1970 USAC Championship Car season explained

The 1970 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 18 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 28 and concluding at the same location on November 21. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Al Unser. After this season, dirt courses did not reappear in the USAC Championship until 1981-82. Road courses after this season did not reappear in the USAC Championship until 1977. The Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb was the only non-championship event.

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location	Type	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	March 28	Phoenix 150	150miles	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Paved	Mario Andretti	Al Unser
2	April 4	Golden Gate 150	151.38miles	Sears Point Raceway	Sonoma, California	Road	Mark Donohue	Dan Gurney
3	April 26	Trenton 200	201miles	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Al Unser	Lloyd Ruby
4	May 30	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes	500miles	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Paved	Al Unser	Al Unser
5	June 7	Rex Mays Classic	150miles	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Mario Andretti	Joe Leonard
6	June 14	Langhorne 150	150miles	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Paved	Bobby Unser	Bobby Unser
7	June 28	Rocky Mountain 150	151.62miles	Continental Divide Raceways	Mead, Colorado	Road	Al Unser	Mario Andretti
8	July 4	Michigan Twin 200s	200miles	Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Paved	Gary Bettenhausen	Gary Bettenhausen
NC	July 4	Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb	12.42miles	Pikes Peak Highway	Pikes Peak, Colorado	Hill	Orville Nance	Ted Foltz
9	July 26	Indy 150	150miles	Indianapolis Raceway Park	Clermont, Indiana	Road	Mario Andretti	Al Unser
10	August 22	Tony Bettenhausen 100	100miles	Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, Illinois	Dirt	Larry Dickson	Al Unser
11	August 23	Tony Bettenhausen 200	200miles	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Al Unser	Al Unser
12	September 6	California 500	500miles	Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario, California	Paved	Lloyd Ruby	Jim McElreath
13	September 7	Ted Horn Memorial 100	100miles	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	Du Quoin, Illinois	Dirt	Al Unser	Al Unser
14	September 12	Hoosier Hundred	100miles	Indiana State Fairgrounds	Indianapolis, Indiana	Dirt	Johnny Parsons	Al Unser
15	September 19	Sedalia 100	100miles	State Fair Raceway	Sedalia, Missouri	Dirt	Al Unser	Al Unser
16	October 3	Trenton 300	264miles	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Al Unser	Al Unser
17	October 4	Golden State 100	100miles	California State Fairgrounds	Sacramento, California	Dirt	Mario Andretti	Al Unser
18	November 21	Bobby Ball 150	150miles	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Paved	Al Unser	Swede Savage

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.
Scheduled for 300 miles, stopped early due to rain.

Final points standings

Note: Mark Donohue, Kevin Bartlett, Peter Revson, LeeRoy Yarbrough, John Cannon, Donnie Allison, Ron Grable, Jack Eiteljorg and Jack Brabham are not eligible for points.

Pos Driver PHX1 SON TRE1 INDY MIL1 LAN CDR MIC IRP SPR MIL2 ONT DQSF ISF SED TRE2 SAC PHX2 Pts 1 Al Unser 1 3 3 1 3 2 5 18 1 1 1 9 1 1 1 1 1 2 5130 2 Bobby Unser 2 18 4 11 6 1 4 2 24 9 19 22 2 DNQ DNQ 2 6 17 2260 3 Jim McElreath 6 7 5 DNS 3 1 Wth 10 13 16 5 2060 4 Mike Mosley 5 7 5 21 7 3 15 4 14 10 5 14 18 5 4 3 8 20 1900 5 Mario Andretti 13 2 2 6 5 8 1 21 18 24 24 10 17 11 2 21 14 8 1890 6 Roger McCluskey DNQ DNQ 25 2 Wth 7 9 2 25 10 5 5 3 1380 7 Gordon Johncock 18 4 15 28 12 10 7 12 3 4 DNQ 1160 8 Art Pollard 11 21 30 18 19 17 11 2 6 24 1110 9 A. J. Foyt 4 Wth 6 10 24 3 8 12 15 7 15 10 3 DNQ 23 1105 10 24 6 9 14 11 9 11 19 13 3 DNQ DNQ 9 1080 11 Dan Gurney 1 3 18 1000 12 Johnny Rutherford 5 20 18 14 DNQ 3 17 11 21 31 11 DNQ 12 4 13 6 960 13 Mel Kenyon 16 DNQ 10 3 6 9 860 14 Lloyd Ruby 3 1 27 4 17 20 23 22 16 790 15 DNQ 8 DNQ 10 6 5 4 DNQ 8 5 20 11 775 16 Gary Bettenhausen 17 21 12 26 9 5 1 22 20 17 19 9 DNQ 16 DNQ 9 19 710 17 Wally Dallenbach Sr. 10 17 17 8 7 16 5 9 28 DNS 15 4 620 18 Swede Savage 2 8 27 1 615 19 Jim Malloy 33 19 4 5 16 22 DNQ 11 DNQ 12 7 13 13 570 20 Greg Weld 18 32 DNQ 27 7 15 7 8 DNQ 4 530 21 George Snider 7 20 23 23 14 DNQ 4 14 15 18 2 7 460 22 Carl Williams 9 2 12 DNQ 15 DNQ 10 440 23 Jerry Grant 22 7 17 6 21 DNQ 14 420 24 Rick Muther 8 DNQ 14 DNQ 33 8 22 400 25 Sam Sessions 12 DNQ 21 6 17 DNQ 4 11 12 365 26 Steve Krisiloff 8 15 10 DNQ 22 13 18 DNQ 29 7 DNS 315 27 Larry Dickson DNQ 25 DNQ 3 DNQ 3 DNS 11 310 28 13 16 DNQ 15 8 9 6 14 12 DNQ 305 29 Joe Leonard 24 1 13 300 30 Bill Simpson 22 10 19 DNQ 20 19 14 7 6 DNQ 19 21 295 31 Ralph Liguori DNQ 13 5 2 DNQ 15 260 32 Bill Vukovich II DNS 20 DNP 23 13 12 DNQ 3 10 200 33 Max Dudley 8 22 9 DNQ 10 DNQ 195 34 Bruce Jacobi 19 9 DNQ 20 20 4 15 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 180 35 Tom Bigelow Wth DNQ 17 DNQ 7 13 7 DNQ 6 17 17 DNQ 180 36 Bob Harkey 12 16 17 6 13 9 DNQ DNQ 130 37 8 7 110 38 Dee Jones DNQ 8 DNQ 100 39 9 11 DNS 18 22 23 DNS DNQ DNQ DNQ 14 15 100 40 Bud Tingelstad Wth 25 24 16 DNQ 10 18 90 41 Bruce Walkup 16 29 21 16 DNS 13 26 23 16 14 6 14 DNQ DNQ DNQ 80 42 6 DNP 80 43 Jerry Karl 12 24 13 Wth DNQ 11 DNQ 12 25 DNQ 65 44 Ludwig Heimrath Sr. 23 14 23 DNQ 12 10 60 45 Ronnie Bucknum 16 15 DNQ DNP 20 11 60 46 19 8 50 47 21 DNQ 9 DNQ DNQ 40 48 Arnie Knepper DNQ 15 11 18 22 DNQ DNQ DNQ 40 49 Johnny Parsons DNQ 16 12 17 18 DNQ DNQ 10 50 Johnny Anderson 20 12 10 - Mark Donohue 25 2 2 30 0 - John Cannon 11 DNQ 4 DNQ 0 - 4 0 - Peter Revson 22 5 0 - LeeRoy Yarbrough 19 8 0 - Jack Eiteljorg 10 DNQ 0 - 11 0 - Kevin Bartlett 12 DNQ 16 26 0 - Ned Spath 14 17 13 DNQ 0 - DNQ DNQ Wth 18 13 DNQ DNQ 16 DNQ 0 - Jack Brabham 13 DNQ 0 - 15 23 14 DNQ 23 23 DNQ DNQ 0 - Al Loquasto 24 DNQ DNQ 14 23 0 - 15 DNQ 0 - Al Miller Wth 15 0 - Bill Puterbaugh DNQ DNS DNQ DNQ 16 17 0 - Sonny Ates Wth 16 0 - DNS 18 0 - DNQ 18 DNQ 0 - 19 20 DNQ 0 - 19 0 - George Follmer 31 21 20 0 - Bud Morley Wth 21 DNQ 0 - 21 0 - Gig Stephens 22 26 0 - DNQ DNQ 22 DNQ DNQ 0 - 24 DNQ 0 - Jim Hurtubise DNQ 32 0 - Ron Burke DNQ DNQ DNQ DNS 0 - Ed Marshall DNQ DNS 0 - Leigh Earnshaw DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 - Jigger Sirois DNQ DNQ 0 - Keith Rachwitz DNQ DNQ 0 - Lee Kunzman Wth DNQ 0 - Denny Zimmerman DNQ DNQ 0 - Rollie Beale DNQ DNQ 0 - Jim Reynard DNQ DNQ 0 - Bob Gregg DNQ 0 - Tony Adamowicz DNQ 0 - Sam Posey DNQ 0 - Charlie Glotzbach Wth 0 - Chris Amon Wth 0 - Denny Hulme Wth 0 - Carlos Pairetti Wth 0 - Bob Veith Wth 0 - Les Scott DNQ 0 - Gary Ponzini DNQ 0 - Bob Allen DNQ 0 - Tom Sneva DNQ 0 - Dave Strickland DNQ 0 Pos Driver PHX1 SON TRE1 INDY MIL1 LAN CDR MIC IRP SPR MIL2 ONT DQSF ISF SED TRE2 SAC 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 *|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 1970 . Åberg, Andreas . Driver Database . 2009-05-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080325034353/http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1970/ . 2008-03-25 . live . Web site: 1970 USAC National Championship Trail . ChampCarStats.com . 2009-05-12 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081122115545/http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1970.htm . 2008-11-22 . live . Web site: 1970 Championship Driver Summary . Harms . Phil . Motorsport.com . 2011-05-03 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120810003609/http://www.motorsport.com/stats/champ/data/1970sum.pdf . 2012-08-10 . dead . http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 232-237) See also 1970 Indianapolis 500 ]