1968 Indianapolis 500

52nd Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body	USAC
Season	1968 USAC season
Date	May 30, 1968
Winner	Bobby Unser
Winning team	Leader Cards
Average speed	152.882 mph (246.040 km/h)
Pole position	Joe Leonard
Pole speed	171.559 mph (276.097 km/h)
Fastest qualifier	Joe Leonard
Rookie of the Year	Bill Vukovich II
Most laps led	Bobby Unser (127)
Pre-race ceremonies
National anthem	Purdue Band
Back Home Again in Indiana	Purdue Band
Starting Command	Tony Hulman
Pace car	Ford Torino GT
Pace car driver	William Clay Ford, Sr.
Attendance	250,000 (estimated)
TV in the United States
Network	ABC's Wide World of Sports
Announcers	Jim McKay, Rodger Ward
Chronology
Previous Next 1967 1969

The 52nd International 500 Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Thursday May 30, 1968. For the second year in a row, Andy Granatelli's STP Turbine-powered machine dominates the race, but once again, failed within sight of victory.

On lap 174 Lloyd Ruby's engine misfired allowing Joe Leonard to take the lead in the Lotus 56 turbine. Leonard, however, suffered a flameout on the lap 190 restart, and rolled to a silent and shocking halt. Bobby Unser in the venerable piston-powered Offenhauser, inherited the lead, and despite gearbox trouble, went on to win his first of three Indy 500 victories.

This was the final Indianapolis 500 to feature a front-engined car in the starting field. Of the 33 cars, 32 were rear-engined machines (including three turbines). Jim Hurtubise's entry, which dropped out after nine laps, was the last front-engine car to race in the 500. It was also the first 500 won by a turbocharged engine.

During the month, film crews were on hand to film various action shots and stock footage of the race proceedings to be used in the upcoming movie Winning, starring Paul Newman.

With 9.25 inches of precipitation in the Indianapolis area, the 1968 race featured the wettest month on record for the Indy 500.^[1] Rain hampers practice and qualifying, but does not affect race day.

Race schedule

Practice and time trials

The 1968 Indianapolis 500 was the second and eventually the final year of participation by the controversial STP Granatelli Turbine machines. For 1968, the Pratt & Whitney turbine engine was installed in the Lotus 56 chassis, often known affectionately as the "Wedge Turbine." In a veiled effort to curtail the turbine's power output, USAC had imposed revised regulations regarding the maximum annulus inlet (reduced from 23.999 in² to 15.999 in²).

Mike Spence was fatally injured after a crash in turn one on May 7. A tire broke off his Lotus "Wedge" Turbine and struck him in the head. He died of his injuries a few hours after the accident after being taken to the hospital. Spence's death came one month after Jim Clark's at Hockenheim. Clark was scheduled to drive one of the Lotus Wedge Turbines at Indy.

Pole Day Time trials - Saturday May 18

Graham Hill the 1966 winner in the #70 STP Turbine was first to qualify, and set a new qualifying record. Later, his STP Lotus 56 teammate Joe Leonard in #60 won the pole position with a speed of 171.559 mph (276.097 km/h).

Second Day time trials - Sunday May 19

Rain kept cars off the track most of the day. Only two cars were able to make an attempt, and only one was run to completion. At 5:45 p.m., the track was finally opened for qualifications, and Jochen Rindt (164.144 mph) was the lone qualifier, while Denny Hulme waved off as the 6 o'clock gun went off.

At the conclusion of the first weekend of time trials, the field was filled to 16 cars.

Third Day time trials - Saturday May 25

Sixteen cars made a total of 24 attempts, and filled the field to 26 cars. High winds kept some cars off the track, and speeds were down from the previous weekend.^[2] Many cars waved off, and Mel Kenyon (165.191 mph) was the fastest car of the day.

After qualifying, Ronnie Bucknum's car was disqualified for being 20 pounds underweight.

Fourth day time trials - Sunday May 26

With the field filled to 25 cars (eight spots open), rain kept the cars off the track until late in the day. The final scheduled day of time trials ("Bump Day") was almost a complete wash out. The traditional 6 o'clock closing time came and went, and the track was still wet. Track crews continued to work, and the track opened for practice at 6:55 p.m. After the mandatory 30-minute practice session, the track opened for time trials at 7:31 p.m.

With overcast skies and darkness looming, three cars made attempts. Bill Puterbaugh and Bill Cheesbourg completed runs, while Bobby Johns spun on his second warm up lap. At that time, officials deemed the conditions unsafe due to darkness, and postponed the remainder of qualifying until Monday morning.^[3]

Time trials - Monday May 27

For the first time since 1952, time trials were pushed into a fifth day. Officials ruled that all 25 cars that were in the starting field at 6 p.m. Sunday May 26 were "locked in" and could not be bumped. In addition, all cars that were in line to qualify Sunday evening at 7:54 p.m. were eligible to make one qualifying attempt on Monday. Only cars that qualified after 6 p.m. on Sunday evening were subject to bumping (including Puterbaugh and Cheesbourg).

Ronnie Bucknum was reinstated to the field when it was determined that during his inspection, the scale used to weight the car was defective.^[4] With Bucknum's car back in the field, only seven spots were now available.

Though rain hampered the day, the qualifying was successfully completed on Monday. A frantic session saw two crashes (Bob Hurt and Rick Muther). Eighteen cars took to the track to fill the seven open spots. Both Puterbaugh and Cheesebourg were bumped, and Mike Mosley was the fastest of the day. Jim Hurtubise qualified his front-engined Mallard for 30th starting position. It would be the final front-engined car to qualify for the Indy 500.

Race Day

First half

At the drop of the green flag, Joe Leonard in the #60 STP Turbine took the lead, with Bobby Unser in second and Roger McCluskey up to third at the end of lap one. A fast pace was set over the first 100 miles, with no yellow caution lights. Bobby Unser took the lead for the first time on lap 8, and lead most of the first half.

After only nine laps, Jim Hurtubise in the front-engined PepsiCo Frito-lay special had burned a piston, and was out, finishing 30th, the final front-engined "roadster" to race at lap at the 500. Also in the pits was Mario Andretti, who dropped out with a bad piston. Moments later, he hopped into the car of his teammate Larry Dickson, but that was also short-lived. That car also suffered a broken piston after 24 laps.

On lap 41, the caution flag flew for the first time. Al Unser, Sr. made a routine pit stop, but a fire broke out in the turbocharger. He was able to return to the race, but after only one lap, he lost a wheel and hit the wall in turn one. Arnie Knepper and Gary Bettenhausen were also involved. After 200 miles (320 km), defending champion A.J. Foyt was out with a blown engine.

Second half

On lap 110, Graham Hill loses a wheel and smashed into the turn two wall, which brought out the second caution. It was the first of the three Granatelli Turbines to drop out of the race. On the restart, Bobby Unser took the lead, blowing by Joe Leonard, showing the traditional piston-powered engines were still a match for the powerful turbines.

On lap 127, Mel Kenyon and rookie Billy Vukovich II tangle in turn four. Both were able to re-enter the race, but Johnny Rutherford, while trying to slow down, was rear-ended by Jim McElreath. Mike Mosley also spun in turn four trying to avoid the accident.

When Bobby Unser made his last pit stop, his car was stuck in high gear. As he left his pit struggling to reach racing speed, both Leonard and Ruby passed him. Leonard now lead, but Ruby was out of contention with a faulty ignition coil.

With 19 laps to go, Joe Leonard lead, with Bobby Unser second. Carl Williams crashed on the backstretch, triggering a fire which brought out the yellow light. Under the caution, Leonard lead, with Bobby Unser and Dan Gurney nose-to-tail. After the cleanup, the green flag was given on lap 191. At that instant, both leader Joe Leonard and his teammate Art Pollard hesitate and instantly slow with identical snapped fuel pump drive shafts. The turbine engines again failed in sight of the finish, stunning the racing fraternity. Bobby Unser swept by into the lead with Dan Gurney inheriting second place. With a nearly full-lap lead, Unser cruised the final nine laps to win his first 500.

Box score

Finish	Start	No	Name	Qual	Rank	Laps	Led	Status
1	3	3	Bobby Unser	169.507	3	200	127	Running
2	10	48	Dan Gurney	166.512	10	200	0	Running
3	17	15	Mel Kenyon	165.191	14	200	0	Running
4	20	42	Denis Hulme	164.189	19	200	0	Running
5	5	25	Lloyd Ruby	167.613	5	200	42	Running
6	26	59	Ronnie Duman	162.338	27	200	0	Running
7	23	98	Bill Vukovich II	163.510	23	198	0	Flagged
8	27	90	Mike Mosley	162.499	26	197	0	Flagged
9	31	94	Sammy Sessions	162.118	31	197	0	Flagged
10	25	6	Bobby Grim	162.866	25	196	0	Flagged
11	24	16	Bob Veith	163.495	24	196	0	Flagged
12	1	60	Joe Leonard	171.599	1	191	31	Fuel Shaft
13	11	20	Art Pollard	166.297	11	188	0	Fuel Shaft
14	13	82	Jim McElreath	165.327	13	179	0	Stalled
15	28	84	Carl Williams	162.323	28	163	0	Crash BS
16	18	10	Bud Tingelstad	164.444	17	158	0	Oil Pressure
17	12	54	Wally Dallenbach, Sr.	165.548	12	148	0	Engine
18	21	18	Johnny Rutherford	163.830	21	125	0	Crash T4
19	2	70	Graham Hill	171.208	2	110	0	Crash T2
20	8	1	A.J. Foyt	166.821	8	86	0	Rear End
21	19	45	Ronnie Bucknum	164.211	18	76	0	Fuel Leak
22	14	27	Jim Malloy	165.032	15	64	0	Rear End
23	15	78	Jerry Grant	164.782	16	50	0	Oil Leak
24	22	11	Gary Bettenhausen	163.562	22	43	0	Accident T1
25	32	21	Arnie Knepper	161.900	32	42	0	Accident T1
26	6	24	Al Unser	167.069	6	40	0	Crash T1
27	9	4	Gordon Johncock	166.775	9	37	0	Rear End
28	33	64	Larry Dickson (Relieved by Mario Andretti; laps 14-24)	161.124	33	24	0	Piston
29	7	8	Roger McCluskey	166.976	7	16	0	Oil Filter
30	30	56	Jim Hurtubise	162.191	30	9	0	Piston
31	29	29	George Snider	162.264	29	9	0	Oil Leak
32	16	35	Jochen Rindt	164.144	20	5	0	Piston
33	4	2	Mario Andretti	167.691	4	2	0	Piston

Alternates

• First alternate: Bruce Walkup^[5]

Qualification Chronology

Race notes

• This would be the final Indy 500 documented by the popular Floyd Clymer 500 Mile Race yearbooks.
• 6th place finisher Ronnie Duman would be killed ten days later at Milwaukee.

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. Sid Collins served as chief announcer. Len Sutton served as "driver expert" for the third year. At the conclusion of the race, Lou Palmer reported from victory lane.

The entire on-air crew remained consistent from 1966 & 1967.

The broadcast was carried by over 900 affiliates including 761^[6] in the United States, Armed Forces Network, the CBC, and reached New Zealand and Australia for the first time. The broadcast had an estimated 100 million listeners worldwide.

Television

The race was carried in the United States on ABC's Wide World of Sports. The broadcast aired on Saturday June 15. Jim McKay anchored the broadcast with Rodger Ward as analyst.

The race was shown live on MCA closed-circuit television in approximately 175 theaters across the United States.^[7][8] Charlie Brockman served as anchor.

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1968 Indianapolis 500.

• 

  1968 winning car

• 

  Joe Leonard's 1968 Lotus 56 Turbine

• 

  Graham Hill's 1968 Lotus 56 Turbine

Notes

References

Works cited

• Indianapolis 500 History: Race & All-Time Stats - Official Site
• 1968 Indianapolis 500 at RacingReference.info
• 1968 Indianapolis 500 Radio Broadcast, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network