17 replies to this topic

[Neuz]

I was scanning negatives that my father took of the 1982 Indy 500 for my website, www.yesterdaysneuz.com .

I went to Wikipedia to look up the race results of the race and was surprised to see the long list of drivers that didn't qualify for the race. Do you think it will ever get back to this point?  What needs to be done to accomplish this? Is it because we are they are limited to certain engine suppliers and chassis?  Just being nostalgic and longing for the old days back!  

Failed to Qualify[edit]

• Pat Bedard (#36)
• Tom Bigelow (#56, #73)
• Scott Brayton (#37)
• Phil Caliva (#38)
• Steve Chassey (#11, #64)
• Bill Engelhart (#59)
• Dick Ferguson
• Bob Frey (#64)
• Tom Frantz (#77)
• Spike Gehlhausen (#47)
• Tom Gloy (#80)
• Tom Grunnah
• Ken Hamilton (#63)
• Bob Harkey (#79)
• Hurley Haywood (#34)
• Gary Irvin (#90)
• Jerry Karl (#32)

• Sheldon Kinser
• Steve Krisiloff (#34, #72)
• Phil Krueger (#89)
• Lee Kunzman
• Bob Lazier (#34)
• Greg Leffler (#43)
• Ray Lipper (#73)
• Al Loquasto (#86)
• John Mahler (#92)
• John Martin (#17)
• Jim McElreath (#98)
• Mike Mosley (#48)
• Teddy Pilette (#67
• Roger Rager (#72)
• Larry Rice
• Tim Richmond
• Joe Saldana (#58)

• Rusty Schmidt (#27)
• Vern Schuppan (#18, #37, #99)
• Billy Scott (#88)
• Dick Simon (#22)
• Gordon Smiley (#35)

NOTE: The #35 Intermedics Innovator team formed an alliance with Patrick Racing;George Snider subsequently qualified the team's backup car into the race.

• Jan Sneva (#92)
• Sammy Swindell (#64)
• Bobby Unser (#55)
• Leroy Van Conett (#46)
• Dean Vetrock (#71)
• Rich Vogler
• Bill Vukovich II (#11, #18)
• Desiré Wilson (#33)

 

[king_crud]

did Vern Schuppan fail to qualify with three different cars?

[Allen Brown]

Ah those were the days.  From the late 1960s until the early 1980s, it was not uncommon to have over 90 entries for the Indy 500.  Not all of those would actually appear of course, and even the ones that appeared didn't necessarily make a qualifying attempt, but I doubt that 1982 was the peak.

 

BTW, interesting to read some of the Wikipedia pages of some of the lesser-known drivers.  One says that he competed mainly in F5000 and Can-Am but I just checked and he never even practiced for a race in either the F5000 or Can-Am championships.  As far as I can see, he only ran Central Division SCCA Formula A and A/SR races and the 1987 CAT championship, so at least one division lower than he's claiming.  (Yes, I am accusing him of writing his own Wikipedia page!).

[ray b]

I wonder how many of that list had new cars in 82

vs how many were in older rides

[Allen Brown]

Thanks to the advances in aerodynamics, 1982 was one of the rare seasons when you needed a new or nearly-new car to stand a reasonable chance of qualifying.  And remember this was the year of the production March 82C - the 500 hadn't seen a batch of brand new cars of this sort of size since 1973.

 

If you want the stats, I can see 26 1982 cars, of which 19 qualified leaving out just five one-offs plus Mosley's Eagle and the unfortunate Smiley's March.  Of the 24 1981 cars, exactly a dozen qualified and the other dozen didn't.  Of the 26 older cars, just the Chaparral and the 1980 Lightning started.

 

If you did an analysis like that some time in the mid-1970s, you'd have seen a far greater average age of car.  Fast forward to the mid-1980s and the rate of progress had so accelerated that even a one-year-old car was a marked disadvantage.

[Emery0323]

• Bobby Unser (#55)

 

Does anybody know the story behind the Bobby Unser entry?  

He was supposed to have officially retired at the end of 1981, after the disputed win was awarded to him over Andretti.

[Allen Brown]

Does anybody know the story behind the Bobby Unser entry?  

He was supposed to have officially retired at the end of 1981, after the disputed win was awarded to him over Andretti.

 

He wasn't there.  Some of those "DNQs" were "DNAs".

[Michael Ferner]

Sorry, Allen, but Bobby U. was most definitely there all month, managing the Josele Garza team and driver. And he wasn't "officially retired" either; he was entered in the #50 backup car which Josele wadded pretty early on in practice, but may have taken a few laps in #55 - I have seen no conclusive evidence which would either contradict or support this scenario!

[rateus]

At the time I believe Bobby U saw 1982 as a sabbatical from Champcars and fully intended to return to them in 1983 - Autosport notes on Nov 11 that he was about to start testing the Patrick Racing Wildcat for which he was already confirmed as driver (teammate to Gordon Johncock) in 1983...  Whatever happened to that deal?

[rateus]

... and a quick google produces the following answer...
http://news.google.c...pg=3233,4667389

[Marc Sproule]

I have communicated with Tom Gloy. He did not qualify for Indy in '82 because he was never there.

 

 

[Emery0323]

... and a quick google produces the following answer...
http://news.google.c...pg=3233,4667389

Thanks-  I guess his retirement was not  fully official until the end of 1982.  Here's a Sports Illustrated article from Jan.1982 that states he was planning to drive only he Indy 500 that year (for Penske), though it does mention is advisor role for the Garza team:

 

http://sportsillustr...145/1/index.htm

[ensign14]

I have communicated with Tom Gloy. He did not qualify for Indy in '82 because he was never there.

 

Pfft.  Lightweight.  Such minor details never bothered Mario Andretti.

[lotuspoweredbyford]

Sorry, Allen, but Bobby U. was most definitely there all month, managing the Josele Garza team and driver. And he wasn't "officially retired" either; he was entered in the #50 backup car which Josele wadded pretty early on in practice, but may have taken a few laps in #55 - I have seen no conclusive evidence which would either contradict or support this scenario!

 

When I interviewed Uncle Bobby last year, I asked him about 1982 specifically. I will post the audio on our site.

 

He mentioned in the interview he never had any plans at all to run in 1982 for anyone, despite being on the entry list and the rumors of him planning to jump into a Penske or Patrick backup if Garza got in on opening weekend safely.

[lotuspoweredbyford]

 

I was scanning negatives that my father took of the 1982 Indy 500 for my website, www.yesterdaysneuz.com .

I went to Wikipedia to look up the race results of the race and was surprised to see the long list of drivers that didn't qualify for the race. Do you think it will ever get back to this point?  What needs to be done to accomplish this? Is it because we are they are limited to certain engine suppliers and chassis?  Just being nostalgic and longing for the old days back!

Failed to Qualify[edit]

• Pat Bedard (#36)
• Tom Bigelow (#56, #73)
• Scott Brayton (#37)
• Phil Caliva (#38)
• Steve Chassey (#11, #64)
• Bill Engelhart (#59)
• Dick Ferguson
• Bob Frey (#64)
• Tom Frantz (#77)
• Spike Gehlhausen (#47)
• Tom Gloy (#80)
• Tom Grunnah
• Ken Hamilton (#63)
• Bob Harkey (#79)
• Hurley Haywood (#34)
• Gary Irvin (#90)
• Jerry Karl (#32)

• Sheldon Kinser
• Steve Krisiloff (#34, #72)
• Phil Krueger (#89)
• Lee Kunzman
• Bob Lazier (#34)
• Greg Leffler (#43)
• Ray Lipper (#73)
• Al Loquasto (#86)
• John Mahler (#92)
• John Martin (#17)
• Jim McElreath (#98)
• Mike Mosley (#48)
• Teddy Pilette (#67
• Roger Rager (#72)
• Larry Rice
• Tim Richmond
• Joe Saldana (#58)

• Rusty Schmidt (#27)
• Vern Schuppan (#18, #37, #99)
• Billy Scott (#88)
• Dick Simon (#22)
• Gordon Smiley (#35)

NOTE: The #35 Intermedics Innovator team formed an alliance with Patrick Racing;George Snider subsequently qualified the team's backup car into the race.

• Jan Sneva (#92)
• Sammy Swindell (#64)
• Bobby Unser (#55)
• Leroy Van Conett (#46)
• Dean Vetrock (#71)
• Rich Vogler
• Bill Vukovich II (#11, #18)
• Desiré Wilson (#33)

 

 

Ray Lipper was never on track.

[rateus]

Ray Lipper was never on track.

Nor was Tommy Grunnah - USAC rejected both entries, Grunnah's because it was apparently late and Lipper's most likely because of his antics at the Phoenix season-opener where his first-lap spin in the consolation race took out 3 of the 4 starters...

 

btw post #1709 in the USAC, etc History thread has details on that year's Rookie Orientation Program.

[HistoryFan]

I think 1982 was the record with 68 drivers try to qualify for the race...

[Lee Nicolle]

Ray Lipper was never on track.

There is a LOT of well known names in that list,, though some are well known surnames to us these days.

Plenty of well known dirt racers too, Sammy Swindell and Larry Rice, Leroy Van Connett and Sheldon Kinser among them