USAC Sprint Car

I'm searching for the number of starts with years in career in USAC Sprint Car for the following drivers :
- A.J. Foyt - Parnelli Jones - Jim Hurtubise - Don Branson - Roger Mc Cluskey
- Bobby Unser - Al Unser - Jud Larson - Gary Bettenhausen - Elmer George
- Jimmy Bryan - Gary Bettenhausen - Bill Vukovich Jr - Pancho Carter

I know that Mario Andretti had 55 starts (1963-1967) but I would like to find the stats for Aldo Andretti also

Can someone help me find these few stats ?

Thanks, Kris

As far as I know, Aldo's career ended with the accident at Hatfield in 1959 when he fractured his skull and was in a coma for several weeks. This was when he and Mario were running their Hudson Hornet stock car and he never progressed to single seater racing.

But I may be wrong.

No that's the first big crash of his career but Aldo recovered though it was long and came back in sprints - He ran the USAC & IMCA circuit - Sure he ran USAC in 1967 because in the 1994 "Andretti" book from Collins Puublishers S.F. pages 82 & 120 there is a photo that Mario titled Oswego Sprint 1967 as the only time the twins raced against each other (Mario won)

In the Mario & Bob Collins book published in 1970 titled "What's it like out there", page 46, Mario says :
[...] Aldo continued racing until August 17, 1969, when he had an accident, which was not his fault, in an IMCA sprint race at Des Moines, Iowa. He was driving a sprint car that I had bought for him. [...]



This one above is an Al Consoli picture

Another one from Raymond Golub on the Artemis Images Website at Reading in 1969

I only got statistics from 1956 to 1980:

Gary Bettenhausen
1967: 1 race - 43rd in standings
1968: 27 races - 2nd in standings, 7 wins
1969: 23 races - 1st in standings, 8 wins
1970: 29 races - 2nd in standings, 7 wins
1971: 28 races - 1st in standings, 5 wins
1972: 11 races - 19th in standings, 2 wins
1973: 18 races - 15th in standings
1974: 6 races - 23rd in standings, 2 wins
1975: 17 races - 11th in standings, 2 wins
1976: 20 races - 12th in standings, 4 wins
1977: 16 races - 21st in standings, 1 win
1978: 18 races - 19th in standings, 1 win
1979: 15 races - 14th in standings
1980: 16 races - 5th in standings, 1 win

Jimmy Bryan
1956: 2 races Eastern - 21st in standings / 1 race Midwest - 41st in standings
1957-1960: no starts


The other drivers will follow!

Thanks Herbert
I'll be waiting for the other racers.

I've got the 1985 USAC yearbook and it doesn't give the stats for the drivers I asked, except of Gary Bettenhausen but I know Gary B. still drove Sprints & Midgets in the finishing eighties

Gary Bettenhausen
1980 - 16 starts - 1 win - 3 x 2nds - 2 x 3rds - 2 x 4ths - 1 x 5th - 5th in Standings
1981 - 6 starts - 1 x 3rd - 1 x 4th - 12th in the standings
1982 - 1984 : No Starts
1985 - 4 starts - 2 x 3rds - 15th in the standings


Kris

From Mike O'Leary's book "Mario Andretti, the complete record"

MARIO ANDRETTI in USAC Sprint Cars

Year – Starts – Wins – 2nds.3rds.4ths.5ths – (6ths.7ths.8ths.9ths.10ths) – Standings

1963 - 2 starts –
1964 - 20starts - 1 win - 4.0.2.4 – (2.1.1.1.0) – 3rd in the standings
1965 - 12 starts - 1 win - 1.2.2.1 – (1.0.2.0.0) – 10th in the standings
1966 - 18 starts - 5 wins - 1.3.3.1 – (0.2.1.1.0) – 2nd in the standings
1967 - 3 starts - 2 wins - 0.0.0.1 – (0.0.0.0.0) – 18h in the standings

Mario - Terre Haute - 1966 :

Aldo Andretti:
1967: 5 starts - 51st in standings

Parnelli Jones:
1959: 1 start Midwest - 16th in standings
1960: 13 starts Midwest - 1st in standings, 7 wins / 3 starts Eastern - 12th in standings, 1 win
1961: 21 starts, 1st in standings, 9 wins
1962: 20 starts, 1st in standings, 4 wins
1963: 7 starts, 12th in standings, 3 wins
1964: 4 starts, 18th in standings, 1 win

Originally posted by kris
From Mike O'Leary's book "Mario Andretti, the complete record"

MARIO ANDRETTI in USAC Sprint Cars


1967 - 3 starts - 2 wins - 0.0.0.1 – (0.0.0.0.0) – 13th in the standings

According to the USAC Sprint History by Carl Hungness, Mario Andretti finished 18th in 1967.

Herbert, you're right , it was an error I made typing too quick -
I 've edited the post

Thanks, Kris

From Johnny Rutherford & David Craft's book "Lone Star JR"

JOHNNY RUTHERFORD in USAC Sprint Cars

Year – Starts – Wins – 2nds.3rds.4ths.5ths – (6ths.7ths.8ths.9ths.10ths) – Standings

1962 – 7 starts - No win - 0.0.0.1 – (2.1.1.0.1) – 19th in the standings
1963 – 6 starts - No win - 0.0.0.0 – (1.1.0.2.0) – 14th in the standings
1964 – 14 starts - 1 win - 2.0.2.2 – (2.0.2.0.0) – 5th in the standings
1965 – 20 starts - 7 wins - 1.6.1.0 – (0.1.1.0.0) - CHAMPION
1966 – 1 start -
1967 – 10 starts - No win - 0.0.0.1 – (1.0.0.1.1) – 29th in the standings
1968 – 10 starts - No win - 0.1.0.0 – (0.2.1.1.1) – 27th in the standings
1969 – 3 starts - No win - 0.0.1.0 – (0.0.0.1.0) - 21st in the standings
1970 – 4 starts - No win - 0.0.1.0 – (0.0.0.1.0) – 30th in the standings
1971 – 1 start -
1972 – 1 start - 57th in the standings

Here's an Al Consoli photo of Johnny in the Meskowski # 15 (1968 or 1970)


and on of Gary Bettenhausen battling Larry Dickson in their traditional Gary & Larry show

Jim Hurtubise
1959: 2 starts Eastern – 11th in standings
1960: 11 starts Eastern – 5th in standings, 1 win / 8 starts Eastern – 3rd in standings, 2 wins
1961: 18 starts – 2nd in standings, 6 wins
1962: 18 starts – 3rd in standings, 6 wins
1963: 14 starts – 6th in standings, 2 wins
1964: 1 start – 55th in standings
1967: 3 starts – 33rd in standings
1976: 3 starts, 50th in standings

Don Branson
1956: 10 starts Midwest – 5th in standings
1957: 11 starts Midwest – 4th in standings, 1 win / 3 starts Eastern – 12th in standings
1958: 11 starts Midwest – 4th in standings, 2 wins / 2 starts Eastern – 22nd in standings
1959: 11 starts Midwest – 1st in standings, 6 wins / 2 starts Eastern – 12th in standings
1960: 13 starts Midwest – 2nd in standings, 5 wins / 8 starts Eastern – 2nd in standings, 1 win
1961: 12 starts – 8th in standings
1962: 15 starts – 7th in standings, 2 wins
1963: 21 starts – 3rd in standings, 3 wins
1964: 20 starts – 1st in standings, 5 wins
1966: 20 starts – 4th in standings, 1 win

Roger McCluskey
1959: 1 start Midwest – 47th in standings
1960: 12 starts Midwest – 4th in standings / 7 starts Eastern, 8th in standings
1961: 17 starts – 5th in standings, 1 win
1962: 20 starts – 2nd in standings, 5 wins
1963: 22 starts – 1st in standings, 7 wins
1964: 4 starts – 17th in standings, 1 win
1965: 17 starts – 5th in standings
1966: 24 starts – 1st in standings, 9 wins
1967: 2 starts – 40th in standings

Al Unser
1964: 2 starts – 34th in standings
1966: 3 starts – 48th in standings

Bobby Unser
1963: 2 starts – 35th in standings
1964: 7 starts – 11th in standings, 1 win
1965: 20 starts – 3rd in standings, 3 wins
1966: 21 starts – 3rd in standings, 1 win
1967: 11 starts – 13th in standings, 2 wins

A.J. Foyt:
1957: 4 starts Midwest – 11th in standings
1958: 10 starts Midwest – 2nd in standings / 2 starts Eastern, 14th in standings
1959: 9 starts Midwest – 2nd in standings, 2 wins / 2 starts Eastern – 10th in standings
1960: 12 starts Midwest – 3rd in standings / 8 starts Eastern – 1st in standings, 3 wins
1961: 22 starts – 3rd in standings, 6 wins
1962: 13 starts – 4th in standings, 2 wins
1963: 13 starts – 2nd in standings, 5 wins
1964: 13 starts – 4th in standings, 5 wins
1965: 8 starts - 14th in standings, 1 win
1966: 3 starts - 20th in standings, 1 win
1967: 3 starts – 31st in standings, 1 win
1968: 1 start – 45th in standings
1974: 3 starts – 30th in standings, 2 wins

Jud Larson
1956: 1 start Midwest – 21st in standings / 4 starts Eastern – 12th in standings
1958: 1 start Eastern – 40th in standings
1959: 4 starts Midwest – 14th in standings, 1 win / 1 start Eastern – 13th in standings
1964: 19 starts – 2nd in standings, 6 wins
1965: 26 starts – 4th in standings, 7 wins

Elmer George:
1956: 12 starts Midwest – 3rd in standings, 2 wins
1957: 11 starts Midwest – 1st in standings, 4 wins / 3 starts Eastern – 27th in standings
1958: 10 starts Midwest – 3rd in standings, 2 wins / 3 starts Eastern – 9th in standings, 1 win
1959: 1 start Midwest – 38th in standings / 2 starts Eastern – 6th in standings, 1 win
1960: 7 starts Midwest – 6th in standings / 3 starts Eastern – 28th in standings
1961: 18 starts – 4th in standings, 1 win
1962: 17 starts – 5th in standings
1963: 4 starts – 23rd in standings

Billy Vukovich:
1967: 5 starts – 20th in standings
1968: 6 starts – 20th in standings, 1 win
1975: 2 starts – 46th in standings
1978: 1 start – 57th in standings

Thanks, Herbert

don't you have any stats for Jud Larson in 1966, he died racing the Sprint Cars but had a few wins before that, so he should be classified in the standings.

Kris

You're right, I missed it.

Jud Larson drove in five USAC sprint car races in 1966 and won two of them (Reading, March 27 and Winchester May 29). He died on June 11 at Reading in a crash with Red Reigel, who was also fatally injured. Larson was 13th in the final driver standings.

Originally posted by kris


Here's an Al Consoli photo of Johnny in the Meskowski # 15 (1968 or 1970)


and on of Gary Bettenhausen battling Larry Dickson in their traditional Gary & Larry show

The first picture should be from 1968 because the car of Wally Meskowski in 1970 was not white.

The Larry and Gary pictue is also from 1968.

Herbert,

if you have time to post it, would you have the numbers of 2nds, 3rds, ... for all those drivers

Kris

Herbert, I just saw that year 1965 stats is missing for Don Branson, could you please post it ?

Kris

Jimmy Bryan had mostly stopped competing in sprints by 1956, I think he only did a Langhorne Twin 50 as a star attraction in one of Sam Traylor's cars (iirc the Beals/Offenhauser), winning one and finishing fourth or something in the other. His real career began in AAA sprint car racing on the Eastern circuit in late 1951, when he succeeded Roy Sherman as the driver of the Leitenberger/Offenhauser, winning - this is now from memory - about a dozen races and also competing in the Midwest and the Pacific-Southwest. His best result in points was probably 3rd or 4th in 1952.

Don Branson, Jud Larson and Elmer George also ran AAA before USAC took over, but without notable success. Larson (1963) and George (1959/60) also had short spells with IMCA during the interruptions of their USAC careers, through illness and banishment, respectively.

Originally posted by kris
Herbert, I just saw that year 1965 stats is missing for Don Branson, could you please post it ?

Kris

Don Branson made 19 USAC sprint car starts in 1965, he won two races (Salem and Rossburg). He finished the season in 6th place.

Sorry, I think I missed him:


Pancho Carter:

1971: 9 starts, 30th in standings
1972: 10 starts, 28th in standings
1973: 35 starts, 5 wins, 6th in standings
1974: 31 starts, 7 wins, 1st in standings
1975: 29 starts, 2 wins, 4th in standings
1976: 36 starts, 12 wins, 1st
1977: 36 starts, 10 wins, 3rd
1978: 17 starts, 3 wins, 13th in standings
1979: 18 starts, 2 wins, 11th
1980: 8 starts, 1 win, 17th in standings

can anyone direct me to where on this forum there was a thread about U.S.A.C sprint cars from the 1960's. it might have been a link in another thread ! in which were a lot of very neat color pictures of the cars in a wet and muddy paddock, the majority of which were on trailers. I have searched in vain, and had no luck. maybe I'm having a joe cocker moment ! "if you remember the sixties, you weren't there" any help greatly appreciated.



mike in canada

can anyone direct me to where on this forum there was a thread about U.S.A.C sprint cars from the 1960's. it might have been a link in another thread ! in which were a lot of very neat color pictures of the cars in a wet and muddy paddock, the majority of which were on trailers. I have searched in vain, and had no luck. maybe I'm having a joe cocker moment ! "if you remember the sixties, you weren't there" any help greatly appreciated.



mike in canada

Try the HAMB board thread, it's over 1000 pages, so set the evening aside:

http://www.jalopyjou...ad.php?t=236178

tom, thanks for that link to the jalopy journal. I agree about setting an evening aside ! I did manage to find what I was after in the end. the link was in post #2601 may 11th 2012, by helioseism, in the transporters thread. it was on the jalopy journal as "for miles in circles" some good close ups of sprinters most on trailers, worth a look. sorry I cannot seem to do links. one day I'll get the hang of it !

mike in canada

Here's the link:

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/?p=15233

tom & pirate tim, thanks for the help ! !

mike