1979 IndyCar season
The 1979 IndyCar season consisted of 14 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 11 and concluding at the same location on October 20. The SCCA/CART Indy Car Series Drivers' Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Rick Mears. Rookie of the Year was Bill Alsup. This was the first year that the championship was co-sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America and CART, after the majority of car owners left the USAC during the previous season. The 63rd Indianapolis 500 continued to be sanctioned by the USAC, but counted in the CART points standings.
Drivers and constructors
The following teams and drivers competed for the 1979 CART World Series.
Results and standings
Races
Rd |
Name |
Circuit |
Date |
Winning driver |
Winning team |
Report |
1 |
Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 |
Avondale, Arizona |
March 11 |
Gordon Johncock |
Patrick Racing |
Report |
2 |
Gould Twin Dixie 125 - Heat 1 |
Atlanta, Georgia |
April 22 |
Johnny Rutherford |
McLaren |
Report |
3 |
Gould Twin Dixie 125 - Heat 2 |
Atlanta, Georgia |
April 22 |
Johnny Rutherford |
McLaren |
Report |
4 |
Indianapolis 500 |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
May 27 |
Rick Mears |
Penske Racing |
Report |
5 |
Trenton Twin Indy - Heat 1 |
Trenton, New Jersey |
June 10 |
Bobby Unser |
Penske Racing |
Report |
6 |
Trenton Twin Indy - Heat 2 |
Trenton, New Jersey |
June 10 |
Bobby Unser |
Penske Racing |
Report |
7 |
Norton Twin - Heat 1 |
Brooklyn, Michigan |
July 15 |
Gordon Johncock |
Patrick Racing |
Report |
8 |
Norton Twin - Heat 2 |
Brooklyn, Michigan |
July 15 |
Bobby Unser |
Penske Racing |
Report |
9 |
Kent Oil 150 |
Watkins Glen, New York |
August 5 |
Bobby Unser |
Penske Racing |
Report |
10 |
Ditzler 150 |
Trenton, New Jersey |
August 19 |
Rick Mears |
Penske Racing |
Report |
11 |
California 500 |
Ontario, California |
September 2 |
Bobby Unser |
Penske Racing |
Report |
12 |
Gould Grand Prix |
Brooklyn, Michigan |
September 15 |
Bobby Unser |
Penske Racing |
Report |
13 |
Rich's Atlantic Classic |
Atlanta, Georgia |
September 30 |
Rick Mears |
Penske Racing |
Report |
14 |
Miller High Life |
Avondale, Arizona |
October 20 |
Al Unser |
Chaparral |
Report |
Full Series Results
Points Breakdown
Points Earned for Each Type of Race |
Pos |
100 Miles |
125 Miles |
150 Miles |
200 Miles |
500 Miles |
Pos |
100 Miles |
125 Miles |
150 Miles |
200 Miles |
500 Miles |
1 |
200 |
250 |
300 |
400 |
1000 |
18 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
20 |
2 |
160 |
200 |
240 |
320 |
800 |
19 |
|
5 |
6 |
8 |
20 |
3 |
140 |
175 |
210 |
280 |
700 |
20 |
|
5 |
6 |
8 |
20 |
4 |
120 |
150 |
160 |
240 |
600 |
21 |
|
4 |
5 |
6 |
15 |
5 |
100 |
125 |
150 |
200 |
500 |
22 |
|
4 |
4 |
6 |
15 |
6 |
80 |
100 |
120 |
160 |
400 |
23 |
|
4 |
4 |
6 |
15 |
7 |
60 |
75 |
90 |
120 |
300 |
24 |
|
|
|
6 |
10 |
8 |
50 |
63 |
75 |
100 |
250 |
25 |
|
|
|
4 |
10 |
9 |
40 |
50 |
60 |
80 |
200 |
26 |
|
|
|
4 |
10 |
10 |
30 |
38 |
45 |
60 |
150 |
27 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
11 |
20 |
25 |
30 |
40 |
100 |
28 |
|
|
|
|
10 |
12 |
10 |
13 |
15 |
20 |
50 |
29 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
13 |
5 |
5 |
8 |
10 |
25 |
30 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
14 |
5 |
5 |
8 |
10 |
25 |
31 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
15 |
5 |
5 |
8 |
10 |
25 |
32 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
16 |
5 |
5 |
8 |
10 |
25 |
33 |
|
|
|
|
5 |
17 |
5 |
5 |
6 |
8 |
20 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Final driver standings
Pos |
Driver |
PHO
R1 |
ATL
H1 |
ATL
H2 |
IND
500 |
TRE
H1 |
TRE
H2 |
MIG
H1 |
MIG
H2 |
WKG
INT |
TRE
R3 |
CAL
500 |
MIG
R3 |
ATL
R3 |
PHO
R2 |
Pts |
1 |
Rick Mears |
2 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
7 |
4 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
4,060 |
2 |
Bobby Unser |
5 |
7 |
4 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
Ret |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3,820 |
3 |
Gordon Johncock |
1 |
4 |
9 |
6 |
3 |
5 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
2 |
4 |
2,211 |
4 |
Johnny Rutherford |
3 |
1 |
1 |
18 |
Ret |
3 |
3 |
Ret |
Ret |
5 |
4 |
4 |
Ret |
6 |
2,163 |
5 |
Al Unser |
4 |
6 |
3 |
Ret |
2 |
Ret |
13 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
5 |
Ret |
5 |
1 |
2,085 |
6 |
Danny Ongais |
Ret |
Ret |
6 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
Ret |
Ret |
4 |
Ret |
6 |
DNQ |
Ret |
Ret |
1,473 |
7 |
Tom Sneva |
Ret |
3 |
5 |
15 |
6 |
Ret |
Ret |
2 |
Ret |
3 |
Ret |
2 |
8 |
5 |
1,360 |
8 |
Tom Bagley |
8 |
8 |
7 |
9 |
8 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
7 |
Ret |
5 |
|
9 |
1,208 |
9 |
Wally Dallenbach, Sr. |
7 |
11 |
8 |
Ret |
4 |
2 |
5 |
Ret |
Ret |
4 |
Ret |
6 |
4 |
12 |
1,149 |
10 |
Mike Mosley |
6 |
Ret |
Ret |
3 |
Ret |
DNS |
2 |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
|
Ret |
10 |
1,126 |
11 |
Mario Andretti |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 |
DNQ |
|
|
700 |
12 |
Lee Kunzman |
9 |
2 |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
DNS |
14 |
Ret |
|
|
9 |
|
|
|
490 |
13 |
Pancho Carter |
Ret |
9 |
11 |
Ret |
10 |
8 |
7 |
Ret |
Ret |
|
Ret |
8 |
Ret |
7 |
452 |
14 |
Vern Schuppan |
Ret |
12 |
12 |
Ret |
|
|
Ret |
DNS |
7 |
|
7 |
DNS |
|
Ret |
449 |
15 |
Bill Alsup |
11 |
Ret |
Ret |
|
12 |
9 |
9 |
Ret |
9 |
10 |
Ret |
9 |
10 |
11 |
400 |
16 |
Joe Saldana |
13 |
Ret |
13 |
16 |
Ret |
Ret |
10 |
8 |
Ret |
8 |
Ret |
DNQ |
6 |
Ret |
368 |
17 |
Spike Gehlhausen |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
10 |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
8 |
343 |
18 |
Salt Walther |
12 |
10 |
10 |
12 |
|
|
8 |
7 |
|
|
Ret |
Ret |
|
|
314 |
19 |
Steve Krisiloff |
Ret |
Ret |
|
11 |
9 |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
Ret |
|
Ret |
6 |
|
|
279 |
20 |
Tom Frantz |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
11 |
Ret |
Ret |
9 |
Ret |
Ret |
|
|
236 |
21 |
Jerry Sneva |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
155 |
22 |
Tim Richmond |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
DNS |
8 |
Ret |
Ret |
|
|
Ret |
112 |
23 |
Larry Rice |
10 |
|
14 |
19 |
Ret |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
105 |
24 |
Herm Johnson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
7 |
13 |
98 |
25 |
John Mahler |
Ret |
|
|
Ret |
11 |
11 |
12 |
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
74 |
26 |
Al Loquasto |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
9 |
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
70 |
27 |
Larry Cannon |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
Ret |
DNS |
Ret |
Ret |
56 |
28 |
Dick Ferguson |
|
|
|
|
|
|
15 |
Ret |
|
|
Ret |
|
|
DNQ |
35 |
29 |
Billy Scott |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
20 |
30 |
Phil Caliva |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
10 |
- |
A.J. Foyt |
|
|
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Howdy Holmes |
|
|
|
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Bill Vukovich II |
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Don Whittington |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
8 |
|
|
|
- |
- |
Frank Weiss |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9 |
|
- |
- |
Bill Whittington |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
- |
- |
Roger McCluskey |
|
|
|
13 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Tom Bigelow |
|
|
|
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Phil Threshie |
|
|
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
John Martin |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
- |
- |
Eldon Rasmussen |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Larry Dickson |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Dick Simon |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Sheldon Kinser |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Bob Harkey |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
- |
- |
Cliff Hucul |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
- |
- |
Dennis Firestone |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
- |
- |
Johnny Parsons |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
- |
- |
George Snider |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Janet Guthrie |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
- |
Jim McElreath |
|
|
|
Ret |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- |
Pos |
Driver |
PHO
R1 |
ATL
H1 |
ATL
H2 |
IND
500 |
TRE
H1 |
TRE
H2 |
MIG
H1 |
MIG
H2 |
WKG
INT |
TRE
R3 |
CAL
500 |
MIG
R3 |
ATL
R3 |
PHO
R2 |
Pts |
|
Colour |
Result |
Gold |
Winner |
Silver |
2nd place |
Bronze |
3rd place |
Green |
Finished, in points |
Blue |
Finished, no points |
Not classified (NC) |
Purple |
Did not finish (Ret) |
Red |
Did not qualify (DNQ) |
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
Black |
Disqualified (DSQ) |
White |
Did not start (DNS) |
Withdrew (WD) |
Race cancelled (C) |
Blank |
Did not participate |
Excluded (EX) |
|
Driver Breakdown
Pos |
Driver |
Team |
Entries |
Wins |
Podiums |
Top 5s |
Top 10s |
Poles |
Points |
1 |
Mears |
Team Penske |
14 |
3 |
9 |
13 |
14 |
2 |
4,060 |
2 |
B. Unser |
Team Penske |
14 |
6 |
9 |
12 |
13 |
7 |
3,820 |
3 |
Johncock |
Patrick Racing |
14 |
2 |
5 |
9 |
11 |
2 |
2,211 |
4 |
Rutherford |
McLaren International |
14 |
2 |
5 |
8 |
9 |
2 |
2,163 |
5 |
A. Unser |
Chaparral Cars Inc. |
14 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
10 |
1 |
2,085 |
6 |
Ongais |
Interscope Racing |
13 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
1,473 |
7 |
T. Sneva |
Sugaripe Prune |
14 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
8 |
0 |
1,360 |
8 |
Bagley |
Longhorn Racing |
13 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
12 |
0 |
1,208 |
9 |
Dallenbach |
Patrick Racing |
14 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
8 |
0 |
1,149 |
10 |
Mosley |
All American Racers |
12 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
1,126 |
11 |
Andretti |
Team Penske |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
700 |
12 |
Kunzman |
Hamm |
8 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
490 |
13 |
Carter |
Alex Foods |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
452 |
14 |
Schuppan |
Wysard Motor Co. |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
449 |
15 |
Alsup (R) |
WASP Racing |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
0 |
400 |
16 |
Saldana |
Hoffman Racing |
13 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
368 |
17 |
Gehlhausen |
Gehlhausen Racing |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
343 |
18 |
Walther |
Walmotor |
8 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
314 |
19 |
Krisiloff |
Fletcher Racing |
10 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
279 |
20 |
Frantz |
Frantz Racing |
7 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
236 |
21 |
J. Sneva |
National Engineering |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
155 |
22 |
Richmond |
-Private Entry- |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
112 |
23 |
Rice |
S-M Electric |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
105 |
24 |
Johnson |
Mergard Racing |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
98 |
25 |
Mahler |
Sport Magazine |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
74 |
26 |
Loquasto |
Gehlhausen Racing |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
70 |
27 |
Cannon |
Canon Racing - GTI Engineering |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
56 |
28 |
Ferguson |
Aero Electrics |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
35 |
29 |
Scott |
Wheel Center |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
20 |
30 |
Caliva |
Sta-On |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
References
See also