Surf Wiki
Save to docs
sports

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

California 500 (IndyCar)

American auto race

Summary

American auto race

FieldValue
Race titleCalifornia 500
Track mapOntario Motor Speedway.png
VenueOntario Motor Speedway
First race1970
Last race1980
Distance500 mi
Laps200
Most wins driverBobby Unser (4)
Most wins teamEagle (3)
Most wins manufacturerChassis: All American Racers (3)
Engine: Offenhauser (4)
Cosworth (4)

Engine: Offenhauser (4) Cosworth (4)

The California 500 was a USAC, and later CART, race held at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. The event represented a continuous lineage of open wheel oval racing in Southern California that dates back to 1970.

History

Open wheel oval racing in southern California dated back to the USAC California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, held from 1970 to 1978. The race was part of IndyCar racing's "triple crown," and at its inception, was held in high prestige. The inaugural running was considered a huge success, with 187,000 in attendance. However, it became a CART event in 1979 and the track fell into financial troubles in 1980, closing at the end of that year. Subsequent runnings were never able to match the success of the 1970 event.

Indy car races were also held at nearby Riverside, but only from 1967–1969 (prior to the opening of Ontario) in 1970 and again from 1981–1983 (after Ontario closed in 1980).

Race results

SeasonDateDriverTeamChassisEngineRace DistanceRace TimeAverage Speed
(mph)ReportLapsMiles (km)USAC Championship CarCART Championship Car
1970September 6USA Jim McElreathA. J. Foyt EnterprisesCoyoteFord200500 (804.672)3:07:22160.106Report
1971September 5USA Joe LeonardVel's Parnelli JonesColtFord200500 (804.672)3:16:55152.354Report
1972September 3USA Roger McCluskeyLindsey Hopkins RacingMcLarenOffy200500 (804.672)3:17:58151.54Report
1973September 2USA Wally Dallenbach Sr.Patrick RacingEagleOffy200500 (804.672)3:10:17157.66Report
1974March 10USA Bobby UnserAll American RacersEagleOffy200500 (804.672)3:11:04157.017Report
1975March 9USA A. J. FoytA. J. Foyt EnterprisesCoyoteFoyt200500 (804.672)3:14:22154.344Report
1976September 5USA Bobby UnserAll American RacersEagleOffy200500 (804.672)3:29:26143.246Report
1977September 4USA Al UnserVel's Parnelli JonesParnelliCosworth200500 (804.672)3:17:16154.687Report
1978September 3USA Al UnserChaparral RacingChaparralCosworth200500 (804.672)3:26:40145.158Report
1979September 2USA Bobby UnserPenske RacingPenskeCosworth200500 (804.672)3:24:22146.794Report
1980August 31USA Bobby UnserPenske RacingPenskeCosworth200500 (804.672)3:11:51156.372Report

References

References

  1. (2014). "Circuits of the Past: Ontario Motor Speedway". circuitsofthepast.com.
  2. (December 28, 2021). "Ontario Motor Speedway". motorsportmagazine.com.
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

champ-car-races recurring-sporting-events-established-in-1970 recurring-sporting-events-disestablished-in-1980
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about California 500 (IndyCar) — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report