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1977 USAC Championship Car season

Sports season

Sports season

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.

Entrants

(partial list)

TeamChassisEngineDriversRounds
United States A.J. Foyt EnterprisesCoyoteFoytUS A.J. Foyt1-3, 5, 7-10, 12
United States AgajanianKingOffenhauserUS Gary Bettenhausen4-9, 11-12, 14
United States All American RacersEagle (1-7 9-10, 12)
Lightning (11)OffenhauserUS Pancho Carter1-7, 9-12
United States Alex MoralesLightningOffenhauserUS Pancho Carter14
LightningOffenhauserUS Bobby Olivero5-7, 10-14
United States Interscope RacingParnelliCosworthUS Danny Ongais1-3, 5-14
United States Jerry O"Connell RacingEagle (1-4, 14)
Lightning (5-7, 9, 12-13)OffenhauserUS Mike Mosley1-7, 9, 12-14
United States Joe HuntEagleOffenhauserUS Gary Bettenhausen1-2
United States Leader Card RacingEagleOffenhauserUS Tom BigelowAll
United States Lindsey Hopkins RacingLightningOffenhauserUS Roger McCluskey2-3, 5-13
United Kingdom McLarenMcLarenCosworthUS Johnny RutherfordAll
United States Patrick RacingWildcatDGSUS Gordon JohncockAll
WildcatDGSUS Wally DallenbachAll
United States Team PenskeMcLaren (1-8, 11, 14)
Penske (9-10, 12-13)Cosworth (1-13)
Offenhauser (14)US Tom SnevaAll
McLaren (2, 4-5, 7, 12, 14)
Penske (13)Cosworth (2, 5, 7, 12-14)
Offenhauser (4)US Mario Andretti2, 4-5, 7, 12-14
United States Vel's Parnelli Jones RacingParnelliCosworthUS Al Unser1-3, 5-14

Schedule and results

RndDateRace nameTrackLocationPole positionWinning driver12345678910111213-14
March 6Datsun Twin 200sOntario Motor SpeedwayOntario, CaliforniaUSA Johnny RutherfordUSA A. J. Foyt
March 27Jimmy Bryan 150Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaUSA Johnny RutherfordUSA Johnny Rutherford
April 2Texas Grand PrixTexas World SpeedwayCollege Station, TexasUSA Johnny RutherfordUSA Tom Sneva
April 30Trenton 200Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyUSA Johnny RutherfordUSA Wally Dallenbach Sr.
May 29[International 500 Mile Sweepstakes](1977-indianapolis-500)Indianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, IndianaUSA Tom SnevaUSA A. J. Foyt
June 12Rex Mays Classic 150Wisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, WisconsinUSA Bobby UnserUSA Johnny Rutherford
June 26[Schaefer 500](1977-schaefer-500)Pocono International RacewayLong Pond, PennsylvaniaUSA A. J. FoytUSA Tom Sneva
July 3Molson Diamond IndyMosport ParkBowmanville, OntarioUSA Al UnserUSA A. J. Foyt
July 17Norton 200Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, MichiganUSA Tom SnevaUSA Danny Ongais
July 31American Parts 200Texas World SpeedwayCollege Station, TexasUSA Danny OngaisUSA Johnny Rutherford
August 21Tony Bettenhausen 200Wisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, WisconsinUSA Danny OngaisUSA Johnny Rutherford
September 4[California 500](1977-california-500)Ontario Motor SpeedwayOntario, CaliforniaUSA Johnny RutherfordUSA Al Unser
September 17Michigan Grand PrixMichigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, MichiganUSA Danny OngaisUSA Gordon Johncock
September 24Machinists Union 150Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyRace postponed due to rain; eventually cancelled
October 29Bobby Ball 150Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaUSA Bobby UnserUSA Gordon Johncock
  • The Machinist Union 150, scheduled for September 24, was first postponed due to rain, and was eventually cancelled on October 3.

Final points standings

PosDriverONT1
PHX1
TWS1
TRE1
[INDY](1977-indianapolis-500)
MIL1
[POC](1977-pocono-500)
MOS
MIS1
TWS2
MIL2
ONT2
MIS2
TRE2
PHX2
Pts139652303032840428405283062635715808142091370101030119401293513920148501584016740177001860019555205502153022475234502436025320262402722028220292003016531150321503312534803575367537703860395040454120-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0Ineligible for USAC championship points-0-0PosDriverONT1
PHX1
TWS1
TRE1
[INDY](1977-indianapolis-500)
MIL1
[POC](1977-pocono-500)
MOS
MIS1
TWS2
MIL2
ONT2
MIS2
TRE2
PHX2
Pts
USA Tom Sneva1416110**2**213**4**518310C17
USA Al Unser2923325**17**16211514C2
USA Johnny Rutherford**25****1****4****8**33159311**24**2C22
USA A. J. Foyt12141**15**1Wth192C
USA Gordon Johncock5129211123182210111C1
USA Wally Dallenbach Sr.1810314154168173203C6
USA Mario AndrettiDNQ16262420C4
USA Pancho Carter320119155201032143
USA Tom Bigelow44121567298111042815C19
USA Mike Mosley166531948Wth1618CDNQ
USA Roger McCluskey223175819261120DNQ20227C5
USA Danny Ongais7513201723151**13****21**8**17**C12
USA Bobby Olivero256329659C21
USA Gary Bettenhausen10111116207217817C14
USA Johnny ParsonsDNQDNP5DNQ11184132914C20
USA Larry Dickson13DNQ18DNQ13581276C18
USA Lee Kunzman7DNP6DNQ221516DNQ
USA Todd Gibson111366DNQ14DNQ415DNQDNQ
USA Rick Mears24DNQ15DNQ30675268C
USA Spike Gehlhausen2614812DNQ9DNQ1091271313C7
USA Jim McElreath232412695
AUS Vern Schuppan881617DNQ21196
USA Salt Walther23184DNQ18126DNP25DNQC13
USA Dick Simon673113161914933C11
USA Steve Krisiloff219DNP22147DNQ1927
USA James McElreathDNQ77DNQ31DNQDNQ2319C
USA Bill Vukovich II201913179121431
USA Joe SaldanaDNQ1110Wth1811DNQ22C
USA Jerry GrantWth135DNQDNQ16
CAN Ed Crombie107DNQ14DNS
USA Jerry Sneva10DNP18DNQDNQ22DNQDNQC
USA John MartinDNQ10
USA Larry CannonDNPDNQ1212C9
USA Bill Simpson922Wth
USA Bobby Unser1517DNPWth18**16**1921151730**8**
USA Clark Templeman8
USA Al Loquasto1921DNPWth2828111911C16
USA Gary Irvin1014DNQ
USA Bill Puterbaugh12
USA George Snider2433DNQ203221C10
CAN Cliff Hucul12151922DNPDNQ
USA Phil Threshie1316DNQ
CAN Eldon Rasmussen1321
USA John Mahler1414DNQ
USA Tom Gloy15
USA Lloyd Ruby1727DNP
USA Bubby Jones21DNQCDNQ
USA Bob HarkeyDNQ22DNQ
USA Chuck Gurney27DNQ
USA Sheldon Kinser32
AUS Alan JonesDNS
USA Larry McCoyDNQWth
USA Tommy HuntDNS
USA Ed FinleyCDNQ
USA Jerry KarlDNQDNQ
SWE Bertil RoosDNQCDNQ
USA Jim HurtubiseDNQ
USA Mel KenyonDNQ
BEL Teddy PiletteDNQ
USA Tom FrantzWth
USA Jack OwensC
USA Janet GuthrieDNQ291718C
CHE Clay Regazzoni30
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. 217-218)
  • https://www.champcarstats.com/year/1977.htm Retrieved August 9, 2025
  • https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/1977/ Retrieved August 9, 2025
  • https://www.racingyears.com/results/1977/USAC Retrieved August 9, 2025

References

  1. (October 4, 1977). "Trenton Race Canceled". [[The New York Times]].
  2. "Trenton 200". OldRacingCars.com.
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