1968 USAC Championship Car season explained

The 1968 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 28 races, beginning in Hanford, California on March 17 and concluding in Riverside, California on December 7. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Bobby Unser. Mike Spence died in an accident while practicing for the 1968 Indianapolis 500. Ronnie Duman died of burns suffered during the Rex Mays Classic.

Schedule and results

RndDateRace NameTrackLocationTypePole PositionWinning Driver
1March 17 California 200Hanford Motor SpeedwayHanford, CaliforniaPaved Bobby Unser Gordon Johncock
2March 31 Stardust 150Stardust International RacewayLas Vegas, NevadaRoad Dan Gurney Bobby Unser
3April 7 Jimmy Bryan MemorialPhoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaPaved Bobby Unser Bobby Unser
4April 21 Trenton 150Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyPaved Mario Andretti Bobby Unser
5May 30 International 500 Mile SweepstakesIndianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, IndianaPaved Joe Leonard Bobby Unser
6June 8 Rex Mays ClassicMilwaukee MileWest Allis, WisconsinPaved Roger McCluskey Lloyd Ruby
7June 15 Telegraph Trophy 200Mosport ParkBowmanville, OntarioRoad Dan Gurney Dan Gurney
8 Dan Gurney Dan Gurney
9June 23 Langhorne 150Langhorne SpeedwayLanghorne, PennsylvaniaPaved Gordon Johncock Gordon Johncock
10June 29 Pikes Peak Auto Hill ClimbPikes Peak HighwayPikes Peak, ColoradoHill Bobby Unser Bobby Unser
11July 7 Rocky Mountain 150Continental Divide RacewaysCastle Rock, ColoradoRoad Ronnie Bucknum A. J. Foyt
12July 13 Nazareth 100Nazareth SpeedwayNazareth, PennsylvaniaDirt Bill Vukovich II Al Unser
13July 21 Indy 200Indianapolis Raceway ParkClermont, IndianaRoad Mario Andretti Al Unser
14 Al Unser Al Unser
15July 28 Langhorne Twin 100Langhorne SpeedwayLanghorne, PennsylvaniaPaved Gordon Johncock Al Unser
16 Al Unser Al Unser
17August 4 Saint-Jovite 200Circuit Mont-TremblantSaint-Jovite, QuebecRoad Mario Andretti Mario Andretti
18 Mario Andretti Mario Andretti
19August 17 Tony Bettenhausen 100Illinois State FairgroundsSpringfield, IllinoisDirt Al Unser Roger McCluskey
20August 18 Tony Bettenhausen 200Milwaukee MileWest Allis, WisconsinPaved Art Pollard Lloyd Ruby
21September 2 Ted Horn MemorialDuQuoin State FairgroundsDu Quoin, IllinoisDirt Al Unser Mario Andretti
22September 7 Hoosier HundredIndiana State FairgroundsIndianapolis, IndianaDirt Mario Andretti A. J. Foyt
23September 22 Trenton 200Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyPaved Al Unser Mario Andretti
24September 29 Golden State 100California State FairgroundsSacramento, CaliforniaDirt Mario Andretti A. J. Foyt
25October 13 Michigan Inaugural 250Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, MichiganPaved Mario Andretti Ronnie Bucknum
26November 3 Hanford 250Hanford Motor SpeedwayHanford, CaliforniaPaved Joe Leonard A. J. Foyt
27November 17 Bobby Ball 150Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, ArizonaPaved Mario Andretti Gary Bettenhausen
28December 7 Rex Mays 300Riverside International RacewayRiverside, CaliforniaRoad Dan Gurney Dan Gurney

Run in two heats of 98 miles (158 kilometers) each.

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.

Run in two heats of 100 miles (161 kilometers) each.

Final points standings

PosDriverHAN1
LVG
PHX1
TRE1
INDY
MIL1
MOS
LAN1
PIP
CDR
NAZ
IRP
LAN2
MTR
SPR
MIL2
DQSF
ISF
TRE2
SAC
MIC
HAN2
PHX2
RIV
Pts
1 Bobby Unser51111211721117321216211DNQ418167DNQ1721924330
2 Mario Andretti2321523322217415222231118212142324184319
3 Al Unser2141617263451222411111915123715223181515262895
4 Lloyd Ruby342125115122121723151061914DNQ1DNQDNQ161518232799
5 Bill Vukovich II266195713971493136644735616196472410
6 A. J. Foyt413232120141431817242124114123201860
7 Dan Gurney1621111800
8 Gary Bettenhausen10101324DNS10133742112131213131354412221211191595
9 Mel Kenyon83103DNQDNQ22DNQDNQ42413DNP1355
10 Jim MalloyDNQ911221088203171053435815141118241122241265
11 Sam Sessions9111612221941164785251260
12 Gordon Johncock17184271213DNS12551621151519DNQDNQ7111257
13 Roger McCluskey6121416292031491719722123512212251011121228
14 Bud Tingelstad187DNS169DNQ191313165152818DNQDNQ3897101016
15 Wally Dallenbach Sr.74317715DNQ113520720DNQ1318922232529960
16 George Snider956631883103DNQ133DNP919
17 Larry Dickson12286115DNQ62DNQ7DNQ78268890
18 Johnny Rutherford20111718420242025551151625176890
19 Mike Mosley819169414917DNS313914860
20 Joe Leonard223228121876814DNS16417850
21 Jim McElreath14DNQ221011717710915DNQ5628771
22 Ronnie Bucknum21531964341201413760
23 Art Pollard1685131316141857926DNQ14141010106DNQ2016696
2415DNQ22DNQ6813265916520
25 Rick MutherDNQ7DNQ6DNQ215510
26 Ronnie DumanDNP622400
27 Bruce Walkup1320DNQ511121818971513DNQDNQ5390
2817DNQ915DNQ718161011712212612285
29 Bill PuterbaughDNQ1789129611265
30 George Follmer111524DNQ1110DNS8240
31 Arnie Knepper24DNQDNP25DNS2415112218111016614201215206
32 George Benson2598622170
33 Carl Williams155178DNS13131519150
34 Bobby Grim10DNQ150
35 Jerry Daniels1089DNQ120
368100
37 Bob Veith11100
38 Chuck BoothDNQDNQ1018111814DNQ11DNQ85
396DNQ1480
40 Keith Rachwitz129DNQ17DNQDNQ80
41 Rollie Beale15DNQ19DNQDNQ9DNQDNQ80
42 Chuck Hulse21DNQ8DNQ75
431621DNQ251075
44 Bob HarkeyDNQDNQ132017128DNQ231360
452011DNS50
46 Bob HurtDNQDNQ10DNQ45
47 Ralph LiguoriDNQ16209171840
48 Roger West 1019DNQDNQDNQDNQ30
49 Bruce Jacobi192119DNQ22DNQ1513DNQ1912DNQDNQ11161830
50 Dempsey Wilson141711DNQDNQDNQ30
51 Al SmithDNQ1225
52 Ted Foltz224
53 Wes Vandervoort321
54 Paul Kleinschmidt515
55 Malcolm Brazier612
56 Bob Herring79
57 Grier Manning88
58 Ralph Bruning96
59 Charles Louderman105
-10886290
-64210
- Denny Hulme40
-40
- Lothar Motschenbacher1760
- Bud Morley168DNQ0
-231090
- Peter Revson100
- Bob Daly110
- George Fejer 1215DNS14120
-21121416300
- Thurel Novotny120
-130
-140
- Greg WeldDNQ1424DNQDNQ1714DNQ0
- Gig StephensDNQ231414DNQ0
- Bay Darnell1423DNQDNQ0
- Don Thomas DNQ150
-150
- Clark Yowell160
-DNQ170
-170
-170
-DNQ18DNQDNQ0
- Tom Dillon 180
- Graham Hill19DNQ0
-190
- Chuck Arnold200
- Walter Miller200
- Gene Pacheco210
- Jerry TitusDNQ220
- Jerry Grant23DNS230
- Orville Nance230
- Mickey Shaw230
- Jack Brabham230
- Norm Brown240
- Larry Overholser240
-270
- Jim Hurtubise300
- Jochen Rindt320
- Dusty SmithDNQDNS0
- Billy WilkersonDNS0
- Jim ReynardDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQDNQ0
- Les ScottDNQDNQDNQDNPDNQ0
- Karl BussonDNQDNQDNQDNQ0
- Danny OngaisDNQDNQDNQ0
- Dee JonesDNQDNQ0
- Ernie KochDNQDNQ0
- Al MillerDNQDNQ0
- Norm EllefsonDNQDNQ0
- Hamilton VoseDNQDNQ0
- Don SchislerDNQDNQ0
- Otto BeckerDNQDNP0
- Bill CheesbourgDNQ0
- Masten GregoryDNQ0
- Bobby JohnsDNQ0
- Bruce McLarenDNQ0
- Mike SpenceDNQ0
- Chuck StevensonDNQ0
- LeeRoy YarbroughDNQ0
- Scott BrazierDNQ0
- Bob TattersallDNQ0
- Earl SmithDNQ0
- Don BrownDNQ0
- Earl DykesDNQ0
- Ludwig Heimrath Jr.DNQ0
- Jackie StewartWth0
- Jim ClarkDNP0
- Bob HerstDNP0
- Stew McMillanDNP0
PosDriverHAN1
LVG
PHX1
TRE1
INDY
MIL1
MOS1
MOS2
LAN1
PIP
CDR
NAZ
IRP1
IRP2
LAN2
LAN3
MTR1
MTR2
SPR
MIL2
DQSF
ISF
TRE2
SAC
MIC
HAN2
PHX2
RIV
Pts

Note 1: John Cannon, George Fejer, Lou Sell, Mark Donohue, Jack Eiteljorg, Bud Morley, Lothar Motschenbacher, Jochen Rindt, Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Denis Hulme, Skip Scott and Peter Revson are not eligible for points.
Note 2: Ronnie Bucknum did not compete with a USAC license until after the events at Indianapolis Raceway Park.

- align="center" Color Gold Silver Bronze Green Light Blue Dark Blue Purple Red Brown Black White Blank - align="center" Results Winner 2nd place 3rd place 4th & 5th place 6th-10th place Finished
(Outside Top 10)
Did not finish
(Ret)
Did not qualify
(DNQ)
Withdrawn
(Wth)
Disqualified
(DSQ)
Did not start
(DNS)
Did not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
BoldPole position
ItalicsRan fastest race lap
*|style="background:#F2F2F2;" align=center|Led most race laps|-|style="text-align:center" colspan=2| Rookie of the Year|-|style="text-align:center" colspan=2| Rookie|}|}

References

  • Web site: USAC National Championship 1968 . Åberg, Andreas . Driver Database . 2010-12-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120910235048/http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1968/ . 2012-09-10 . live .
  • Web site: 1968 USAC National Championship Trail . ChampCarStats.com . 2010-12-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120224080044/http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1968.htm . 2012-02-24 . live .
  • http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 244–249)

See also

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