Indianapolis 500 Front Rows of the 1970s: 1979

In addition to the Month of May countdown, we’re also recounting the front rows of the 1970s, which included some of the most accomplished drivers in the history of the Indianapolis 500.

In addition to the usual Month of May countdown, we’re also looking back at the front rows of the 1970s, which included some of the most accomplished drivers in the history of the Indianapolis 500.

Faithful readers of this space know that this decade is part of my personal golden age at the Speedway. I’m grateful I got to witness much of it first-hand as a boy.

Here’s a statistical look at the front-row drivers of the 1970s:

Driver	Indianapolis 500 poles (career)	Indianapolis 500 wins (career)
Al Unser	1	4
Johnny Rutherford	3	3
A.J. Foyt	4	4
Peter Revson	1	0
Mark Donohue	0	1
Bobby Unser	2	3
Wally Dallenbach	0	0
Mike Hiss	0	0
Gordon Johncock	0	2
Tom Sneva	3	1
Danny Ongais	0	0
Rick Mears	6	4
Totals	20	22

For each year, we’ll have the front row, how many Indianapolis 500 wins were represented on the front row at the start of the race, the number of Indianapolis 500 wins in the drivers’ respective careers, and a brief recap of practice, qualifying and the race.

Penske Entertainment/Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Rick Mears nabbed the pole at the last moment in qualifications for the 1979
Indianapolis 500. Tom Sneva was going for three straight poles, something
that still has never been done, and had to settle for starting second. Al Unser,
in the futuristic Chaparral, was on the outside of the first row. 

1979 Indianapolis 500 front row: Rick Mears (pole), Tom Sneva (middle), Al Unser

How it started: 3 Indianapolis 500 victories (All by Al Unser)

How it ended: 9 Indianapolis 500 victories (Rick Mears 1979, 1984, 1988, 1991; Tom Sneva 1983; Al Unser 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987)

About the 1979 race: The year 1979 was one of transition and controversy in major open-wheel racing. A new group, Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), sprang up in the off-season. Featuring almost all the big-name drivers and teams, it held events at familiar tracks (like Phoenix and Trenton) that once were the purview of the United States Auto Club (USAC), the sanctioning body of the Indianapolis 500.

The Month of May was basically one giant headache, with lawsuits, shenanigans during time trials and an added session of qualifying – the day before the race, no less – all part of the “fun.” You can read my retrospective here.

From a competition perspective, the big news was Al Unser’s beautiful and futuristic Pennzoil Chaparral/Cosworth, one of the first “ground-effects” cars in Indy racing. No other car looked remotely like it. Not surprisingly, Unser set fast time in qualifying before Tom Sneva, going for a record third-straight pole, nudged him over one spot in his Sugaripe Prune McLaren/Cosworth.

Then, dramatically, Rick Mears, with the final pole run of the day, knocked Sneva off his perch for the first of what would be a record six Indianapolis poles, all with Penske. 

Al Unser dominated the first half of the race before retiring with a bad transmission seal after 104 laps. That left it to brother Bobby Unser, who replaced Sneva at Penske. Bobby Unser looked like a sure three-time winner in his Norton Spirit Penske PC-7/Cosworth before his top gear failed, something that almost never happens.

Unser tried his best to hold on, but faded. Mears, driving the older PC-6/Cosworth, rolled home in the Gould Charge for the first of his record-tying four Indianapolis 500 victories. 

Front-row starters Mears, Sneva and Al Unser all would notch at least one Indianapolis 500 victory in the 1980s. The 1970s were truly a remarkable decade featuring some of the greatest drivers of all time. During this competitive era, all but one of the 12 front-row starters at Indianapolis won an IndyCar race during their careers. The exception was Mike Hiss, who started third in 1974.

#Indy500 #ThisIsMay @Team_Penske @IMS @IndyCar @IMSMuseum

30 Days in May: No. 21, Cale Yarborough, 1972 Bill Daniels GOP Atlanta/Foyt

Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the Indianapolis 500!

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Cale Yarborough started 32nd and finished 10th in the 1972 Indianapolis 500.

NASCAR legend Cale Yarborough made the last of his four Indianapolis 500 starts in 1972 as part of the Gene White team. Yarborough was the slowest qualifier at 178.864 mph. To show how fast technology was changing during this time, that speed would’ve won the pole just a year earlier. Yarborough drove a steady race from his last-row starting position to finish 10th, his best at Indianapolis. Yarborough, who made 10 IndyCar starts in 1971 and finished 16th in the point standings, returned to stock cars after the 1972 500.

#ThisIsMay #Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar 

30 Days in May: No. 21, Al Unser, 1977 American Racing Parnelli/Cosworth

Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the Indianapolis 500!

Penske Entertainment/Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Al Unser started third and finished third in the 1977 Indianapolis 500.

1977 was Al Unser’s last year with the Vel’s Parnelli Jones team, an association that dated to 1969. (Unser missed Indianapolis that year after breaking a leg in a motorcycle mishap in the Speedway infield, then returned to win the next two 500s.)

As the 1970s went on, the team wasn't as dominant, then began a renaissance as development on the then-new Cosworth engine started to pay off.

In 1975, Unser and teammate Mario Andretti practiced in a new chassis built for the Cosworth before opting for the proven Eagle/Offy combination. In 1976, Unser put the first Cosworth in the 500, starting fourth and ending up seventh in the rain-shortened race.

In 1977, Unser did a little better, starting third and finishing third. For many drivers, such a result would be a career highlight, but for Unser at Indianapolis, it was just another day at the track. In addition to his record-tying four victories, Big Al had an additional SEVEN top-three finishes in 27 Indianapolis 500 starts! 

Unser retired as the all-time lap leader in the 500 at 644, which has been surpassed by Scott Dixon.

#ThisIsMay #Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar 

Indianapolis 500 Front Rows of the 1970s: 1978

In addition to the Month of May countdown, we’re also looking back at the front rows of the 1970s, which included some of the most accomplished drivers in the history of the Indianapolis 500.

Faithful readers of this space know that this decade is part of my personal golden age at the Speedway. I’m grateful I got to witness much of it first-hand as a boy.

Here’s a statistical look at the front-row drivers of the 1970s:

Driver	Indianapolis 500 poles (career)	Indianapolis 500 wins (career)
Al Unser	1	4
Johnny Rutherford	3	3
A.J. Foyt	4	4
Peter Revson	1	0
Mark Donohue	0	1
Bobby Unser	2	3
Wally Dallenbach	0	0
Mike Hiss	0	0
Gordon Johncock	0	2
Tom Sneva	3	1
Danny Ongais	0	0
Rick Mears	6	4
Totals	20	22

For each year, we’ll have the front row, how many Indianapolis 500 wins were represented on the front row at the start of the race, the number of Indianapolis 500 wins in the drivers’ respective careers, and a brief recap of practice, qualifying and the race.

Penske Entertainment/Indianapolis Motor Speedway

For the 1978 Indianapolis 500, Tom Sneva once again was on the pole with a
new track record. Danny Ongais started second, and rookie Rick Mears took
the outside spot.

1978 front row: Tom Sneva (pole), Danny Ongais, Rick Mears

How it started: 0 Indianapolis 500 victories (the only front row in the 1970s without a win when the green flag dropped)

How it ended: 5 Indianapolis 500 victories (Tom Sneva 1983; Rick Mears 1979, 1984, 1988, 1991)

About the 1978 race: As he did in 1977, Tom Sneva let others grab the headlines in practice, then again was the only driver to set a “New Track Record” with a lap of 203.620 mph leading to a four-lap average of 202.156 mph in the Norton Spirit Penske/Cosworth. Two new faces joined Sneva on the front row: second-year charger Danny Ongais and rookie Rick Mears. 

Roger Penske brought in Mears to sub for Mario Andretti when Andretti had other commitments and also as a third entry at selected events – like the 500. He wound up 23^rd after going out with an engine problem after 103 laps in his CAM2 Penske/Cosworth. Despite the poor finish, Mears’ front-row efforts helped him earn Rookie of the Year honors with Larry Rice, who was 11^th.

Ongais was definitely on the gas, leading a total of 71 laps before the engine blew in his Interscope Racing Parnelli/Cosworth. Al Unser, something of an afterthought in pre-race prognostications, turned in a quietly dominating performance in his First National City Travelers Checks Lola/Cosworth by leading 121 laps, including all but 1 of the last 90, to finish ahead of Sneva.

Majeske collection

IMS produced "Legends of Indy" trading card sets in 1991 and 1992.
This is from the 1992 set.

#Indy500 #ThisIsMay @Team_Penske @IMS @IndyCar @IMSMuseum 

Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the Indianapolis 500!

Majeske collection

Gordon Johncock started second in the 1975 Indianapolis 500. Unfortunately,
he was an early out due to ignition failure and finished 31st.

30 Days in May: No. 20, Gordon Johncock, 1975 Sinmast Wildcat/DGS. Starting in 1973 and over the next 10-plus years, Gordon Johncock was synonymous with the number 20 and Patrick Racing. For 1975, he had a new sponsor, a new chassis and a new engine. It all added up to a fast combination, as Johncock was among the leaders every day in practice and held the pole before A.J. Foyt nudged him aside with a run late in the day. Johncock jumped to the lead at the start of the race, but fell out after just 11 laps and finished 31^st. DGS stood for Drake, Goosen and Sparks, the last names of engine pioneers Dale Drake, Leo Goosen and Art Sparks. The name was something of a tribute by George Bignotti, who helped modify an Offy engine to create the DGS. 

Penske Entertainment/Indianapolis Motor Speedway

This photo is from 1973. I like to run it simply because of the hat of
Harlan Fengler, the longtime chief steward. 

#ThisIsMay #Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

30 Days in May: No. 19, Spike Gehlhausen, 1976 Spirit of Indiana McLaren/Offy

Welcome to our monthlong countdown celebrating notable drivers and cars from the Indianapolis 500!

Penske Entertainment/Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Rookie Spike Gehlhausen drove the colorful Spirit of Indiana in the 1976
Indianapolis 500, but unfortunately a mechanical problem ended his race
before the green flag.

The Spirit of Indiana entries appeared in the Indianapolis 500 in 1975 and 1976, each with a rookie driver from Indiana and each with No. 19 because Indiana is the 19^th state.

In 1975, short-track star Sheldon Kinser (Bloomington) finished 12^th. For 1976, Spike Gehlhausen (Jasper) got the assignment. Spike’s dad, Carl Gehlhausen, was a longtime owner in USAC in the Midget, Sprint, Championship Dirt and Championship divisions. In 1973, an up-and-coming Tom Sneva won several features in the family’s soon-to-be-banned rear-engine sprint car. 

Race Day was a tough one as the Offy lost oil pressure before the green flag. Spike (given first name Daniel) competed in four more Indianapolis 500s, with a best finish of 10^th in 1979.

#ThisIsMay #Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar 

Crockey Peterson: The bottler who wanted to race in the Indianapolis 500

Majeske collection

Crockey Peterson is ready to try for a spot in the 1973 Indianapolis 500.

Back when I started following the Indianapolis 500 with fervent interest, I pored over the program to try to memorize the car and driver combinations for that year’s race. Basically, I wanted to be THE source for my family when we went to the track and they would ask, “Who’s that?” as a car sped by. 

One car and driver we never saw at the Speedway in 1973 – in fact, no one saw – was Crockey Peterson. In addition to being listed in the official program with his Dr. Pepper Special, Peterson also was assigned garage space. He had garage 34 for his No. 38 entry and garage 35 for his No. 96 mount. His neighbors in Gasoline Alley were to be Lee Brayton (No. 61 Eisenhour Special) in garage 33 and Dee Jones (No. 51 Minnesota Serendipity) in garage 36. Incidentally, Brayton and Jones never qualified for the 500, though Lee’s son, Scott, was a two-time pole-winner.

Peterson never made it on to the track because USAC refused to let him take a rookie test. I assume his entry fee of $1,000 per car was refunded. Also denied that year were Eldon Rasmussen and Billy Shuman, who were to be teammates for the Quality Racing Team. Rasmussen came back in 1974, then qualified for the 500 in 1975, ’77 and ’79. As far as I can tell, Shuman, like Peterson, never returned to Indianapolis. 

As a warm-up to Indianapolis, Peterson competed in twin races at Trenton International Speedway. Unfortunately, he was plagued by mechanical trouble in both races. In the first contest, he managed only two laps before going out with a fuel leak, finishing 23^rd out of 24 starters. The second race wasn’t much better as a water leak sidelined him after 43 laps. Peterson wound up 18^th out of 21 starters.

“I did everything they told me to do, but they turned me down anyway,” Peterson was quoted as saying in a story by Jerry Miller in the 1973 Indianapolis 500 Yearbook. 

So who was Crockey Peterson? According to his bio in IMS’ press book for 1973, his full name was Howard Glenn Peterson, his hometown was Desloge, Missouri, and that, among other pursuits, he was a Pepsi Cola and Dr. Pepper bottler. The news release from his press kit states that Crockey Peterson Racing Enterprises was based out of Flat River, Missouri, and that he was the first rookie and the second driver overall to file an entry for the 1973 Indianapolis 500. (Desloge and Flat River are both about 60 miles south of St. Louis.)

Majeske collection

The news release announcing Crockey Peterson's entry.

That news release contained all sorts of interesting tidbits, including Peterson co-driving with A.J. Foyt in sports car races in Nassau, Bahamas, in 1963. The release also said Peterson was “good friends” with hall of fame mechanic Ray Nichels.

I checked that out with my good friend William R. LaDow, who has written many articles about Nichels and basically has been entrusted with the family archives. Bill said that Nichels may have loaned Peterson a Monte Carlo for a USAC stock car race in July of 1972 at Indianapolis Raceway Park. 

The chassis was listed as a 1972 Brabham copy, half “monique” (maybe the writer meant “monocoque”?) and half tubular powered by an 850-hp Offy capable of a top speed of 220 mph. (Hmmm.)

Peterson’s last IndyCar appearance was at Milwaukee on June 10, 1973. He placed 20^th out of 24 starters, going out after 13 laps with an overheating issue. He competed in two other USAC events in 1970, both on road courses, with sponsorship from Pepsi. Unfortunately, the results were similar because of mechanical woes. He was 19^th in the William Murray 150 at Sears Point on April 4, 1970. He completed four laps before going out with an oil leak. Peterson was 20^th in the Rocky Mountain 150 as clutch failure knocked him out after just two laps. 

From the 1973 Indianapolis 500 program

Looking back 50-plus years, it’s too bad Peterson didn’t at least get a chance to start his rookie test. Dr. Pepper did make its way into racing, including sponsoring Marco Andretti at select races. 

Sources:

1973 Indianapolis 500 program; 1973 Indianapolis 500 Yearbook published by Carl Hungness; The Indy 500: An American Institution Under Fire by Ron Dorson; 57^th Annual Indianapolis 500-Mile Race Press/TV/Radio Fact Book; Press kit from the Dr. Pepper Company and Crockey Peterson Racing Enterprises 

From the 1973 Indianapolis 500 program

Crockey Peterson never made it on the track in 1973,
but at least he made it into the program.