SWC75
Bored Historian
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The big news is that for the first time ever, a woman attempted to qualify for the Indy 500. Janet Guthrie was unable to qualify this year but would the next three years, finishing as high as 9th in 1978. She also became the first woman to run in the Daytona 500 in 1977. Without Janet there’s no Danica Patrick.
Johnny Rutherford won his second Indy 500, the third rain-shortened 500 in four years. This time they tried to wait it out but eventually they stopped the race after only 102 laps, with Rutherford being the first driver to walk into the winner’s circle. You’d think they’d have rain tires they could use to continue the race.
There were two tragedies not directly associated with the race that overshadowed the 1976 Indy 500. Owner Tony Hulman’s heir apparent, son-in-law Elmer George, a former driver who was now head of the Indianapolis Motor Sports Radio network, was killed in a shoot out with his wife’s alleged lover, a horse trainer at the family’s horse farm hours after the race. Long time radio anchor Sid Collins was suffering from an as yet undiagnosed muscular and neurological ailment and had a hard time completing his duties in what would be his last race after 25 years. It was later determined to be ALS and Collins opted to take his own life on May 2, 1977, just as they were preparing for the next 500.
Drivers not previously mentioned:
- Eddie Miller, a rookie from Colorado, crashed his car in practice, flying over an infield fence and almost hitting a tree. The highlight film has him vowing to “be back next year” but, perhaps wisely, he never got in a race car again.
- Spike Gelhausen would be at Indy the next dozen years. He cracked the top 10 once, barely, with a 10th in 1979.
- Billy Scott qualified just once in his four appearances at Indy- this year, when he finished 23rd.
- Vern Schuppan was an Australian who drove sports cars and Formula One cars as well as Indy five times, being Rookie of the Year in 1976 with his 18th place finish and finishing 3rd in 1981.
You-Tube doesn’t have the full race for 1976. (Of course, it wasn’t a “full” race. )
This is about the Indianapolis 500 but I have to say that that other 500 had the greatest finish of all time in 1976. I saw this one live and it was incredible:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AibV8_0USBA
