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IndyCar
INDYCAR: CART Memories - CART’s First Race, Phoenix 1979
Robin Miller kicks off SPEEDtv.com's new series, CART/USAC Memories, by telling the tale of CART's first race thirty years ago in Phoenix.
The best memory Gordon Johncock has from that historic day was that "we beat Penske with his own car."
But, 30 years ago this month at Phoenix International Raceway, Johncock's victory almost ran second to the event itself. You see, that was the beginning of Championship Auto Racing Teams and the beginning of the end for the United States Auto Club as the main sanctioning body for Indy cars.
It also started 30 years of civil war among North America's open wheel racing fraternity.
Born out of frustration over rules, purses and lack of growth, CART came to life after Dan Gurney laid out all of USAC's shortcomings and his fellow owners' concerns in a six-page manifesto that came to be known as the "White Paper."
Gurney's observations and suggestions were spot on (and still ring true today in most cases) and following a half-assed attempt by the USAC board to avoid war, CART launched its offensive.
With Roger Penske and Pat Patrick taking the reins, CART secured deals to run longtime USAC bastions like Trenton, Michigan, Ontario and Phoenix while adding Watkins Glen and Atlanta.
And, much like it did in 1996 when it went against the Indy Racing League, CART boasted most of the big names for its '79 debut.
"We didn't have A.J. (Foyt) but we had just about everybody else and I don't think any of us were nervous about breaking away from USAC," recalled Johncock, who drove for Patrick. "We were glad to get away from USAC because we never made any money with those guys."
Johnnny Rutherford, Mike Mosley, Danny Ongais, Tom Sneva, Pancho Carter, Wally Dallenbach, Rick Mears, Johncock and the Unser brothers gave the 21-car entry list its clout.
Driving Penske's new PC-7 chassis, Bobby Unser nipped Sneva's year-old McLaren for the pole position with Rutherford lining up third in his McLaren and Ongais fourth in that black magic Parnelli.
Unser led 84 of the first 86 laps around the racy 1-mile oval in Penske's first attempt at ground effects but lost his grip (the top spot) when his tires began fading (he didn't change rubber on his first pit stop) and Ongais stormed to the point on Lap 87.
The Flyin' Hawaiian, who led every race during 1978 in the Parnelli Jones/Vel Miletich entry, drove away from everybody and was cruising towards the win when his engine broke 31 laps from the end.
That left Johncock in front, although he wasn't sure.
"My radio quit working early in the race and I had no idea who was leading," he admitted. "My weight jacker wouldn't work either."
But the hard-driving veteran took the 20th checkered flag of his Indy-car career about four car lengths ahead of Mears, with Rutherford third, Al Unser fourth and Bobby U. fifth (a lap down).
"I didn't know I'd won until I saw Al pull into the pits after the cool off lap," said Johncock, referring to the fact Unser had passed him to unlap himself near the finish. "It was sweet to beat Penske with one of his old cars and I always loved Phoenix anyway."
The top nine finishers were powered by Cosworth as Larry Rice got first in class with a 10th place in his Offenhauser during a 75-minute race that had no accidents.
But the best stat for CART was that a full house (reported to be 18,000) and a national television audience (NBC) had witnessed the changing of the guard in IndyCar racing.
Check back next month for Robin's second installment of his CART/USAC Memories.
But, 30 years ago this month at Phoenix International Raceway, Johncock's victory almost ran second to the event itself. You see, that was the beginning of Championship Auto Racing Teams and the beginning of the end for the United States Auto Club as the main sanctioning body for Indy cars.
It also started 30 years of civil war among North America's open wheel racing fraternity.
Born out of frustration over rules, purses and lack of growth, CART came to life after Dan Gurney laid out all of USAC's shortcomings and his fellow owners' concerns in a six-page manifesto that came to be known as the "White Paper."
Gurney's observations and suggestions were spot on (and still ring true today in most cases) and following a half-assed attempt by the USAC board to avoid war, CART launched its offensive.
With Roger Penske and Pat Patrick taking the reins, CART secured deals to run longtime USAC bastions like Trenton, Michigan, Ontario and Phoenix while adding Watkins Glen and Atlanta.
And, much like it did in 1996 when it went against the Indy Racing League, CART boasted most of the big names for its '79 debut.
"We didn't have A.J. (Foyt) but we had just about everybody else and I don't think any of us were nervous about breaking away from USAC," recalled Johncock, who drove for Patrick. "We were glad to get away from USAC because we never made any money with those guys."
Johnnny Rutherford, Mike Mosley, Danny Ongais, Tom Sneva, Pancho Carter, Wally Dallenbach, Rick Mears, Johncock and the Unser brothers gave the 21-car entry list its clout.
Driving Penske's new PC-7 chassis, Bobby Unser nipped Sneva's year-old McLaren for the pole position with Rutherford lining up third in his McLaren and Ongais fourth in that black magic Parnelli.
Unser led 84 of the first 86 laps around the racy 1-mile oval in Penske's first attempt at ground effects but lost his grip (the top spot) when his tires began fading (he didn't change rubber on his first pit stop) and Ongais stormed to the point on Lap 87.
The Flyin' Hawaiian, who led every race during 1978 in the Parnelli Jones/Vel Miletich entry, drove away from everybody and was cruising towards the win when his engine broke 31 laps from the end.
That left Johncock in front, although he wasn't sure.
"My radio quit working early in the race and I had no idea who was leading," he admitted. "My weight jacker wouldn't work either."
But the hard-driving veteran took the 20th checkered flag of his Indy-car career about four car lengths ahead of Mears, with Rutherford third, Al Unser fourth and Bobby U. fifth (a lap down).
"I didn't know I'd won until I saw Al pull into the pits after the cool off lap," said Johncock, referring to the fact Unser had passed him to unlap himself near the finish. "It was sweet to beat Penske with one of his old cars and I always loved Phoenix anyway."
The top nine finishers were powered by Cosworth as Larry Rice got first in class with a 10th place in his Offenhauser during a 75-minute race that had no accidents.
But the best stat for CART was that a full house (reported to be 18,000) and a national television audience (NBC) had witnessed the changing of the guard in IndyCar racing.
Check back next month for Robin's second installment of his CART/USAC Memories.
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