1970 USAC Championship Car season

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. Also of note, the series added a second 500 mile race at the new Ontario Motor Speedway.

Entrants (partial list)

TeamChassisEngineDriversRounds Vel's Parnelli Jones RacingColt (1-9, 11-12, 16, 18), King (10, 13-15, 17)Ford Al Unser All Colt Ford Joe Leonard 4-5, 12 Leader Card RacingEagle (1-9, 11-12, 16, 18), Watson (10, 13-15, 17), Ward (17)Ford(1-5, 7, 9, 11-12, 16, 18), Offenhauser (6, 8, 10, 13-15, 17) Bobby Unser All Watson (1-11, 13-18), Eagle (12) Offenhauser Mike Mosley All Epperly (1), Coyote (4), Watson (8-9, 12, 16, 18), Dunlop (10, 13-15, 17) Offenhauser (1, 8-10, 12-17), Ford ( 4, 18) George Snider 1, 4, 8-10, 12-18 A.J. Foyt EnterprisesGerhardt (1, 3, 5), Coyote (4, 12), McElreath (10, 13-15, 17), Eagle (18)Ford (4, 12, 18), Chevrolet (10, 13-15, 17), Offenhauser(1, 3, 5) Jim McElreath All Coyote (1-5, 7-9, 11-12, 18), Meskowski (10, 13-15) Ford A.J. Foyt 1-5, 7-15, 18 Eagle Ford Donnie Allison 4 Coyote Ford George Snider 4 Andy GranatelliGerhardt (1, 3, 5), Coyote (4, 12), McElreath (10, 13-15, 17), Eagle (18)Ford (4, 12, 18), Chevrolet (10, 13-15, 17), Offenhauser (1, 3, 5) Mario Andretti All Kuzma Offenhauser Larry Dickson 10, 13-15, 17 Hawk Ford George Folmer 4, 12 Kuzma Offenhauser Bill Vukovich II 17 Hawk Ford Steve Krisiloff 16 Agajanian-Faas RacersBrabhamOffenhauser Bill Vukovich II 2 Hayhoe Racing EnterprisesScorpion (1, 3-6, 7-9, 11-12, 16, 18), Meskowski (15, 17)Ford (1, 3-6, 7-9, 11-12, 16, 18),, Offenhauser (15, 17) Roger McCluskey 1, 3-6, 7-9, 11-12, 15-18Gerhardt (1), King (3-5), Vollstedt (7), Morris (8, 11, 16, 18), Scorpion (12)"Offenhauser (1, 3-5), Ford (7-8, 11-12, 16, 18) Art Pollard 1, 3-5, 7-8, 11-12, 16, 18 Johncock Racing TeamGerhardt (1, 3-5), McLaren (6, 8, 12, 16), Eagle (2, 7, 9)Offenhauser (1, 3-6, 8, 12, 16), Ford (2, 7, 9) Gordon Johncock 1-9, 12, 16 Jerry O-Connell RacingBrabhamOffenhauser Bill Vukovich II 4, 18 BrabhamBrabhamOffenhauser Jack Brabham 4, 12 Dayton-WaltherMorrisOffenhauser Bill Vukovich II 5, 6 Racing InternationalVolstedt (1-6, 8-9, 12, 16, 18), Morris (7), Moore (17)Ford (1, 4-5, 7-9, 12, 16), Chevrolet (2-3), Offenhauser (6, 17) Dick Simon 1-9, 12, 16-18 All American RacersEagleFord (2, 4), Offenhauser (12) Dan Gurney 2, 4, 12EagleFord Swede Savage 7, 9, 12, 18 PenskeLolaChevrolet (2, 12), Ford (4, 9) Mark Donohue 2, 4, 9, 12 McLarenMclaren (4), Meskowski (10, 13-15, 17), Gerhardt (12)Offenhauser Carl Williams 4, 10, 12-15, 17 Patrick RacingEagle (2-6, 7-9, 11-12, 16, 18), Lesovksy (10, 13-15, 17)Offenhauser (3-4, 8, 10-17), Ford (2, 5-6, 9, 18) Johnny Rutherford 2-6, 8-18 Lindsey Hopkins RacingEagle (4-5, 11), Kuzma (8-18)Ford (4-5, 11, 18), Offenhauser (8) Mel Kenyon 4-5, 8, 11, 16Eagle (1, 3-6, 8-9, 18), Kuzma (14, 16)Offenhauser (1, 3-6, 8-9, 14, 16), Ford (18) Wally Dallenbach 1, 3-6, 8-9, 14, 16, 18 Gene White RacingFinley (1, 3-6, 11, 16, 18), Vollstedt (10, 13-15, 17)Offenhauser Lloyd Ruby 1, 3-5, 7, 11-12, 16, 18 Vatis EnterprisesLaycockOffenhauser (1, 3-5, 7), Ford (11-12, 16, 18) Bentley Warren 1, 3-6, 10-11, 13-17) Don GerhardtGerhardt (1-6, 8-9, 11-12, 16, 18), Ward (10, 13-15), Edmunds (17)Offy (1, 3-6, 8-9, 11-18), Ford (10), Chevy (2) Gary Bettenhausen 1-6, 8-18GerhardtOffenhauser Larry Dickson 4 Volstedt RacingVolstedtFord Larry Dickson 18

Schedule and results

Rnd Date Race name Length Track Location Type Pole position Winning driver 1 March 28 Phoenix 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Paved Mario Andretti Al Unser 2 April 4 Golden Gate 150 Sears Point Raceway Sonoma, California Road Mark Donohue Dan Gurney 3 April 26 Trenton 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved Al Unser Lloyd Ruby 4 May 30 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Paved Al Unser Al Unser 5 June 7 Rex Mays Classic Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Paved Mario Andretti Joe Leonard 6 June 14 Langhorne 150 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Paved Bobby Unser Bobby Unser 7 June 28 Rocky Mountain 150 Continental Divide Raceways Mead, Colorado Road Al Unser Mario Andretti 8 July 4 Michigan Twin 200s Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan Paved Gary Bettenhausen Gary BettenhausenNC July 4 Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill Orville Nance Ted Foltz 9 July 26 Indy 150 Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Indiana Road Mario Andretti Al Unser 10 August 22 Tony Bettenhausen 100 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt Larry Dickson Al Unser 11 August 23 Tony Bettenhausen 200 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Paved Al Unser Al Unser 12 September 6 California 500 Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario, California Paved Lloyd Ruby Jim McElreath 13 September 7 Ted Horn Memorial 100 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt Al Unser Al Unser 14 September 12 Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt Johnny Parsons Al Unser 15 September 19 Sedalia 100 State Fair Raceway Sedalia, Missouri Dirt Al Unser Al Unser 16 October 3 Trenton 300 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved Al Unser Al Unser 17 October 4 Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt Mario Andretti Al Unser 18 November 21 Bobby Ball 150 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 LHS CDR MIS IRP SPR MIL2 ONT DQSF ISF SED TRE2 CSF 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 Dick Simon 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 Bentley Warren DNQ 8 DNQ 10 6 5 4 DNQ 8 5 20 11 DNQ 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 John Mahler 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 Merle Bettenhausen 8 7 110 38 Dee Jones DNQ 8 DNQ 100 39 Karl Busson 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 Jimmy Caruthers 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 Dick Tobias 19 8 50 47 Will Cagle 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 - Donnie Allison 4 0 - Peter Revson 22 5 0 - LeeRoy Yarbrough 19 8 0 - Jack Eiteljorg 10 DNQ 0 - Ron Grable 11 0 - Kevin Bartlett 12 DNQ 16 26 0 - Ned Spath 14 17 13 DNQ 0 - Larry Cannon DNQ DNQ Wth 18 13 DNQ DNQ 16 DNQ 0 - Jack Brabham 13 DNQ 0 - Darrell Dockery 15 23 14 DNQ 23 23 DNQ DNQ 0 - Al Loquasto 24 DNQ DNQ 14 23 0 - John Martin 15 DNQ 0 - Al Miller Wth 15 0 - Bill Puterbaugh DNQ DNS DNQ DNQ 16 17 0 - Sonny Ates Wth 16 0 - Salt Walther DNS 18 0 - Jerry Poland DNQ 18 DNQ 0 - Crockey Peterson 19 20 DNQ 0 - Scooter Patrick 19 0 - George Follmer 31 21 20 0 - Bud Morley Wth 21 DNQ 0 - Nick Dioguardi 21 0 - Gig Stephens 22 26 0 - Bob DeJong DNQ DNQ 22 DNQ DNQ 0 - Don Brown 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 LHS CDR MIS IRP SPR MIL2 ONT DQSF ISF SED TRE2 CSF 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 notparticipate(DNP) Not competing In-line notationBoldPole positionItalicsRan fastest race lap*Led most race laps Rookie of the Year Rookie

References

http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 232-237) https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/results/1970/indianapolis500/ Retrieved July 30, 2025 https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/1970-usac-national-championship/ Retrieved July 30, 2025 https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/results/1970/indianapolis500/ Retrieved July 30, 2025 http://www.ultimateracinghistory.com/racelist.php?year=1970 Retrieved July 30, 2025

See also 1970 Indianapolis 500