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Sunday, May 24, 1981


Track:   Indianapolis, IN
Track Type:   Paved Oval Lap Distance: 2.500 Miles
Race Distance:   500 Miles Margin of Victory: 5.220 sec.
Pole Pos.:   Bobby Unser 200.546 mph  

  Rank   SP   Car   Driver   Chassis   Q.Time   Laps   Reason
              Sponsor   Engine   Q.Spd.  
  1   1   3   Bobby Unser   PC-9B/81   2:59.51   200   3:35:41.78 139.084
  Norton Spirit   CoswTC   200.546 mph  
  2   32   40   Mario Andretti   Wildcat   3:06.49   200   3:35:47 139.028
  STP Oil Treatment   CoswTC   193.040 mph  
  3   18   33   Vern Schuppan   McLaren   3:12.98   199   Flagged
  Red Roof Inns   CoswTC   186.548 mph  
  4   12   32   Kevin Cogan   Phoenix   3:10.03   197   Flagged
  O'Connell Racing   CoswTC   189.444 mph  
  5   15   50   Geoff Brabham   PC-9/80   3:11.50   197   Flagged
  Psachie/Garza   CoswTC   187.990 mph  
  6   23   81   Sheldon Kinser   LR-1   3:10.02   195   Flagged
  Sergio Valente Longhorn   CoswTC   189.454 mph  
  7   16   16   Tony, Jr Bettenhausen   McLaren   3:12.50   195   Flagged
  Provimi Veal   CoswTC   187.013 mph  
  8   17   53   Steve Krisiloff   PC-7/79   3:12.80   194   Flagged
  Psachie/Garza   CoswTC   186.722 mph  
  9   17   20   Gordon Johncock   Wildcat   3:04.21   194   Engine
  STP Oil Treatment   CoswTC   195.429 mph  
  10   28   4   Dennis Firestone   Wildcat   3:11.71   193   Engine
  Rhodes Aircraft Sales   CoswTC   187.784 mph  
  11   7   7   Bill Alsup   PC-9/80   3:06.38   193   Flagged
  AB Dick   CoswTC 13   35   Bob Lazier   PC-7/79   3:10.05   154   Engine
  Montgomery Ward   CoswTC   189.424 mph  
  20   14   56   Tom Bigelow   PC-7/79   3:11.19   152   Engine
  Genesee Beer   Chevy   188.294 mph  
  21   27   90   Bill Whittington   March   3:02.65   146   Stalled
  Kraco Car Stereo   CoswTC   197.098 mph  
  22   8   60   Gordon Smiley   Wildcat   3:06.54   141   Wrecked NW
  Intermedics   CoswTC   192.988 mph  
  23   6   55   Josele Garza   PC-9/80   3:04.52   138   Wrecked NE
  Psachie/Garza/Esso   CoswTC   195.101 mph  
  24   24   79   Pete Halsmer   PC-7/79   3:11.79   123   Wrecked NE
  Hubler/KISS99   CoswTC   187.705 mph  
  25   20   12   Tom Sneva   March   2:59.38   96   Clutch
  Blue Poly   CoswTC   200.691 mph  
  26   11   8   Gary Bettenhausen   Lightning   3:08.61   69   Brkn connecting rod
  Hopkins   CoswTC   190.870 mph  
  27   21   25   Danny Ongais   Interscope   3:02.10   64   Wrecked NE
  Interscope Racing   CoswTC   197.694 mph  
  28   10   5   Pancho Carter   PC-7/79   3:08.46   63   Lost compression
  Goodyear/Alex Foods   CoswTC   191.022 mph  
  29   30   51   Tom Klausler   Schkee   3:12.79   60   Gearbox
  IDS Ideas   ChevTC   186.732 mph  
  30   22   6   Rick Mears   PC-9B/81   3:05.55   58   Pit fire
  Gould Charge   CoswTC   194.018 mph  
  31   26   91   Don Whittington   March   3:12.27   32   Wrecked
  Whittington Bros.   CoswTC   187.237 mph  
  32   5   1   Johnny Rutherford   Chaparral   3:04.25   25   Broken fuel pump
  Pennzoil   CoswTC   195.387 mph  
  33   2   48   Mike Mosley   Eagle 81   3:02.61   16   Radiator
  Pepsi Challenger   Chevy   197.141 mph  
          15   Bill Tempero   McLaren   : .   0   Wrecked qualifying
  Xamboni Electronic   Chevy      
          94   Bill Whittington   March   3:14.77   0   DNQ, too slow
  Road Atlanta   CoswTC   184.833 mph  
          99   Larry Cannon   PC-7/79   3:13.94   0   DNQ, too slow
  Kraco Car Stereo   CoswTC   185.624 mph  
          21   Tim Richmond   PC-7/79   3:14.27   0   DNQ, too slow
  UNO   CoswTC   185.309 mph  
          70   Dennis Firestone   PC-6/78   3:13.86   0   DNQ, too slow
  Rhodes Racing   CoswTC   185.701 mph  
          29   Bill Engelhart   McLaren   3:13.80   0   DNQ, too slow
  Beaudoin Racing   CoswTC   185.759 mph  
          28   Herm Johnson   Lightning   3:13.68   0   DNQ, too slow
  Menard Cashway Lumber   Chevy   185.874 mph  
          17   Jerry Sneva   Vollstedt   3:11.71   0   Disqualified
  Escort Radar Detector   OffyTC   187.784 mph  
          64   Steve Chassey   Eagle 81   3:13.89   0   DNQ, too slow
  Jet Engineering   Chevy   185.672 mph  
          43   Tom Bagley   Lola   3:13.95   0   DNQ, too slow
  Armstrong Mold   CoswTC   185.615 mph  
          84   George Snider   Parnelli   3:10.22   0   Car sold to Richmond
  Valvoline-Gilmore   CoswTC   189.255 mph  
          67   Phil Threshie   McLaren       0   Did not qualify
  Mergard's 20th Century   CoswTC      
          95   Dick Ferguson   Wildcat       0   Did not qualify
  Kraco Car Stereo   DGS      
          99   Larry Cannon   PC-7/79       0   Did not qualify
  Kraco Car Stereo   CoswTC      
          96   Bob Harkey   Wildcat       0   Did not qualify
  Kraco Car Stereo   DGS      
          34   Spike Gehlhausen   Eagle       0   Wrecked practice
  Wysard Motors   CoswTC      
          40   Wally Dallenbach   Wildcat   3:06.49   0   Qual for Andretti
  STP Oil Treatment   CoswTC   193.040 mph  
          47   Phil Caliva   McLaren       0   Wrecked practice
  CHC/Intersec   Chevy      
          2   Tom Sneva   Phonx-Mrch       0   Did not qualify
  Bignotti-Cotter   CoswTC      
          49   Chip Mead   Eagle       0   Did not qualify
  Ohio Racing Associates   CoswTC      
          69   Joe Saldana   Lightning       0   Did not qualify
  Great American/Michael   CoswTC      
          42   Billy Vukovich   Watson       0   Did not qualify
  Rattlesnake Racing   OffyTC      
          74   Jerry Sneva   McLaren       0   Did not qualify
  Team California   CoswTC      
          89   Phil Krueger   Eagle       0   Wrecked practice
  Joe Hunt Magneto   Chevy      
          86   Jim Buick   Eagle 74       0   Did not qualify
  Buick Racing Team   Chevy      
          78   Steve Kinser   PC-6/78       0   Wrecked practice
  Stanton Racing   CoswTC      
          23   Jim McElreath   PC-6/78       0   Sold car
  McElreath Racing   CoswTC      
          23   Spike Gehlhausen   PC-6/78       0   Did not qualify
  McElreath Racing   CoswTC      
          17   Patrick Bedard   Vollstedt       0   Did not qualify
  Escort Radar Detector   OffyTC      
          33   Vern Schuppan   McLaren       0   Did not qualify
  Red Roof Inns   CoswTC      
          15   Bill Tempero   McLaren       0   Did not qualify
  Zamboni Electric   Chevy      
          18   Johnny Parsons   Lightning       0   Did not qualify
  Hopkins Racing   ChevTC      
          22   Dick Simon   Watson       0   Did not qualify
  Vermont-American   OffyTC      
          24   Joe Saldana   Watson       0   Did not qualify
  Leader Card   OffyTC      
          26   Jim McElreath   Eagle       0   Did not qualify
  McElreath Racing   OffyTC      
          44   Greg Leffler   Lola 79       0   Did not qualify
  Armstrong Mold   CoswTC      
          45   Harry McDonald   Lola       0   Did not qualify
  Armstrong Mold   CoswTC      
          46   Rich Vogler   Wildcat       0   Did not qualify
  Armstrong Mold   DGS      
          52   Larry Rice   McLaren       0   Did not qualify
  Rassey Engines   Rassey      
          63   Ken Hamilton   Riley       0   Did not qualify
  The Idaho   Chevy      
          65   Jerry Miller   King       0   Did not qualify
  Luxury Racers   Chevy      
          66   Roger Rager   Wildcat       0   Did not qualify
  Seymour Enterprises   Chevy      
          71   Bob Frey   Eagle 73       0   Did not qualify
  Spirit of Colorado   OffyTC      
          92   John Mahler   PC-6/78       0   Did not qualify
  Duke Racing   OffyTC      
          93   Frank Weiss   Eagle       0   Did not qualify
  PWS Racing   OffyTC      
          71   Bob Harkey   Antares       0   Did not qualify
  Roman Wheels          
          58   Bubby Jones   Eagle       0   Did not qualify
  Medlin          
          93   John Mahler   Eagle 74       0   Did not qualify
  Duke Racing   OffyTC      
          57   John Martin   McLaren       0   Did not qualify
  Metro Building   OffyTC      
          98   Roger Mears   PC-7/79       0   Did not qualify
  Agajanian   CoswTC      

Race Information

1) Fastest race lap: Lap 159, Johncock, 198.937. 2) Official results listed Mario Andretti as winner; Bobby Unser was penalized 1 lap for improper blending after making a pitstop under yellow. Appeal panel, by a 2-1 vote, returned victory to Unser. 3) Yellow flags: Lap 26 Rutherford tow-on Lap 33 Don Whittington hit backstretch wall Lap 58 Mears car on fire during pitstop Lap 64 Ongais wrecked NE turn Lap 123 Halsmer wrecked NE turn Lap 138 Garza wrecked NE turn Lap 141 Smiley wrecked NW turn Yellow flags totalled 11 for 69 laps, 1 hr, 42 min, 8 sec

Lap Leaders

Driver Total Laps Led Laps Led
Rick Mears 1 57
Gordon Smiley 1 58
Johnny Rutherford 3 22-24
Danny Ongais 4 60-63
Mario Andretti 12 97-98,123-125,142-148
Josele Garza 13 99-104,126-132
Tom Sneva 25 25,33-56
Gordon Johncock 52 64-91,96,105-112,119-122,133-140,179-181
Bobby Unser 89 1-21,26-32,59,92-95,113-118,141,149-178,182-200
Data prepared by Phil Harms - Page created by Omega Timing - All rights reserved

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