-
Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
Latest Headlines: NASCAR
-
-
Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Games
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
IndyCar
INDYCAR: Double-Header History Lesson
From '67 to '81, Indy cars staged 17 doubleheaders in North America (and one in Argentina) on ovals and road courses and they were a hit with the fans as well as the drivers.
Vuky found success in the double-header format, as Robin Miller shares. (IMS Photo)
They produced the only wins for Billy Vukovich and Peter Revson.
Oval-track bully Gordon Johncock earned his lone road course victory and Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti and Al Unser feasted on this format. Bobby Unser captured the inaugural set and Rick Mears swept the last pair 30 years ago.
From 1967 to 1981, Indy cars staged 17 doubleheaders all over North America (and one in Argentina) on ovals and road courses and they were a hit with the fans as well as the drivers.
“It was balls to the board racing, you never worried about saving fuel, just ran 10/10ths,” said Andretti, who earned five of his 52 career victories in those split shows.
“It was great for the fans, they got two shows for the price of one,” declared Unser, who scored the first of his five wins in 1967 by sweeping both races at Mosport, Canada.
“It was a great concept and I think we all liked it,” recalled Gurney, a winner at Mosport, St. Jovite (Canada), Indianapolis Raceway Park and Brainerd, Minn. during the late ‘60s.
“I got into this sport because I loved to race and it was the best because we got to do two races in one day,” exclaimed Mears, who swept on the fast, high banks of Atlanta in 1981.
Nobody can remember whose idea it was but, like so many things USAC had back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, it was a winner that got lost in the shuffle.
But this Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway the twin bill returns to the IZOD INDYCAR series with a pair of 114-lappers under the lights at one of the fastest, craziest ovals in the world.
Outside of the Indianapolis 500, Texas has played host to the largest crowds during the past 15 years and promoter Eddie Gossage jumped on the chance to bring back what amounts to sprint races. Fans can buy two seats for $49, there’s a one hour intermission and the second race will be set by drivers drawing for position.
Texas has never needed a gimmick to make it must see racing but with 30 cars entered, it figures to be Wild West times two.
“I’ve never done a twin race before but Texas should be the perfect place because it’s always fast and intense,” said Briscoe, who won Texas a year ago. “If you have some kind of issue in the first one you can come back in the second.
“Like a football game, the fans will have a first half and second half get some food in between, so it should be good. Talked to Rick Mears about it, he loved them and I’m looking forward to it.”
Many times the DNFs out-numbered the finishers in the ‘60s and ‘70s and even though not many teams sported backup cars in those days, the twin bill format helped more often than not.
“I was leading at Michigan and blew up but my crew changed engines, I started last in the second race and won it,” said Unser of his last-to-first charge in the CART doubleheader at Michigan International Speedway in 1979.
“The other thing it did was give a guy a chance to make some adjustments in case he was out to lunch on his chassis in that first race.”
Adds Andretti: “If things didn’t work out in the first heat, it gave you a chance to redeem yourself and I always enjoyed that.”
Gurney recalls three memorable wins – all on road courses.
“I remember Gordy (Johncock) giving us all a driving lesson at Brainerd (in 1969) in the first heat before I won the second and Revson won the second half of the IRP doubleheader that same summer after my fuel cell came apart because of all the nitro we had in it,” laughed the All-American Racer, who captured that first IRP heat.
“But I suppose my best memory was sweeping Mosport (in 1968) with the world champion (eventual world champion Andretti) right behind me.”
Vuky’s lone Indy win came in 1973 at MIS but nothing about it was routine. They gave the checkered flag to Gary Bettenhausen, Johnny Rutherford pulled into victory lane and Vukovich was scored sixth.
Naturally, he was a tad upset since he knew he’d won and threw one of the great tantrums in modern motorsports history. It took 10 days for USAC to find its scoring error and declare the Indy legend’s son the winner.
Al Unser’s seven wins were the most and that included a sweep at Langhorne, Pa. after it went from dirt to pavement.
Famed builder A.J. Watson can’t recall who came up with the doubleheader concept but he does know one thing. “Nobody bitched,” he said. “Not the drivers, mechanics, promoters or sponsors. It was good for everybody.”
Hope that’s the case Saturday.
Oval-track bully Gordon Johncock earned his lone road course victory and Dan Gurney, Mario Andretti and Al Unser feasted on this format. Bobby Unser captured the inaugural set and Rick Mears swept the last pair 30 years ago.
From 1967 to 1981, Indy cars staged 17 doubleheaders all over North America (and one in Argentina) on ovals and road courses and they were a hit with the fans as well as the drivers.
“It was balls to the board racing, you never worried about saving fuel, just ran 10/10ths,” said Andretti, who earned five of his 52 career victories in those split shows.
“It was great for the fans, they got two shows for the price of one,” declared Unser, who scored the first of his five wins in 1967 by sweeping both races at Mosport, Canada.
“It was a great concept and I think we all liked it,” recalled Gurney, a winner at Mosport, St. Jovite (Canada), Indianapolis Raceway Park and Brainerd, Minn. during the late ‘60s.
“I got into this sport because I loved to race and it was the best because we got to do two races in one day,” exclaimed Mears, who swept on the fast, high banks of Atlanta in 1981.
Nobody can remember whose idea it was but, like so many things USAC had back in the ‘60s and ‘70s, it was a winner that got lost in the shuffle.
But this Saturday night at Texas Motor Speedway the twin bill returns to the IZOD INDYCAR series with a pair of 114-lappers under the lights at one of the fastest, craziest ovals in the world.
Outside of the Indianapolis 500, Texas has played host to the largest crowds during the past 15 years and promoter Eddie Gossage jumped on the chance to bring back what amounts to sprint races. Fans can buy two seats for $49, there’s a one hour intermission and the second race will be set by drivers drawing for position.
Texas has never needed a gimmick to make it must see racing but with 30 cars entered, it figures to be Wild West times two.
“I’ve never done a twin race before but Texas should be the perfect place because it’s always fast and intense,” said Briscoe, who won Texas a year ago. “If you have some kind of issue in the first one you can come back in the second.
“Like a football game, the fans will have a first half and second half get some food in between, so it should be good. Talked to Rick Mears about it, he loved them and I’m looking forward to it.”
Many times the DNFs out-numbered the finishers in the ‘60s and ‘70s and even though not many teams sported backup cars in those days, the twin bill format helped more often than not.
“I was leading at Michigan and blew up but my crew changed engines, I started last in the second race and won it,” said Unser of his last-to-first charge in the CART doubleheader at Michigan International Speedway in 1979.
“The other thing it did was give a guy a chance to make some adjustments in case he was out to lunch on his chassis in that first race.”
Adds Andretti: “If things didn’t work out in the first heat, it gave you a chance to redeem yourself and I always enjoyed that.”
Gurney recalls three memorable wins – all on road courses.
“I remember Gordy (Johncock) giving us all a driving lesson at Brainerd (in 1969) in the first heat before I won the second and Revson won the second half of the IRP doubleheader that same summer after my fuel cell came apart because of all the nitro we had in it,” laughed the All-American Racer, who captured that first IRP heat.
“But I suppose my best memory was sweeping Mosport (in 1968) with the world champion (eventual world champion Andretti) right behind me.”
Vuky’s lone Indy win came in 1973 at MIS but nothing about it was routine. They gave the checkered flag to Gary Bettenhausen, Johnny Rutherford pulled into victory lane and Vukovich was scored sixth.
Naturally, he was a tad upset since he knew he’d won and threw one of the great tantrums in modern motorsports history. It took 10 days for USAC to find its scoring error and declare the Indy legend’s son the winner.
Al Unser’s seven wins were the most and that included a sweep at Langhorne, Pa. after it went from dirt to pavement.
Famed builder A.J. Watson can’t recall who came up with the doubleheader concept but he does know one thing. “Nobody bitched,” he said. “Not the drivers, mechanics, promoters or sponsors. It was good for everybody.”
Hope that’s the case Saturday.
2013 INDY 500 Practice
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTO-RACING
-
VIDEO: Amazing 4-Wide Finish To Indy Lights Freedom 100
Ireland's Peter Dempsey came from fourth at Turn 3 on the last lap… -
INDYCAR: Pagenaud Leads Indy 500 Carb Day Practice
After getting whooped in qualifying, Honda turns up the wick for… -
INDYCAR: Miller's Mailbag, 5.24
It's time for SPEED.com's weekly IndyCar Q&A with Robin Miller's… -
USAC: Honda To Sponsor National Midget Championship
Honda announced it would be the title sponsor for USAC’s National… -
GRAND-AM: Valiante Joins 8Star For Mid-Ohio
Daytona Prototype ace to sub for Stephane Sarrazin in next month's… -
MILLER: My Annual Indy 500 Quiz
It’s time for Robin Miller's annual Indy 500 quiz. -
INDYCAR: Miller's Mailbag, 5.23
It's time for SPEED.com's weekly IndyCar Q&A with Robin Miller's… - More News
