1971 USAC Championship Car season

1971 USAC Championship Car season
USAC Marlboro Championship Trail
Season
Races	12
Start date	February 28
End date	October 23
Awards
National champion	Joe Leonard
Indianapolis 500 winner	Al Unser
Chronology
Previous season	Next season
1970	1972

The 1971 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Rafaela, Argentina on February 28 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on October 23. The USAC National Champion was Joe Leonard and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Al Unser. This was the first year that road courses and ovals were separated from dirt courses in the Championship.

Schedule and results

All races running on Oval/Speedway.

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	February 28	Rafaela Indy 300 Heat 1	152.322 mi (245.138 km)	Autódromo de Rafaela	Rafaela, Argentina	Lloyd Ruby	Al Unser
2		Rafaela Indy 300 Heat 2	152.322 mi (245.138 km)			Al Unser	Al Unser
3	March 27	Phoenix 150	150 mi (240 km)	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Bobby Unser	Al Unser
4	April 25	Trenton 200	200 mi (320 km)	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Bobby Unser	Mike Mosley
5	May 29	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes	500 mi (800 km)	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Peter Revson	Al Unser
6	June 6	Rex Mays Classic 150	150 mi (240 km)	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Bobby Unser	Al Unser
7	July 3	Pocono 500	500 mi (800 km)	Pocono International Raceway	Long Pond, Pennsylvania	Mark Donohue	Mark Donohue
8	July 18	Michigan 200	200 mi (320 km)	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Bobby Unser	Mark Donohue
9	August 15	Tony Bettenhausen 200	200 mi (320 km)	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Bobby Unser	Bobby Unser
10	September 5	California 500	500 mi (800 km)	Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario, California	Mark Donohue	Joe Leonard
11	October 3	Trenton 300	300 mi (480 km)	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Bobby Unser	Bobby Unser
12	October 23	Bobby Ball 150	150 mi (240 km)	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Bobby Unser	A. J. Foyt

Final points standings

Pos Driver RAF PHX1 TRE1 INDY MIL1 POC MIC MIL2 ONT TRE2 PHX2 Pts 1 Joe Leonard 6 3 4 24 19 2 2 19 DNQ 1 3 10 3015 2 A. J. Foyt 17 3 20 3 17 2 16 5 1 2320 3 Bill Vukovich, Jr. 25 5 3 5 2 14 10 4 3 2250 4 Al Unser 1 1 1 21 1 1 31 24 17 15 17 21 2200 5 Lloyd Ruby 2 2 5 13 11 7 8 21 6 4 23 24 1830 6 Bobby Unser 27 2 4 12 14 9 18 1 21 1 8 1805 7 Gary Bettenhausen 11 7 20 16 10 16 6 22 3 3 24 5 1800 8 Mark Donohue 6 19 25 1 1 18 6 16 1760 9 Mario Andretti Wth 9 18 30 11 4 12 19 33 2 4 1370 10 Wally Dallenbach 7 2 24 4 15 4 4 23 9 11 1220 11 Art Pollard DNP 24 6 26 5 16 16 16 2 20 9 1170 12 Peter Revson 2 21 7 1100 13 Roger McCluskey 5 4 22 22 9 23 25 3 18 28 22 2 1050 14 Jim Malloy 14 21 11 4 DNS 26 13 DNQ 6 1030 15 Steve Krisiloff DNQ 11 31 10 7 24 5 7 20 990 16 Cale Yarbrough 8 8 13 5 16 DNQ 32 5 8 14 11 DNQ 710 17 Mike Mosley 3 23 10 1 13 19 655 18 Swede Savage 4 5 3 12 16 23 590 19 Johnny Rutherford 7 20 21 17 18 6 7 10 26 DNQ 22 570 20 Dick Simon 13 6 12 7 14 9 17 15 DNQ 22 25 7 405 21 Jim McElreath DNQ 27 8 27 6 370 22 Bud Tingelstad 7 DNQ 19 17 300 23 Lee Roy Yarbrough 3 DNQ 280 24 George Eaton 9 11 10 18 270 25 Greg Weld DNQ 18 12 10 30 8 14 260 26 Denny Zimmerman 24 19 8 22 24 26 20 13 DNQ 250 27 Gordon Johncock 9 10 8 15 29 10 20 23 25 27 DNQ DNQ 225 28 Sam Sessions DNQ 27 11 DNQ 7 DNQ 13 220 29 George Snider 18 33 21 33 14 5 32 14 15 200 30 John Mahler 16 16 23 DNS 23 9 200 31 Larry Dickson DNP 28 6 15 13 DNS 160 32 Bentley Warren 10 24 16 26 23 8 22 Wth DNP 120 33 Karl Busson DNP DNQ 8 23 DNQ DNQ 100 34 Bruce Walkup DNQ 8 DNQ 29 DNQ 100 35 John Martin DNQ 15 9 12 DNQ DNQ 100 36 Al Loquasto 9 DNQ DNQ DNQ 80 37 Ludwig Heimrath 25 18 10 DNQ 60 38 Jerry Karl 12 DNQ 11 22 60 39 Carl Williams DNQ 11 31 26 17 40 40 Salt Walther 15 11 DNQ DNQ 20 DNP 30 41 Mel Kenyon 32 DNQ 25 12 DNQ 30 42 Bill Simpson 17 13 23 DNQ 19 18 DNQ DNQ 28 12 15 43 Jimmy Caruthers DNQ 12 13 19 DNQ 15 44 Dee Jones 26 12 15 DNQ 15 - Donnie Allison 6 17 28 24 0 - Carlos Pairetti 12 9 0 - Bill Puterbaugh DNQ 14 DNQ 13 19 0 - Jerry Grant 13 DNP DNQ 0 - Don Brown 18 14 14 21 15 DNQ 0 - Bob Harkey 14 22 29 DNQ DNQ 0 - Dave Strickland 19 15 DNQ 0 - George Follmer 15 DNQ 0 - Max Dudley 20 17 DNQ 0 - Denny Hulme 17 0 - Eldon Rasmussen 18 DNQ 0 - Arnie Knepper 20 DNQ 25 20 DNQ 0 - David Hobbs 20 0 - Rick Muther 22 25 DNQ DNQ 21 24 0 - Tom Bigelow 21 22 DNQ 0 - Tom Sneva 21 DNQ 0 - Larry Cannon 23 26 DNQ DNQ 0 - Jim Hurtubise DNQ 30 DNQ 0 - Jorge Cupeiro DNS 0 - Omar Cuvertino DNS 0 - Ángel Monguzzi DNS 0 - Carlos Salatino DNS 0 - Jigger Sirois DNQ DNP 0 - Bruce Jacobi DNP DNQ 0 - Tony Adamowicz DNQ DNP 0 - Les Scott DNQ DNP 0 - Ralph Liguori DNQ 0 - Danny Ongais DNQ 0 - Bobby Allen DNQ 0 - Jim Reynard DNQ 0 - Gig Stephens DNQ 0 - Ronnie Bucknum DNQ 0 - Bobby Johns DNQ 0 - Sam Posey DNQ 0 - Dick Tobias DNQ 0 - Don Hawley DNQ 0 - Johnny Parsons DNQ 0 - Crockey Peterson DNQ 0 - Jorge Ternengo DNP 0 - Lothar Motschenbacher DNP 0 Pos Driver RAF1 RAF2 PHX1 TRE1 INDY MIL1 POC MIC MIL2 ONT TRE2 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) Not competing In-line notation Bold Pole position Italics Ran fastest race lap * Led most race laps Rookie of the Year Rookie

Note1: Donnie Allison, Carlos Parietti, Denny Hulme, David Hobbs and Jim Hurtubise not eligible for points.
Note2: John Mahler qualified 21st at Indianapolis. His car was driven in the race by Dick Simon who started 33rd as a result of the driver change.

References

• http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 230-231)

See also

• 1971 Indianapolis 500