IndyCar / USAC : 1975

1975 Indianapolis 500 – (87 min)

A rain-shortened event, the race was stopped on lap 174 due to a downpour with just 26 laps to go. Bobby Unser was
leading the race at the time, and would be proclaimed the winner, with Johnny Rutherford taking second place, and
A.J. Foyt, who took the pole, finished third. Tom Sneva survived a spectacular crash in turn two on lap 125. His car
touched wheels with Eldon Rasmussen and flipped into the catch fence. The engine on Sneva’s car ripped off in a
huge fire-flash, and the car came to a rest upright with Sneva trapped in the cockpit. Sneva miraculously suffered only
minor injuries, and walked away from the wreck with assistance from the safety crews. When the rains came, it was
quite a sight to see cars struggling around the track, spinning out, hitting puddles, before they finally called the race.

This is coverage from “ABC’s Wide World Of Sports” as re-broadcast a few years ago by ESPN, with commentary by
Keith Jackson, Chris Schenkel, and Jackie Stewart. Pit lane commentators were Chris Economaki and Sam Posey.
This is very clear footage, and includes some of the pre-race festivities.

1975 Schaefer 500 – (7 min 30 sec)

A rare highlight film from Pocono Raceway, this was the sixth points race of the 1975 USAC season, and A.J. Foyt
captured his fourth win of the year, eventually going on to win 6 of 11 events, and winning the points championship
by a wide margin over second place Johnny Rutherford. This vintage 1975 film has some severe color washout (the
footage appears to be tinted red), but it is very clear and very watchable!

A.J. Foyt – Documentary – (42 min)

An excellent, contemporary look (produced by ESPN back in 2001) at Foyt’s career. After watching this
documentary, it’s easy to see why so many racing fans consider A.J. the greatest American racing driver ever.
Foyt drove in the Indianapolis 500 for an incredible 35 consecutive years straight, winning it four times (the first
of only three to do so), and is the only driver to win the Indy 500 in both front and rear-engined cars, winning
twice with both configurations. He was the only driver to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500
the same year (1967), and is the only driver to record victories in the Indianapolis 500, the Daytona 500
(NASCAR), the 24 Hours of Daytona (twice, with co-driver Bob Wollek), the 24 Hours of Le Mans international
sports car endurance race in Le Mans, France, as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring (his last major professional
win, in 1985, with co-driver Bob Wollek). Foyt ended his career with 41 USAC Stock Car wins and 50 Sprint Car,
Midget, and Dirt Champ Car wins. If that isn’t enough, Foyt also won the 1975 and 1976 Australian Speedcar
Grand Prix at the Liverpool Speedway in Sydney Australia, he won 12 total major driving championships in
various categories, and ended his career with 138 USAC wins, the most in history. Add to that two IROC
Championships (1976-1977), seven NASCAR victories including the Daytona 500, and the closed course speed
record driving the Oldsmobile Aerotech at an average speed of 257.123 miles per hour back in 1987.