1966 USAC Championship Car season

Sports season August 2023 USAC Championship Car 1966 USAC National Championship Trail 16 March 20 November 20 National champion USA Mario Andretti GBR Graham Hill 1965 1967 The 1966 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 16 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 20 and concluding at the same location on November 20. There was also one non-championship event at Fuji Speedway in Japan. The USAC National Champion was Mario Andretti, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Graham Hill. At Indianapolis, Chuck Rodee was killed while qualifying for the 1966 Indianapolis 500. Also of note was the end of the career of two-time 500 and two-time National Champion Rodger Ward as he ran the final three races of his IndyCar career at the start of the season which included the final IndyCar victory of his career at Trenton. Schedule and results Rnd Date Race name Track Location Type Pole position Winning driver 1 March 20 USA Jimmy Bryan Memorial Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Paved USA Mario Andretti USA Jim McElreath 2 April 24 USA Trenton 150 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved USA Mario Andretti USA Rodger Ward 3 May 30 USA International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Paved USA Mario Andretti UK Graham Hill 4 June 5 USA Rex Mays Classic Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved USA Mario Andretti USA Mario Andretti 5 June 12 USA Langhorne 100 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Paved USA Mario Andretti USA Mario Andretti 6 June 26 USA Atlanta 300 Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, Georgia Paved USA Mario Andretti USA Mario Andretti 7 July 4 USA Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill USA Bobby UnserA A USA Bobby Unser 8 July 24 USA Hoosier Grand Prix Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Indiana Road USA Lloyd Ruby USA Mario Andretti 9 August 7 USA Langhorne 150 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Paved USA Don Branson USA Roger McCluskey 10 August 20 USA Tony Bettenhausen Memorial Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt USA Don Branson USA Don Branson 11 August 27 USA Tony Bettenhausen 200 Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved USA Mario Andretti USA Mario Andretti 12 September 5 USA Ted Horn Memorial DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt USA Bobby Unser USA Bud Tingelstad 13 September 10 USA Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt USA A. J. Foyt USA Mario Andretti 14 September 25 USA Trenton 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved USA Mario Andretti USA Mario AndrettiNC October 9 JPN Fuji Race Fuji Speedway Oyama, Japan Road UK Jackie Stewart UK Jackie Stewart 15 October 23 USA Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt USA Don Branson USA Dick Atkins 16 November 19 USA Bobby Ball Memorial Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Paved USA Mario Andretti USA Mario Andretti #FFFFFF Paved/Dirt Oval solid 1px #AAAAAA #D0E7FF Road Course/Hill Climb solid 1px #AAAAAA #FB9902 Non-championship race solid 1px #AAAAAA A A No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb. Final points standings Note: Jerry Grant, Dan Gurney, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, Peter Revson and Cale Yarborough are not eligible for points. List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems Pos Driver PHX1USA TRE1USA INDYUSA MIL1USA LHSUSA ATLUSA PIKUSA IRPUSA LANUSA SPRUSA MIL2USA DQSFUSA ISFUSA TRE2USAFUJJAP CSFUSA PHX2USA Pts 1USA Mario Andretti 15 4 18 1 1 1 1 21 2 1 15 1 1DNS 10 1 3070 2USA Jim McElreath 1 3 3 21 2 12 3 22 11 4 10 10 6 17 7 3 2430 3USA Gordon Johncock 9 2 4 DNQ 19 3 5 2 2 12DNS DNQ 2050 4USA Joe Leonard 14 9 3 3 21 8 Wth 4 3 4 DNQ DNQ 5 1275 5USA Al Unser 20 12 6 9 16 2 3 20 2DNS 18 2 1260 6USA Bobby Unser 19 18 8 16 14 14 1 4 19 5 8 3 17 DNQ 2 5 4 1210 7USA Don Branson 16 10 23 15 4 6 9 5 1 23 6 4 23 4 1135 8USA Chuck Hulse 3 DNQ 20 5 12 4 18 7 18 21 16 5 13 11 2 DNQ 1030 9CAN Billy Foster 7 22 24 DNQ 5 2 13 20 5 9 15 18 9 DNQ 12 930 10USA Bud Tingelstad 4 5 21 12 18 28 17 6 7 11 1 7 14 20 8 25 870 11USA Dick Atkins 22 DNQ 20 DNQ 23 10 9 12 12 2 6 4DNS 1 815 12USA Roger McCluskey 20 13 2 6 27 22 1 14 18 18 14 5 DNS 11 780 13USA A. J. Foyt 11 15 26 Wth 29 24 Wth 3 24 7 2 3 17 17 775 14USA Mel Kenyon 5 7 22 DNP 23 560 15USA Rodger Ward 2 1 15 540 16USA Al Smith gold RY silver 5 DNQ 17 25 7 13 420 17USA Gary Congdon 17 13 25 9 20 24 20 4 15 6 12 DNQ 15 4 14 15 390 18USA Arnie Knepper 19 29 14 8 8 21 12 DNQ DNQ 11 3 21 3 13 21 375 19USA George Snider 6 19 10 21 DNQ 6 11 6 10 DNQ 12 DNP 11 365 20USA Lloyd Ruby 12 21 11 DNP 16 24 9 22 12 6 355 21USA Larry Dickson 11 32 13 11 19 DNQ DNQ 9 17 8 9 20 6 3 DNQ 320 22USA Eddie Johnson 7 300 23USA Art Pollard DNQ 4 22 22 DNQ 23 7DNS 9 22 280 24USA Bobby Grim 7 31 8 DNQ 13 12 13 25 8 7 275 25USA Ralph Liguori DNQ 10 8 5 16 10 16 26 260 26USA Carl Williams 5 14 16 DNQ 10 15 19 15 10 DNQ 17 13 DNQ 21 15 18 210 27USA Sam Sessions 9 DNQ DNQ 15 9 11 DNQ DNQ 24 18 210 28USA Al Miller 30 10 15 14 19 14 11 9 19 DNQ 190 29USA Greg Weld DNQ DNQ 14 8 16 6 14 180 30USA Johnny Boyd 22 DNQ 7 23 180 31USA Ron Lux orange R silver 6 DNQ 11 18 140 32USA Ronnie Duman 16 33 DNQ 13 17 7 16 17 DNQ 8 26 22 DNQ DNQ 140 33USA Bob Harkey DNQ DNQ 7 20 14 8 13 16 19DNS DNQ 135 34USA Bruce Jacobi DNQ 19 DNQ 25 DNP 18 DNQ 8 100 35USA Wes Vandervoort 2 80 36USA Norm Brown orange R silver 9 80 37USA Bob Hurt 8 DNQ 17 16 16 75 38USA Bob Mathouser 8 DNQ 75 39USA Paul Kleinschmidt 3 70 40USA Ted Foltz 4 60 41USA Parnelli Jones 14 DNS 10 60 42USA Chuck Arnold 11 DNQ DNQ 60 43USA Orville Nance 5 50 44USA John Hollansworth orange R silver 10 17 DNQ DNQ DNQ 13 DNQ DNQ 13 DNQ 45 45USA Clyde McFarlin 6 40 46USA Wally Dallenbach Sr. DNQ 13 15 11DNS 24 40 47USA Grier Manning 7 30 48USA Jack Hahn 8 25 49USA Rick Vermillion 9 20 50USA Don Anderson orange R silver 10 15 51USA Red Riegel 12 DNQ DNQ 15 52USA Bob Lacy orange R silver 11 10 53USA Bob Tattersall DNQ 16 13 18 12 DNQ 5 54USA Clark Yowell 12 5 –GBR Graham Hill orange R silver 1 5 0 –GBR Jim Clark 2DNS 0 –GBR Jackie Stewart orange R silver 6 1 0 –USA Jerry Grant 10 10 20 0 –USA Jim Hurtubise 13 17 22 17 26 DNQ 26 17 15 DNQ 0 –USA Bob Daly 14 0 –USA Butch Hardman orange R silver 15 0 –USA Malcolm Brazier 16 0 –USA Peter Revson orange R silver 16 0 –USA Bob Werner 17 0 –USA Gig Stephens DNQ DNP 18 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Johnny Rutherford 18 DNP 0 –USA Paul Wigton orange R silver 18 0 –USA Gary Bettenhausen orange R silver DNQ DNQ DNP DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 19 0 –USA Walter Miller 19 0 –USA Mike McGreevy 21 DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Dee Jones 23 0 –USA Dan Gurney 27 0 –USA Cale Yarborough orange R silver 28 DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Tommy Copp 30 0 –USA Bob Herring DNS 0 –USA Gordon Sullivan DNS 0 –USA Bob King DNQ DNQ DNP DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Ray Duckworth DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Don Meacham DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Dave Paul DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Skip Hedrick DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Bill Cheesbourg DNP DNQ DNP 7 DNQ 0 –USA Dick Fries DNP DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Hal Minyard DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Dempsey Wilson DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Bud Randall DNQ DNQ 0 –USA Bob Wente DNQDNS DNQ 0 –USA Jud Larson DNQ DNP 0 –USA Dick Guldstrand DNP DNQ 0 –USA Ronnie Bucknum DNQ 0 –USA Masten Gregory DNQ 0 –USA Bobby Johns DNQ 0 –USA Art Malone DNQ 0 –USA Chuck Rodee DNQ 0 –USA Chuck Stevenson DNQ 0 –USA Bob Veith DNQ 0 –USA LeeRoy Yarbrough DNQ 0 –USA Bay Darnell DNQ 0 –USA Leo Caldwell DNQ 0 –USA George Landry DNQ 0 –USA Chuck Booth DNQ 0 –USA Jim Adams DNP 0 –USA Jack Conely DNP 0 –USA Ebb Rose DNP 0 –USA Billy Wilkerson DNP 0 –USA Bob Pratt DNP 0–NZL Chris Amon 140–USA Rick MutherDNS0 Pos Driver PHX1USA TRE1USA INDYUSA MIL1USA LHSUSA ATLUSA PIKUSA IRPUSA LANUSA SPRUSA MIL2USA DQSFUSA ISFUSA TRE2USA FUJJAP CSFUSA 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 competingIn-line notationBoldPole positionItalicsRan fastest race lap*Led most race lapsgold RY silver Rookie of the Yearorange R silver Rookie See also 1966 Indianapolis 500 References http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1966/ USAC National Championship 1966 Åberg, Andreas Driver Database 2010-12-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20120910234836/http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1966/ 2012-09-10 live http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1966.htm 1966 USAC National Championship Trail ChampCarStats.com 2010-12-31 https://web.archive.org/web/20120224080015/http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1966.htm 2012-02-24 live 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. 256-259) * USAC Championship Car season Category:USAC Championship Car Category:1966 in American motorsport