30 Days in May: No. 4, Johnny Rutherford, 1980 Pennzoil Chaparral/Cosworth

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

 

Johnny Rutherford actually qualified his backup car (see the "T" after the number 4)
on the pole for the 1980 Indianapolis 500. He led 118 laps in a dominating win.

30 Days in May: No. 4, Johnny Rutherford, 1980 Pennzoil Chaparral/Cosworth. Each year, someone is tabbed as the favorite for that year’s Indianapolis 500. In 1980, Johnny Rutherford was the overwhelming choice to win. 

A two-time 500 winner for McLaren, Rutherford found himself out of a job at the end of the 1979 season when the team discontinued its IndyCar operation to concentrate on Formula 1. Meanwhile, Jim Hall’s outfit was looking for a driver after Al Unser departed. 

Unser looked to have the 1979 Indianapolis 500 in the bag before a faulty transmission seal sidelined him after 104 laps. With the bugs presumably worked out of the futuristic Chaparral, which introduced the ground-effects concept to IndyCar racing, Rutherford and Hall looked to be unbeatable at Indianapolis. 

And they were. Rutherford was fastest in practice nearly every day, won the pole and led the most laps on his way to an easy victory to cap a dominating Month of May.

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

30 Days in May: No. 3, Bobby Unser, 1981 Norton Spirit Penske/Cosworth

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

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Bobby Unser started on the pole for the 1981 Indianapolis 500.

30 Days in May: No. 3, Bobby Unser, 1981 Norton Spirit Penske/Cosworth. In 1981, Bobby Unser started from the pole and was victorious in what would be his final Indianapolis 500, becoming the first driver to win in three different decades. Another bit of trivia: Bobby Unser finished last in his first Indianapolis 500 and finished first in his last Indianapolis 500. #Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar @TeamPenske

30 Days in May: No. 2, Billy Vukovich, 1973 Sugaripe Prune Eagle-Offy

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

Billy Vukovich finished an impressive second in the 1973 Indianapolis 500. 

30 Days in May: No. 2, Billy Vukovich, 1973 Sugaripe Prune Eagle-Offy. In 1973, Billy Vukovich was second behind Gordon Johncock, the highest finish for the son of a former winner to that point. Sugaripe Prune entries were mainstays at the Speedway throughout the 1970s, with Mike Mosley, Wally Dallenbach and Tom Sneva all driving for the team after Vukovich departed following the 1974 season. 

Photo credit: Majeske collection

Billy Vukovich passes the then-new suites in Turn 2.

 #Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

30 Days In May: No. 1 Joe Leonard, 1973 Samsonite Parnelli/Offy

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

 

Joe Leonard was a two-time USAC national champion as well as a
three-time national motorcycle champion.

30 Days In May: No. 1 Joe Leonard, 1973 Samsonite Parnelli/Offy. For 1973, Joe Leonard had a brand-new Parnelli chassis designed by Maurice Philippe as well as the same sponsor (Samsonite) and number (1, for winning the 1972 national championship) he had the previous year. For whatever reason, unlike in 1972, Leonard had a tough time getting up to a comfortable speed in qualifying. He waved off twice, then accepted a somewhat precarious 189.954 mph average on his third strike on the second day of time trials.

A.J. Foyt found himself in a similar predicament as his four-lap average of 188.927 was the 29^th fastest of the 30 cars qualified after the first weekend. (Leonard was 28^th.)

Fortunately, each had a backup car and started working up to speed during the next week of practice, Foyt in the No. 84 Gilmore Racing Coyote (which was handed over to George Snider at literally the last minute) and Leonard in the No. 41 Samsonite Parnelli.

Photo credit: Majeske collection

Joe Leonard drives down the pits during qualifications in 1973. You
can tell it's a qualifying day because Pat Vidan has his flags ready.
This was the last year that  Vidan flagged trackside. He was
up on a platform for 1974.

As it turned out, enough cars qualified a bit slower to give Leonard and Foyt a little breathing room.

On Race Day, Leonard was able to dodge the melee created by Salt Walther’s horrendous crash on the first lap. When the race finally resumed two days later after persistent rain, Leonard overcame a spin but was sidelined by a bad hub after 91 laps and finished 18^th.

Sadly, the 1973 500 was Leonard’s last race at Indianapolis. He suffered devastating foot and ankle injuries during the 1974 California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway and never raced again. His injury also signaled the end of the Vel’s Parnelli Jones “Super Team” with Al Unser and Mario Andretti. Expected to dominate USAC racing starting in 1972, Leonard’s national championship that year was one of the few major highlights.

Jan Opperman replaced Leonard at Indianapolis and Pocono in 1974, but essentially the operation became a two-driver team that started to dwindle even further. Unser and Andretti were together for 1975’s three 500-mile races, but then it was down to just Unser for 1976 with sponsorship from American Racing Wheels. For 1976, Andretti joined Roger Penske’s team, running some USAC races while he pursued a World Championship in Formula One.

#Indy500 @IMS @IMSMuseum @IndyCar

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

If you joined us for 30 Days in May earlier this year, you’ll see some familiar faces from that countdown. We’ve also added some new entries for 23 Days in August. So let’s celebrate some notable drivers and cars from the glorious past of the Indianapolis 500!

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo

Mel Kenyon's 1972 Gilmore Racing Special is another example of hard-working
mechanics adding wings to an older car to try to keep up with the state-of-the-art
Eagles and McLarens.

23 Days in August: No. 23, Mel Kenyon, 1972 Gilmore Racing Coyote/Ford. Considered one of the true gentlemen in the sport, Mel Kenyon had several top finishes at Indianapolis and is considered 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 – incredible 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 been able to watch the Victory Banquet for 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.

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

If you joined us for 30 Days in May earlier this year, you’ll see some familiar faces from that countdown. We’ve also added some new entries for 23 Days in August. So let’s celebrate some notable drivers and cars from the glorious past of the Indianapolis 500!

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo

Tony Stewart was a busy man in May 1999, splitting his time between Indianapolis
Motor Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway. After qualifying for the
Indianapolis 500, he had to quickly fly to North Carolina for his NASCAR
commitments. He presumably had to return later for his official qualifying photo,
which was taken at the end of pit lane.

23 Days in August: No. 22, Tony Stewart, 1999 The Home Depot Dallara/Oldsmobile. 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!) who proved 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.

 

23 Days in August: No. 21, Al Unser, 1977 American Racing Parnelli/Cosworth

If you joined us for 30 Days in May earlier this year, you’ll see some familiar faces from that countdown. We’ve also added some new entries for 23 Days in August. So let’s celebrate some notable drivers and cars from the glorious past of the Indianapolis 500!

 

Photo credit: Indianapolis Motor Speedway photo

In 1977 Al Unser started third, earning his first front-row starting spot since winning
the pole in 1970.

23 Days in August: No. 21, Al Unser, 1977 American Racing Parnelli/Cosworth. 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 wore on, the team wasn’t as dominant as it was at the outset but began a bit of a renaissance as its work and development on the then-new Cosworth engine started to pay off.

Unser and teammate Mario Andretti practiced in a new Parnelli chassis built for the Cosworth in 1975 before opting for the proven Eagle/Offy combination. In 1976, Unser, put the first Cosworth in the 500 field, 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, Unser had an additional SEVEN top-three finishes in 27 Indianapolis 500 starts!

Unser is the all-time lap leader in the 500 at 644, a record that is likely to stand for at least another year. The closest active driver, Scott Dixon, would need to lead almost every lap on Sunday to overtake him. (Dixon is ninth with 452 laps led.)