1971 USAC National Dirt Car Championship

American auto racing season April 2026 February 2025 1971 USAC National Dirt Car Championship 1970 1972 The 1971 USAC National Dirt Car Championship was the first season of the newly formed USAC National Dirt Car Championship. The inaugural champion was George Snider. The Dirt Car championship was created after dirt races were dropped from the schedule of the USAC Championship Car series following the 1970 season.1971 USAC DIRT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON REVIEW https://www.usacracing.com/news/silver-crown/item/9102-1971-usac-silver-crown-season-review Technical rules The existing USAC National Championship was a mixture of road courses, hill climbs and paved or dirt oval races. For the 1971 season this championship switched exclusively to paved ovals. Especially on the paved ovals rear-engined cars dominated the races whereas on the dirt ovals the front-engined cars were superior. The cars' construction mainly stayed with front engines as established after World War II. The cars with wheelbase of at least 96 inches. Overhead camshaft engines were restricted to 256.284 cubic inches (4.2 liters) and stock block engine could use up to 305.1 cubic inches (5.0 liters). Confirmed entries Team / OwnerChassisEngineNoDriversRoundsAgajanian-Faas RacersWatson 64Ford98Sammy Sessions1Offenhauser2–4A. J. Foyt EnterprisesMeskowski 69Foyt9A. J. Foyt2–4Bob HarkeyMeskowski 59Offenhauser52Bob HarkeyAllCarl Gehlhausen RacingKurtis 4000D 343Offenhauser84Tom Bigelow1Jim Malloy2–4CHEK Inc.Turner 62Chevrolet44Arnie KnepperAllDanny BurkeMoore 65Offenhauser33Ronnie Burke2–4Don RogalaunknownOffenhauser36Billy Vukovich Jr.1Jimmy Caruthers2–4 Federal EngineeringMeskowski 64Offenhauser3Johnny Parsons4 Gerhardt RacingunknownPlymouth16Gary Bettenhausen2–4 Harry ConklinunknownOffenhauser64Bill Puterbaugh1Helen ReynardKuzmaOffenhauser75Jim ReynardAll Jim McElreathMcElreath 69Chevrolet14Jim McElreathAllJoe HuntLesovksy 58Offenhauser99Merle Bettenhausen2–4 JordanunknownChevrolet 69Duke Cook3–4Ken BrennMeskowski 62Offenhauser57Lee KunzmanAllLeader CardWatson 62Offenhauser4George SniderAllLindsey HopkinsMeskowski 61Offenhauser6Roger McCluskey4Louis SenterMeskowski 63Offenhauser22Don HawleyAll Louis SeymourMeskowski 61Chevrolet39Joe Saldana1OffenhauserBruce Walkup2–4Mataka BrothersBlum 62Offenhauser31Jerry Karl1Joe Saldana2–4MVS RacingWard 67Offenhauser19Bill Puterbaugh2, 4Ray SmithWard 68Chevrolet 70Carl Williams1Tom Bigelow2–4 Richard BlackerCannon 70Chevrolet 47Larry Cannon2–4 Ron HartCedoz 70Chevrolet 48Karl BussonAllRon KilmanMeskowski 60Offenhauser25Rollie BealeAll Russ RuppertMeskowski 58Offenhauser 17 Dick TobiasAllSteckunknownChevrolet 30Billy Thrasher2–4STP RacingKingfish 69Plymouth5Mario Andretti2–4Kingfish 70Chevrolet40Larry DicksonAllKingfish 70Gurney Weslake60 Greg Weld1–3Kingfish 69Plymouth4Tim DelRose EnterprisesKuzma 60Offenhauser 18Johnny RutherfordAllTwo JacksGerhardt 66GM Allison Turbine29Art Pollard3–4United Championship RacersDunlop 64Offenhauser24Gary Bettenhausen1Billy Vukovich Jr.2–4Vatis EnterprisesVollstedt 59Offenhauser94Carl Williams2–4Vel's Parnelli Jones RacingKingfish 69Ford1Al Unser1, 4WalmotorsMeskowski 59Offenhauser77Salt Walther2–4Walt FlynnFlynn 64Offenhauser58Ralph LiguoriAllWib SpaldingMeskowskiChevrolet15Bill Puterbaugh3Don Nordhorn4 Schedule and results The season consisted of four 100 mile dirt races.https://usacracing.com/usac-history/usac-record-book USAC Record Book + Rnd Date Race name Track Location Pole position Winning driver1June 20Nazareth 100Nazareth National SpeedwayNazareth, PennsylvaniaLarry DicksonJim McElreath2August 22Tony Bettenhausen 100Illinois State FairgroundsSpringfield, IllinoisGreg WeldA. J. Foyt3September 6Ted Horn MemorialDu Quoin State FairgroundsDu Quoin, IllinoisGreg WeldGeorge Snider4September 11Hoosier HundredIndiana State FairgroundsIndianapolis, IndianaAl UnserAl Unser Final point standings The driver's championship was won by George Snider of 26 classified drivers. The entrants championships went to the #4 car of Leader Card, Inc.https://usacracing.com/usac-history/usac-record-book USAC Record Book Pos Driver NAZ SPR DUQ ISF Pts 1George Snider 18 2* 1 2 520 2Jim McElreath 1 3 Wth 6 420 3A. J. Foyt 1 9 4 360 4Billy Vukovich Jr. 4 22 3 5 360 5Don Hawley 3 4 6 DNQ 340 6Arnie Knepper 2 11 5 9 320 7Al Unser 10* 1* 230 8Bob Harkey 6 8 7 11 210 9Larry Dickson DNS 10 21 3 170 10Bill Puterbaugh 20 18 4 8 170 11Greg Weld 13 15 2* Wth 160 12Sammy Sessions 9 12 23 7 110 13Gary Bettenhausen 5 20 DNQ 18 100 14Jimmy Caruthers 5 16 21 100 15Merle Bettenhausen 7 14 10 90 16Rollie Beale 19 6 Wth DNQ 80 17Jerry Karl 7 60 18Ralph Liguori 8 24 22 Wth 50 19Johnny Rutherford 16 17 8 20 50 20Carl Williams 15 9 18 14 40 21Ronnie Burke Wth 10 DNQ 30 22Dick Tobias 11 DNQ DNQ DNQ 20 23Joe Saldana DNS 19 11 16 20 24Jim Reynard 12 DNQ DNQ DNQ 10 25Salt Walther 14 12 DNQ 10 26Don Nordhorn 12 10 -Mario Andretti 13 17 17 0 -Jim Malloy 21 19 13 0 -Lee Kunzman DNS 23 13 DNQ 0 -Karl Busson 14 16 DNQ 19 0 -Johnny Parsons 15 0 -Larry Cannon DNQ 15 DNQ 0 -Tom Bigelow 17 Wth 20 DNQ 0 -Bruce Walkup DNS 24 22 0 -Roger McCluskey 23 0 -Art Pollard DNQ 24 0 -Billy Thrasher DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 -Duke Cook DNQ Wth 0 Pos Driver NAZ SPR DUQ ISF 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 competingIn-line notationBoldPole positionItalicsRan fastest race lap*Led most race lapsgold RY silver Rookie of the Yearorange R silver Rookie References USAC National Dirt Car Championship season Category:1971 in American motorsport