1969 USAC Championship Car season

The 1969 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 24 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 30 and concluding in Riverside, California on December 7. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Mario Andretti.

Schedule and results

In the IZOD IndyCar Series 2011 Historical Record Book the winner of the Rex Mays Classic was declared to be only Art Pollard, because Greg Weld vacated the car on lap 2 of 150.

Rnd Date Race name Track Location Type Pole position Winning driver 1 March 30 Jimmy Bryan 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Paved Al Unser George Follmer 2 April 13 California 200 Hanford Motor Speedway Hanford, California Paved Mario Andretti Mario Andretti 3 May 30 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Paved A. J. Foyt Mario Andretti 4 June 8 Rex Mays Classic Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved Mario Andretti Art Pollard 5 June 15 Langhorne 150 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Paved Mario Andretti Bobby Unser 6 June 29 Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill Orville Nance Mario Andretti 7 July 6 Rocky Mountain 150 Continental Divide Raceways Mead, Colorado Road Dan Gurney Gordon Johncock 8 July 12 Nazareth 100 Nazareth Speedway Nazareth, Pennsylvania Dirt Bill Vukovich II Mario Andretti 9 July 19 Trenton 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved Mario Andretti Mario Andretti 10 July 27 Indy 200 Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Indiana Road Dan Gurney Dan Gurney 11 Dan Gurney Peter Revson 12 August 17 Tony Bettenhausen 200 Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved Al Unser Al Unser 13 August 18 Tony Bettenhausen 100 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt Greg Weld Mario Andretti 14 August 24 Delaware 200 Dover Downs International Speedway Dover, Delaware Paved Bobby Unser Art Pollard 15 September 1 Ted Horn Memorial DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt Greg Weld Al Unser 16 September 6 Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt Greg Weld A. J. Foyt 17 September 14 Brainerd 200 Brainerd International Raceway Brainerd, Minnesota Road Al Unser Gordon Johncock 18 Gordon Johncock Dan Gurney 19 September 21 Trenton 300 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved Bobby Unser Mario Andretti 20 September 28 Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt Greg Weld Al Unser 21 October 19 Dan Gurney 200 Pacific Raceways Kent, Washington Road Dan Gurney Mario Andretti 22 Mario Andretti Al Unser 23 November 21 Bobby Ball 150 Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Paved Al Unser Al Unser 24 December 7 Rex Mays 300 Riverside International Raceway Riverside, California Road Dan Gurney Mario Andretti

Pollard relieved Greg Weld on lap 2 of 150. 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 (160 kilometers) each. Run in two heats of 96.3 miles (155 kilometers) each. Run in two heats of 99 miles (159 kilometers) each.

Final points standings

Note 1: Sam Posey, Mark Donohue, Swede Savage, Peter Revson, John Cannon, Jerry Hansen, David Hobbs, Jack Brabham, Denis Hulme and LeeRoy Yarbrough are not eligible for points. Note 2: Art Pollard qualified fifth for the Milwaukee event and was eliminated in a 10-car accident at the start of the race. His original car was scored in 15th. Pollard then took over the car of Greg Weld and went on to win the race. Weld gets credit for a start but has no finishing position.

Pos Driver PHX1 HAN INDY MIL1 LHS PIK CDR NAZ TRE1IRP MIL2 SPR DOV DQSF ISFBRN TRE2 CSFSEA PHX2 RIV Pts 1 Mario Andretti 16 1 1 7 5 1 10 1 1 9 2 4 1 11 2 6 4 3 1 15 1 2 21 1 5025 2 Al Unser 22 13 Wth 9 25 2 19 1 8 12 1 4 3 9 21 1 2 1 1 2 2630 3 Bobby Unser 8 7 3 16 1 16 23 24 2 10 22 5 3 13 11 7 3 17 5 22 4 2585 4 Dan Gurney 2 2 1 21 2 1 3 4 3 2280 5 Gordon Johncock 10 3 19 8 20 1 4 10 14 19 2 1 2 6 10 9 2070 6 Wally Dallenbach Sr. 2 5 21 20 3 8 5 2 DNS 18 7 14 Wth DNQ 10 9 3 7 1795 7 A. J. Foyt 21 25 8 3 3 10 5 4 9 5 19 3 1 8 8 13 25 DNS 1570 8 Bill Vukovich II 4 8 32 17 4 19 13 6 22 5 3 4 14 DNQ 24 13 9 17 6 27 1280 9 Mike Mosley 6 12 13 6 16 14 3 19 7 17 4 18 17 9 5 23 17 6 9 17 11 1220 10 Lloyd Ruby 3 2 20 13 21 15 7 15 3 DNQ 2 DNP 1190 11 Johnny Rutherford DNS 4 29 5 15 11 22 Wth Wth 7 14 DNQ 11 12 19 4 5 1130 12 Art Pollard 19 15 31 1 2 18 DNQ 25 16 6 1 DNQ 18 18 14 14 18 12 19 16 1110 13 Roger McCluskey 14 17 14 9 5 21 4 18 14 15 3 16 15 15 2 DNQ DNQ 22 1090 14 Gary Bettenhausen 20 10 26 21 6 2 16 DNQ 13 6 5 10 2 19 2 20 DNQ 940 15 Bud Tingelstad 15 4 13 DNQ 4 24 11 5 15 13 15 DNQ 9 3 DNS 11 920 16 George Follmer 1 9 27 6 3 11 6 6 15 6 DNQ 14 880 17 George Snider 14 16 DNQ 9 5 20 25 2 7 7 DNQ 5 DNQ 26 18 840 18 Jim Malloy 6 11 2 7 DNS 12 DNQ 26 DNP 16 18 7 780 19 Mel Kenyon 4 12 24 DNP 615 20 Joe Leonard 6 19 20 21 27 DNS 5 19 600 21 Larry Dickson DNP 9 18 6 4 DNQ 6 DNQ 22 10 23 510 22 Sam Sessions DNQ DNP 12 19 10 DNQ 16 DNQ 18 12 23 14 12 DNQ DNQ 4 24 23 475 23 Jim McElreath DNP 28 7 13 20 8 DNQ 18 9 13 DNQ 11 16 9 400 24 Steve Krisiloff DNQ 12 9 17 8 8 12 15 13 26 355 25 Rick Muther DNQ 11 DNQ 12 6 9 18 28 330 26 Bill Simpson DNQ 11 DNQ 13 12 8 21 DNQ 12 7 DNQ 15 8 320 27 Jerry Grant 17 19 DNQ DNQ 4 DNQ DNQ 13 11 DNQ 10 290 28 Bruce Walkup 33 23 22 DNP DNQ 10 4 8 250 29 Bob Harkey 8 7 11 DNQ DNQ 12 11 215 30 Greg Weld 13 DNS 15 8 16 DNS 17 5 12 210 31 Max Dudley 23 22 DNQ DNQ 6 17 10 DNQ 13 DNQ 10 14 DNP 12 210 32 Al Smith 10 DNQ 8 20 16 9 DNQ 175 33 Jerry Daniels 3 DNQ 11 160 34 Jigger Sirois 5 18 DNQ DNQ DNS 25 14 150 35 Bobby Johns DNP DNP 10 DNQ DNQ 150 36 Carl Williams 25 12 DNQ 11 5 130 37 Bill Puterbaugh 9 15 16 16 6 16 120 38 Tom Bigelow DNQ 7 18 21 17 DNQ DNQ 8 DNQ DNQ 110 39 Arnie Knepper 22 DNQ 15 DNQ DNQ 26 6 11 13 DNQ 100 40 Dave Strickland 7 23 DNQ 90 41 Ludwig Heimrath Sr. DNQ DNQ 12 14 14 13 DNQ 17 19 28 8 13 DNQ 15 65 42 Sonny Ates 17 22 24 12 10 61 43 Johnny Parsons DNQ 7 DNQ 30 60 44 Al Loquasto 23 14 9 13 16 11 20 DNS 26 DNQ 60 45 Keith Rachwitz 9 16 60 46 Jerry Karl 10 15 DNP 60 47 Ralph Liguori 18 DNQ 8 50 48 Johnny Anderson 8 DNQ 50 49 Don Schisler 15 9 40 50 Les Scott DNQ DNQ 11 23 DNQ 20 40 51 Don Nordhorn 10 DNQ DNQ 30 53 Denny Zimmerman 11 DNP DNQ DNQ 30 52 Bobby Grim DNQ 11 30 54 Ted Foltz 2 24 55 Wes Vandervoort 3 21 56 Bob Gregg 11 16 DNQ 13 20 57 Lee Kunzman DNQ DNQ 12 20 58 Bob Herring 4 18 59 Malcolm Brazier 5 15 60 George Fejer 12 DNP 15 61 Charles Louderman 6 12 62 Grier Manning 7 9 63 Clark Yowell 8 8 64 Bob Daly 9 6 65 Jack Guynn 10 4 66 Rick Vermillion 18 3 67 James Byrd 16 2 - Peter Revson 5 3 1 DNP 0 - Sam Posey DNQ 8 7 16 4 3 25 0 - Mark Donohue 7 DNQ 7 4 16 21 0 - Swede Savage 5 14 7 6 0 - John Cannon 5 10 DNQ 29 0 - Jerry Hansen 17 7 8 DNQ 0 - David Hobbs 10 10 0 - Orville Nance 11 0 - Gene Pacheco 12 0 - Butch Earley 13 0 - Jim Reynard DNQ 14 DNQ DNP DNQ DNP 0 - George Benson DNQ 14 0 - LaVerne Ravenstein 14 0 - Hamilton Vose 14 0 - Rollie Beale 19 15 DNP DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 - Dempsey Wilson 15 20 DNQ DNQ 0 - Ralph Murdock 15 0 - Charlie Masters 17 DNS 17 0 - Todd Gibson 24 17 DNQ DNP DNQ DNQ 0 - Ronnie Bucknum DNP DNP 30 DNP DNQ 17 0 - Wib Spalding DNQ DNQ 17 DNP DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 - Larry Overholser 17 0 - Tommy Copp 18 DNQ 18 DNQ 0 - Gig Stephens 18 DNQ DNQ 0 - Denny Hulme 18 0 - Lou Sell 20 0 - Earl Smith DNS 21 DNQ 0 - Mickey Shaw 22 0 - LeeRoy Yarbrough 23 0 - Ned Spath DNQ 24 DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 - Ed Marshall DNQ 24 0 - Jack Brabham 24 0 - Bob Pratt 26 0 - Dick Simon DNS DNQ DNQ 0 - Cy Fairchild DNQ DNQ 0 - Charlie Glotzbach DNQ DNQ 0 - Dee Jones DNQ DNQ 0 - Roger West DNQ DNQ 0 - Chuck Booth DNQ DNQ 0 - Bobby Hogle DNQ DNQ 0 - Karl Busson DNP DNQ 0 - Bud Morley DNQ 0 - Jim Hurtubise DNQ 0 - Al Miller DNQ 0 - Lothar Motschenbacher DNQ 0 - Bob Veith DNQ 0 - Merle Bettenhausen DNQ 0 - Dale Breedlove DNQ 0 - Dino Dioguardi DNQ 0 - Nick Dioguardi DNQ 0 - Scott Carr Wth 0 - Graham Hill Wth 0 - Jochen Rindt Wth 0 - Bob West DNQ 0 - Pat O'Reilly DNP 0 - Jimmy Maguire DNP 0 - Joe Lehman DNP 0 - Roger Veys DNP 0 - Eugene Willbanks DNP 0 - Steve Diulo DNP 0 - George Eaton DNP 0 Pos Driver PHX1 HAN INDY MIL1 LHS PIK CDR NAZ TRE1 IRP1 IRP2 MIL2 SPR DOV DQSF ISF BRN1 BRN2 TRE2 CSF SEA1 SEA2 PHX2 RIV 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. 238–243)

See also 1969 Indianapolis 500