1977 USAC Championship Car season

1977 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races	14
Start date	March 6
End date	October 29
Awards
National champion	Tom Sneva
Indianapolis 500 winner	A. J. Foyt
Chronology
Previous season	Next season
1976	1978

The 1977 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 14 races, beginning in Ontario, California on March 6 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on October 29. The USAC National Champion was Tom Sneva and the Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. The schedule included a road course for the first time since 1970.

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	March 6	Datsun Twin 200s	200 mi (320 km)	Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario, California	Johnny Rutherford	A. J. Foyt
2	March 27	Jimmy Bryan 150	150 mi (240 km)	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Johnny Rutherford	Johnny Rutherford
3	April 2	Texas Grand Prix	200 mi (320 km)	Texas World Speedway	College Station, Texas	Johnny Rutherford	Tom Sneva
4	April 30	Trenton 200	201 mi (323 km)	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Johnny Rutherford	Wally Dallenbach
5	May 29	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes	500 mi (800 km)	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Tom Sneva	A. J. Foyt
6	June 12	Rex Mays Classic 150	150 mi (240 km)	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Bobby Unser	Johnny Rutherford
7	June 26	Schaefer 500	500 mi (800 km)	Pocono International Raceway	Long Pond, Pennsylvania	A. J. Foyt	Tom Sneva
8	July 3	Molson Diamond Indy	184.425 mi (296.803 km)	Mosport Park	Bowmanville, Ontario	Al Unser	A. J. Foyt
9	July 17	Norton 200	200 mi (320 km)	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Tom Sneva	Danny Ongais
10	July 31	American Parts 200	200 mi (320 km)	Texas World Speedway	College Station, Texas	Danny Ongais	Johnny Rutherford
11	August 21	Tony Bettenhausen 200	200 mi (320 km)	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Danny Ongais	Johnny Rutherford
12	September 4	California 500	500 mi (800 km)	Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario, California	Johnny Rutherford	Al Unser
13	September 17	Michigan Grand Prix	150 mi (240 km)	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Danny Ongais	Gordon Johncock
14	October 29	Bobby Ball 150	150 mi (240 km)	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Bobby Unser	Gordon Johncock

  Oval/Speedway

  Road Course/Street Circuit

Final points standings

Pos Driver ONT1 PHX1 TXS1 TRE INDY MIL1 POC MOS MIC1 TXS2 MIL2 ONT2 MIC2 PHX2 Pts 1 Tom Sneva 14 16 1 10 2 2 1 3 4 5 18 3 10 17 3965 2 Al Unser 2 9 2 3 3 25 17 16 21 15 1 4 2 3030 3 Johnny Rutherford 25 1 4 8 33 1 5 9 3 1 1 24 2 22 2840 4 A. J. Foyt 1 2 14 1 Wth 15 1 DNQ 19 2 2840 5 Gordon Johncock 5 12 9 2 11 12 3 18 2 2 10 11 1 1 2830 6 Wally Dallenbach 18 10 3 1 4 15 4 16 8 17 3 20 3 6 2635 7 Mario Andretti DNQ 16 26 2 4 20 4 1580 8 Pancho Carter 3 20 11 9 15 5 20 10 3 2 14 3 1420 9 Tom Bigelow 4 4 12 15 6 7 29 8 11 10 4 28 15 19 1370 10 Mike Mosley 16 6 5 3 19 4 8 Wth 16 18 DNQ 1030 11 Roger McCluskey 22 3 17 5 8 19 26 11 20 DNQ 20 22 7 5 940 12 Danny Ongais 7 5 13 20 17 23 15 1 13 21 8 17 12 935 13 Bobby Olivero 25 6 32 9 6 5 9 21 920 14 Gary Bettenhausen 10 11 11 16 20 7 2 17 8 17 14 850 15 Johnny Parsons, Jr. DNQ DNP 5 DNQ 11 18 4 13 29 14 20 840 16 Larry Dickson 13 DNQ 18 DNQ 13 5 8 12 7 6 18 740 17 Lee Kunzman 7 DNP 6 DNQ 22 15 16 DNQ 700 18 Todd Gibson 11 13 6 6 DNQ 14 DNQ 4 15 DNQ DNQ 600 19 Rick Mears 24 DNQ 15 DNQ 30 6 7 5 26 8 555 20 Spike Gehlhausen 26 14 8 12 DNQ 9 DNQ 10 9 12 7 13 13 7 550 21 Jim McElreath 23 24 12 6 9 5 530 22 Vern Schuppan 8 8 16 17 DNQ 21 19 6 475 23 Salt Walther 23 18 4 DNQ 18 12 6 DNP 25 DNQ 13 450 24 Dick Simon 6 7 31 13 16 19 14 9 33 11 360 25 Steve Krisiloff 21 9 DNP 22 14 7 DNQ 19 27 320 26 James McElreath DNQ 7 7 DNQ 31 DNQ DNQ 23 19 240 27 Bill Vukovich, Jr. 20 19 13 17 9 12 14 31 220 28 Joe Saldana DNQ 11 10 Wth 18 11 DNQ 22 220 29 Jerry Grant DNQ 13 5 DNQ DNQ 16 200 30 Ed Crombie DNQ 10 7 DNQ 14 DNS 165 31 Jerry Sneva 10 DNP 18 DNQ DNQ 22 DNQ DNQ 150 32 John Martin DNQ 10 150 33 Larry Cannon DNP DNQ 12 12 9 125 34 Bill Simpson 9 22 DNQ 80 35 Bobby Unser 15 17 DNP Wth 18 16 19 21 15 17 30 8 75 36 Clark Templeman 8 75 37 Al Loquasto 19 21 DNP Wth 28 28 11 19 11 16 70 38 Gary Irvin 10 14 DNQ 60 39 Bill Puterbaugh 12 50 40 George Snider 24 33 DNQ 20 32 21 10 45 41 Cliff Hucul 12 15 19 22 DNP DNQ 20 - Phil Threshie 13 16 DNQ 0 - Eldon Rasmussen 13 21 0 - John Mahler 14 14 DNQ 0 - Tom Gloy 15 0 - Janet Guthrie DNQ 29 17 18 0 - Lloyd Ruby 17 27 DNP 0 - Bubby Jones 21 DNQ DNQ 0 - Bob Harkey DNQ 22 DNQ 0 - Chuck Gurney 27 DNQ 0 - Clay Regazzoni 30 0 - Sheldon Kinser 32 0 - Alan Jones DNS DNQ 0 - Larry McCoy DNQ Wth 0 - Tommy Hunt DNS 0 - Ed Finley DNQ DNQ 0 - Jerry Karl DNQ DNQ 0 - Bertil Roos DNQ DNQ 0 - Duke Cook DNQ 0 - Woody Fisher DNQ 0 - Tom Frantz DNQ 0 - Jim Hurtubise DNQ 0 - Mel Kenyon DNQ 0 - Graham McRae DNQ 0 - Teddy Pilette DNQ 0 - Elliott Forbes-Robinson DNP 0 Pos Driver ONT1 PHX1 TXS1 TRE INDY MIL1 POC MOS MIC1 TXS2 MIL2 ONT2 MIC2 PHX2 Pts

Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th & 5th place Light Blue 6th-10th place Dark Blue Finished (Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Brown Withdrawn (Wth) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Blank Did not participate (DNP) Not competing In-line notation Bold Pole position Italics Ran fastest race lap * Led most race laps Rookie of the Year Rookie

Note: Janet Guthrie and Clay Regazzoni not eligible for points.

References

• http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 217-218)

See also

• 1977 Indianapolis 500