California 500 (Indycar)

The California 500 was a CART race held at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California. The event represented a continuous lineage of open wheel oval racing in the Southern California-area that dates back to 1970.

California 500
VenueOntario Motor Speedway
First race1970
Last race1980
Distance500 mi (800 km)
Laps200
Most wins (driver)Bobby Unser (4)
Most wins (team)Eagle (3)
Most wins (manufacturer)Chassis: All American Racers (3)
Engine: Offenhauser (4)
Cosworth (4)

History

Open wheel oval racing in southern California dated back to the USAC California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, held from 1970 to 1978. The race was part of IndyCar racing's "triple crown", and at its inception, was held in high prestige. The inaugural running was considered a huge success, with 187,000 in attendance. However, it became a CART event in 1979 and the track fell into financial troubles in 1980 and closed at the end of 1980. Subsequent running's were never able to match the success of the 1970 event.[1]

Indy car races were also held at nearby Riverside, but only from 1967–1969 (prior to the opening of Ontario) in 1970 and again from 1981–1983 (after Ontario closed in 1980).[2]

Race results
Season Date Driver Team Chassis Engine Race Distance Race Time Average Speed
(mph)
Laps Miles (km)
USAC Championship Car
1970 September 6 Jim McElreath A.J. Foyt Enterprises Coyote Ford 200 500 (804.672) 3:07:22 160.106
1971 September 5 Joe Leonard Vel's Parnelli Jones Colt Ford 200 500 (804.672) 3:16:55 152.354
1972 September 3 Roger McCluskey Lindsay Hopkins McLaren Offy 200 500 (804.672) 3:17:58 151.54
1973 September 2 Wally Dallenbach Sr. Patrick Racing Eagle Offy 200 500 (804.672) 3:10:17 157.66
1974 March 10 Bobby Unser All American Racers Eagle Offy 200 500 (804.672) 3:11:04 157.017
1975 March 9 A. J. Foyt A.J. Foyt Enterprises Coyote Foyt 200 500 (804.672) 3:14:22 154.344
1976 September 5 Bobby Unser All American Racers Eagle Offy 200 500 (804.672) 3:29:26 143.246
1977 September 4 Al Unser Vel's Parnelli Jones Parnelli Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:17:16 154.687
1978 September 3 Al Unser Chaparral Racing Chaparral Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:26:40 145.158
CART Indy Car World Series
1979 September 2 Bobby Unser Penske Racing Penske Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:24:22 146.794
1980 August 31 Bobby Unser Penske Racing Penske Cosworth 200 500 (804.672) 3:11:51 156.372

References
  1. "Circuits of the Past: Ontario Motor Speedway". circuitsofthepast.com. 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  2. "Ontario Motor Speedway". motorsportmagazine.com. December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
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