1980 USAC Championship Car season

1980 USAC Championship Car season
1980 USAC Championship Car season
Championship Racing League
	; Champion: Johnny Rutherford
Season
Races	5
Start date	April 13
End date	July 13
Awards
National champion	Johnny Rutherford
Indianapolis 500 winner	Johnny Rutherford
	← 1979 1981–82 →

The 1980 USAC Championship Car season consisted of five races, beginning in Ontario, California on April 13 and concluding in Lexington, Ohio on July 13. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Johnny Rutherford.

USAC and CART united in early 1980 to form a co-sanctioning agreement under the banner of the Championship Racing League (CRL). The entire season was supposed to run under this agreement, but only the first five races of the 1980 Indy/Championship Car season were run under CRL banner. Unhappy with the arrangement, USAC pulled out of the CRL after the Mid-Ohio race in July. USAC declared their 1980 season over after the five races, while CART finished out the remainder of the 1980 season on their own.

Johnny Rutherford, driving Jim Hall's revolutionary ground effects Chaparral 2K won three of the five races (including Indianapolis), and finished second in the other two. Rutherford won the USAC championship by a commanding point margin. Rutherford happened to score the most points under both USAC's five-race points distribution and CART's 12-race points championship, securing what could be considered "undisputed" or "unanimous" top driver honors for the calendar year of 1980.

Schedule and results

In January 1980, USAC initially released a ten-race schedule, with new venues Talladega, Charlotte, and Road Atlanta added to the schedule.^[1] However, these three events were eventually scrapped when USAC entered into a joint sanctioning effort with CART.

Original schedule

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location
1	April 26	Texas 200	200 mi (320 km)	O Texas World Speedway	College Station, Texas
2	May 26	500 Mile International Sweepstakes	500 mi (800 km)	O Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana
3	June 8	Gould Rex Mays Classic	150 mi (240 km)	O Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin
4	June 22	True Value 500	500 mi (800 km)	O Pocono International Raceway	Long Pond, Pennsylvania
5	July 13	Red Roof Inns 150	150 mi (240 km)	R Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	Lexington, Ohio
6	July 27	Road Atlanta 200	150 mi (240 km)	R Road Atlanta	Braselton, Georgia
7	August 10	Tony Bettenhausen 150	200 mi (320 km)	O Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin
8	August 24	Alabama 200	500 mi (800 km)	O Alabama International Motor Speedway	Talladega, Alabama
9	September 14	Mosport 200	150 mi (240 km)	R Mosport International Raceway	Bowmanville, Ontario
10	September 28	Charlotte 500	300 mi (480 km)	O Charlotte Motor Speedway	Charlotte, North Carolina

O Oval/Speedway

R Road Course

Revised schedule

In the spring of 1980, USAC and CART merged their schedules for the newly created CRL Championship. With Talladega, Charlotte, and Road Atlanta already scrapped, Texas World Speedway was cancelled too. That track would soon cease to hold any more professional races, and Indy cars never raced at Texas World again. Mosport, which had held races in the past, was also dropped. Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Mid-Ohio, and Pocono, all were kept as part of the final merged schedule.

The co-sanctioning effort ended after only five races. USAC declared their involvement in the 1980 season over after Mid-Ohio. The remaining seven races were sanctioned solely by CART, and paid points to the CART championship only.

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	April 13	Datsun Twin 200	200 mi (320 km)	O Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario, California	Johnny Rutherford	Johnny Rutherford
2	May 26	500 Mile International Sweepstakes	500 mi (800 km)	O Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Johnny Rutherford	Johnny Rutherford
3	June 8	Gould Rex Mays Classic	150 mi (240 km)	O Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Gordon Johncock	Bobby Unser
4	June 22	True Value 500	500 mi (800 km)	O Pocono International Raceway	Long Pond, Pennsylvania	Bobby Unser	Bobby Unser
5	July 13	Red Roof Inns 150	150 mi (240 km)	R Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course	Lexington, Ohio	Al Unser	Johnny Rutherford
Races sanctioned by CART only
NC	July 20	Norton 200	200 mi (320 km)	O Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Bobby Unser	Johnny Rutherford
NC	August 3	Kent Oil 150	150 mi (240 km)	R Watkins Glen International	Watkins Glen, New York	Al Unser	Bobby Unser
NC	August 10	Tony Bettenhausen 200	200 mi (320 km)	O Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Johnny Rutherford	Johnny Rutherford
NC	August 31	California 500	500 mi (800 km)	O Ontario Motor Speedway	Ontario, California	Bobby Unser	Bobby Unser
NC	September 20	Gould Grand Prix	150 mi (240 km)	O Michigan International Speedway	Brooklyn, Michigan	Mario Andretti	Mario Andretti
NC	October 26	I Copa México 150	150 mi (240 km)	R Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez	Mexico City, Mexico	Bobby Unser	Rick Mears
NC	November 8	Miller High Life 150	150 mi (240 km)	O Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Mario Andretti	Tom Sneva

O Oval/Speedway

R Road Course/Street Circuit

Final points standings

Pos	Driver	ONT	INDY	MIL	POC	MDO	Pts
1	Johnny Rutherford	1*	1*	2	2	1	2740
2	Tom Sneva	2	2	6	3	11	1970
3	Bobby Unser	23	9	1	1*	15	1334
4	Gordon Johncock	3	4	3*	DNQ	2	1330
5	Pancho Carter	18	6	4	6	7	1078
6	Bill Alsup	7	DNQ	9	4	3	990
7	Rick Mears	21	5	5	12	9*	766
8	Gary Bettenhausen		3	12	33	20	726
9	Sheldon Kinser	13	DNQ	11	7	24	345
10	Danny Ongais		7	24	18	21	330
11	Howdy Holmes		DNQ	15	8	14	266
12	Tom Bigelow		8				250
13	Spike Gehlhausen	4	29		DNQ		245
14	Tom Bagley	5	28	23	29	DNS	220
15	Tim Richmond		9	DNQ	DNQ	22	205
16	Larry Cannon		33	DNQ	9	DNQ	205
17	Roger Mears	9	DNQ			4	180
18	Gordon Smiley	6	25				170
19	Billy Engelhart		11	10	13		170
20	Vern Schuppan		DNQ		5	5	150
21	Lee Kunzman		DNQ		10	DNQ	150
22	Greg Leffler		10		DNQ		150
23	Tom Gloy					6	120
24	Jerry Sneva		17	8	14		120
25	Herm Johnson	14	DNQ	17	11		116
26	Dick Ferguson	8	31	DNQ			105
27	Roger Rager		23		26	8	100
28	Cliff Hucul			7			90
29	Bill Vukovich II		12	21	28		65
30	Jan Sneva	10	DNQ				60
31	Rick Muther	24	DNQ	18		10	57
32	Jerry Karl		21	14	15	18	54
33	Phil Caliva	15	DNQ		16	12	50
34	Al Unser	16	27	20	24	13	49
35	A. J. Foyt	DNS	14		19		45
36	Ron Shuman	11	DNQ				40
37	Mario Andretti		20		17		40
38	Dick Simon		22	13	21	DNQ	38
39	Dennis Firestone		16		30		30
40	John Martin		DNQ		20	16	28
41	Mike Mosley	19	32		23		28
42	John Wood	12	DNQ		DNQ	23	25
43	Don Whittington		13		DNQ		25
44	George Snider		15		DNQ		25
45	Jim McElreath		24		27		25
46	Bill Tempero	17	DNQ	16		17	22
47	Joe Saldana	25	DNQ		22	DNQ	19
48	Phil Threshie		DNQ	22	25		15
49	Johnny Parsons		26		DNQ		10
50	Billie Harvey			19			6
51	John Mahler		DNQ	DNQ		19	6
52	Bill Whittington		30				5
53	Al Loquasto		DNQ		31		5
54	Tony Bettenhausen Jr.		DNQ	DNQ	32	DNQ	5
-	Hurley Haywood		18				0
-	Pete Halsmer	20	DNQ				0
-	Ross Davis	22					0
-	Bob Frey			DNQ	DNQ		0
-	Janet Guthrie		DNQ	DNQ			0
-	Buddie Boys		DNQ		DNQ		0
-	Rich Vogler		DNQ		DNQ		0
-	Bob Harkey		DNQ		DNQ		0
-	Dana Carter		DNQ				0
-	Larry Dickson		DNQ				0
-	Tom Frantz		DNQ				0
-	Jim Hurtubise		DNQ				0
-	Bill Puterbaugh		DNQ				0
-	Salt Walther		DNQ				0
-	Frank Weiss		DNQ				0
-	Bruce Hill			DNQ			0
-	Milt Harper				DNQ		0
Pos	Driver	ONT	INDY	MIL	POC	MDO	Pts

Color	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	4th & 5th place
Light Blue	6th-10th place
Dark Blue	Finished (Outside Top 10)
Purple	Did not finish (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Brown	Withdrawn (Wth)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
Blank	Did not participate (DNP)
Blank	Not competing

In-line notation
Bold	Pole position
Italics	Ran fastest race lap
*	Led most race laps
Rookie of the Year
Rookie

References

Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1980". Driver Database. Archived from the original on March 25, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
"1980 Championship Racing League". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2009.

^ Miller, Robin (December 27, 1979). "USAC Announces 1980 Schedule". The Indianapolis Star. p. 31. Retrieved June 29, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.

v t e American Championship car racing (Indy car) seasons
AAA	1905 1906–1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
USAC	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95
CART	1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
CCWS	2004 2005 2006 2007 ~~2008~~
IRL	1996 1996–97 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
IndyCar	2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Years marked in italics are not official championship years or upcoming seasons.

v t e USAC Championship Cars (1971–1995)
Seasons	1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95
Indianapolis 500s	1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
National Champions	Emerson Fittipaldi (twice) A. J. Foyt (twice) Gordon Johncock Joe Leonard (twice) Arie Luyendyk Roger McCluskey Rick Mears (three times) Bobby Rahal Johnny Rutherford Tom Sneva (three times) George Snider Danny Sullivan Al Unser Al Unser Jr. (twice) Bobby Unser Jacques Villeneuve
Tracks	Atlanta Brands Hatch DuQuoin State Fair Illinois State Fair Indianapolis Indiana State Fair Michigan Mid-Ohio Milwaukee Mosport Nazareth Ontario Phoenix Pocono Rafaela Silverstone Texas World Trenton

Schedule and results

Original schedule

Revised schedule

Final points standings

References

See also