The Pocono 500 was an
IndyCar Series
The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...
race held at
Pocono Raceway
Pocono Raceway (formerly known as the Pocono International Raceway in early years) is a tri-oval track in Blakeslee, Pennsylvania. The track has held a variety of events since its opening in 1969, including NASCAR, IndyCar Series, and IMSA GT ...
in
Long Pond, Pennsylvania
Long Pond is an unincorporated community in Monroe County in the Pocono Mountains region of Pennsylvania, a part of the Appalachian Mountains. Long Pond is located within the Tunkhannock Creek Watershed. Its ZIP code is 18334.
Geography
Long ...
, located in the
Pocono Mountains
The Pocono Mountains, commonly referred to as the Poconos (), are a geographical, geological, and cultural region in Northeastern Pennsylvania. They overlook the Delaware River and Delaware Water Gap to the east, Lake Wallenpaupack to the nort ...
. The first
Indy car
IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis 5 ...
race at Pocono was held in 1971. It was the first major event held at the track, shortly after its completion. The race was sanctioned by
USAC from 1971 to 1981, and then by
CART
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs.
A handcart ...
from 1982 to 1989, and was known as the Pocono 500. The race was removed from the CART calendar following the 1989 running, due to poor track conditions, as well as poor revenue for the promoter.
After a 23-year hiatus, the event was revived by the
IndyCar Series
The IndyCar Series, officially known as the NTT IndyCar Series for sponsorship reasons, is the highest class of American open-wheel car racing in the United States, which has been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies sinc ...
in
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
. Following management changes at the facility, and after comprehensive safety improvements were completed at the track, the race was scheduled for
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
weekend. For 2013, the race was scheduled for 400 miles, and was part of the IndyCar
Triple Crown. For 2014, the race returned to its traditional 500-mile distance, and was scheduled in mid-to-late August.
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
is the most successful driver, with four wins.
Rick Mears
Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
won the race three times during the
CART
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs.
A handcart ...
years, and
Will Power
William Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 12 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. He won the 2018 Indianapolis 500 and has won the IndyCar Championship twice, in ...
has won three times under
IndyCar
IndyCar, LLC (stylized as INDYCAR), is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis ...
sanctioning.
The 2014 race, won by
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...
, stands as the fastest 500-mile race in Indy car racing history. At an average speed of , it was the first 500-mile race to be completed in under two and a half hours.
Race history
USAC
The Pocono 500 began in
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
, as part of the
USAC National Championship Trail. It was part of USAC's
"triple crown", consisting of the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
, Pocono 500, and
California 500. The race was popular, and the unique track layout was said to have been
designed specifically with Champ/Indy cars in mind. USAC sanctioned the event through
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
.
During the early years, the Pocono 500 utilized an expanded two-week schedule, shorter, but similar to that of Indianapolis. A week of practice was followed by two days of time trials (Saturday-Sunday), followed by race day the following weekend. In some years, qualifying also consisted of four-lap runs, mimicking Indy. During the USAC years, the race was held in late-June/early-July, and for a time, race day itself was scheduled around
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
. For the first number of years, the starting field consisted of 33 cars, lined up in eleven rows of three, the same as Indy.
For
1977
Events January
* January 8 – 1977 Moscow bombings, Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (no ...
, the race schedule was trimmed back to one week. Practice opened on Tuesday, with time trials scheduled for Thursday and Friday, and the race on Sunday. Additionally, qualifying was reduced to two-lap runs instead of four-lap runs.
Despite financial issues, traffic woes, and seemingly constant weather problems, the "
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
of the East" established itself as a popular race on the National Championship Trail, attracting crowds in excess of 100,000 spectators during most of the 1970s.
Nevertheless, various squabbles between track ownership and the sanctioning body were common.
In
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
, the race occurred in the midst of the first
USAC/CART "Split". Nearly all of the
CART
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs.
A handcart ...
-based teams skipped the event, angering track management, who remained loyal to
USAC. Attendance and revenue dropped, and nearly bankrupted the facility. For
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
,
IMS Ims is a Norwegian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Gry Tofte Ims (born 1986), Norwegian footballer
* Rolf Anker Ims (born 1958), Norwegian ecologist
See also
* IMS (disambiguation) Ims is a Norwegian surname
Heritable famil ...
agreed to lease the track for the
1980 CRL schedule, which featured a full field of competitors. The
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 6 – A funeral service is held in West Germany for Nazi Grand Admiral ...
race was even more controversial. Most CART teams again boycotted the event, and the track management ultimately sued for damages. USAC opened up the entry list to
Silver Crown cars in order to fill out the grid, and it was run as a two-class race.
CART

After organizational changes following the first
USAC/
CART
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs.
A handcart ...
"split," the Pocono 500 switched to the CART series beginning in 1982. The lawsuit filed by track owner/promoter
Dr. Joseph Mattioli was settled out of court, and the CART series would race at the track for at least the next five years.
The relationship between the two parties was tumultuous at times, but the event continued nevertheless through the decade of the 1980s. The race moved from June to August after the track added a second
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
Winston Cup Series
The NASCAR Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), the most prestigious stock car racing series in the United States.
The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and fro ...
race to their schedule. Moving to August allowed the race to be distanced from
Indy
Indy may refer to:
Computing and technology
*Indy (software), used for Internet access to music
*Internet Direct, or "Indy", a software library
* SGI Indy, a computer workstation
Periodicals
*''The Indy'', shorthand for newspapers that include ...
, and was set two to three weeks after the
Michigan 500
The Michigan 500 was an IndyCar Series race held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Michigan. Held from 1981 to 2001, the event was held in high prestige, constituting part of Indy car racing's 500-mile "Triple Crown".
Between 19 ...
, giving teams more preparation time between 500-mile races.
The increasingly rough condition of the course made the race demanding,
and sometimes led to high attrition and surprise winners. The unique characteristics of the course, as well as the bumpiness, kept speeds slightly down from those at Indianapolis and Michigan, but the race was still popular, and for a time, was well-attended. Several major crashes in the latter years injured several drivers, including
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
,
Kevin Cogan
John Kevin Cogan (born March 31, 1956) is an American former race car driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the ...
,
John Andretti
John Andrew Andretti (March 12, 1963January 30, 2020) was an American professional race car driver. He won individual races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR during his career. A member of the Andretti racing family, he was ...
,
Arie Luyendyk
Arie Luijendijk (anglicized as Arie Luyendyk; born 21 September 1953), nicknamed "The Flying Dutchman," is a Dutch former auto racing driver, and winner of the 1990 and 1997 Indianapolis 500 races. He was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor S ...
,
Michael Greenfield, and
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
. By the late 1980s, drivers had become increasingly vocal about their displeasure with the condition of the track, some even calling for the event to be dropped.
Despite the ongoing squabbles between the series and the ownership, the race was the site of some memorable moments in Indy car history. In 1985, it was the site of
Rick Mears
Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
' first win after recovering from his devastating injuries suffered in 1984. It was also the first and only Indy car win for the
Judd AV engine, which occurred in 1988.
Following the 1989 event, the track was officially deemed too rough and unsuitable for Indy cars. The circuit still had metal boilerplate retaining walls, lacked catch fencing around the entire perimeter, and lacked proper runoff areas. It was heavily criticized for its roughness, cracks, and frequent debris that would cause dangerous tire punctures.
Once, after
Scott Pruett
Scott Donald Pruett (born March 24, 1960) is an American former racing driver who has competed in numerous disciplines of the sport. In the 1980s, Pruett established himself as a top sports car racer, winning two IMSA GTO, and three Trans-Am ...
punctured seven tires during practice, car owner Steve Horne walked the track and returned with a handful of nails and other junk he had retrieved.
The Pocono 500 was removed from the schedule indefinitely, as neither track management nor series officials were interested in continuing the event.
Though the track safety conditions were the reasons stated by the sanctioning body,
track management also believed the event to be a money-loser for the facility.
Furthermore, according to CART medical director Dr. Steve Olvey, during the 1980s the track's medical facilities were grossly inadequate, with track owner Dr. Joe Mattioli himself listed as the "track doctor," despite his profession being
dentistry
Dentistry, also known as dental medicine and oral medicine, is the branch of medicine focused on the Human tooth, teeth, gums, and Human mouth, mouth. It consists of the study, diagnosis, prevention, management, and treatment of diseases, dis ...
.
IndyCar
During both 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, heavy crashes on the Long Pond Straight sent circuit management to call for significant safety improvements to the track.
SAFER barriers were added to inside walls, catch fencing was installed around the entire perimeter, paved runoff areas were built around the majority of the infield. The safety upgrades, as well as changes announced by the third-generation Igdalsky family (including repaving the circuit with new concrete pit stalls), led to discussions with IndyCar officials regarding the revival of the Pocono IndyCar race.
Speculation ran rampant in 2012 after the cancellation of the
Indy Qingdao 600
The 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series was the 17th season of the IndyCar Series, and the 101st season of American open wheel racing. Its premier event was the 96th Indianapolis 500, held on Sunday, May 27. The series was sanctioned by IndyCar, and took ...
that Pocono could have been used as a last-minute substitute. However, nothing materialized. On October 1, 2012, the track officially announced they would host the Pocono IndyCar 400 for the IndyCar Series on
July 4 weekend starting in 2013. The change in race distance was requested by broadcaster
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
.
For 2014, the race returned to its traditional 500-mile distance. The three 500-mile
"triple crown" races (
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
,
Fontana
Fontana may refer to:
Places
Italy
*Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone
*Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone
* Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino
*Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindisi
...
, and Pocono) would also award drivers double points towards the championship. For 2015, the race secured the title sponsorship of
ABC Supply Co., and was moved to its once familiar calendar slot in late-August.
After relatively clean, nearly caution-free races in 2013–2014, tragedy struck in 2015. Driver
Justin Wilson was struck in the head by a piece of debris which had flown off of
Sage Karam
Sage Rennie Karam (born March 5, 1995) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 53 Toyota GR Supra for Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen. He previously competed full ...
's crashed car. Wilson was airlifted to the hospital but died the next day from his injuries. In 2018,
Robert Wickens was paralyzed from the waist down after a huge crash saw him get up into the catchfence. A year later in 2019, another huge pileup on the opening lap saw
Felix Rosenqvist
Karl Felix Helmer Rosenqvist (born 7 November 1991) is a Swedish professional racing driver who currently drives the No. 60 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series. He was named Rookie of the Year for the IndyCar Series in 2019. ...
flip up into the catchfence, but no drivers were seriously injured.
On September 1, 2019, the 2020 IndyCar schedule was released, along with the announcement that they would not be returning to Pocono in 2020. It marked the second time that the track had been taken off the Indy car schedule. The race was replaced with a revived event at
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, a city in the United States
* Richmond, London, a town in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town ...
- a race that was later cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. It was not confirmed if the removal of Pocono was permanent, and the reasons for the removal were unclear. Drivers Sage Karam and Robert Wickens tweeted that the track was too dangerous for Indy cars, citing major crashes in 2018 and 2019. In their press conference after the 2019 race, Scott Dixon, Will Power, and Simon Pagenaud defended the track's safety and expressed desire that IndyCar would return.
Speculation during 2020 suggested the possibility of a return for IndyCar to Pocono in 2021 or beyond. With NASCAR experimenting with running their two Pocono races as a doubleheader, it leaves room for an IndyCar weekend.
Past winners
*1975, 1981, and 2019: Race shortened due to rain.
*2016: Race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain.
USAC Mini-Indy series
*1979: Ronn Gregg
*1980:
Josele Garza
Indy Lights
*1989: Race postponed due to rain.
Race summaries
USAC Championship Trail
1971
The inaugural Pocono 500 was held on
Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...
weekend of 1971. The teams arrived on June 19 for a week of practice, then two days of time trials (June 26–27).
local hero
Mark Donohue
Mark Neary Donohue Jr. (March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975), nicknamed "Captain Nice," was an American race car driver and engineer known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victory.
Donohue is probably best kno ...
, from the Philly suburb of Marcus Hook, won the pole position with a four-lap average speed of 172.393 mph. Going into the race, many drivers were anxious about the unusual design of the track, and the bumpy pavement.
Raceday itself was marred by a massive traffic jam on the three mile stretch of single lane of PA-115 between the track and the
I-80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...
Blakeslee exit, as it was the sole entry for fans arriving from both the
Delaware Valley
The Philadelphia metropolitan area, also known as Greater Philadelphia and informally called the Delaware Valley, the Philadelphia tri-state area, and locally and colloquially Philly–Jersey–Delaware, is a major metropolitan area in the Nor ...
and NYC metro areas. The 33-car field (mimicking the
traditional 33-car field at Indy) took the green flag in front of 75,000 spectators. Prior to the race, it was announced that the "pack-up" rule would be used during caution periods, the first Indy car 500-mile race to utilize it, which resulted in unprecedented close racing. Donohue took the lead at the start, and led the first 32 laps. A mandatory four pit stop rule came into play, shuffling the field at times, but Donohue stayed within reach of the lead most of the afternoon. In the closing stages, Donohue led
Joe Leonard
Joseph Paul Leonard (August 4, 1932 – April 27, 2017) was an American professional motorcycle racer and racecar driver.
Biography Motorcycle career
Leonard won the first A.M.A. Grand National Championship Series in 1954 and won it again in 19 ...
, and
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
. A caution came out on lap 183 when
Art Pollard
Artle Lee Pollard, Jr. (May 5, 1927 – May 12, 1973), was an American racecar driver.
Born in Dragon, Utah, and raised in the Portland, Oregon area, Pollard drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1965–1973 seasons, with ...
's car spilled oil down the Long Pond straight and into the tunnel turn. The field bunched up for a restart on lap 190, with Leonard right on the back bumper of Donohue. Down the mainstretch, Donohue got the jump and held the lead. However, going into turn two, Donohue nearly crashed when he was over-cautious driving through the oil-dry. He had to back out of the throttle, and slid up the track, allowing Leonard to dive underneath and take the lead. With the crowd on their feet, Donohue chased down Leonard and re-took the lead for good at the Tunnel Turn on lap 199, to the cheers and screams of the crowd. Donohue held off Leonard by 1.6 seconds,
believed to be the closest finish in a 500-mile Indy car race at the time. It was also
Roger Penske
Roger Searle Penske (born February 20, 1937), also known as "the Captain", is an American auto racing team owner, businessman, and former professional driver. Penske is the owner of Team Penske, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IndyCar, and ...
's first win in Champ car, a feat he repeated on the 50th anniversary with
Josef Newgarden
Josef Nicolai Newgarden (born December 22, 1990) is an American racing driver who races the No. 2 Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet in the IndyCar Series. He was the 2011 Indy Lights champion, and 2017 and 2019 IndyCar Series Champion. He won the 2 ...
at
Mid-Ohio
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington, Ohio, Lexington. It hosts a number of racing series such as IndyCar Series, Indy ...
. It was also the last time a front engine roadster qualified for a Champ Car race, with
Jim Hurtubise
James Ernest Hurtubise (December 5, 1932 – January 6, 1989) was an American racing driver who competed in American Championship Car Racing, Championship Cars, Sprint car racing, sprint cars and stock cars. Hurtubise enjoyed much success in spri ...
's #57 Miller High Life Special making the field. Post-race, a near-disaster occurred when the 6,000 gallon tanker truck collecting the leftover methanol in the pit lane overflowed, with it sloshing forward onto the hot engine of the tractor as it was making a stop; and the driver jumped out of the cab and dove over the pit wall, fearing an explosion.
1972
The second annual 500, the then-named
1972 Schaefer 500 at Pocono, was scheduled for Sunday July 2. Practice was scheduled to begin on Sunday June 18, with time trials to be held Saturday June 24 and Sunday June 25. However,
Hurricane Agnes
Hurricane Agnes was the List of costliest Atlantic hurricanes, costliest hurricane to hit the United States at the time, causing an estimated $2.1 billion in damage. The hurricane's death toll was 128. The effects of Agnes were widespread, ...
swept through the eastern United States, and wreaked havoc on the proceedings.
Rain washed out practice and qualifying for a total of ten days.
Catastrophic flooding in the area prompted officials to postpone time trials,
as some roads leading to the track were closed, and local police were tending to the disaster areas.
Meanwhile, the track grounds were heavily saturated, and the flooding had caused sewage disposal problems.
Track officials, with the suggestion of
Governor
A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...
Shapp, insisted they must reschedule the race for later in the summer, but USAC angrily refused. After eleven days, only two days had seen track activity.
Frustration and tempers were flaring in the paddock.
On the evening of Wednesday June 28, the race was finally cancelled by the promoters.
After a few days of negotiations with USAC, the controversy fizzled,
and the race was rescheduled for Saturday July 29. It would be held as part of a USAC Indy car/
USAC Stock Car
The USAC Stock Car division was the stock car racing class sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC). The division raced nationally; drivers from USAC's open wheel classes like American Championship car racing, Indy cars, Silver Crown, spri ...
500-mile
doubleheader weekend.
In the last week of July, the series returned for the rescheduled race.
However, defending race winner
Mark Donohue
Mark Neary Donohue Jr. (March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975), nicknamed "Captain Nice," was an American race car driver and engineer known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victory.
Donohue is probably best kno ...
was absent, recuperating from a knee injury.
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A ...
won the pole position with a new four-lap track record of 189.473 mph.
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Walter Johncock (born August 5, 1936) is an American former racing driver. He won the Indianapolis 500 twice, and was the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion.
Early career
Johncock initially began racing at Michigan tracks lik ...
qualified second, and
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
third.
After controversy had overshadowed the event back in June, more controversy would come to pass at the conclusion of the race itself.
Polesitter
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A ...
was not much of a factor during the race, leading only six laps and dropping out with a gearbox problem.
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
led 105 laps, and was over 40 seconds ahead of second place
Joe Leonard
Joseph Paul Leonard (August 4, 1932 – April 27, 2017) was an American professional motorcycle racer and racecar driver.
Biography Motorcycle career
Leonard won the first A.M.A. Grand National Championship Series in 1954 and won it again in 19 ...
when he came in for his final scheduled pit stop on lap 164. Andretti's routine pit stop turned into disaster when his gear shift linkage seized. Andretti lost 11 laps as his crew attempted to get the car back into gear, and he fell to a 7th-place finish.
Gary Bettenhausen
Gary Bettenhausen (November 18, 1941 – March 16, 2014) was an American midget car, midget car driver. He was the winner the 1967 and 1970 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the 1972 Astro Grand Prix, and the 1976 Hut Hundred.
Personal life
Bettenhausen ...
, who dropped out while leading at
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
earlier in the year, led 40 laps at Pocono but again dropped out while leading. After Andretti's misfortune,
Joe Leonard
Joseph Paul Leonard (August 4, 1932 – April 27, 2017) was an American professional motorcycle racer and racecar driver.
Biography Motorcycle career
Leonard won the first A.M.A. Grand National Championship Series in 1954 and won it again in 19 ...
inherited the lead.
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
and
Al Unser
Alfred Unser (May 29, 1939 – December 9, 2021) was an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He was the second of four men ( A. J. Foyt, himself, Ri ...
were running 2nd and 3rd, both a lap down. On lap 173,
Jimmy Caruthers had a fiery crash in turn three. Leonard ducked into the pits for fuel, allowing Rutherford and Unser to get back on the lead lap. One lap later, Leonard suffered a cut tire, and had to pit a second time. When the green flag was coming back out on lap 182, Unser had blown by Rutherford to take second, and one lap later, passed Leonard for the lead. Though some in attendance believed Unser was not actually on the lead lap, the scoreboards showed Unser in first place. Unser led to the finish, taking the checkered flag as the surprise winner. After the race, Unser was penalized one lap for passing under the caution. A post-race review indicated that Unser had passed Rutherford before the green light had come on. Official results posted
Joe Leonard
Joseph Paul Leonard (August 4, 1932 – April 27, 2017) was an American professional motorcycle racer and racecar driver.
Biography Motorcycle career
Leonard won the first A.M.A. Grand National Championship Series in 1954 and won it again in 19 ...
first,
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
second, and
Al Unser
Alfred Unser (May 29, 1939 – December 9, 2021) was an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He was the second of four men ( A. J. Foyt, himself, Ri ...
a lap down in third.
The following day,
Roger McCluskey
Roger McCluskey (August 24, 1930 – August 29, 1993) was an American IndyCar driver. He was raised in Tucson, Arizona.
He won championship titles in three divisions of the United States Auto Club: Sprints, Stocks, and Champ Cars. He won the US ...
won the
USAC Stock Car
The USAC Stock Car division was the stock car racing class sanctioned by the United States Auto Club (USAC). The division raced nationally; drivers from USAC's open wheel classes like American Championship car racing, Indy cars, Silver Crown, spri ...
Pennsylvania 500 driving a
Plymouth Superbird
The Plymouth Superbird is a highly modified, short-lived version of the Plymouth Road Runner with applied graphic images as well as a distinctive horn sound, both referencing the popular ''Looney Tunes'' cartoon character Road Runner. It was th ...
.
1973
In response to the tragic
1973 Indianapolis 500
The 57th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, on Wednesday, May 30, 1973. The race was held over three days because of rain and two major accidents. Three competitors—two drivers ...
in May, emergency rule changes were put into place before the cars arrived at Pocono on June 18, to prepare for the then-named
1973 Schaefer 500. Rear wings were reduced in size from 64 inches to 55 inches; on-board fuel capacity was reduced from 70 gallons down to 40 gallons; and fuel tanks were only allowed on the left side of the car, with the exception of a 2 gallon pick-up tank. An energy-absorbing material was to be placed in the spot formerly occupied by the right-side tank, and total fuel allotment for the 500 miles was reduced from 375 to 340 gallons.
Despite the rule changes,
Peter Revson
Peter Jeffrey Revlon Revson (February 27, 1939 – March 22, 1974) was an American racing driver, who competed in Formula One between and . Revson won two Formula One Grands Prix across five seasons.
Born and raised in New York, Revson was th ...
won the pole position with a new four-lap track record of 190.648 mph.
In the days leading up to the race, torrential rains pelted the area, flooding the grounds, and turned the infield into a sea of mud.
Despite the quagmire, a record crowd of 75,000-100,000 spectators arrived on a sunny race day on July 1. The new fuel rules dominated the afternoon, as the leaders needed as many as eleven pit stops to go the distance. Attrition was high, as only seven cars were running at the finish. A record 28 lead changes occurred, however, all but two were made during pit stop shuffles. Mechanical problems sidelined
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
,
Mark Donohue
Mark Neary Donohue Jr. (March 18, 1937 – August 19, 1975), nicknamed "Captain Nice," was an American race car driver and engineer known for his ability to set up his own race car as well as driving it to victory.
Donohue is probably best kno ...
,
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A ...
, and others.
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
spun twice during the race, while
Al Unser
Alfred Unser (May 29, 1939 – December 9, 2021) was an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He was the second of four men ( A. J. Foyt, himself, Ri ...
and
Gary Bettenhausen
Gary Bettenhausen (November 18, 1941 – March 16, 2014) was an American midget car, midget car driver. He was the winner the 1967 and 1970 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the 1972 Astro Grand Prix, and the 1976 Hut Hundred.
Personal life
Bettenhausen ...
both crashed. While leading on lap 136, Indy 500 winner
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Walter Johncock (born August 5, 1936) is an American former racing driver. He won the Indianapolis 500 twice, and was the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion.
Early career
Johncock initially began racing at Michigan tracks lik ...
ran over debris on the mainstretch and loudly blew a tire. In the closing laps,
Roger McCluskey
Roger McCluskey (August 24, 1930 – August 29, 1993) was an American IndyCar driver. He was raised in Tucson, Arizona.
He won championship titles in three divisions of the United States Auto Club: Sprints, Stocks, and Champ Cars. He won the US ...
led
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
. McCluskey made his final pit stop on lap 173, and the crew short-filled his tank, calculating what they thought was just enough fuel to make it to the finish. One lap later, Foyt pitted, but back out on the track, he started developing a bad vibration. Both McCluskey and Foyt were attempting to stretch their fuel to the finish, and McCluskey was now out to an 8-second lead. With handling problems getting worse, Foyt elected to pit again on lap 193, changing tires and taking on additional fuel. McCluskey now held a seemingly insurmountable 40-second lead with five laps to go. On the final lap, McCluskey ran out of fuel going into turn one, handing the lead and the victory to Foyt. It was the first of four wins for Foyt at the Pocono 500.
1974
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
, who won the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
one month earlier, was victorious at Pocono, becoming the first driver to win two of the Indy car
Triple Crown races in one season. Rutherford and the
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
team stuck to a strict fuel conservation strategy and ran a steady pace, while many other teams ran their cars out of fuel.
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
set the pace early, taking the lead on lap 10, and leading a total of 57 laps in the first half. However, on lap 133,
Bill Simpson Bill or Billy Simpson may refer to:
* Billy Simpson (jockey) (c. 1840–1873), South Australian jockey
* Billy Simpson (footballer, born 1878) (1878–1962), English football player for Sunderland and Lincoln City
* Billy Simpson (footballer, born ...
blew an engine dumping oil on the track, and Andretti running right behind him, spun in the oil and crashed. Late in the race,
Wally Dallenbach led polesitter
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A ...
, Rutherford, and
Jimmy Caruthers. Unser started fading, however, as he was running low on his fuel allotment. The leaders made their final pit stops around lap 181, with Unser not having any fuel remaining in his pitside tank except what was left in the hose. Back out on the track, a two-man duel to the finish between Dallenbach and Rutherford was about to materialize, with Caruthers moving up to third. The exiting finish fizzled when Dallenbach blew a piston on lap 188. Rutherford cruised to the finish, while Caruthers barely made it home to finish second, running out of fuel on a cool down lap. Bobby Unser limped to a 5th-place finish three laps down, slowing down to 150 mph to save fuel.
Defending race winner
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
struggled during time trials, he first burned a piston, then broke a universal joint, before qualifying 29th.
On race day, he tapped the wall and was forced to drop out after 20 laps with a damaged suspension.
1975
Rain delayed the start of the race by two hours. Just like the
Indy 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
a month earlier, the race would be shortened due to rain. Polesitter
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Walter Johncock (born August 5, 1936) is an American former racing driver. He won the Indianapolis 500 twice, and was the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion.
Early career
Johncock initially began racing at Michigan tracks lik ...
(183.281 mph),
took the lead at the start, and led 29 laps. One by one, however, most of the top contenders fell by the wayside. Johncock would crash in turn two on lap 139, and
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
suffered a burned piston.
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
battled mechanical problems all day, and
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A ...
dropped out at the halfway mark with a broken drive shaft.
Al Unser
Alfred Unser (May 29, 1939 – December 9, 2021) was an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He was the second of four men ( A. J. Foyt, himself, Ri ...
dropped out early with a manifold failure, and a broken oil pump put
Jerry Grant
Gerald Wayne "Jerry" Grant (January 23, 1935 – August 12, 2012) was a driver in the USAC Championship Car series. Born in Seattle, he began racing sports cars in Northern California in the early 1960s. He raced in the 1965-1977 seasons, w ...
nearly twenty laps down.
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
avoided all trouble, and found himself the dominant car of the day. Foyt held off mild challenges from
Bill Vukovich II
William John Vukovich Jr. (March 29, 1944 – August 20, 2023) was an American driver in the championship car division of USAC and the CART series.
Career
Vukovich was named the 1968 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his seven ...
and
Jimmy Caruthers in the second half. With storm clouds looming in the distance, Foyt cranked up his turbocharger boost sometime around the 130-lap mark, gambling that the rain would end the race early. Foyt pulled out to a 15-second lead when the caution came out for rain on lap 168. Two laps later, a downpour ensued, sending the crowd of 110,000 scurrying for cover. Foyt was declared the winner, the first two-time winner at Pocono, with
Wally Dallenbach second.
Gary Bettenhausen
Gary Bettenhausen (November 18, 1941 – March 16, 2014) was an American midget car, midget car driver. He was the winner the 1967 and 1970 Turkey Night Grand Prix, the 1972 Astro Grand Prix, and the 1976 Hut Hundred.
Personal life
Bettenhausen ...
charged from 31st starting position to finish fifth.
1976

Rain washed out two days of scheduled qualifying, and USAC officials set the starting field by a lottery system.
The top 30 positions were filled by a draw, and the final three spots were left open, to be filled by a last-chance qualifying session on Thursday.
Johnny Parsons
John Wayne Parsons1975 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast - Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network (May 25, 1975) (born August 26, 1944 in Van Nuys, California) is an American race car driver. He is the son of 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner John ...
drew the pole position, with
Bill Vukovich II
William John Vukovich Jr. (March 29, 1944 – August 20, 2023) was an American driver in the championship car division of USAC and the CART series.
Career
Vukovich was named the 1968 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, a result of his seven ...
second, and
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
on the outside of the front row.
Andretti grabbed the lead at the start, but
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
passed Andretti to take the lead on lap 7. Foyt's turn at the front was short-lived, as he blew his engine on lap 31. After starting 16th,
Al Unser
Alfred Unser (May 29, 1939 – December 9, 2021) was an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He was the second of four men ( A. J. Foyt, himself, Ri ...
was charging up the field and took the lead for the first time on lap 32. Unser, however, suffered two setbacks that nearly cost him the race. During a routine pit stop on lap 58, the pneumatic jack on Unser's car failed, necessitating the use of a hand jack. Unser came out of the pits a lap down. Later on lap 76, Unser cut a tire down the mainstretch, and had to limp back to the pits. Unser re-joined the race just ahead of leader Andretti, at that point just seconds away from being two laps down. On lap 88, a fortuitous caution came out for a spin by
Al Loquasto, and that allowed Al Unser to circle around and catch up to the back of the field. Running one lap down, Unser's
Parnelli
Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing, commonly referred to simply as Parnelli or VPJ, was a motor racing constructor and team from the United States. The team was formed in 1969 by former USAC racer Parnelli Jones and his business partner Velko "Vel" Mil ...
/
Cosworth
Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for auto racing, automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream Automotiv ...
chased down Andretti's
Penske
Penske Corporation, Inc. () is an American diversified transportation services company based in Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan. Roger Penske is the founder and chairman of the privately held company, and Rob Kurnick is the presid ...
McLaren
McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
/
Offy
The Offenhauser Racing Engine, or Offy, is a racing engine design that dominated American open wheel racing for more than 50 years and is still popular among vintage sprint and midget car racers.
History
The Offenhauser engine, familiarly ...
and he un-lapped himself on lap 104.
John Martin stalled on lap 115, bringing out another caution, and Unser made up the rest of the lap. The green flag came back out on lap 119, and three laps later Unser blew by Andretti to take the lead. Unser cruised the rest of the way, and Mario Andretti faded after he broke an anti-sway bar on lap 179. With the victory, Al Unser secured the first Indy car win for the
Cosworth
Cosworth is a British automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in high-performance internal combustion engines, powertrain, and electronics for auto racing, automobile racing (motorsport) and mainstream Automotiv ...
engine.
After not qualifying at
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
,
Janet Guthrie
Janet Guthrie (born March 7, 1938) is an American former racing driver. She is the first female to qualify and race in either the Indianapolis 500, or the Daytona 500, both of which she competed in during 1977. She had first attempted to enter th ...
started her first 500-mile Indy car race, placing 24th with a cracked transmission case after 89 laps.
1977
Three weeks after winning his record fourth
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly shortened to Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indian ...
,
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
threatened to skip the Pocono 500 after getting into a dispute with
USAC series sponsor
Citicorp
Citigroup Inc. or Citi (Style (visual arts), stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment banking, investment bank and financial services company based in New York City. The company was formed in 1998 by the merger of Citicorp, t ...
.
Foyt skipped practice on Tuesday, and after running only 35 practice laps Wednesday, still insisted he might put another driver in his car.
Nevertheless, Foyt changed his mind at the last minute and qualified the car. Foyt put secured the pole position (189.474 mph), bumping
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
from the top spot and prompted a chorus of boos from some fans in attendance.
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
qualified third to round out the front row.
Tom Sneva
Thomas Edsol Sneva (born June 1, 1948) is an American former race car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1983. He primarily raced in Indy cars, and was named to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005.
A former math teacher and juni ...
, who broke the 200 mph barrier at Indy in May, placed fourth on the grid.
During final practice on Friday, Andretti's engine over-revved, and it suffered bent
valves
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically fittings, ...
. It was the fifth engine that Penske teammates Andretti and Sneva had gone through for the week. Without another spare, the crew was forced to salvage parts from one of the already-blown engines to get Andretti on the grid for race day.
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
took the lead at the start, and led 26 of the first 60 laps. His day would be cut short on lap 118 with a burned piston. High attrition saw more than half the field eliminated before lap 100, and only eight cars left running at the finish. The race settled down among four contenders:
Patrick Patrick may refer to:
*Patrick (given name), list of people and fictional characters with this name
* Patrick (surname), list of people with this name
People
*Saint Patrick (c. 385–c. 461), Christian saint
* Gilla Pátraic (died 1084), Patrick ...
teammates
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Walter Johncock (born August 5, 1936) is an American former racing driver. He won the Indianapolis 500 twice, and was the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion.
Early career
Johncock initially began racing at Michigan tracks lik ...
and
Wally Dallenbach, and
Penske
Penske Corporation, Inc. () is an American diversified transportation services company based in Bloomfield Township, Oakland County, Michigan. Roger Penske is the founder and chairman of the privately held company, and Rob Kurnick is the presid ...
teammates
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
and
Tom Sneva
Thomas Edsol Sneva (born June 1, 1948) is an American former race car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1983. He primarily raced in Indy cars, and was named to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005.
A former math teacher and juni ...
. In the second half, Andretti and Sneva were in control, but both were suffering various mechanical problems. Andretti once had to pit for an engine issue, while both Andretti and Sneva had failing brakes. While leading the race on lap 161, Andretti cut a tire and headed to the pits. Without brakes, he overshot his pit stall and had to go around the track once more before receiving service. Sneva, coping better with his brakes, put Andretti a lap down. On lap 187,
Mike Mosley
Mike Mosley (December 13, 1946 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – March 3, 1984 in Aguanga, California) was an American race car driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in 17 consecutive seasons from 1967 through 1983, wi ...
wrecked in turn two, bringing out a yellow. On the restart on lap 193, Andretti got the jump and passed Sneva to get his lap back. Seconds later the caution was out again when a leftover piece of debris was spotted at the crash site. Andretti circled around to make up the rest of the lap. With four laps to go, the green came out once again, but this time Sneva was able to stay ahead. Andretti made up some ground, but Sneva crossed the finish line 1.75 seconds ahead. It was Penske's second Pocono 500 victory, and the team's first 1st-2nd sweep in a 500-mile Indy car race.
1978
Danny Ongais won the pole position and led 59 laps.
However, nearly identical to his outing at
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
a month earlier, he blew his engine while leading the race on lap 130. The race shaped up as a duel between Indy 500 winner
Al Unser
Alfred Unser (May 29, 1939 – December 9, 2021) was an American automobile racing driver, the younger brother of fellow racing drivers Jerry and Bobby Unser, and father of Al Unser Jr. He was the second of four men ( A. J. Foyt, himself, Ri ...
and
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
, with
Tom Sneva
Thomas Edsol Sneva (born June 1, 1948) is an American former race car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1983. He primarily raced in Indy cars, and was named to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005.
A former math teacher and juni ...
in close pursuit. After Ongais dropped out, Unser came to the lead, having driven a steady, fuel and tire conserving pace. On lap 161, Rutherford pitted, and came out still holding the lead. Three laps later, Rutherford believed he had a flat tire, and had to make an unscheduled pit stop. The team determined there was no puncture, but by then it was too late. By the time Rutherford returned to the track, Unser had pulled out to a 20-second lead. Unser made his final pit stop on lap 177, briefly relinquishing his lead. Sneva and Rutherford made their final pit stops, and by lap 190, Unser had cycled back into first place. Rutherford went on a charge over the final nine laps, in a desperate attempt to catch Unser. Rutherford touched wheels passing the lapped car of
Wally Dallenbach on lap 198, drawing the ire of Dallenbach, as well as Sneva who witnessed the incident in his mirrors. On the final lap, going into turn one Sneva was able to block Rutherford, but moments later Sneva sputtered out of fuel. Rutherford sailed by to take second, while Unser went on to win. Sneva limped to a third-place finish.
The win Al Unser's third consecutive 500-mile race victory, having won the 1977
Ontario 500 and
1978 Indianapolis 500
The 62nd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 28, 1978. Danny Ongais dominated the early stages of the race but eventually dropped out with a blown engine. Al Unser ...
. Unser would go on to win at Ontario again in September 1978, winning USAC's
"triple crown", the first and only driver in history to do so.
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
's ongoing misfortunes at Pocono continued, as he dropped out with gearbox failure. After leading twenty laps in the first half,
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
was not a factor in the second half, suffering engine failure with ten laps to go. After numerous cautions in the first laf, the final 89 laps were run under green. During practice, a controversy stirred, as several drivers, most outspokenly
Pancho Carter
Duane Claude Carter Jr. (born June 11, 1950), nicknamed "Pancho," is an American former open-wheel racing driver. Best known for his participation in Championship car racing, he won the pole position for the 1985 Indianapolis 500, and won the M ...
, complained of bad bumps in the Tunnel Turn.
1979
The race took place just one month after the tumultuous 1979 month of May at
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
. Nearly all
CART
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs.
A handcart ...
-based teams skipped the event, with the exception of
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 – February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver.
Ongais was the only Hawaiian born driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and d ...
. A field of only 25 cars took the green flag in front of 50,000 spectators, who braved chilly, 50-degree temperatures and 30 mph winds. An exciting first half saw
Danny Ongais
Danny Ongais (May 21, 1942 – February 26, 2022) was an American racing driver.
Ongais was the only Hawaiian born driver to compete in the Indianapolis 500. He competed professionally in motorcycle, sports car, CART, IndyCar, Formula One, and d ...
take the lead at the start from polesitter
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
. Several contenders battled for the lead in the first half, but one by one they each fell by the wayside. On lap 58,
Eldon Rasmussen
Eldon Rasmussen (7 July 1936 – 5 June 2022) was a Canadian driver in the United States Automobile Club, USAC Championship Car series. He raced in the 1971 and 1973–1979 seasons, with 23 career starts, including the 1975, 1977, and 1979 Indiana ...
lost a rear wing, and crashed head-on into the outside wall in turn one. He was knocked unconscious, and suffered a broken ankle, broken ribs, and a concussion.
Roger McCluskey
Roger McCluskey (August 24, 1930 – August 29, 1993) was an American IndyCar driver. He was raised in Tucson, Arizona.
He won championship titles in three divisions of the United States Auto Club: Sprints, Stocks, and Champ Cars. He won the US ...
charged to the front, leading six laps, but dropped out on lap 102 after a separated radiator rubbed against the rear wheels, shredding a tire and sending him into a spin.
Tom Bigelow
Thomas Allan Bigelow (born October 31, 1939, in Elkhorn, Wisconsin) is an American former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series.
Racing career Midget car racing
He began his racing career at the Badger Midget Racing Association a ...
's chances for victory ended when he ran out of fuel on lap 122, and later lost a radiator. Foyt, Ongais, and
Larry Dickson
Larry Dickson (born September 8, 1938, Warren, Ohio), is a former driver in the USAC and CART Championship Car series. He raced in the 1965-1981 seasons, with 105 combined career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in 1966-1969, 1971, 1978 ...
emerged as the contenders in the second half. Ongais and Foyt pitted on laps 136–137, Foyt taking on fuel only, Ongais taking on both tires and fuel. The new tires proved advantageous, as Ongais subsequently pulled out to an 18-second lead over Foyt, with Dickson lurking in third. Ongais, however, blew his engine on lap 148, handing the lead back to Foyt. Dickson suffered fuel pickup problems on lap 161, forcing him to the pits and he lost a lap before returning to the track. Foyt cruised over the final 100 miles to victory, winning by two laps over
Jim McElreath
Jimmie Earl McElreath (February 18, 1928 – May 18, 2017) was an American open-wheel racing driver, known for competing in the USAC Championship car series. He won the inaugural California 500 in 1970, driving a spare car owned by A. J. ...
. Only seven cars were running at the finish. Dickson, while running second, coasted to the pits with three laps to go. He still managed a third-place finish. It was Foyt's 65th-career Indy car win, fourth win of the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
, and third at Pocono.
1980
The 1980 TrueValue Hardware 500 at Pocono was held as part of the
1980 CRL season, the joint
USAC/
CART
A cart or dray (Australia and New Zealand) is a vehicle designed for transport, using two wheels and normally pulled by draught animals such as horses, donkeys, mules and oxen, or even smaller animals such as goats or large dogs.
A handcart ...
sanctioning arrangement. It was the next-to-last race before CART pulled out and proceeded with their own
championship for 1980. The race was run using 48
inHG
Inch of mercury (inHg, ″Hg, or in) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States.
It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in h ...
of
turbocharger
In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into th ...
boost, the same used a month earlier at
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
, but down from the 60
inHG
Inch of mercury (inHg, ″Hg, or in) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States.
It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in h ...
permitted at
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
in April.
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A ...
won the pole position with a two-lap average speed of 185.491 mph,
but
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
who qualified second, drew controversy after qualifying. After noticeably struggling earlier in the year at
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
and
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
, Foyt turned the fastest single qualifying lap (185.874 mph), which led some to accuse him of cheating by over-boosting the engine or illegally using
nitrous
A nitrous oxide engine, or nitrous oxide system (NOS) is an internal combustion engine in which oxygen for burning the fuel comes from the decomposition of nitrous oxide, N2O, as well as air. The system increases the engine's power output ...
.
Foyt denied the allegations, and no action was taken. At the start, Foyt got the jump and led the field into turn one. Foyt led 67 of the first 85 laps until he dropped out with broken
valve
A valve is a device or natural object that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid (gases, liquids, fluidized solids, or Slurry, slurries) by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically Pip ...
. The race shaped up as a battle between
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al Unser, Al, A ...
and
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
, who started the race in a back-up car due to a practice crash. Unser led by 13 seconds before a caution came out on lap 151 due to a spin by
Pancho Carter
Duane Claude Carter Jr. (born June 11, 1950), nicknamed "Pancho," is an American former open-wheel racing driver. Best known for his participation in Championship car racing, he won the pole position for the 1985 Indianapolis 500, and won the M ...
. On the ensuing restart on lap 158, Rutherford went four-wide down the mainstretch to grab the lead going into turn one. The lead was short-lived, as Unser powered by on lap 164. On the final round of pit stops, Rutherford's chances for victory were dashed when he blew his clutch and stalled the engine. Rutherford had to be push-started, and lost many seconds. One lap later, Unser had a near-flawless pit stop, taking on fuel only, and maintained the lead. Unser won by 21.03 seconds, his first and only victory at Pocono.
1981
In the height of the USAC/CART split,
A. J. Foyt
Anthony Joseph Foyt Jr. (born January 16, 1935) is an American former racing driver who competed in numerous disciplines of motorsport. He is best known for his open wheel racing career, and for becoming the first four-time winner of the India ...
won the
USAC Van Scoy Diamond Mines 500. This was the final Indy car race USAC sanctioned at Pocono and Foyt's final Indy car win. Many CART regulars boycotted the race, therefore, USAC opened the field to both Gold Crown cars and Silver Crown cars. A rag-tag field of Indy cars and front- engine dirt-track cars ran a two-class race.
Tom Sneva
Thomas Edsol Sneva (born June 1, 1948) is an American former race car driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1983. He primarily raced in Indy cars, and was named to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2005.
A former math teacher and juni ...
, one of the few CART drivers who defied the boycott, won the pole and dominated the early stages but retired with a broken transmission.
Geoff Brabham
__NOTOC__
Geoffrey John Brabham (born 20 March 1952) is an Australian racing driver. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States.
Racing career
CART
He raced successfully in CART early in his career, finishing 8th in ...
, another CART driver who would face a suspension from his primary series for competing, then battled Foyt for the lead. Rain ended the race after 122 of a scheduled 200 laps, with Foyt in front.
CART PPG Indy Car World Series

*1982: Initially the Pocono 500 was not on the schedule for 1982.
Track management had sued CART for damages after they boycotted the 1981 race. But by the following spring, the issued had been settled, and the race was added back to the schedule in early May.
On race day,
Rick Mears
Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
dominated, leading 146 of the 200 laps.
Gordon Johncock
Gordon Walter Johncock (born August 5, 1936) is an American former racing driver. He won the Indianapolis 500 twice, and was the 1976 USAC Marlboro Championship Trail champion.
Early career
Johncock initially began racing at Michigan tracks lik ...
, the winner at
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
and
Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, was looking to sweep the Indy car "triple crown", but his gearbox failed while running second on lap 193. The only major incident of the day involved
Johnny Rutherford
John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), also known as "Lone Star JR", is an American former automobile racing driver. During an Indy Car career that spanned more than three decades, he scored 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 start ...
. His car blew a right rear tire, and he crashed in turn one. The car became airborne, and almost left the track. The broken car landed back on the track, and Rutherford suffered a broken hand.
*1983: Rookies
Teo Fabi
Teodorico "Teo" Fabi (born 9 March 1955) is an Italian former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . In sportscar racing, Fabi won the World Sportscar Championship in 1991 World Sportscar Championship, 1991 with Jaguar Cars, Jagu ...
and
Al Unser Jr. combined to lead 143 of the 200 laps, and emerged as the only two contenders late in the race. During his final pit stop on lap 178, Unser Jr. nearly stalled, and handling problems slowed his pace. Fabi, who raised eyebrows by winning the pole at
Indy
Indy may refer to:
Computing and technology
*Indy (software), used for Internet access to music
*Internet Direct, or "Indy", a software library
* SGI Indy, a computer workstation
Periodicals
*''The Indy'', shorthand for newspapers that include ...
, cruised to victory.
*1984: An exciting three-car battle to the finish between
Rick Mears
Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
,
Bobby Rahal
Robert Woodward Rahal ( ; born January 10, 1953) is an American racing driver and motorsports executive. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500. As co-owner of R ...
, and
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John Sullivan III (born March 9, 1950), better known as Danny Sullivan, is an American former racing driver. He earned 17 wins in the CART Indy Car World Series, including the 1985 Indianapolis 500. Sullivan won the 1988 CART Champions ...
. With the three cars running nose-to-tail on lap 194, Rahal passed Mears going into turn one to take the lead. Down the Long Pond straight, Sullivan slipped by Mears as well, and set his sights on Rahal. In turn two, Sullivan passed Rahal, and pulled out to a sizable lead. Heavy traffic on the final lap allowed Mears to close up, but Sullivan held off the challenge at the checkered flag to win. Rahal finished third, blowing his engine as he crossed the finish line.
*1985:
Rick Mears
Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
completed a comeback from his devastating leg injuries suffered at
Sanair in 1984 by winning the Pocono 500 in a part-time entry for Penske Racing.
*1986:
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
and
Bobby Rahal
Robert Woodward Rahal ( ; born January 10, 1953) is an American racing driver and motorsports executive. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500. As co-owner of R ...
battled for the lead in the late stages of the race. On lap 174, Rahal suddenly pulled to the inside with an engine fire, leaving Andretti all alone in the lead. Andretti cruised over the final 26 laps, beating second place
Kevin Cogan
John Kevin Cogan (born March 31, 1956) is an American former race car driver who drove in Formula One from to . Driving a RAM Williams in the 1980 Canadian Grand Prix, he failed to qualify, suffering the same result driving for Tyrrell at the ...
by over a lap.
*1987:
Mario Andretti
Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
led 22 laps, but got too low in turn one on lap 89, and crashed hard into the outside wall. He suffered a separated shoulder. The rough apron of turn one was stained by
lime
Lime most commonly refers to:
* Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit
* Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide
* Lime (color), a color between yellow and green
Lime may also refer to:
Bo ...
, which caused Andretti's car to lose traction Late in the race,
Rick Mears
Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
was leading
Roberto Guerrero
Roberto José Guerrero Isaza (born 16 November 1958) is a Colombian-American former race driver. He participated in 29 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 23 January 1982, becoming the first Colombian to start a Formula One Grand Prix.
Wit ...
. Mears had last pitted on lap 159, topping off his fuel during a caution. With five laps to go, Guerrero rushed into the pits for a splash-and-go. Mears stayed out, attempting to stretch his fuel to the end. On the final lap, Mears held a half a lap lead and coming off the final turn seemingly started to sputter. He was able to make it across the finish to take the win, his first victory since 1985, and the first 500-mile race win for the Ilmor-Chevrolet engine.
Geoff Brabham
__NOTOC__
Geoffrey John Brabham (born 20 March 1952) is an Australian racing driver. Brabham spent the majority of his racing career in the United States.
Racing career
CART
He raced successfully in CART early in his career, finishing 8th in ...
finished second, the best finish yet for the new
Brabham-Honda/Judd engine.
*1988: The race was slowed 11 times for 65 laps, including six wrecks. Rookie
John Andretti
John Andrew Andretti (March 12, 1963January 30, 2020) was an American professional race car driver. He won individual races in CART, IMSA GTP, Rolex Sports Car Series, and NASCAR during his career. A member of the Andretti racing family, he was ...
suffered a serious wreck with 18 laps to go near the pit exit. Most of the contenders dropped out, leaving
Bobby Rahal
Robert Woodward Rahal ( ; born January 10, 1953) is an American racing driver and motorsports executive. As a driver, he won three championships and 24 races in the CART open-wheel series, including the 1986 Indianapolis 500. As co-owner of R ...
in the lead for the final 28 laps. Rahal scored
Judd's first and only Indy car victory, and it was Rahal's last win with
Truesports
Truesports
Truesports taurtoisemotorsports.com was an automobile racing team founded by Jim ...
.
*1989:
Emerson Fittipaldi
Emerson Fittipaldi (; born 12 December 1946) is a Brazilian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Fittipaldi won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in and with Team ...
sets a new all-time track record during qualifying, with a pole speed of 211.715 mph.
Danny Sullivan
Daniel John Sullivan III (born March 9, 1950), better known as Danny Sullivan, is an American former racing driver. He earned 17 wins in the CART Indy Car World Series, including the 1985 Indianapolis 500. Sullivan won the 1988 CART Champions ...
held off his Penske teammate
Rick Mears
Richard Ravon Mears (born December 3, 1951) is an American former race car driver. He is one of four men to win the Indianapolis 500 four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991) and is the current record-holder for pole positions in the race with six (197 ...
to win the final CART series race at Pocono. It was Sullivan's first victory since breaking his arm in a practice crash earlier in the season at Indianapolis. Track owner Joe Mattioli vowed that single-seater racing would never return to his circuit, a vow that ended after his death in 2012. The race name "Quaker State 500" was still used widely in 1989, even though
Quaker State
Quaker State is an American brand of motor oils, owned by Shell USA, the US-based division of Shell plc.
The former Quaker State Oil Refining Company had been constituted in 1924 after the Eastern Refining Co. acquired rights to the ''Quaker Sta ...
motor oil had dropped their title sponsorship. The name was instead tied to the state of
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
's nickname being "the
Quaker
Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
state".
IndyCar Series

*2013: The Igdalsky family, third-generation family members who took over the circuit after Joe Mattioli's death, visited an IZOD IndyCar Series race in 2012, and by the end of the season announced a revival of the race, with a distance scheduled of 400 miles. Pennsylvania native Chip Ganassi's team,
Chip Ganassi Racing
Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization competing in the NTT IndyCar Series. They have formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Global Rally ...
, swept the
podium
A podium (: podiums or podia) is a platform used to raise something to a short distance above its surroundings. In architecture a building can rest on a large podium. Podiums can also be used to raise people, for instance the conductor of a ...
with
Scott Dixon
Scott Ronald Dixon (born 22 July 1980) is a New Zealand racing driver who races the 9 Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) Dallara DW12-Honda car in the IndyCar Series. He is a six-time drivers' champion of the IndyCar Series, having claimed the title in ...
winning,
Charlie Kimball
Charles Newton Kimball (born February 20, 1985) is an American former race car driver who most recently competed in the IndyCar Series with A. J. Foyt Enterprises. He has scored a win, six podiums, and 13 top 5s during his IndyCar career. His be ...
second, and
Dario Franchitti
George Dario Marino Franchitti (born 19 May 1973) is a British motorsport commentator and retired motor racing driver from Scotland. Franchitti won the IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011; the Indianapolis 500 in ...
third. The average speed of 192.864 mph was a Pocono Raceway record, slowed by only two brief caution periods.
*2014:
Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born 20 September 1975) is a Colombian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to , IndyCar between 1999 and 2022, and the NASCAR Cup Series between 2006 and 2024. Montoya won seven Formula One Grand ...
won the fastest 500 mile race in Indycar history. At an average speed of 202.402 mph, it was the first 500-mile race to average over 200 mph, and was slowed by only one caution for six laps. Montoya's victory capped off his return to the American open wheel circuit after spending the previous 13 season in
Formula One
Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
and
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...
.
*2015:
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Ryan Christopher Hunter-Reay (born December 17, 1980) is an American professional racing driver best known as a winner of both the Indianapolis 500 (2014) and the IndyCar Series championship in 2012. He currently competes part-time in the IndyC ...
won the race. On lap 179,
Sage Karam
Sage Rennie Karam (born March 5, 1995) is an American professional auto racing driver. He competes part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 53 Toyota GR Supra for Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen. He previously competed full ...
spun and a piece of debris from his car struck
Justin Wilson on the head, knocking Wilson unconscious and sending him into the wall. Wilson was airlifted to
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, commonly referred to as Lehigh Valley Hospital, is a hospital located at 1200 South Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is the largest hospital in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylv ...
in
Allentown Allentown may refer to:
Places
* Allentown, California, now called Toadtown, California
* Allentown, Georgia, a city in four counties in Georgia
* Allentown, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Tazewell County
* Allentown, New Jersey, a boroug ...
, where he succumbed to his injuries the following day.
*2016: Rain postponed the race from Sunday until Monday. Pole sitter
Mikhail Aleshin
Mikhail Petrovich Aleshin ( rus, Михаи́л Петро́вич Алёшин, p=mʲɪxɐˈil pʲɪˈtrovʲɪtɕ ɐˈlʲɵʂɨn, born 22 May 1987) is a Russian professional racing driver and the 2010 champion of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series ...
led 87 laps. With 35 laps to go
Will Power
William Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 12 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. He won the 2018 Indianapolis 500 and has won the IndyCar Championship twice, in ...
took the lead, and shortly after, a late caution came out for debris. The green flag came out with 22 laps to go, with Power and Aleshin battling nose-to-tail to the finish.
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Ryan Christopher Hunter-Reay (born December 17, 1980) is an American professional racing driver best known as a winner of both the Indianapolis 500 (2014) and the IndyCar Series championship in 2012. He currently competes part-time in the IndyC ...
started last due to a practice crash, but managed to lead 31 laps. With Power and Aleshin finishing 1–2, Hunter-Reay, who pitted for tires under the yellow, dramatically charged through the field to finish third.
*2017:
Will Power
William Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 12 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. He won the 2018 Indianapolis 500 and has won the IndyCar Championship twice, in ...
fell a lap down after he was forced to pit to replace a broken nose cone on lap 65. Later in the race, he suffered a damaged rear wing assembly after being hit by
Charlie Kimball
Charles Newton Kimball (born February 20, 1985) is an American former race car driver who most recently competed in the IndyCar Series with A. J. Foyt Enterprises. He has scored a win, six podiums, and 13 top 5s during his IndyCar career. His be ...
. Power worked his way back to the lead lap, and through an out-of-sequence pit strategy took the lead on lap 154. Power had built such a large lead by lap 161 that he was able to pit without losing the lead. In the final nine laps, Power held off the furious challenge of
Josef Newgarden
Josef Nicolai Newgarden (born December 22, 1990) is an American racing driver who races the No. 2 Team Penske Dallara/Chevrolet in the IndyCar Series. He was the 2011 Indy Lights champion, and 2017 and 2019 IndyCar Series Champion. He won the 2 ...
, and became the first ever back-to-back winner of the Pocono 500.
*2018:
Alexander Rossi
Alexander Michael Rossi (born September 25, 1991) is an American racing driver, who competes in the IndyCar Series for Ed Carpenter Racing, Ed Carpenter. Rossi competed in Formula One at five Formula One Grands Prix, Grands Prix in . In America ...
dominated and won the race. On lap 7,
Robert Wickens and
Ryan Hunter-Reay
Ryan Christopher Hunter-Reay (born December 17, 1980) is an American professional racing driver best known as a winner of both the Indianapolis 500 (2014) and the IndyCar Series championship in 2012. He currently competes part-time in the IndyC ...
made contact in turn 2, which sent Wickens' car into the catchfence and caused a multicar wreck which also involved
James Hinchcliffe
James Douglas Meredith Hinchcliffe (born December 5, 1986) is a Canadian race car driver currently competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship driving the No. 9 Lamborghini for Pfaff Motorsports. He is also a commentator for Fox Sports, FOX Sp ...
,
Takuma Sato
is a Japanese racing driver, who competes part-time in the IndyCar Series for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Sato competed in Formula One from to . In American open-wheel racing, Sato is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2017 a ...
and
Pietro Fittipaldi
Pietro Fittipaldi da Cruz (born 25 June 1996) is a Brazilian and American racing driver, who competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Pratt Miller Motorsports, and in the 2025 European Le Mans Series, European Le Mans Series for Vector S ...
. The race was red-flagged for two hours to repair the catchfence while Wickens was airlifted to
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest
Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest, commonly referred to as Lehigh Valley Hospital, is a hospital located at 1200 South Cedar Crest Boulevard in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It is the largest hospital in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylv ...
with injuries to his legs, spine and right arm in addition to pulmonary contusion. Wickens would later reveal that the crash left him paralyzed from the waist down.
*2019: For the second year in a row, a major crash early on took out several contenders. Three-wide down the Long Pond straight,
Takuma Sato
is a Japanese racing driver, who competes part-time in the IndyCar Series for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Sato competed in Formula One from to . In American open-wheel racing, Sato is a two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500 in 2017 a ...
clipped wheels with
Alexander Rossi
Alexander Michael Rossi (born September 25, 1991) is an American racing driver, who competes in the IndyCar Series for Ed Carpenter Racing, Ed Carpenter. Rossi competed in Formula One at five Formula One Grands Prix, Grands Prix in . In America ...
, triggering a huge melee, which sent
Felix Rosenqvist
Karl Felix Helmer Rosenqvist (born 7 November 1991) is a Swedish professional racing driver who currently drives the No. 60 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series. He was named Rookie of the Year for the IndyCar Series in 2019. ...
into the catchfence. No drivers were seriously injured, but a lengthy delay was needed to make repairs to the catchfencing, and the incident drew the ire of the paddock. When the race was restarted,
Simon Pagenaud
Simon Pierre Michel Pagenaud (; born 18 May 1984) is a French professional racing driver, who last drove the No. 60 Honda for Meyer Shank Racing in the NTT IndyCar Series. After a successful career in sports car racing that saw him taking the ...
and
Scott Dixon
Scott Ronald Dixon (born 22 July 1980) is a New Zealand racing driver who races the 9 Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) Dallara DW12-Honda car in the IndyCar Series. He is a six-time drivers' champion of the IndyCar Series, having claimed the title in ...
set the pace in the first half. Just after the halfway point, storm clouds began to appear to the west, threatening to end the race early.
Will Power
William Steven Power (born 1 March 1981) is an Australian racing driver who competes in the IndyCar Series, driving the No. 12 Dallara-Chevrolet for Team Penske. He won the 2018 Indianapolis 500 and has won the IndyCar Championship twice, in ...
, who was off-sequence on pit stops due to running over debris on the first-lap crash, started charging, and took the lead on lap 115 after a sequence of pit stops. The red flag came out for lightning on lap 128, and with heavy rain approaching, Power was declared the winner with his third Pocono 500 win in four years. A few weeks later when the 2020 schedule was rolled out, the IndyCar Series would not be returning to Pocono in 2020, making Power the last winner of the event for the near future.
References
{{IndyCar Series races
1971 establishments in Pennsylvania
Champ Car races
IndyCar Series races
Former IndyCar Series races
Motorsport in Pennsylvania
Recurring sporting events established in 1971
Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2019
Pocono Mountains