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1974 USAC Championship Car season

Open-wheel car racing season

Open-wheel car racing season

The 1974 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 14 races, beginning in Ontario, California on March 3 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on November 2. The USAC National Champion was Bobby Unser and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Johnny Rutherford. Due to the events of the 1973 Indianapolis 500 significant improvements were made to the cars for safety concerns. Wings were reduced in size, and pop-off valves were added to the turbocharger plenums in order to reduce horsepower and curtail speeds.

Entrants

(partial list)

TeamChassisEngineDriversRounds
United States A.J. Foyt EnterprisesCoyoteFoytUS A.J. Foyt1, 3-14
United States All American RacersEagleOffenhauserUS Bobby Unser1, 3-14
United States Richard BeithEagleOffenhauserUS Steve Krisiloff2-3
United States Bob FletcherEagleOffenhauserUS Jimmy Caruthers2-14
EagleOffenhauserUS Jerry Grant2-3, 5-8
EagleOffenhauserUS Pancho Carter6, 8-14
United States GerhardtEagleOffenhauserUS Jim McElreath1, 3-8, 14
United States Jerry O"Connell RacingEagleOffenhauserUS Bill Vukovich II1, 3-12, 14
United States Leader Card RacingEagleOffenhauserUS Mike Mosley1, 3-12, 14
United States Lindsey Hopkins RacingMcLaren (1, 3-4, 9-10)
Eagle (6-8, 11-14)OffenhauserUS Roger McCluskey1, 3-4, 6-14
United Kingdom McLarenMcLarenOffenhauserUS Johnny Rutherford2-14
United States Patrick RacingEagleOffenhauserUS Gordon Johncock1, 3-14
EagleOffenhauserUS Wally Dallenbach1, 3-14
EagleOffenhauserUS Steve Krisiloff6-8, 10, 12-14
United States Team PenskeMcLarenOffenhauserUS Gary Bettenhausen2-8
United States Unlimited Racing TeamEagleOffenhauserUS Lloyd Ruby1, 3-12
United States Vel's Parnelli Jones RacingParnelli (2-3, 5, 7)
Eagle (4, 6, 8-11, 14)OffenhauserUS Mario Andretti2-11, 14
EagleOffenhauserUS Al Unser2-14
EagleOffenhauserUS Joe Leonard2-3

Schedule and results

All races running on Oval/Speedway.

RndDateRace nameTrackLocationPole positionWinning driver1234567891011121314
March 3California 500 Qualification Heat 1Ontario Motor SpeedwayOntario, CaliforniaUSA A. J. FoytUSA A. J. Foyt
California 500 Qualification Heat 2USA Johnny RutherfordUSA Johnny Rutherford
March 10California 500USA A. J. FoytUSA Bobby Unser
March 17Phoenix 150Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaUSA Al UnserUSA Mike Mosley
April 7Trentonian 200Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyUSA Mario AndrettiUSA Bobby Unser
May 26International 500 Mile SweepstakesIndianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, IndianaUSA A. J. FoytUSA Johnny Rutherford
June 9Rex Mays ClassicWisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, WisconsinUSA A. J. FoytUSA Johnny Rutherford
June 30Schaefer 500Pocono International RacewayLong Pond, PennsylvaniaUSA Bobby UnserUSA Johnny Rutherford
July 21Michigan 200Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, MichiganUSA Bobby UnserUSA Bobby Unser
August 11Tony Bettenhausen 200Wisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, WisconsinUSA A. J. FoytUSA Gordon Johncock
September 15Norton 250Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, MichiganUSA A. J. FoytUSA Al Unser
September 22Trenton 300 Heat #1Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyUSA A. J. FoytUSA A. J. Foyt
Trenton 300 Heat #2USA A. J. FoytUSA Bobby Unser
November 2Bobby Ball 150Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaUSA Johnny RutherfordUSA Gordon Johncock

Final points standings

Note 1: Jim Hurtubise, Skip Barber, David Hobbs, Sam Posey and Evan Noyes are not eligible for points.

Note 2: Jerry Grant did not obtain a USAC license until after the Ontario event, making him ineligible for points for the first two races of the year.

PosDriverONT
Q-H1ONT
Q-H2ONT
500PHX1
150TRE1
200INDY
500MIL1
150POC
500MIS1
200MIL2
200MIS2
250TRE2
150TRE3
150PHX2
150Pts14870236503305042430520656192571580815109144510113011104012945137001465515600165551755018420193502034021270222602325024240252002616027150281402913030120311153210533753450352536203710-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0PosDriverONT
Q-H1ONT
Q-H2ONT
500PHX1
150TRE1
200INDY
500MIL1
150POC
500MIS1
200MIL2
200MIS2
250TRE2
150TRE3
150PHX2
150Pts
USA Bobby Unser21212215143212
USA Johnny Rutherford12776111459477
USA Gordon Johncock142642416331141121
USA Al Unser52181018522291655
USA Jimmy Caruthers2419423202111318798
USA Bill Vukovich II10218333851019186
USA Lloyd Ruby3598996DNQ721DNQ
USA A. J. Foyt1303Wth1562713224144
USA Wally Dallenbach Sr.76613301510631131118
USA Steve Krisiloff32422114235322
USA Pancho Carter7159122969
USA Mike Mosley67172910218181517DNQ
USA Jim McElreath4151018672310
USA Mario Andretti92559311717188103
USA John Martin69111612166
USA Roger McCluskey581616182816613101619
USA Tom Sneva13121511201413101458824
USA Mike Hiss311474
USA Jerry Grant13351013DNQDNP
USA Bentley Warren12131117DNQ717DNQ
USA Dick Simon8281333429211115
USA Gary Bettenhausen112014DNQ32231
USA Bob Harkey151714826
USA Tom Bigelow91012DNQ192223
CAN Eldon RasmussenDNQDNQ92022DNQ
USA Al Loquasto1812DNQ11141112
USA Dan MurphyDNQ19232271315DNQ
USA Karl Busson8121321
USA George Snider101117282516
USA Joe Leonard419
USA Salt Walther8221217DNP20DNQ151020
USA Bill Simpson1414138181911
USA Jerry Karl72919123216
USA Larry McCoy16DNQ12152017Wth
USA Mel KenyonDNQ12
USA Lee Brayton11DNSDNQ14DNS20
CAN John Cannon1216DNS19DNQDNP
GBR David Hobbs5DNP
USA Sam Posey13
USA John Hubbard22DNQ191523DNQ14
USA Sam SessionsDNQ3014
USA Billy Scott14
USA Skip Barber1532
USA Max Dudley15
USA Benny RappDNQ16
USA Johnny Parsons3326DNQDNQ1717
USA Mel Cornett21
USA Jan Opperman212333
USA Rick Muther2327DNQ
USA Jim HurtubiseDNQ2524
USA Larry RiceDNQWth24
USA Larry Cannon24DNQ
USA Evan Noyes25
USA Jigger SiroisDNSDNQ
USA Denny ZimmermanDNSDNQ
USA Bud TingelstadDNS
USA Bruce JacobiDNQ
USA John MahlerDNQ
USA Bill PuterbaughDNQ
USA Brett LungerDNQ
USA Steve DurstDNP
ColorResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
Green4th & 5th place
Light Blue6th-10th place
Dark BlueFinished
(Outside Top 10)
PurpleDid not finish
(Ret)
RedDid not qualify
(DNQ)
BrownWithdrawn
(Wth)
BlackDisqualified
(DSQ)
WhiteDid not start
(DNS)
BlankDid not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing

|- |

Rookie

|} |}

References

  • http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 223-224)
  • https://www.champcarstats.com/year/1974.htm Retrieved August 9, 2025
  • https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/1974/ Retrieved August 9, 2025
  • https://www.racingyears.com/results/1974/USAC Retrieved August 9, 2025
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