1978 USAC Championship Car season

Sports season August 2023 USAC Championship Car 1978 USAC National Championship Citicorp Cup 18 March 18 October 28 National champion United States Tom Sneva United States Al Unser 1977 1979 (USAC)1979 (CART) The 1978 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 18 races, beginning at Phoenix on March 18 and concluding at the same location on October 28. The USAC National Champion was Tom Sneva and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Al Unser. This was the last year before the first USAC/CART "Split". By winning the Indianapolis 500, Pocono 500, and California 500, Al Unser swept the Indy car "Triple Crown", the only driver in history to do so. The 1978 season is also statistically noteworthy. Danny Ongais won the most races (5), and Al Unser swept the triple crown races, but it was Tom Sneva (who did not win a single race) who won the championship title. Sneva had six 2nd place finishes, and twelve top 5s, and seven poles (including Indianapolis and Ontario), and experienced more consistent finishes. Sneva became the second driver to win the USAC championship without winning a race during the season, the last being Tony Bettenhausen in 1958. Sneva's "winless" championship was not without its critics, however, a statistician calculated points results using contemporary points tables from other major racing series, and concluded that Sneva would have still won the title in nearly every scenario.The Talk of Gasoline Alley Donald Davidson (historian) WFNI May 12, 2015 The 1978 season was also a break-out year for future champion Rick Mears. Mario Andretti was running the full Formula One season (of which he would be World Champion). Andretti was running a partial Indy car schedule for Penske Racing, and Roger Penske hired the young Mears to fill in for Andretti the weekends he was overseas. Mears, who had spent two years in lesser-funded rides, jumped at the opportunity to drive for Penske, even though it was only a part-time ride. Mears won Co-Rookie of the Year at Indy, won three races, and despite running only 11 of 18 races, finished 9th in points. Entrants (partial list) TeamChassisEngineDriversRounds United States A.J. Foyt EnterprisesCoyote (1-11, 13, 16-17) Parnelli (12, 14-15, 18)Foyt (1-11, 13, 16-17) Cosworth (12, 14-15, 18)US A.J. Foyt All United States All American RacersLightning (1-4) Eagle (5-13, 16-18)CosworthUS Bobby Unser 1-13, 16-18 United States Chapparal RacingChapparal (1-2, 6-18) Lola (3, 5)CosworthUS Al Unser 1-3, 5-18 United States Bob FletcherLightningOffenhauserUS Pancho Carter 5-11, 13-15, 18 United States Interscope RacingParnelliCosworthUS Danny Ongais All United States Jerry O"Connell RacingMcLaren (1-14, 16-18) Lightning (15)CosworthUS Wally Dallenbach 1-7, 9, 12-14 United States Leader Card RacingEagle (1-4) Watson (5-18)OffenhauserUS Tom Bagley All United States Lindsey Hopkins RacingLightningOffenhauserUS Johnny Parsons 1-15, 18 United Kingdom McLarenMcLarenCosworthUS Johnny Rutherford All United States Patrick RacingWildcatDGSUS Gordon Johncock AllWildcatDGS (1-13, 15, 18) Offenhauser (14, 16-17)US Steve Krisiloff All United States Team PenskePenskeCosworthUS Tom Sneva AllPenskeCosworthUS Mario Andretti 2-5, 7, 13-15, 18PenskeCosworthUS Rick Mears 1, 5-7, 9-13, 16-17 Schedule and results Rnd Date Race name Track Location Pole position Winning driver 1 March 18 US Jimmy Bryan 150 white O silver Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona US Danny Ongais US Gordon Johncock 2 March 26 US Datsun Twin 200 white O silver Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario, California US Tom Sneva US Danny Ongais 3 April 15 US Coors 200 white O silver Texas World Speedway College Station, Texas US Danny Ongais US Danny Ongais 4 April 23 US Gabriel 200 white O silver Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey US Tom Sneva US Gordon Johncock 5 May 28 US International 500 Mile Sweepstakes white O silver Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana US Tom Sneva US Al Unser 6 June 11 Canada Molson Diamond Indy lightblue R silver Mosport Park Bowmanville, Ontario US Danny Ongais US Danny Ongais 7 June 18 US Rex Mays Classic white O silver Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin US Danny Ongais US Rick Mears 8 June 25 US Schaefer 500 white O silver Pocono International Raceway Long Pond, Pennsylvania US Danny Ongais US Al Unser 9 July 16 US Norton Twin 200 white O silver Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan US Tom Sneva US Johnny Rutherford 10 July 23 US Gould Twin Dixie white O silver Atlanta International Raceway Hampton, Georgia US Tom Sneva US Rick Mears 11 August 6 US Texas Grand Prix white O silver Texas World Speedway College Station, Texas US Tom Sneva US A. J. Foyt 12 August 20 US Tony Bettenhausen 200 white O silver Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin US Danny Ongais US Danny Ongais 13 September 3 US California 500 white O silver Ontario Motor Speedway Ontario, California US Tom Sneva US Al Unser 14 September 16 US Gould Grand Prix white O silver Michigan International Speedway Brooklyn, Michigan US Johnny Rutherford US Danny Ongais 15 September 23 US Machinist Union 150 white O silver Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey US A. J. Foyt US Mario Andretti 16 October 1 United Kingdom Daily Express Indy Silverstone lightblue R silver Silverstone Circuit Silverstone, England US Danny Ongais US A. J. Foyt 17 October 7 United Kingdom Daily Mail Indy Trophy lightblue R silver Brands Hatch (Indy Circuit) Fawkham, England US Al Unser US Rick Mears 18 October 29 US Miller High Life Bobby Ball Memorial 150 white O silver Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona US Danny Ongais US Johnny Rutherford #FFFFFF O Oval/Speedway solid 1px #AAAAAA lightblue R Road Course solid 1px #AAAAAA Final points standings Note: Janet Guthrie is not eligible for points. List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems Pos Driver PHX1USA ONT1USA TWS1USA TRE1USA INDYUSA MOSCAN MIL1USA POCUSA MIS1USA ATLUSA TWS2USA MIL2USA ONT2USA MIS2USA TRE2USA SLVGBR BRHGBR PHX2USA Pts 1USA Tom Sneva 22 2 2 3 2 4 15 3 2 8 5 15 23 2 3 3 2 16 4153 2USA Al Unser 10 3 Wth 1 12 8 1 17 14 17 5 1 17 4 10 15 5 4031 3USA Gordon Johncock 1 19 3 1 3 DNQ 22 14 19 7 7 3 3 3 14 4 11 3 3548 4USA Johnny Rutherford 16 13 19 10 13 8 2 2 1 2 2 8 11 13 11 5 3 1 3067 5USA A. J. Foyt 3 4 17 2 7 16 19 8 16 4 1 4 28 5 19 1 4 2 3024 6USA Wally Dallenbach Sr. 14 9 4 11 5 11 3 4 3 9 4 7 10 11 6 14 5 6 2966 7USA Steve Krisiloff 2 14 8 5 4 3 4 32 14 5 3 6 7 15 5 6 DNQ 8 2874 8USA Danny Ongais 12 1 1 4 18 1 16 19 6 21 DNS 1 12 1 15 15 9 4 2662 9USA Rick Mears 5 23 2 1 22 1 9 2 9 2 1 2171 10USA Pancho Carter 24 15 21 10 DNQ 11 11 2 18 7 9 1206 11USA Tom Bagley gold RY silver 8 17 10 12 27 17 7 26 12 6 16 DNS 4 6 12 13 14 14 1188 12USA Bobby Unser 18 16 13 20 6 19 17 20 5 3 8 20 13 8 13 11 1122 13USA Larry Dickson 17 5 14 22 5 5 5 11 1121 14USA Johnny Parsons DNS 18 11 17 10 9 9 22 4 20 18 19 15 7 2 DNQ 978 15USA George Snider 8 6 15 DNS 27 11 8 20 766 16USA Tom Bigelow 15 7 12 8 21 14 6 15 8 10 4 18 764 17USA Mario Andretti 15 5 13 12 23 DNS 20 1 7 681 18USA Dick Simon 4 6 19 18 30 13 18 6 21 14 12 7 22 670 19USA Jim McElreath 6 7 20 25 7 13 12 12 20 9 DNQ 12 573 20USA Salt Walther 13 11 7 15 28 7 11 13 18 29 7 6 DNQ 562 21CAN Cliff Hucul 7 33 10 17 DNQ 21 9 8 13 519 22USA Lee Kunzman DNQ 33 DNQ 18 5 513 23USA Sheldon Kinser 6 8 15 14 32 12 DNQ 17 19 11 17 8 10 19 495 24USA Mike Mosley 17 DNQ 14 7 DNQ 13 DNQ 16 8 10 483 25USA Roger Mears orange R silver 6 DNQ 400 26USA Bobby Olivero 9 10 9 6 Wth 360 27USA Al Loquasto DNQ 13 12 9 10 19 13 19 321 28USA Joe Saldana 15 21 9 10 10 DNQ 10 DNQ 16 10 314 29USA Gary Bettenhausen 21 12 19 16 6 DNQ 29 22 9 21 294 30USA Spike Gehlhausen 20 23 16 18 29 DNQ 13 31 20 22 14 16 21 16 17 9 12 17 188 31USA Larry Cannon DNQ 10 11 DNQ 15 17 22 19 DNQ DNQ 184 32USA Larry Rice DNQ 9 11 DNQ DNQ 180 33USA Jerry Karl 11 21 21 22 14 18 DNS 20 104 34USA Jerry Sneva 31 16 DNQ 16 25 14 18 DNQ 62 35USA Roger McCluskey 19 20 20 21 25 24 13 61 36USA Phil Threshie 30 18 20 24 21 DNQ 30 45 37USA Todd Gibson 15 14 16 15 34 38AUS Vern Schuppan 18 16 20 26 39USA Bob Harkey 22 DNQ 18 26 40USA Bill Vukovich II DNQ 28 26 20 41CAN Eldon Rasmussen DNQ DNQ 12 DNQ 15 42USA Roger Rager DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 12 15 43USA John Mahler 26 10 44USA Bubby Jones Wth 27 10 45USA Chuck Gurney DNQ 24 6 -USA Janet Guthrie 9 0 -USA Ed Finley DNQ 0 -USA Tom Gloy DNQ DNQ 0 -USA Jim Hurtubise DNQ 0 -USA Gary Irvin DNQ 0 -USA Bill Puterbaugh DNQ 0 -USA John Martin DNQ 0 -NZL Graham McRae DNQ 0 -CAN Frank Weiss DNQ 0 -USA Mike Hiss QL 0 Pos Driver PHX1USA ONT1USA TWS1USA TRE1USA INDYUSA MOSCAN MIL1USA POCUSA MIS1USA ATLUSA TWS2USA MIL2USA ONT2USA MIS2USA TRE2USA SLVGBR BRHGBR PHX2USA Pts Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th & 5th place Light Blue 6th-10th place Dark Blue Finished(Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish(Ret) Red Did not qualify(DNQ) Brown Withdrawn(Wth) Black Disqualified(DSQ) White Did not start(DNS) Blank Did notparticipate(DNP) Not competing In-line notationBoldPole positionItalicsRan fastest race lap*Led most race lapsgold RY silver Rookie of the Yearorange R silver Rookie References http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1978/ USAC National Championship 1978 Åberg, Andreas Driver Database 2009-05-04 https://web.archive.org/web/20080325034433/http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1978/ 2008-03-25 live https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/ Indy 500 and USAC racing (1971-1978) Harms, Phil Ferner, Michael Measures, Gerry Brown, Allen OldRacingCars.com 2009-05-04 https://archive.today/20120906023507/https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/ 2012-09-06 live http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1978.htm 1978 USAC National Championship Citicorp Cup ChampCarStats.com 2009-05-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20081024024111/http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1978.htm 2008-10-24 live http://old.motorsport.com/stats/champ/data/1978sum.pdf 1978 Championship Driver Summary Harms Phil Motorsport.com 2011-05-03 https://web.archive.org/web/20120910064101/http://www.motorsport.com/stats/champ/data/1978sum.pdf 2012-09-10 dead http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053905/http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf 2016-03-04 (p. 214-216) https://www.champcarstats.com/year/1978.htm Retrieved August 9, 2025 https://www.oldracingcars.com/indy/1978/ Retrieved August 9, 2025 https://www.racingyears.com/results/1978/USAC Retrieved August 9, 2025 See also 1978 Indianapolis 500 USAC Championship Car season * Category:USAC Championship Car Category:1978 in American motorsport