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1961 USAC Championship Car season

Sports season


Sports season

The 1961 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 9 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 19. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. The season was marred by the deaths of 1951 and 1958 season champion Tony Bettenhausen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Al Keller at Phoenix.

Schedule and results

RndDateRace nameTrackLocationTypePole positionWinning driver1234NC56789101112
April 9US Trenton 100Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyPavedUS Tony BettenhausenUS Eddie Sachs
May 30US International 500 Mile SweepstakesIndianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, IndianaPavedUS Eddie SachsUS A. J. Foyt
June 4US Rex Mays ClassicMilwaukee MileWest Allis, WisconsinPavedUS Dick RathmannUS Rodger Ward
June 18US Langhorne 100Langhorne SpeedwayLanghorne, PennsylvaniaDirtUS Al KellerUS A. J. Foyt
July 4US Pikes Peak Auto Hill ClimbPikes Peak HighwayPikes Peak, ColoradoHillUS Bobby UnserUS Bobby Unser
August 20US Tony Bettenhausen 200Milwaukee MileWest Allis, WisconsinPavedUS Don BransonUS Lloyd Ruby
August 21US Tony Bettenhausen MemorialIllinois State FairgroundsSpringfield, IllinoisDirtUS Parnelli JonesUS Jim Hurtubise
September 4US Ted Horn MemorialDuQuoin State FairgroundsDu Quoin, IllinoisDirtUS Jim HurtubiseUS A. J. Foyt
September 9US Syracuse 100New York State FairgroundsSyracuse, New YorkDirtUS Rodger WardUS Rodger Ward
September 16US Hoosier HundredIndiana State FairgroundsIndianapolis, IndianaDirtUS A. J. FoytUS A. J. Foyt
September 24US Trenton 100Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyPavedUS Eddie SachsUS Eddie Sachs
October 29US Golden State 100California State FairgroundsSacramento, CaliforniaDirtUS Shorty TemplemanUS Rodger Ward
November 19US Bobby Ball MemorialArizona State FairgroundsPhoenix, ArizonaDirtUS Al KellerUS Parnelli Jones

: No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb.

Final points standings

PosDriverTRE1
USAINDY
USAMIL1
USALAN
USAMIL2
USASPR
USADQSF
USASYR
USAISF
USATRE2
USASAC
USAPHX
USAPts121502176031680411905100069397860876997501075011670125301347014400153701636017302182901926020200211602215023140241402512826110271002860296030603150324033403440353036303730382239204020412042104310-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0PosDriverTRE1
USAINDY
USAMIL1
USALAN
USAMIL2
USASPR
USADQSF
USASYR
USAISF
USATRE2
USASAC
USAPHX
USAPts
USA A. J. Foyt51221321181141215
USA Eddie Sachs12Wth35DNS3DNQDNQ1DNQ6
USA Rodger Ward183119617117312
USA Shorty Templeman4DNQ105225161612
USA Al Keller52151218541651817
USA Jim Hurtubise222587118318214DNS
USA Len SuttonDNQ1942109941148
USA Bobby Marshman177191115987219311
USA Parnelli Jones15122231112512921
USA Dick Rathmann4133643DNQ1020
USA Lloyd Ruby8211161611DNQ18DNQ
USA Don Branson163361424156178473
USA Elmer George884DNQ81461569
USA Chuck Stevenson6
USA Roger McCluskey627175DNQ158147117
USA A. J. Shepherd1126DNQ64715DNQ
USA Chuck Hulse12DNQ141817134DNQ66DNQ14
USA Jim McElreath321104
USA Al FarmerDNQDNQDNQ1671316DNQDNQ55
Australia Jack Brabham9
USA Johnny Boyd2178DNQ15
USA Norm Hall10DNQDNQDNQ
USA Troy Ruttman32016
USA Don Davis29DNQ13131410121388DNQ
USA Ronnie DumanDNQ15DNS11DNQDNQ10DNQ139DNQ
USA Bob Christie1720910
USA Gene Hartley11
USA Red RiegelDNQ7DNQDNQDNQDNQ1318
USA Ralph LiguoriDNQDNQ7DNQDNQDNQ
USA Len Duncan7
USA Jiggs Peters912DNQDNQDNQDNQ
USA Danny JonesDNQ149DNQ
USA Don FreelandDNQ9DNQ
USA Allen Crowe161713DNQ12DNQ10
USA Bruce Jacobi14DNQDNQ10
USA Wayne WeilerDNQ1510
USA Bob Cleberg10DNQDNQDNQ
USA Rex EastonDNQDNQ9DNQ
USA Bud TingelstadDNQDNQ14DNQ11DNQDNQDNQDNQ
USA Eddie Johnson1811DNQDNQ
USA Bob MathouserDNQ11DNQDNQ
USA Dempsey Wilson161220DNQDNQDNQ15DNQ
USA Jack Turner252112DNQDNQ
USA Bill Cheesbourg2813DNQDNQ
USA Don Horvath13DNQ
USA Leroy NeumayerDNQ13
USA Paul Goldsmith1418
USA Keith RachwitzDNQ16
USA Jack Rounds20DNQ17
USA Bob VeithDNQ2517
USA Ray WearneDNQ17DNQ
USA Leon ClumDNQDNQ18DNQDNQ
USA Tony Bettenhausen19DNQ
USA Tommy Copp21DNQ
USA Johnny Coy22DNQ22
USA Ernie KochDNQDNQ22DNQ
USA Ebb Rose2326
USA Cliff Griffith24
USA Jim RathmannDNQ30DNQDNQ
USA Jimmy Daywalt31
USA Bobby Grim32DNQDNQDNQDNQ
USA Beau ClerkeDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQ
USA Jim McWitheyDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQ
USA Jim HemmingsDNQDNQDNQDNQ
USA Harry BeckDNPDNQDNQDNQ
USA Tony BonadiesDNQDNQDNQ
USA Vern HarrimanDNQDNQDNQ
USA Ray CrawfordDNQDNQDNQ
USA Bill RandallDNQDNQ
Canada Bert BrooksDNQDNQ
USA Jack ConelyDNQDNQ
Canada Ed KostenukDNQDNQ
USA Chuck ArnoldDNQDNQ
USA Al PomboDNQDNQ
USA Tony RomitDNQ
USA Duane CarterDNQ
USA Russ CongdonDNQ
USA Jack EnsleyDNQ
USA Mike MagillDNQ
USA Chuck RodeeDNQ
USA Paul RussoDNQ
USA Bud SterrettDNQ
USA Bob WenteDNQ
USA Chuck WeyantDNQ
USA Cliff SpaldingDNQ
USA Ray BrownDNQ
USA Hal RettbergDNQ
USA Bill HydeDNQ
USA Russ LongDNQ
USA Jimmy DaviesDNQ
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. 272-273)
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