and each year since 1920 (except for a hiatus during World War II, WWII). As such, for many years, this discipline of motorsports was known as Championship car racing (or Champ car racing for short). That name has fallen from use, and the term ''Indy car'' racing (derived from the Indianapolis 500, Indy 500) has become the preferred moniker. The machines, typically referred to as "Indy c ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Racing Flags
Racing flags are traditionally used in auto racing and similar motorsports to indicate track conditions and to communicate important messages to drivers. Typically, the starter, sometimes the Grand Marshal, grand marshal of a race, waves the flags atop a flag stand near the start-finish line. Track marshals are also stationed at observation posts along the race track in order to communicate both local and course-wide conditions to drivers. Alternatively, some race tracks employ lights to supplement the primary flag at the start-finish line. Summary While there is no universal system of racing flags across all of motorsports, most series have standardized them, with some flags carrying over between series. For example, the chequered flag is commonly used across all of motorsport to signify the end of a session (practice, qualifying, or race), while the penalty flags differ from series to series. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA-sanctioned championship flags are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pit Stop
Pitstop may refer to: * Pit stop, in motor racing, when the car stops in the pits for fuel and other consumables to be renewed or replenished * ''Pit Stop'' (1969 film), a movie directed by Jack Hill * ''Pit Stop'' (2013 film), a movie directed by Yen Tan * ''Pitstop'' (video game), a 1983 computer game by Epyx * Penelope Pitstop, a cartoon character * ''Pit Stop,'' an album by The Ziggens {{disambig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar season, 1994. Andretti won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Team Lotus, Lotus, and won 12 Formula One Grands Prix, Grands Prix across 14 seasons. In American open-wheel racing, Andretti won four List of American open-wheel racing national champions, IndyCar National Championship titles and the Indianapolis 500 in 1969 Indianapolis 500, 1969; in stock car racing, he won the Daytona 500 in 1967 Daytona 500, 1967. In Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing, Andretti is a three-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring. Born in the Kingdom of Italy, Andretti and his family were displaced from Istria during the Istrian–Dalmatian exodus and eventually emigrated to Nazareth, Pennsylvania in 1955. He began dirt track racin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
