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IndyCar
INDYCAR: CART/USAC Memories - Indy 1979
Robin Miller shares his latest CART/USAC Memory, telling the tale of the controversy-filled 1979 Indy 500.
Big power from creative interpretation of the rule book meant some teams made the show with ease (if their big-boost engines lasted.) For those that walked a straight line, qualifying was a challenge. (IndyCar.com)
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is celebrating its 100th year of operation in 2009 but there’s another anniversary this month that nobody really wants to remember.
Thirty years ago, the United States Auto Club (then the sanctioning body of the Indianapolis 500) did the unthinkable by rejecting the Indy entries of Roger Penske, Dan Gurney, Pat Patrick, Jim Hall, Bob Fletcher and Tyler Alexander.
That put former winners Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Johnny Rutherford and Gordon Johncock on the sidelines along with Mike Mosley, Wally Dallenbach, Steve Krisiloff and Rick Mears and they had to go to Federal Court before they walked into Gasoline Alley.
Needless to say, it was a shocking counter-punch by USAC in its fight with the newly-formed Championship Auto Racing Teams. USAC had A.J. Foyt, Gary Bettenhausen, Bill Vukovich and Johnny Parsons but only race dates at Ontario, Calif., Milwaukee, Texas and Pocono.
CART, being sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America, had snagged longtime USAC bastions at Trenton, Phoenix and Michigan in addition to adding Atlanta, Watkins Glen and its own show at Ontario.
Each group had one race under its belt when CART showed up at Atlanta on April 21, 1979 and six telegrams from USAC were presented to six of CART’s seven board of directors informing them they were not welcome at 16th & Georgetown.
USAC said it was revoking their entries for undermining the well being of USAC and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and they were singled out for not being in good standing with the series that had run Indy-car-racing since 1956.
“USAC appears to be using the Indianapolis 500 as a pawn in its efforts to destroy CART as a viable racing organization,” said Gurney at the time. “They’ve attempted to eliminate six of the top racing teams in the world. What do they mean ‘not in good standing?’ We’re not even members.”
Rutherford called it “stupid and senseless” while Al Unser said he hoped IMS would intervene and “stop this madness.”
USAC president Dick King said his 16-member board had voted unanimously to reject the entries. “We feel like we are on firm legal ground or we would not have taken the action we have.”
The “Rejected Six” countered by filing an injunction in federal court to enjoin USAC from banning their drivers and CART scored an early victory when Noland refused USAC’s motion to remove the eight drivers as plaintiffs.
So, instead of suiting up in Nomex when practice began on May 5, some of the drivers were wearing suits and ties and sitting in Federal Court in Indianapolis where Judge James Noland would decide their fate in what turned out to be three days of testimony among CART owners and USAC/IMS officials.
“I really wasn’t worried about it because it was Roger Penske and Pat Patrick so I guess we all figured they would take care of things,” said Johncock, who wouldn’t win his second Indy 500 for Patrick until 1982.
Bobby Unser was testing Penske’s first ground-effects car at Ontario during the trial and agreed with Johncock.
“Truthfully, I wasn’t the least bit concerned, because there was no way the Speedway was going to keep most of its stars out of that race,” recalled the three-time Indy winner.
“If my brother, Johnny, Gordy and myself would not have been allowed to drive, Indy would have lost all its credibility and the fans would not have stood for it.”
Thankfully, for all involved, that’s how Judge Noland saw it as it only took 42 minutes for him to rule. “Because of the irreparable harm that could be suffered by these drivers – the keystones for these teams – there is no way the driver plaintiffs can sit out the Indianapolis 500.”
Penske, who would go on to claim victory No. 2 of 14 that month with Mears, says he doesn’t remember too much except that: “I thought we were looking OK because we didn’t think they could keep the drivers from making a living.”
One would have thought that was more than enough drama for one month but, naturally, it wasn’t. Those were the days when manifold pressure (boost) of the turbocharged engines was regulated by a popoff valve. Early on, it was obvious from the speeds just about everyone had figured out how to alter the exhaust pipe from the wastegate and get more horsepower.
Thirty years ago, the United States Auto Club (then the sanctioning body of the Indianapolis 500) did the unthinkable by rejecting the Indy entries of Roger Penske, Dan Gurney, Pat Patrick, Jim Hall, Bob Fletcher and Tyler Alexander.
That put former winners Bobby Unser, Al Unser, Johnny Rutherford and Gordon Johncock on the sidelines along with Mike Mosley, Wally Dallenbach, Steve Krisiloff and Rick Mears and they had to go to Federal Court before they walked into Gasoline Alley.
Needless to say, it was a shocking counter-punch by USAC in its fight with the newly-formed Championship Auto Racing Teams. USAC had A.J. Foyt, Gary Bettenhausen, Bill Vukovich and Johnny Parsons but only race dates at Ontario, Calif., Milwaukee, Texas and Pocono.
CART, being sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America, had snagged longtime USAC bastions at Trenton, Phoenix and Michigan in addition to adding Atlanta, Watkins Glen and its own show at Ontario.
Each group had one race under its belt when CART showed up at Atlanta on April 21, 1979 and six telegrams from USAC were presented to six of CART’s seven board of directors informing them they were not welcome at 16th & Georgetown.
USAC said it was revoking their entries for undermining the well being of USAC and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and they were singled out for not being in good standing with the series that had run Indy-car-racing since 1956.
“USAC appears to be using the Indianapolis 500 as a pawn in its efforts to destroy CART as a viable racing organization,” said Gurney at the time. “They’ve attempted to eliminate six of the top racing teams in the world. What do they mean ‘not in good standing?’ We’re not even members.”
Rutherford called it “stupid and senseless” while Al Unser said he hoped IMS would intervene and “stop this madness.”
USAC president Dick King said his 16-member board had voted unanimously to reject the entries. “We feel like we are on firm legal ground or we would not have taken the action we have.”
The “Rejected Six” countered by filing an injunction in federal court to enjoin USAC from banning their drivers and CART scored an early victory when Noland refused USAC’s motion to remove the eight drivers as plaintiffs.
So, instead of suiting up in Nomex when practice began on May 5, some of the drivers were wearing suits and ties and sitting in Federal Court in Indianapolis where Judge James Noland would decide their fate in what turned out to be three days of testimony among CART owners and USAC/IMS officials.
“I really wasn’t worried about it because it was Roger Penske and Pat Patrick so I guess we all figured they would take care of things,” said Johncock, who wouldn’t win his second Indy 500 for Patrick until 1982.
Bobby Unser was testing Penske’s first ground-effects car at Ontario during the trial and agreed with Johncock.
“Truthfully, I wasn’t the least bit concerned, because there was no way the Speedway was going to keep most of its stars out of that race,” recalled the three-time Indy winner.
“If my brother, Johnny, Gordy and myself would not have been allowed to drive, Indy would have lost all its credibility and the fans would not have stood for it.”
Thankfully, for all involved, that’s how Judge Noland saw it as it only took 42 minutes for him to rule. “Because of the irreparable harm that could be suffered by these drivers – the keystones for these teams – there is no way the driver plaintiffs can sit out the Indianapolis 500.”
Penske, who would go on to claim victory No. 2 of 14 that month with Mears, says he doesn’t remember too much except that: “I thought we were looking OK because we didn’t think they could keep the drivers from making a living.”
One would have thought that was more than enough drama for one month but, naturally, it wasn’t. Those were the days when manifold pressure (boost) of the turbocharged engines was regulated by a popoff valve. Early on, it was obvious from the speeds just about everyone had figured out how to alter the exhaust pipe from the wastegate and get more horsepower.
INDYCAR BRAZIL
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