The 1979 SCCA/CART Indy Car Series was the inaugural Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) American open wheel racing championship series. The season consisted of 14 races. Rick Mears was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Bill Alsup. The 1979 Indianapolis 500 was sanctioned by USAC, but counted towards the CART points championship. Rick Mears won the Indy 500, his first of four victories in the event.
Controversy The 1979 season was filled with controversy on and off the track. During the offseason, several Indy car owners broke off from USAC, and formed Championship Auto Racing Teams, a new sanctioning body to govern the sport of open wheel Indy car racing. USAC continued to sanction their Gold Crown Championship, resulting in two parallel national championships for 1979. The controversy over the first "split" in Indy car racing came to its first climax at the 1979 Indianapolis 500, when USAC rejected entries by certain CART owners. The owners won a court injunction to be allowed to race, and later, another controversy erupted, this time involving illegal wastegate exhaust pipes.
The 1979 CART season was held through an arrangement such that it fell under the sanctioning umbrella of the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). This one-year, temporary arrangement was such that it would be formally recognized by ACCUS.
With three wins, two poles, and 14 top tens (no finish worse than 7th), Rick Mears ran away with the inaugural CART championship title. Mears took a large points lead after winning the Indy 500, and never relinquished the top spot through the remainder of the season. Bobby Unser won six races, and finished second in points.
USAC/CART "Split" For more information, see 1979 Indianapolis 500 § Controversies
Confirmed entries The following teams and drivers competed for the 1979 CART World Series. Team/Car OwnerChassisEngineNoDriversRaces Alex Morales Co. Lightning Mk1/77 Offenhauser 10 Pancho Carter All 15 Bob Harkey 11 All American Racers Eagle 78 MkII Cosworth 36 Mike MosleyAll Beith RacingEagle 72 Offenhauser28 Billy Scott4, 11 Cannon Racing Team Wildcat Mk. I DGS 95 Larry Cannon 4, 7–8, 10–14 Chaparral Racing Chaparral 2KLola T500 Cosworth 2 Al Unser All Conqueste RacingParnelli VPJ6CTCosworth 21 Lee Kunzman 1–8, 11 Fletcher Racing Lightning Mk1/77 Cosworth 7 Steve Krisiloff 1–10 55 Spike Gehlhausen 11–14 Frantz Auto BodyWildcat Mk. IDGS 18 Tom Frantz 1–4, 7-12 Bill Henderson5–6 Gehlhausen-Reath Racing Eagle 74Wildcat Mk. I OffenhauserCosworth 19 Spike Gehlhausen 1–10 Bob Harkey4 Bill Alsup4 Phil Caliva11 39 Al Loquasto 4, 7–8 Hoffman Auto Racing Lightning Mk1/77Offenhauser 59 George Snider 4 Joe Saldana7–8, 11EagleLightning Mk1/77691–6, 9–10, 12 Tim Richmond7–8 Al Loquasto11Spyder Eagle 79 Dick Ferguson 7–8 Cliff Hucul11 Joe Saldana13–14 Intercomp Racing Eagle 72 Offenhauser 92 John Mahler 1–9 Interscope Racing Parnelli VPJ6CTParnelli VPJ6B Cosworth 25 Danny OngaisAll Jerry O'Connell Racing McLaren M24 Cosworth 1 Tom SnevaAllMcLaren M24B 32 Johnny Parsons 11 Longhorn Racing Penske PC-6/78 Cosworth 11 Tom Bagley 1–12, 14 71 Steve Krisiloff 11 Mergard Racing Eagle 72 Offenhauser 42 Herm Johnson13–14 Patrick RacingPenske PC-6/78Wildcat Mk. VCosworth 20 Gordon Johncock All 40 Wally Dallenbach All 60 Roger Mears 11 Steve Krisiloff 12 Penske Racing Penske PC-7/79Penske PC-6/78 Cosworth 9 Rick MearsAll 12 Bobby UnserAll 68 Bill Alsup 4 99 Mario Andretti 11–12 Sanett RacingPenske PC-6/78Cosworth 23 Dick Ferguson11, 14Lola T500 86 Dennis Firestone11 S&M Electric Lightning Mk1/77 Offenhauser 35 Larry Rice 1–6 Tim Richmond 9–11, 14 Team McLaren McLaren M24BMcLaren M24 Cosworth 4 Johnny RutherfordAll Walmotor Penske PC-6/78McLaren M24 Cosworth 77 Salt Walther 1–4, 7–8, 11–12 WASP RacingMcLaren M16C/DOffenhauser 41 Bill AlsupAll Whittington Bros. RacingMcLaren M24Cosworth 94 Don Whittington11Parnelli VPJ6CT 98 Bill Whittington11 Wysard Motor Co. Wildcat Mk. II DGS 34 Vern Schuppan 1–4, 7–12, 14 USAC-registered teams Agajanian-King RacersKingfish 73Chevrolet 97 Phil Threshie 4 98 Gary Bettenhausen 4 AMI RacingLola T500BCosworth 44 Tom Bigelow445 Janet Guthrie4Wildcat Mk. IIDGS46 Howdy Holmes4 B/M EnterprisesAntares 72Offenhauser50 Frank Weiss4, 13 Eldon Rasmussen4 Beaudoin Racing Wildcat Mk. II DGS83 Billy Engelhart4 Bruce CrowerEagle 74Chevrolet57 Jerry Sneva4 Gibson RacingEagle 74DGS75 Todd Gibson4 Gilmore Racing Parnelli VPJ6CTCosworth 14 A. J. Foyt4 Hodgdon RacingSpirit 78AMC73 Neil Bonnett4 Jerry Sneva4McLaren M24Cosworth7211 Roger McCluskey4 Hucul RacingMcLaren M16EOffenhauser29 Cliff Hucul4 Jim HurtubiseMallard 71Offenhauser56 Jim Hurtubise4 Leader Card Racing Watson 77Offenhauser 22 Bill Vukovich II 4 Watson 78 24 Sheldon Kinser 4 Watson 79 40 George Snider 4 Lindsey HopkinsLightning X-15Offenhauser15 Johnny Parsons4Lightning Mk1/7951 Hurley Haywood4 McElreath RacingPenske PC-6/78Cosworth23 Jim McElreath4 Medlin RacingCicada Mk.IVOffenhauser35 Bill Puterbaugh4 Polak Racing Penske PC-5/77 Cosworth 80 Larry Dickson4 Rager Racing Eagle 68 Chevrolet 66 Roger Rager4 Rasmussen Racing Rascar 72 Foyt 58 Eldon Rasmussen4 Raymond ReimerMarch 73AChevrolet93 Larry McCoy4 Rhoades CompetitionMcLaren M16EOffenhauser20 John Martin4, 11 Thunder RacingMcLaren M16C/DOffenhauser 30 Dana Carter4 Vollstedt Racing Vollstedt 77Offenhauser 17 Dick Simon4 Wayne WoodwardEagle 74Offenhauser81 Dick Ferguson4 William R. ComptonMcLaren M16C/DOffenhauser38 Jerry Karl4
Schedule Icon Legend Oval/Speedway Road course C Cancelled race
+RdDateNameCircuitLocation1March 11Arizona Republic/Jimmy Bryan 150 Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, Arizona2April 22Gould Twin Dixie 125 Atlanta Motor SpeedwayHampton, Georgia34May 27Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayIndianapolis, Indiana5June 10Trenton Twin Indy Trenton SpeedwayTrenton, New Jersey67July 15Norton Twin 125 Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, Michigan8 C July 29 Cancelled Mosport International Raceway Bowmanville, Ontario9August 5Kent Oil 150 Watkins Glen InternationalWatkins Glen, New York10August 19Ditzler 150 Trenton SpeedwayTrenton, New Jersey C August 26 Cancelled North Carolina Motor Speedway Rockingham, North Carolina11September 2*California 500 Ontario Motor SpeedwayOntario, California12September 15Gould Grand Prix Michigan International SpeedwayBrooklyn, Michigan13September 30Rich's Atlanta Classic Atlanta Motor SpeedwayHampton, Georgia14October 20Miller High Life 150 Phoenix International RacewayAvondale, Arizona
* The California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway was originally scheduled as a USAC race for September 2, but was switched mid-season to a CART series race. Additional races at Mosport and Rockingham were ultimately cancelled.
Results Rd Race Pole position Winning driver Winning teamRace Time Report 1 Arizona Republic/Jimmy Bryan 150 Bobby Unser Gordon Johncock Patrick Racing1:15:23 Report 2 Gould Twin Dixie 125 Johnny Rutherford Johnny Rutherford Team McLaren0:47:28Report 3 Set by field finish in race 1 Johnny Rutherford Team McLaren0:45:40 4 Indianapolis 500 Rick Mears Rick Mears Team Penske3:08:27 Report 5 Trenton Twin Indy Gordon Johncock Bobby Unser Team Penske0:46:30 Report 6 Set by field finish in race 1 Bobby Unser Team Penske0:40:46 7 Norton Twin 125 Bobby Unser Gordon JohncockPatrick Racing0:44:13Report 8 Set by field finish in race 1 Bobby Unser Team Penske0:48:40Report 9 Kent Oil 150 Al Unser Bobby Unser Team Penske1:14:42 Report 10 Ditzler 150 Bobby Unser Rick Mears Team Penske1:09:20 Report 11 California 500 Rick Mears Bobby Unser Team Penske3:24:22 Report 12 Gould Grand Prix Bobby Unser Bobby Unser Team Penske0:51:22 Report 13 Rich's Atlanta Classic Bobby Unser Rick Mears Team Penske0:50:09 Report 14 Miller High Life 150 Bobby Unser Al Unser Chaparral Cars1:13:03 Report
CART was sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Indianapolis was USAC-sanctioned but counted towards the CART championship.
Race summaries Race 1: Arizona Republic/Jimmy Bryan 150
Bobby Unser won the first pole in the new series history and dominated the race leading the most laps (86). However Unser had tire issues forcing an extra stop and history would show Gordon Johncock as the series first ever winner with Rick Mears second, and Johnny Rutherford in third.
Races 2 and 3: Gould Twin Dixie 125's
Johnny Rutherford would win the pole race 1. Race 1 would see Rutherford and Gordon Johncock dominate with Johncock leading the most laps (32) but would see Rutherford winning after a late race duel with Lee Kumzman who would hold on for second. Tom Sneva would take third while Johncock would take fourth.
Race 2 would see Rutherford again lead the field to the green flag (Race 2 lineup set by Race 1 finishing order). This time Rutherford would lead the most laps (61) and win. Rick Mears took second. Placing third was Al Unser Sr after he ran out of fuel on the final lap.
Also during this race weekend the CART teams that planned on entering the Indianapolis 500 were informed in a telegram from USAC that their board of directors voted unanimously to reject the entries of six key CART teams of Penske, Patrick, McLaren, Fletcher, Chaparral, and Gurney as they stated these six teams (19 cars) were alleged to be "harmful to racing" and "not in good standing with USAC."
Race 4: Indianapolis 500
After the rejected six filed an emergency injunction to be allowed to qualify and compete in the race, the injunction was granted. Race Day came around following the qualifying controversy and Rick Mears won his first of six Indy 500 poles. Both Bobby and Al Unser combined to lead 174 laps. But on lap 103 Al Unsers Day came to an end with a failed transmission. Bobby Unser was then in firm control until lap 181 when he slowed with gearbox troubles. Rick Mears would lead the remainder of the race for his first of four Indy 500 wins. A J. Foyt would finish second after losing his engine on the final lap. Mike Mosely would finish third, Danny Ongais would take fourth, Bobby Unser nursed his car to a fifth place finish with an ailing gearbox.
Races 5 and 6: Trenton Twin Indy
Race 1 would see Gordon Johncock take pole. He would lead the first 44 laps (most laps led) then lose the lead on the next lap as he had to pit, then he would spin 2 laps later losing more spots. That opened the door for Bobby Unser to win with brother Al Unser Sr taking second, and Johncock would recover for third.
Starting order for race 2 was set by race 1 finishing order so Bobby Unser started first and would finish first after leading the most laps (62). Wally Dallenbach would finish second, Johnny Rutherford finished third.
Races 7 and 8: Norton Twin 125s
In the first race, Bobby Unser won the pole, followed by Al Unser, Gordon Johncock, Wally Dallenbach, and Rick Mears. Johncock jumped out to lead the first three laps, but Bobby Unser fought back and led until the first caution flew on lap 11 for Spike Gehlhausen's stalled car. Lee Kunzman stayed out under the caution and took the lead, while Bobby Unser's engine blew on lap 21. Al Unser would pick up the lead after the caution flew for Danny Ongais spinning, but he miscalculated fuel mileage and ran out of fuel with 17 laps to go. This allowed Gordon Johncock to take the lead and win. Mike Mosley finished second, Johnny Rutherford third, Rick Mears fourth and Wally Dallenbach fifth. 11 laps into the race, Tom Sneva encountered a fire in his pits, but no one was hurt.