1970 USAC Championship Car season
| 1970 USAC Championship Car season | |
|---|---|
| USAC National Championship Trail | |
| Season | |
| Races | 18 |
| Start date | March 28 |
| End date | November 21 |
| Awards | |
| National champion | Al Unser |
| Indianapolis 500 winner | Al Unser |
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)
| Team | Chassis | Engine | Drivers | Rounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing | Colt (1-9, 11-12, 16, 18), King (10, 13-15, 17) |
Ford | Al Unser | All |
| Colt | Ford | Joe Leonard | 4-5, 12 | |
| Leader Card Racing | Eagle (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 Enterprises | Gerhardt (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 Granatelli | Gerhardt (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 Racers | Brabham | Offenhauser | Bill Vukovich II | 2 |
| Hayhoe Racing Enterprises | Scorpion (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, 15-18 |
| Gerhardt (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 Team | Gerhardt (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 Racing | Brabham | Offenhauser | Bill Vukovich II | 4, 18 |
| Brabham | Brabham | Offenhauser | Jack Brabham | 4, 12 |
| Dayton-Walther | Morris | Offenhauser | Bill Vukovich II | 5, 6 |
| Racing International | Volstedt (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 Racers | Eagle | Ford (2, 4), Offenhauser (12) |
Dan Gurney | 2, 4, 12 |
| Eagle | Ford | Swede Savage | 7, 9, 12, 18 | |
| Penske | Lola | Chevrolet (2, 12), Ford (4, 9) |
Mark Donohue | 2, 4, 9, 12 |
| McLaren | Mclaren (4), Meskowski (10, 13-15, 17), Gerhardt (12) |
Offenhauser | Carl Williams | 4, 10, 12-15, 17 |
| Patrick Racing | Eagle (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 Racing | Eagle (4-5, 11), Kuzma (8-18) |
Ford (4-5, 11, 18), Offenhauser (8) |
Mel Kenyon | 4-5, 8, 11, 16 |
| Eagle (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 Racing | Finley (1, 3-6, 11, 16, 18), Vollstedt (10, 13-15, 17) |
Offenhauser | Lloyd Ruby | 1, 3-5, 7, 11-12, 16, 18 |
| Vatis Enterprises | Laycock | Offenhauser (1, 3-5, 7), Ford (11-12, 16, 18) |
Bentley Warren | 1, 3-6, 10-11, 13-17) |
| Don Gerhardt | Gerhardt (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, 8-18 |
| Gerhardt | Offenhauser | Larry Dickson | 4 | |
| Volstedt Racing | Volstedt | Ford | Larry Dickson | 18 |
Schedule and results
Paved/Dirt Oval
Road Course/Hill Climb
Non-championship race
^A 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.
^B 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.
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References
- Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1970". Driver Database. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
- "1970 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on November 22, 2008. Retrieved May 12, 2009.
- Harms, Phil. "1970 Championship Driver Summary" (PDF). Motorsport.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
- http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (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