30 Days in May Bonus: No. 31, John Mahler, 1972 Harbor Fuel Oil McLaren/Offy

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

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

John Mahler started 29th and finished 22nd in the 1972 Indianapolis 500.

We wrap up the Month of May with John Mahler, who was one of eight rookies in the starting lineup for the 1972 Indianapolis 500. He actually qualified for the 1971 race but was “bumped” by his car owner, Dick Simon.

Mahler had qualified Simon’s back-up car in 1971, becoming the fastest rookie in 500 history in the process. But then Simon was bumped, so he took over Mahler’s ride for the race.

So began what was to be an interesting, colorful Indianapolis 500 career for Mahler, who made four starts from 1972 through 1979. In 1973, he was part of the Champ Carr Enterprises team with Sam Posey. Mahler likely would have made the race had he completed either of his two qualifying attempts, both of which were tracking toward an average fast enough to make the field.

Jim McElreath jumped in Mahler’s car and hustled it into the field, bumping Tom Bigelow late on the final day of qualifying. Posey then was bumped by George Snider.

Mahler’s best finish was in 1977, when he was credited with 14^th after getting some relief help from Larry “Boom Boom” Cannon. He almost squeezed into the 1983 lineup, accepting a speed that was some 27 mph off the pole speed with the hope that rain would curtail qualifying. The gamble almost paid off, but Mahler was knocked out by Dennis Firestone, who completed his run as showers hit.

In 1972, Mahler wound up 22^nd, sidelined by piston failure after 99 laps. A highlight film produced by Channel 6 in Indianapolis indicates that Mahler had to pull in before the green flag because he forgot his gloves.

Thanks for reading. See you next year!

 

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30 Days in May: No. 30, Arie Luyendyk, 1990 Domino’s Pizza Lola/Chevrolet

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

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Arie Luyendyk started third and won the 1990 Indianapolis 500.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been more than 30 years since Arie Luyendyk won his first Indianapolis 500 (and first IndyCar race) after starting third. Domino’s chose the number 30 as a tie-in to its “30 minutes or less” delivery guarantee, a slogan that eventually was abandoned in the interests of safety. The Flying Dutchman added another 500 win in 1997 and still holds the one-lap and four-lap qualifying records, which he set in 1996.

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30 Days in May: No. 29, Pancho Carter, 1987 Hardee’s March/Cosworth

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

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Pancho Carter started 29th and finished 27th in the 1987 Indianapolis 500.

Pancho Carter, the 1974 Rookie of the Year, was a steady presence in the 500 lineup through 1991, missing only the 1988 race. His big day came in 1985, when he won the pole with a Buick-powered machine. The “TT” indicates this car was a backup to a backup, the result of Carter taking a "header" in practice in 1987 in his primary car, then withdrawing his backup car to qualify this one.

Carter was the first to win USAC championships in Midgets, Sprint Cars and Championship Dirt Cars (as these series were known in the 1970s and 1980s).

During the 1980s, the Hardee’s restaurants in the Indianapolis area gave out trading cards of IndyCar drivers if you made a certain purchase.

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30 Days in May: No. 28, Ryan Hunter-Reay, 2014 DHL Dallara/Honda

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

Photo credit: Doug Mathews/Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Ryan Hunter-Reay's "pass in the grass" entering Turn 3 was one of the
highlights of the 2014 Indianapolis 500. 

Ryan Hunter-Reay became the first 500’s U.S.-born winner since Sam Hornish Jr. in 2006 when he held off Helio Castroneves to cap a thrilling duel. Hard, clean and precise racing in the closing laps made the 2014 race one of the most memorable.

Photo credit: Doug Mathews/Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo.

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30 Days in May Bonus: No. 93, Johnny Parsons, 1975 Ayr-Way WNAP “Buzzard”

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Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Johnny Parsons started 12th and finished 19th in the 1975 Indianapolis 500.

 

Cars entered in the Indianapolis 500 certainly have had interesting, colorful names. One of my favorites was the Ayr-Way WNAP “Buzzard” from 1975. This name may not make sense today – especially if you’re not from Indianapolis – but it was definitely a product of the times.

Ayr-Way was spun off L.S. Ayres, one of the top fashion stores in Indianapolis. Ayr-Way was a department store similar to Target – in fact, many of the Indianapolis locations became Target stores after Ayr-Way folded in the late 1970s. (Squint hard enough and maybe you can see the old Ayr-Way flower where the Target bull’s eye is now at some stores.)

We often went to the Ayr-Way on Lafayette Road because it had just about everything – even a garden center. WNAP was a hard-rock station teeming with many interesting personalities; the buzzard was the station mascot. It was at 93.1 on the FM dial, so that’s why it was Car 93.

Because I was only 7 years old, I didn’t listen to WNAP. My parents were strictly WIBC (1070 AM), which was fine because WIBC covered qualifications and had updates from the track that I would listen to when I got home from school while allegedly doing my homework.

This was very much an Indianapolis-centric team. In addition to the two local sponsors, driver Johnny Parsons lived in central Indiana for many years. He’s the son of 1950 winner Johnnie Parsons (note the different spellings). Johnny was from California but moved to Indiana to jump-start his racing career.

The chief mechanic (remember those?) was Bill Finley, who basically built race cars out of his garage in Eagledale, a subdivision within earshot of the track. (My first house was in Eagledale: 3031 Fuller Drive. Carl Wilde School 79 represent!)

The team also had a second entry: Car 94, driven by Mike Hiss.

Race day wasn’t the greatest for either driver. Hiss spun out on Lap 39 and finished 29th. Parsons ran as high as fifth before transmission woes sidelined him after 140 laps. He finished 19th.

Ayr-Way heavily promoted its involvement in the 500 with buttons,  glasses, posters, large ads in the Indianapolis papers (there were two of them back then) and even a timing and scoring chart with Parsons’ likeness.

Today, WNAP’s old FM spot is occupied by WIBC.

Majeske Collection

I found this artifact on eBay a few years ago. 

 

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30 Days in May: No. 27, Janet Guthrie, 1977 Bryant Heating and Cooling Lightning/Offy

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

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Janet Guthrie started 26th and finished 29th in her first Indianapolis 500 in 1977.

Janet Guthrie was still a rookie in 1977 after trying valiantly the year before to make the race in a Vollstedt that was, to put it kindly, a bit long in the tooth.

Updated equipment made a big difference for Guthrie the next year, as she made the field comfortably on the last day of qualifying. Mechanical woes doomed her to 29^th place. She made the race the next two years, with a best finish of ninth in 1978. It wasn’t until 1992 that another woman, Lyn St. James, qualified for the 500.

Bryant was a sponsor at Indianapolis dating back to the invention of the furnace and air conditioner (just kidding). More recently, the firm was an associate sponsor on Tony Kanaan’s cars, but I’m not sure if that relationship has continued.

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

Front Rows of the 1970s: 1979

In addition to the usual 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.

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Rick Mears won the first of his record six poles in qualifying for the 1979
Indianapolis 500.

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 PC7/Cosworth before his top gear failed, something that almost never happens.

Unser tried his best to hold on, but faded. Mears, driving the older PC6/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.

 

 

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30 Days in May: No. 26, Marco Andretti, 2006 NYSE Group Dallara/Honda

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

Photo credit: Dan Helrigel/Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Marco Andretti came so close to winning the Indianapolis 500 as a rookie in 2006.

Marco Andretti unfortunately added another chapter to the family legacy of Indianapolis 500 frustration and heartbreak right off the bat. As a 19-year-rookie in 2006, Andretti led coming out of Turn 4 on the last lap before Sam Hornish Jr. flew past to nip him by 0.0635 of a second.

Overall, Andretti has eight top 10 finishes in 17 previous starts entering this year’s race.

 

Photo credit: Dan Helrigel/Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar @MarcoAndretti

 

30 Days in May Bonus: No. 71, Rick Mears, 1978 CAM2 Penske PC6/Cosworth

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

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Rick Mears snagged a front-row starting spot in his first Indianapolis 500 in 1978,
something he did 10 more times over 15 career starts. That includes a record
six poles. 

Despite not qualifying for the 500 as a rookie in 1977, Rick Mears caught the eye of Roger Penske and was offered a ride in races that Mario Andretti could not compete in due to Formula 1 commitments in 1978. Mears eagerly accepted the offer, which included the Indianapolis 500. The Bakersfield, California, native justified Penske’s confidence by grabbing the outside spot on the front row, setting a rookie qualifying record in the process.

Race day wasn’t great, as Mears forgot to buckle his helmet at the start and then had his engine let go just after halfway and finished 23^rd. Still, the outstanding performance in time trials helped Mears earn Co-Rookie of the Year with Larry Rice. Mears’ number, 71, is rarely used at the Speedway, but I think the reason why Penske used that number is because his other entries were 7 (Andretti) and 1 (Tom Sneva), so he just combined the two. (Dick Simon drove No. 17 that year, in case you were wondering.)

 

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30 Days in May: No. 25, Danny Ongais, 1978 Interscope Racing Parnelli/Cosworth

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

Majeske Collection

Danny Ongais started second and finished 18th in the 1978 Indianapolis 500.

Some cars and drivers just sum up an era at Indianapolis and are indelibly linked. While not a legend of the Brickyard like, say, A.J. Foyt or Rick Mears, if you went to the track in the late 1970s to mid-1980s, you remember Danny Ongais and the black Interscope No. 25.

Danny On the Gas was fast, fearless and spectacular (in both good and bad ways). When Tom Carnegie or John Totten piped up on the PA system that Ongais was on the track, you paused from crunching on your Sno-Cone and gave the 2 ½-mile oval your undivided attention.

In 1978, the Flying Hawaiian started second and led 71 laps before the engine blew. Ongais wound up 18^th with 145 laps to his credit.  

 

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Crockey Peterson: The bottler who wanted to race at Indianapolis

Majeske Collection

Press kit photo for Crockey Peterson's entry for 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.)

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.

Looking back 50 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.

Majeske Collection

Crockey Peterson's entry in the 1973 Indianapolis 500 program.

Sources:

1973 Indianapolis 500 program; 1973 Indianapolis 500 trackside report; 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

30 Days in May Bonus: No. 48, Mike Mosley, 1981 Pepsi Challenger Eagle/Chevrolet

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

Majeske Collection

In my opinion, Mike Mosley's Pepsi Challenger from 1981 was one of the coolest
cars in the history of the Indianapolis 500.

Sharp, fast and loud, 1981 was the only appearance of the Pepsi Challenger at Indianapolis. Always an innovator, Dan Gurney was trying to bring stock-block engines to Indy racing as a lower-cost alternative to the Cosworth engines, which were used by (almost) everyone else. In terms of speed, this car proved his point as Mike Mosley put it in the middle of the front row.

The sound of this screaming Eagle is almost impossible to describe. It had a distinctive roar – in some ways, perhaps, it was the Novi of its generation. In other words, if you heard it, you never forgot it. The distinctive shape and color of the Eagle made it look like a dart hurtling down the straightaway.

Consistent with the lousy fortune Mosley endured at Indianapolis, he went out after 16 laps with a radiator issue, placing 33^rd. At Milwaukee a couple of weeks later, Mosley won, going from last to first in an incredible driving display. It was the last of his five wins in Indy cars and the last for Gurney in IndyCar competition as well.

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

30 Days in May: No. 24, Robbie Buhl, 2001 Purex G Force/Infiniti

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

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Robbie Buhl was a solid competitor during the early years of the IRL.

Robbie Buhl was one of the drivers who benefited from the infamous split in open-wheel racing. The former Indy Lights champion (1992) had trouble finding a good ride in CART, but the arrival of the Indy Racing League in 1996 provided an opportunity to finally show his talent.

He had success with both John Menard and Dreyer & Reinbold, winning a race for each. Buhl’s Purex machine was one of the more striking liveries of that era. In 2001, he started ninth and finished 15^th in the 500.

Buhl competed in the 500 from 1996-2003 with a best finish of sixth in 1999 driving for A.J. Foyt. As a side note, the Buhl family is quite prominent in the history of Detroit.

 

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar @Robbie_Buhl

 

30 Days in May Bonus: No. 62, Wally Dallenbach, 1973 Olsonite Eagle/Offy

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

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

On Race Day, Wally Dallenbach's Olsonite Eagle added a bit of orange to help
distinguish it from teammates Bobby Unser and Jerry Grant. 

Then calling East Brunswick, New Jersey, home, Wally Dallenbach was about to enter a major career upswing in 1973, though not with Dan Gurney’s All American Racers. Dallenbach’s oddly numbered No. 62 joined AAR holdovers Bobby Unser and Jerry Grant for the 1973 500. In the race, Dallenbach is best remembered for helping rescue Salt Walther from his burning and battered car after his horrendous first-lap accident.

Once the race finally got under way – two days later – Dallenbach made a nice charge from his 20^th starting position into the top 10 before a broken connecting rod bolt (a common malady that year) sidelined him after 48 laps, resulting in a 24^th-place finish.

Dallenbach joined the STP/Patrick team later in 1973, winning the California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway. Save for a one-year sabbatical with Jerry O’Connell’s Sugaripe Prune team in 1978, Dallenbach remained with Patrick the rest of his career, retiring after the 1979 season. He returned to the cockpit in 1981 to qualify a Patrick car for Mario Andretti, who was unavailable due to Formula 1 commitments.

Dallenbach then enjoyed a second career as a much-respected official in CART.

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30 Days in May: No. 23, Mel Kenyon, 1972 Gilmore Racing Coyote/Ford

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

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Mel Kenyon started 12th and finished 18th in the 1972 Indianapolis 500.

Considered one of the true gentlemen in the sport, Mel Kenyon had several top finishes at Indianapolis and is rated the best USAC Midget driver in history. His longevity is particularly amazing. Some 30 years after his last start in the 500, Kenyon was still racing at age 70! Even more incredible, Kenyon was severely burned in a crash in 1965 and raced with a special glove with a device that fit in the steering wheel – indescribable determination and will.

For 1972, Kenyon drove one of the Gilmore Racing entries, with Wally Dallenbach in the other Gilmore car. While Kenyon qualified safely in 12^th, Dallenbach was bumped.

Dallenbach did, however, get to start the race as he replaced Art Pollard, who broke a leg in practice after qualifying the No. 40 STP Oil Treatment Lola/Foyt. Race Day was rather difficult for Dallenbach as his car caught fire several times during pit stops. He pressed on, finishing 15th, 18 laps down to winner Mark Donohue.

For his determination, Dallenbach won the “Extra Mile” award from the St. Piux X Council of Knights of Columbus. (I haven’t watched the Victory Banquet in many years; does this award still exist?)

Kenyon’s race was far less eventful. He ended up 18^th, going out after 126 laps with fuel injection woes. Later that season, Kenyon almost won at Michigan. He ran out of fuel while leading with just two laps to go.

 

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

30 Days in May Bonus: No. 81, Sheldon Kinser, 1981 Sergio Valente Longhorn/Cosworth

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

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Sheldon Kinser started 23rd and finished sixth in the 1981 Indianapolis 500.

Sheldon Kinser was a throwback to how drivers once earned an opportunity to race in the Indianapolis 500. He came up through the ranks, honing his skills on the short tracks across Indiana and the Midwest. A three-time USAC Sprint Car Series Champion (1977, 1981, 1982), the Bloomington, Indiana, native made his 500 debut in 1975, driving the Spirit of Indiana and finishing 12^th.

He was in the 500 lineup from 1975-79 before failing to qualify in 1980. Kinser, a distant cousin of Steve Kinser, returned in 1981 with Bobby Hillin’s Longhorn Racing team and Sergio Valente backing. Sergio Valente was definitely a “fancy pants” sponsor as the company produced designer jeans.

The field for the 1981 Indianapolis 500 had several colorful cars, but Kinser’s ride still managed to stand out. He finished an excellent sixth in what proved to be his final Indianapolis 500.

 

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

30 Days in May: No. 22, Tony Stewart, 1999 The Home Depot Dallara/Oldsmobile

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

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Tony Stewart started 24th and finished ninth in the 1999 Indianapolis 500.

Tony Stewart was the first homegrown star of the Indy Racing League. His pedigree was perfect: An Indiana native who won USAC national titles in Midgets, Sprints and Silver Crown cars (all in the same season!) and was immediately adept at driving Indy cars, too, winning races and a championship in those as well.

 After running in the IRL from 1996 to 1998, Stewart became a full-time NASCAR driver, appearing in the 500 just two more times (1999 and 2001). Stewart was fast right off the bat in stock cars, too, and finished his NASCAR career with three Cup titles and two wins in the Brickyard 400.

In the 1999 Indianapolis 500, Stewart finished ninth, four laps down to winner Kenny Brack. But Stewart’s workday was just beginning because he flew from Indianapolis to Charlotte, North Carolina, to compete in the 600-mile NASCAR race that night and finished an impressive fourth.

 

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar @TonyStewart

Front Rows of the 1970s: 1978

In addition to the usual 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.

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Tom Sneva won his second straight pole in qualifying for the 1978 Indianapolis
500. He was joined by second-year driver Danny Ongais (middle) and Rick Mears,
making his first start in the 500.

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 other 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 for 121 laps, including all but 1 of the last 90, to finish ahead of Sneva.

 

Majeske Collection

The Speedway made a couple of nice trading card sets in the late 1980s
and early 1990s.

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

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!

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

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 back 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 since been surpassed by Scott Dixon.

 

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

Front Rows of the 1970s: 1977

In addition to the usual 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.

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Tom Sneva became the first driver to officially go over 200 mph in qualifying
for the 1977 Indianapolis 500. He was joined on the front row by
Bobby Unser (middle) and Al Unser. 

1977 front row: Tom Sneva (pole), Bobby Unser, Al Unser

How it started: 4 Indianapolis 500 victories (Bobby Unser 1968, 1975; Al Unser 1970, 1971)

How it ended: 8 Indianapolis 500 victories (Tom Sneva 1983; Bobby Unser 1968, 1975, 1981; Al Unser 1970, 1971, 1978, 1987)

About the 1977 race: With boost limits raised and the eight-cylinder Cosworth now the powerplant of choice among many of the big-name teams, the magic, but still elusive, 200-mph mark appeared ready to be broken. Mario Andretti was the first to unofficially break the barrier in practice, but on Pole Day Tom Sneva was the only one to exceed 200 mph in qualifying. His “New Track Record” for one lap was 200.535 mph in the Norton Spirit McLaren/Cosworth. Sneva dropped down to an average of 198.884 mph for his four laps, which topped Johnny Rutherford’s record from 1973.

Bobby Unser, in the Cobre Tire/Clayton Dyno-Tune Lightning/Offy, started next to Sneva. Brother Al Unser was on the outside in the American Racing Parnelli/Cosworth. This was the only time the Unser brothers were on the front row together at Indianapolis.

A.J. Foyt led a star-studded second row joined by Gordon Johncock and Mario Andretti. Career-wise, the top six starters in the 1977 Indianapolis 500 accounted for 15 500 victories. I haven’t done all the research, but I think that’s the most Indianapolis 500 wins over the first two rows ever.

Johncock took control of the second half of the race and seemingly had victory in his grasp when he suffered a broken crankshaft – a comparatively rare failure – after 184 laps. Foyt took it from there and finally had his cherished fourth Indianapolis 500 victory.

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

The 1977 Indianapolis 500 featured maybe the best second row ever with
A.J. Foyt (inside), Gordon Johncock (middle) and Mario Andretti.

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

 

30 Days in May: No. 20, Gordon Johncock, 1975 Sinmast Wildcat/DGS

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

Majeske Collection

Sinmast was a new sponsor for 1975. Gordon Johncock (starting second) and
teammate Wally Dallenbach (fourth fastest) gave the company good exposure
all month. 

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 for a while 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.

 

#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!

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.

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Spike Gehlhausen had a tough debut, finishing 33rd in the 1976 Indianapolis 500.

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 (real first name Daniel) competed in four more Indianapolis 500s, with a best finish of 10^th in 1979.

 

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

30 Days in May Bonus: No. 86, Al Loquasto, 1976 Frostie Root Beer McLaren/Offy

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

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Al Loquasto started 24th and finished 25th in the 1976 Indianapolis 500.

After several years of trying, Al Loquasto finally qualified for the Indianapolis 500, earning the 24^th starting spot for the 1976 event. He was still running when the race was red-flagged because of rain and considered complete after 102 laps. The year before, I got a sticker of his car from his team as I roamed the fence by the pits, seeking autographs.

Unfortunately, Loquasto suffered a sort of dubious distinction that year. He was the first qualifier for 1975, then began to be pushed down the order as faster cars qualified. Eventually, Loquasto was bumped all the way out, so it was nice that he finally got in the field the next year. He also drove in the 1977 race and finished 28^th. Helping Loquasto’s effort was legendary mechanic Clint Brawner, the wrench on Mario Andretti’s 1969 winner.

I wish I still had this!

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

30 Days in May: No. 18, Mike Mosley, 1983 Kraco March/Cosworth

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

Majeske Collection

Mike Mosley started second and finished 13th in the 1983 Indianapolis 500.

Along with Bobby Unser and Johnny Rutherford, Mike Mosely was one of my favorite drivers as a young boy. Unlike Unser and Rutherford, Mosley never found the right combination to vault him to Indy glory. It wasn’t due to lack of determination (twice he was badly injured at Indianapolis from crashes caused by mechanical failure) or certainly driving talent. Twice Mosley started last in IndyCar races and won, both at Phoenix and Milwaukee, considered “driver’s tracks.”

In 1983, Mosley was consistently among the fastest in practice and appeared to have the pole locked up until an unknown rookie named Teo Fabi stunningly broke the track record. In what was to be his last 500, Mosley wound up a fitting 13^th after a spin and contact in Turn 1.

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

Front Rows of the 1970s: 1976

In addition to the usual 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.

Majeske Collection

Gordon Johncock started second again for the 1976 Indianapolis 500, flanked
by Johnny Rutherford (pole) and Tom Sneva.

1976 front row: Johnny Rutherford (pole), Gordon Johncock, Tom Sneva

How it started: 2 Indianapolis 500 victories (Rutherford 1974, Johncock 1973)

How it ended: 6 Indianapolis 500 victories (Rutherford 1974, 1976, 1980; Johncock 1973, 1982; Sneva 1983)

About the 1976 race: Johnny Rutherford, driving the Hy-Gain McLaren/Offy, notched his second pole in three years, but wasn’t the fastest qualifier. That distinction belonged to Mario Andretti, who joined Tom Sneva on the Penske team after four not-great seasons with Parnelli Jones’ operation. As in 1975, Andretti missed the first weekend of time trials due to Formula 1 commitments.

Johncock again drove a new Sinmast Wildcat/DGS to the second starting spot while Sneva snagged the first of four consecutive front-row starts in the Bicentennial-themed Norton Spirit McLaren/Offy.

What could have again been a duel between Rutherford and A.J. Foyt was literally washed away as rain stopped the race for the second year in a row – this time after only 102 laps. Rutherford walked to Victory Lane to pick up his second Indianapolis 500 win.

 

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30 Days in May: No. 17, Willy T. Ribbs, 1991 Cosby/McDonald’s Lola/Buick

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

Photo credit: 1991 Indianapolis 500 Yearbook published by Carl Hungness

Willy T. Ribbs qualified for his first Indianapolis 500 in 1991.

Willy T. Ribbs had a devil of a time qualifying for his first Indianapolis 500 in 1991 because the ever-temperamental Buick engine would fail after only a handful of laps. In the last hour of qualifying, Ribbs shoved aside the frustration, shelved any jinxes and put it in the show, bumping Ton Sneva in the process. The mechanical gremlins returned on race day, however, and Ribbs lasted only five laps and finished 32^nd.  

Like many others, I highly recommend the documentary “Uppity: The Willy T. Ribbs Story” to learn more about Ribbs’ career.

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar @WillyRibbs

30 Days in May Bonus: No. 44, Dick Simon, 1973 TraveLodge Eagle/Foyt

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

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Dick Simon and his TraveLodge Special was a fixture at Indianapolis in the
early 1970s.

I miss guys like Dick Simon around the Speedway. Energetic and enthusiastic, Simon was an outstanding ski jumper and parachutist before he pursued a career in Indy cars. Had the X Games been around in the 1960s, he probably would’ve been a star.

As for Indianapolis, Simon usually was saddled with marginal equipment that he had to hustle into the show. His 1973 mount was pretty decent though, and Simon ran up front before piston failure sent him to the sidelines for a 14^th-place finish. Toward the end of his career, Simon obtained better cars, leading to better results – he was sixth and ninth in his last two races in 1987 and 1988, respectively. Simon is bald, but he donned a toupee for this ad in the 1973 Indianapolis 500 program.

From the 1973 Indianapolis 500 program

Dick Simon with hair!

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

30 Days in May: No. 16, Danica Patrick, 2005 Argent Pioneer Panoz/Honda

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

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway/Penske Entertainment

Danica Patrick started fourth, finished fourth and led 19 laps in her first

Indianapolis 500 in 2005.

Danica Patrick had an amazing debut in 2005, when she qualified a surprising fourth, demonstrating incredible reflexes and ability to keep from crashing when the car stepped out on her. She then earned one of the loudest roars ever from the crowd when she took the lead in the late stages of the race, which was won by Dan Wheldon. Patrick’s final 500 in 2018 ended with a crash and she wound up 30^th, one of only two finishes outside the top 10 in eight starts.

 

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar @DainicaPatrick @RLLracing

Roger McCluskey tribute shirt: Silver Floss Special

 

Hungry for some sauerkraut?

The year 1975 saw quite a few food-related entries for the Indianapolis 500. Johnny Rutherford drove the green (!), white and orange Gatorade McLaren, Mike Mosley piloted the yellow Sugaripe Prune Special and Jimmy Caruthers wheeled the orange and white Alex Foods Special, to name just a few. Then there was Roger McCluskey’s Silver Foss Special. Silver Floss is…sauerkraut. Yum! The underrated McCluskey, who won USAC titles in sprint cars, stock cars and championship (Indy) cars, came home fifth in the rain-shortened race. That was his second-best finish in 18 races at Indianapolis – he was third in 1973.

If only Lindsey Hopkins had found a corned beef sponsor, too.

Majeske Collection

Roger McCluskey started 22nd and finished fifth in the 1975 Indianapolis 500.