1966 USAC Championship Car season

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.

1966 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races16
Start dateMarch 20
End dateNovember 20
Awards
National championUnited States Mario Andretti
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited Kingdom Graham Hill
← 1965
1967 →

Schedule and results

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Rnd Date Race Name Track Location Type Pole Position Winning Driver
1 March 20   Jimmy Bryan Memorial Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Paved   Mario Andretti   Jim McElreath
2 April 24   Trenton 150 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved   Mario Andretti   Rodger Ward
3 May 30   International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Paved   Mario Andretti   Graham Hill
4 June 5   Rex Mays Classic Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved   Mario Andretti   Mario Andretti
5 June 12   Langhorne 100 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Paved   Mario Andretti   Mario Andretti
6 June 26   Atlanta 300 Atlanta Motor Speedway Hampton, Georgia Paved   Mario Andretti   Mario Andretti
7 July 4   Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill   Bobby UnserA   Bobby Unser
8 July 24   Hoosier Grand Prix Indianapolis Raceway Park Clermont, Indiana Road   Lloyd Ruby   Mario Andretti
9 August 7   Langhorne 150 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Paved   Don Branson   Roger McCluskey
10 August 20   Tony Bettenhausen Memorial Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt   Don Branson   Don Branson
11 August 27   Tony Bettenhausen 200 Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved   Mario Andretti   Mario Andretti
12 September 5   Ted Horn Memorial DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt   Bobby Unser   Bud Tingelstad
13 September 10   Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt   A. J. Foyt   Mario Andretti
14 September 25   Trenton 200 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved   Mario Andretti   Mario Andretti
NC October 9   Fuji Race Fuji Speedway Oyama, Japan Road   Jackie Stewart   Jackie Stewart
15 October 23   Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt   Don Branson   Dick Atkins
16 November 19   Bobby Ball Memorial Phoenix International Raceway Avondale, Arizona Paved   Mario Andretti   Mario Andretti
  Paved/Dirt Oval
  Road Course/Hill Climb
  Non-championship race
^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

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Note: Jerry Grant, Dan Gurney, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, Peter Revson and Cale Yarborough are not eligible for points.

Pos Driver PHX1
 
TRE1
 
INDY
 
MIL1
 
LAN
 
ATL
 
PIP
 
IRP
 
LAN
 
SPR
 
MIL2
 
DQSF
 
ISF
 
TRE2
 
FUJ
 
SAC
 
PHX2
 
Pts
1   Mario Andretti 15 4 18 1 1 1 1 21 2 1 15 1 1 DNS 10 1 3070
2   Jim McElreath 1 3 3 21 2 12 3 22 11 4 10 10 6 17 7 3 2430
3   Gordon Johncock 9 2 4 DNQ 19 3 5 2 2 12 DNS DNQ 2050
4   Joe Leonard 14 9 3 3 21 8 Wth 4 3 4 DNQ DNQ 5 1275
5   Al Unser 20 12 6 9 16 2 3 20 2 DNS 18 2 1260
6   Bobby Unser 19 18 8 16 14 14 1 4 19 5 8 3 17 DNQ 2 5 4 1210
7   Don Branson 16 10 23 15 4 6 9 5 1 23 6 4 23 4 1135
8   Chuck Hulse 3 DNQ 20 5 12 4 18 7 18 21 16 5 13 11 2 DNQ 1030
9   Billy Foster 7 22 24 DNQ 5 2 13 20 5 9 15 18 9 DNQ 12 930
10   Bud Tingelstad 4 5 21 12 18 28 17 6 7 11 1 7 14 20 8 25 870
11   Dick Atkins 22 DNQ 20 DNQ 23 10 9 12 12 2 6 4 DNS 1 815
12   Roger McCluskey 20 13 2 6 27 22 1 14 18 18 14 5 DNS 11 780
13   A. J. Foyt 11 15 26 Wth 29 24 Wth 3 24 7 2 3 17 17 775
14   Mel Kenyon 5 7 22 DNP 23 560
15   Rodger Ward 2 1 15 540
16   Al Smith  RY  5 DNQ 17 25 7 13 420
17   Gary Congdon 17 13 25 9 20 24 20 4 15 6 12 DNQ 15 4 14 15 390
18   Arnie Knepper 19 29 14 8 8 21 12 DNQ DNQ 11 3 21 3 13 21 375
19   George Snider 6 19 10 21 DNQ 6 11 6 10 DNQ 12 DNP 11 365
20   Lloyd Ruby 12 21 11 DNP 16 24 9 22 12 6 355
21   Larry Dickson 11 32 13 11 19 DNQ DNQ 9 17 8 9 20 6 3 DNQ 320
22   Eddie Johnson 7 300
23   Art Pollard DNQ 4 22 22 DNQ 23 7 DNS 9 22 280
24   Bobby Grim 7 31 8 DNQ 13 12 13 25 8 7 275
25   Ralph Liguori DNQ 10 8 5 16 10 16 26 260
26   Carl Williams 5 14 16 DNQ 10 15 19 15 10 DNQ 17 13 DNQ 21 15 18 210
27   Sam Sessions 9 DNQ DNQ 15 9 11 DNQ DNQ 24 18 210
28   Al Miller 30 10 15 14 19 14 11 9 19 DNQ 190
29   Greg Weld DNQ DNQ 14 8 16 6 14 180
30   Johnny Boyd 22 DNQ 7 23 180
31   Ron Lux  R  6 DNQ 11 18 140
32   Ronnie Duman 16 33 DNQ 13 17 7 16 17 DNQ 8 26 22 DNQ DNQ 140
33   Bob Harkey DNQ DNQ 7 20 14 8 13 16 19 DNS DNQ 135
34   Bruce Jacobi DNQ 19 DNQ 25 DNP 18 DNQ 8 100
35   Wes Vandervoort 2 80
36   Norm Brown  R  9 80
37   Bob Hurt 8 DNQ 17 16 16 75
38   Bob Mathouser 8 DNQ 75
39   Paul Kleinschmidt 3 70
40   Ted Foltz 4 60
41   Parnelli Jones 14 DNS 10 60
42   Chuck Arnold 11 DNQ DNQ 60
43   Orville Nance 5 50
44   John Hollansworth  R  10 17 DNQ DNQ DNQ 13 DNQ DNQ 13 DNQ 45
45   Clyde McFarlin 6 40
46   Wally Dallenbach Sr. DNQ 13 15 11 DNS 24 40
47   Grier Manning 7 30
48   Jack Hahn 8 25
49   Rick Vermillion 9 20
50   Don Anderson  R  10 15
51   Red Riegel 12 DNQ DNQ 15
52   Bob Lacy  R  11 10
53   Bob Tattersall DNQ 16 13 18 12 DNQ 5
54   Clark Yowell 12 5
  Graham Hill  R  1 5 0
  Jim Clark 2 DNS 0
  Jackie Stewart  R  6 1 0
  Jerry Grant 10 10 20 0
  Jim Hurtubise 13 17 22 17 26 DNQ 26 17 15 DNQ 0
  Bob Daly 14 0
  Butch Hardman  R  15 0
  Malcolm Brazier 16 0
  Peter Revson  R  16 0
  Bob Werner 17 0
  Gig Stephens DNQ DNP 18 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
  Johnny Rutherford 18 DNP 0
  Paul Wigton  R  18 0
  Gary Bettenhausen  R  DNQ DNQ DNP DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 19 0
  Walter Miller 19 0
  Mike McGreevy 21 DNQ DNQ 0
  Dee Jones 23 0
  Dan Gurney 27 0
  Cale Yarborough  R  28 DNQ DNQ 0
  Tommy Copp 30 0
  Bob Herring DNS 0
  Gordon Sullivan DNS 0
  Bob King DNQ DNQ DNP DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
  Ray Duckworth DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
  Don Meacham DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
  Dave Paul DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
  Skip Hedrick DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
  Bill Cheesbourg DNP DNQ DNP 7 DNQ 0
  Dick Fries DNP DNQ DNQ 0
  Hal Minyard DNQ DNQ 0
  Dempsey Wilson DNQ DNQ 0
  Bud Randall DNQ DNQ 0
  Bob Wente DNQ DNS DNQ 0
  Jud Larson DNQ DNP 0
  Dick Guldstrand DNP DNQ 0
  Ronnie Bucknum DNQ 0
  Masten Gregory DNQ 0
  Bobby Johns DNQ 0
  Art Malone DNQ 0
  Chuck Rodee DNQ 0
  Chuck Stevenson DNQ 0
  Bob Veith DNQ 0
  LeeRoy Yarbrough DNQ 0
  Bay Darnell DNQ 0
  Leo Caldwell DNQ 0
  George Landry DNQ 0
  Chuck Booth DNQ 0
  Jim Adams DNP 0
  Jack Conely DNP 0
  Ebb Rose DNP 0
  Billy Wilkerson DNP 0
  Bob Pratt DNP 0
  Chris Amon 14 0
  Rick Muther DNS 0
Pos Driver PHX1
 
TRE1
 
INDY
 
MIL1
 
LAN
 
ATL
 
PIP
 
IRP
 
LAN
 
SPR
 
MIL2
 
DQSF
 
ISF
 
TRE2
 
FUJ
 
SAC
 
PHX2
 
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 not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold Pole position
Italics Ran fastest race lap
* Led most race laps
 RY  Rookie of the Year
 R  Rookie

See also

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References

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  • Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1966". Driver Database. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  • "1966 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
  • http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (p. 256-259)