1977 USAC Championship Car season

1977 USAC Championship Car season

USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races	14
Start date	March 6
End date	October 29
Awards
National champion	Tom Sneva
Indianapolis 500 winner	A. J. Foyt
Chronology
Previous season	Next season
1976	1978

The 1977 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 14 races, beginning in Ontario, California on March 6 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on October 29. The USAC National Champion was Tom Sneva and the Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. The schedule included a road course for the first time since 1970.

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	March 6	Datsun Twin 200s	200 mi (320 km)	Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario, California	Johnny Rutherford	A. J. Foyt
2	March 27	Jimmy Bryan 150	150 mi (240 km)	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Johnny Rutherford	Johnny Rutherford
3	April 2	Texas Grand Prix	200 mi (320 km)	Texas World Speedway	College Station, Texas	Johnny Rutherford	Tom Sneva
4	April 30	Trenton 200	201 mi (323 km)	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Johnny Rutherford	Wally Dallenbach
5	May 29	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes	500 mi (800 km)	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Tom Sneva	A. J. Foyt
6	June 12	Rex Mays Classic 150	150 mi (240 km)	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Bobby Unser	Johnny Rutherford
7	June 26	Schaefer 500	500 mi (800 km)	Pocono International Raceway	Long Pond, Pennsylvania	A. J. Foyt	Tom Sneva
8	July 3	Molson Diamond Indy	184.425 mi (296.803 km)	Mosport Park	Bowmanville, Ontario	Al Unser	A. J. Foyt
9	July 17	Norton 200	200 mi (320 km)	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Tom Sneva	Danny Ongais
10	July 31	American Parts 200	200 mi (320 km)	Texas World Speedway	College Station, Texas	Danny Ongais	Johnny Rutherford
11	August 21	Tony Bettenhausen 200	200 mi (320 km)	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Danny Ongais	Johnny Rutherford
12	September 4	California 500	500 mi (800 km)	Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario, California	Johnny Rutherford	Al Unser
13	September 17	Michigan Grand Prix	150 mi (240 km)	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Danny Ongais	Gordon Johncock
14	October 29	Bobby Ball 150	150 mi (240 km)	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Bobby Unser	Gordon Johncock

Oval/Speedway

Road Course/Street Circuit

Final points standings

Pos	Driver	ONT1	PHX1	TXS1	TRE	INDY	MIL1	POC	MOS	MIC1	TXS2	MIL2	ONT2	MIC2	PHX2	Pts
1	Tom Sneva	14	16	1	10	2	2	1	3	4	5	18	3	10	17	3965
2	Al Unser	2	9	2		3	3	25	17	16	21	15	1	4	2	3030
3	Johnny Rutherford	25	1	4	8	33	1	5	9	3	1	1	24	2	22	2840
4	A. J. Foyt	1	2	14		1	Wth	15	1	DNQ	19		2			2840
5	Gordon Johncock	5	12	9	2	11	12	3	18	2	2	10	11	1	1	2830
6	Wally Dallenbach	18	10	3	1	4	15	4	16	8	17	3	20	3	6	2635
7	Mario Andretti		DNQ		16	26		2					4	20	4	1580
8	Pancho Carter	3	20	11	9	15	5	20		10	3	2	14		3	1420
9	Tom Bigelow	4	4	12	15	6	7	29	8	11	10	4	28	15	19	1370
10	Mike Mosley	16	6	5	3	19	4	8		Wth			16	18	DNQ	1030
11	Roger McCluskey	22	3	17	5	8	19	26	11	20	DNQ	20	22	7	5	940
12	Danny Ongais	7	5	13		20	17	23	15	1	13	21	8	17	12	935
13	Bobby Olivero					25	6	32			9	6	5	9	21	920
14	Gary Bettenhausen	10	11		11	16	20	7	2	17		8	17		14	850
15	Johnny Parsons, Jr.	DNQ	DNP			5	DNQ	11		18	4	13	29	14	20	840
16	Larry Dickson	13	DNQ	18		DNQ			13	5	8	12	7	6	18	740
17	Lee Kunzman					7	DNP	6	DNQ		22		15	16	DNQ	700
18	Todd Gibson	11	13	6	6	DNQ	14	DNQ	4	15		DNQ	DNQ			600
19	Rick Mears	24	DNQ	15	DNQ			30		6	7	5	26	8		555
20	Spike Gehlhausen	26	14	8	12	DNQ	9	DNQ	10	9	12	7	13	13	7	550
21	Jim McElreath					23		24		12	6		9	5		530
22	Vern Schuppan	8	8	16	17	DNQ		21	19				6			475
23	Salt Walther	23	18		4	DNQ	18	12	6		DNP		25	DNQ	13	450
24	Dick Simon	6	7			31	13	16		19	14	9	33		11	360
25	Steve Krisiloff	21				9	DNP	22	14	7	DNQ	19	27			320
26	James McElreath		DNQ	7	7	DNQ		31			DNQ	DNQ	23	19		240
27	Bill Vukovich, Jr.	20	19		13	17		9	12	14			31			220
28	Joe Saldana					DNQ	11	10		Wth	18	11	DNQ	22		220
29	Jerry Grant					DNQ		13	5	DNQ	DNQ	16				200
30	Ed Crombie					DNQ	10		7		DNQ	14	DNS			165
31	Jerry Sneva					10	DNP	18	DNQ	DNQ		22	DNQ	DNQ		150
32	John Martin					DNQ							10			150
33	Larry Cannon			DNP		DNQ							12	12	9	125
34	Bill Simpson	9	22			DNQ										80
35	Bobby Unser	15	17	DNP	Wth	18	16	19		21	15	17	30		8	75
36	Clark Templeman						8									75
37	Al Loquasto	19	21	DNP	Wth	28		28			11		19	11	16	70
38	Gary Irvin			10	14	DNQ										60
39	Bill Puterbaugh					12										50
40	George Snider					24		33		DNQ	20		32	21	10	45
41	Cliff Hucul	12	15	19		22							DNP		DNQ	20
-	Phil Threshie									13	16		DNQ			0
-	Eldon Rasmussen					13							21			0
-	John Mahler					14		14		DNQ						0
-	Tom Gloy														15	0
-	Janet Guthrie	DNQ				29		17					18			0
-	Lloyd Ruby	17				27							DNP			0
-	Bubby Jones					21								DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Bob Harkey					DNQ				22			DNQ			0
-	Chuck Gurney							27					DNQ			0
-	Clay Regazzoni					30										0
-	Sheldon Kinser					32										0
-	Alan Jones	DNS				DNQ										0
-	Larry McCoy					DNQ		Wth								0
-	Tommy Hunt												DNS			0
-	Ed Finley					DNQ									DNQ	0
-	Jerry Karl					DNQ									DNQ	0
-	Bertil Roos													DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Duke Cook					DNQ										0
-	Woody Fisher					DNQ										0
-	Tom Frantz					DNQ										0
-	Jim Hurtubise					DNQ										0
-	Mel Kenyon					DNQ										0
-	Graham McRae					DNQ										0
-	Teddy Pilette					DNQ										0
-	Elliott Forbes-Robinson					DNP										0
Pos	Driver	ONT1	PHX1	TXS1	TRE	INDY	MIL1	POC	MOS	MIC1	TXS2	MIL2	ONT2	MIC2	PHX2	Pts

Color	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	4th & 5th place
Light Blue	6th-10th place
Dark Blue	Finished (Outside Top 10)
Purple	Did not finish (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Brown	Withdrawn (Wth)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
Blank	Did not participate (DNP)
Blank	Not competing

In-line notation
Bold	Pole position
Italics	Ran fastest race lap
*	Led most race laps
Rookie of the Year
Rookie

Note: Janet Guthrie and Clay Regazzoni not eligible for points.

References

Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1977". Driver Database. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
Harms, Phil; Ferner, Michael; Measures, Gerry; Brown, Allen. "Indy 500 and USAC racing (1971-1978)". OldRacingCars.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-06. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
"1977 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on 2009-05-13. Retrieved 2009-05-11.
Harms, Phil. "1977 Championship Driver Summary" (PDF). Motorsport.com. Archived from the original on 2011-05-03. Retrieved 2011-05-03.
http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 217-218)

American Championship car racing (IndyCar) seasons

AAA	1905 1906–1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955

NASCAR	1952 1953

USAC	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95

CART / CCWS	1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 ~~2008~~

INDYCAR	1996 1996–97 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Years marked in italics are not official championship years.

USAC Championship Cars (1971–1995)

Seasons	1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84

Indianapolis 500s	1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

National Champions	Emerson Fittipaldi (twice) A. J. Foyt (twice) Gordon Johncock Joe Leonard (twice) Arie Luyendyk Roger McCluskey Rick Mears (three times) Bobby Rahal Johnny Rutherford Tom Sneva (three times) George Snider Danny Sullivan Al Unser Al Unser, Jr. (twice) Bobby Unser Jacques Villeneuve

Tracks	Atlanta Brands Hatch DuQuoin State Fair Illinois State Fair Indianapolis Indiana State Fair Michigan Mid-Ohio Milwaukee Mosport Nazareth Ontario Phoenix Pocono Rafaela Silverstone Texas World Trenton

The Indianapolis 500 was the only race in the USAC National Championship from 1984-85 onwards

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1977 USAC Championship Car season

Schedule and results

Final points standings

References

See also