1980-present IndyCar races (partially found footage of USAC, CART, and IRL races; 1980-present)

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1980tonybettenhausen2001.jpg

Program for the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 100

Status: Partially Found

By the 1980s, a large proportion of USAC, CART, and IRL-sanctioned races were aired on television. Many of these have since publicly resurfaced courtesy of home media recordings. This article details the few races from the 1980s onwards whose broadcasts are known to be missing.

1980 Norton Twin 200

The 1980 Norton Twin 200 was the sixth race of the 1980 CART PPG IndyCar World Series. Occurring on 20th July at the Michigan International Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Johnny Rutherford in a Chaparral-Cosworth, following a duel with Penske-Cosworth's Bobby Unser.

It was the 12th running of the event, with the annual race lasting 200 miles.[1] It was one of two 1980 CART PPG IndyCar World Series races to commence at Michigan International Speedway, the other being the Gould Grand Prix,[2] which occurred on 20th September and was won by Mario Andretti.[3] The track would continue hosting IndyCar races until being dropped from the schedule from 2007 onwards after failing to reach a deal with IndyCar's organisers.[4]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 192.488 mph.[1] Directly behind him was Johnny Rutherford, with Penske-Cosworth's Rick Mears lining up third out of 26 competitors.[1]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1980 Norton Twin 200 commenced on 20th July.[1] Rutherford shot into the lead on the opening lap, holding it for the first 38 laps.[1] He would drop it to Gordon Johncock in a Wildcat-Cosworth on lap 39, who in turn lost it to Unser a lap later.[1] Unser controlled proceedings for the next eleven laps, before a hot potato for the lead occurred, Rutherford leading from laps 51-52, Johncock from 53-56, and McLaren-Cosworth's Tom Sneva from 57-60.[1] Unser would regain the lead on lap 61, holding it for the next eight laps before Rutherford moved by on lap 69.[1]

The battle for the first position would then primarily be between Rutherford and Unser, with the latter achieving an overtake on lap 83.[1] Ultimately, Rutherford had the edge, achieving what was ultimately the final lead change on lap 93.[1] He managed to edge out Unser for the final laps to claim his second Norton Twin 200 victory after the 1978 edition and $21,850 in prize money.[5][1] Unser finished second, with fellow Penske-Cosworth driver Pancho Carter taking third.[1]

1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200

The 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (also known as the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen Classic and the 1980 Milwaukee 200) was the eighth race of the 1980 CART PPG IndyCar World Series. Occurring on 10th August at the Milwaukee Mile, the race would ultimately be won by polesitter Johnny Rutherford in a Chaparral-Cosworth, after long-term leader and Longhorn-Cosworth driver Al Unser crashed out following an upright failure.

It was the 20th running of the event, with the annual race lasting 200 miles.[6] It was one of two 1980 CART PPG IndyCar World Series races to commence at the Milwaukee Mile, the other being the Gould Rex Mays Classic,[2] '22</ref> which occurred on 8th June and was won by Bobby Unser in a Penske-Cosworth.[7] The race, named in memory of two-time IndyCar champion Tony Bettenhausen,[8] was the first Milwaukee Mile race to be sanctioned by CART, with a few more races held until it was dropped from the schedule from 1983 onwards.[9][10]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Johnny Rutherford winning the pole position with a speed of 130.813 mph.[6] Directly behind him was Al Unser, with Penske-Cosworth's Rick Mears lining up third out of 26 competitors.[6]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200 commenced on 10th August.[6] Rutherford maintain his lead on the opening lap, holding it until Al Unser passed him on lap 20.[6] Unser held the first position for 39 laps, before Rutherford regained it on lap 59.[6] On lap 65, Penske-Cosworth's Mike Mosley was running in fifth, when he suddenly suffered a rear suspension failure following the front straightaway, culminating in a crash into the wall with the impact significant enough to allow the car to climb up said wall and be airborne, slamming into the wall again.[11][9][6] Despite the massive accident, Mosley escaped uninjured.[9] The resulting crash led to pitstops during a caution period, with Unser coming out in front when the race resumed.[6]

Unser led another 45 laps before briefly being passed by Rutherford on lap 113.[6] He regained it a lap later however, and was seemingly set to win, when on lap 166, his front upright failed, causing the car to slam into the north turn wall.[9][11][6] Unser also escaped uninjured, with Rutherford taking the lead.[9][6] His main rivals for the remaining 35 laps would be Mears and Bobby Unser, but he received a boost when both Penske drivers were penalised a lap following pit stop violations.[9][6] Rutherford therefore controlled proceedings to claim victory and $20,150 in prize money.[9][11][6] Rutherford's performance was also significant considering he spun off the circuit at one point and also had to contend with a vibration that prevented him from seeing clearly.[11] Mears finished a lap down in second, while Unser was three laps behind, yet still took third.[9][6]

1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150

The 1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150 was the 11th and penultimate race of the 1980 CART PPG IndyCar World Series. Occurring on 26th October at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, the event was the first sanctioned CART race in Mexico. The race would ultimately be won by Rick Mears in a Penske-Cosworth, following a duel with teammate Bobby Unser.

It was the inaugural running of the event, being one of two CART races to be held in Mexico.[12][13] The other was the 1981 Copa Mexico 150, also commenced at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and was won by Rick Mears.[14] Both races utilised the shorter "Pista 2" course, so that the hairpin section of the circuit could be bypassed. While IndyCar has yet to return to Mexico since 2007, a return appears likely, with support coming from Mark Miles, the President and CEO of Penske Entertainment Corporation that controls modern IndyCar.[15]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position with a speed of 124.278 mph.[16] Directly behind him was Mears, with Parnelli-Cosworth's Danny Ongais lining up third out of 25 competitors.[16] A total of five Indianapolis 500 winners were present at the event, including Unser, Mears, Longhorn Cosworth's Al Unser, Chaparral-Cosworth's Johnny Rutherford, and Phoenix-Cosworth's Gordon Johncock.[17][16] Meanwhile, Tom Bagley, who qualified ninth in a Phoenix-Cosworth and had previously raced at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez,[16] believed the race would prove popular in Mexico, stating "I would think people here would love Indy cars because of the speeds. When I ran the Camaro, I sensed how popular racing was with the fans. The people are familiar with the Indy 500 and know Formula One well. These cars are basically Formula One types with turbochargers."[17]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150 commenced on 26th October.[16] Unser maintained his lead from the start, holding it for the first nine laps before being passed by Mears.[16] Ongais meanwhile crashed out on the opening lap.[16] Mears meanwhile would control proceedings for the next 12 laps, Unser ultimately overtaking him on lap 22, only to be passed himself by Al on lap 23.[16] Al defended the first position for 13 laps, before Bobby again regained the lead.[16]

From there, a duel emerged between Unser and Mears, with the latter overtaking his teammate on lap 44.[16] Unser fought back two laps later, but Mears made what was ultimately the final lead change on lap 47.[16] From there, he defended his lead from Unser for the final 14 laps to claim victory and $21,350 in prize money.[16] Bobby and Al Unser finished second and third respectively.[16] Aside from the 1-2 finish, the race is notable for lacking any cautions throughout its duration.[18]

1980 Miller High Life 150

The 1980 Miller High Life 150 (also known as the 1980 Phoenix 150) was the final race of the 1980 CART PPG IndyCar World Series. Occurring on 8th November at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by Phoenix-Cosworth's Tom Sneva, after having led 95 of the 150 laps. The race is also famous for 1980 Champion Johnny Rutherford's crash, the resulting collision causing his Chaparral-Cosworth to go airborne and land directly upside down.

It was the 27th running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.[19] The only 1980 CART PPG IndyCar World Series races to commence at Phoenix International Raceway,[2] its program paid tribute to AAA driver Bobby Ball.[20] The race would have ties with Phoenix events like the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, before the Phoenix races were dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018 following low attendance.[21]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Mario Andretti winning the pole position in a Penske-Cosworth with a speed of 142.891 mph.[19] Directly behind him was Johnny Rutherford, who despite setting the fastest times in practice, experienced issues in qualifying due to an engine issue.[22] Penske-Cosworth's Pancho Carter lined up third, while Sneva qualified sixth out of 25 competitors.[19] Sneva however would be forced to start at the back following a broken shifter.[22] Bobby Unser was forced to withdraw from the race after crashing his Penske-Cosworth, with the spare car already being used by Andretti.[22][19]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1980 Miller High Life 150 commenced on 8th November.[19] Rutherford shot into the lead on the opening lap, holding it for 37 laps before dropping it to Al Unser in a Longhorn-Cosworth.[19] Unser would remain in front before crashing out after 54 laps, handing the lead back to Sneva.[19]

On lap 71, Rutherford managed to briefly move past Sneva.[22] He attempted to lap Penske-Cosworth's Dennis Firestone, only for the latter to clip his right rear tyre.[22] Rutherford spun and hit the wall rear-first, the resulting impact causing his Chaparral's rear left tyre to go under the car, resulting in the vehicle going airborne and landing directly upside down.[23][24][22][19] First aid respondents arrived promptly and, after righting the car, were able to communicate with Rutherford regaining consciousness while still inside his wrecked vehicle.[22][24] He was airlifted to hospital, suffering magnesium flash burns around his eyes and a shortened finger.[22][24] In an interview discussing the crash, Rutherford revealed he could not remember the crash, but noted how fortunate he was to have escaped without further damage.[24] He showcased how his helmet suffered extensive damage, including scrape marks and a dent on one of its sides.[24] The crash also enabled Penske to develop its 1981 car, as Al Unser had tracked down a fan taking photos of the car's bottom, and obtained said photos that revealed the complexity of the vehicle's ground effect design.[25]

Meanwhile, with the exception of Andretti leading lap 101, Sneva would hold onto the first position for a combined 95 laps, therefore claiming victory, his first since 1977, and $16,100 in prize money.[22][19] Andretti finished nine seconds behind in second, despite suffering a blown engine at the chequered flag, with Orbiter-Cosworth's Gary Bettenhausen four laps down in third.[22][19]

1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150

The 1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150 (also known as the 1981 Phoenix 150) was the inaugural race of the 1981 CART PPG IndyCar World Series. Occurring on 22nd March at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately by won by Johnny Rutherford in a Chaparral-Cosworth, after achieving the final lead change on lap 99 of the 150-lap event.

It was the 16th running of the event, with the annual race lasting 150 miles.[26] It was one of two 1981 CART PPG IndyCar World Series races to commence at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the Miller High Life 150,[27] which occurred on 31st October and was won by Tom Sneva in a March-Cosworth.[28] The race, whose program paid tribute to 1958 Indianapolis 500 winner Jimmy Bryan,[29] would have ties with Phoenix events like the Desert Diamond West Valley Phoenix Grand Prix, before Phoenix races were dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018 following low attendance.[30]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position in a Penske-Cosworth with a speed of 143.055 mph.[26] Directly behind him was Wildcat-Cosworth's Gordon Johncock, with Johnny Rutherford lining up third out of 22 competitors.[26]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150 commenced on 22nd March.[26] Unser maintained his lead from the start, holding it before Penske-Cosworth's Bill Alsup passed him on lap 44.[26] Wildcat-Cosworth's Mario Andretti moved into the first position a lap later, defending it for 30 laps before Rutherford took over on lap 75.[26] Rutherford would defend the lead until Phoenix-Cosworth's Tom Sneva moved by, the latter only holding it for a lap before dropping it to Unser on lap 92.[26]

Unser led seven laps, but Rutherford would then perform the final lead change on lap 99.[31][26] From there, Rutherford generally controlled proceedings, although Unser was only a few seconds behind by the final ten laps.[31][26] However, Unser would be forced to pit for fuel, enabling Rutherford to claim victory and $18,336 in prize money.[31][26] Unser was almost 20 seconds behind in second, with Sneva a lap down in third.[31][26]

1981 Pocono 500

The 1981 Pocono 500 (also known as the 1981 Van Scoy Diamond Mines 500) was the 2nd race of the 1981–82 USAC Gold Crown Series. Occurring on 2nd June, the race was won by A. J. Foyt, who had also qualified on pole for the race. Aside from the event being the last IndyCar victory for Foyt, it is also notable for being a rare multi-class IndyCar race, a consequence of the USAC-CART split that led to a CART boycott and the need for Silver Crown sprint cars to fill the grid.

The 11th instance of the race being held as part of the USAC Championship, the 1981 Pocono 500 was greatly impacted by the USAC-CART split. The split dated back to 1978, where conflicts over poor promotion of races, low revenue generated from events and disagreements concerning technical regulations, led to some IndyCar owners forming the CART series,[32] with Dan Gurney publishing the White Paper that ultimately deemed CART was required for IndyCar's future success.[33] During the 1979 USAC Season, CART-siding teams began to boycott races, including that year's Pocono 500, reducing the field to only 25. This not only upset track management loyal to USAC, but also almost cost the facility its existence as attendance dipped, resulting in lost revenue that almost bankrupted the circuit.

Nevertheless, the 1980 Pocono 500 went ahead under a full field in the 1980 USAC Championship Car season, known as the 1980 Championship Racing League as part of an agreement between USAC and CART. However, the partnership ended after only five races, and by the time the 1981 Pocono 500 came around, the organisations were again in conflict, with the majority of CART's regular drivers bar seven boycotting the race.[34] With only 19 Gold Crown IndyCar entries left, conflict emerged between USAC and the track organisers, the latter wanting 33 entrants. USAC decided to open up the event so that older entrants and front-engined Silver Crown cars could enter, the latter of which primarily competed in dirt races.[35] The decision allowed for an additional 10 entries for the race in total, eight of those being dirt cars. While this did not meet the organisers' demands, the race nevertheless went ahead.

The Race

Because of qualifying being disrupted by rain, a drawing of lots took place to decide the grid order.[36] The draw would be split into three lots, consisting of drivers who had won a 500 mile race, other IndyCar drivers, and the dirt car racers. A. J. Foyt won the pole position, qualifying ahead of Jim McElreath and Tom Sneva, the latter one of the few CART drivers to defy the boycott.

The first position in the early stages of the race were contested mainly by Foyt and Sneva. The Silver Crown cars essentially would be in a race of their own at the back, and would maintain the inside line to allow the Gold Crown competitors to safely lap them. Meanwwhile some like McElreath were driving older IndyCars, including a 1974 Offenhauser, and thus could not challenge for the win. As they were in the most modern cars, Foyt and Sneva were competitive, with both challenging until the latter retired after after 79 laps because of gearbox issues. Foyt's competition for the remainder of the race consisted of two other CART regulars in relatively modern cars who also deified the boycott in, Geoff Brabham and Tom Bigelow. The lead changed another eleven times following Sneva's retirement, with Foyt ultimately assuming the lead again on lap 119 and holding onto it until lap 122, when the race finished because of rain, short of the 200 laps expected.

Post-Race

Foyt therefore won his fourth Pocono 500,[37] which would turn out to be his final IndyCar victory,[38] and claimed $67,685 in prize money. He finished ahead of Brabham and Bigelow in second and third respectively. Mark Alderson was the highest placed driver in a dirt car, placing 11th and being 18 laps down from the leaders.[39] Post-race, CART suspended the seven CART drivers who took part in the race, including Sneva, Brabham and Bigelow, for 60 days. The drivers would miss the next two races of the 1981 CART season, but returned before the 60 days were up as they won a lawsuit allowing them to race based on free market labour and right-to-work legislation .[40]

Other legal matters occurred, including track owner Dr. Joseph Mattioli suing for damages after attendance plummeted to only 25,000, about a third of the crowd that attended the previous year's event. The matter was settled out of court, as was another lawsuit that was made following the 1979 event. The Pocono 500 would later become a regular event of CART from 1982 until 1989, while the USAC Championship was reduced to only the Indianapolis 500 by 1985.[41]

Availability

According to IndyCar on TV, 30 minutes of highlights from the 1980 Norton Twin 200 were televised on the same day by NBC as part of its NBC Sportsworld, alongside the World Women's Powerlifting Championships and Survival of the Fittest.[42] The broadcast has yet to resurface, however, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available. It was known that a YouTube video containing highlights of 1979-1981 CART races also included coverage of the race, but said video has since been taken down.[43]

20 minutes of highlights from the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200 were televised on the same day by NBC, alongside the Avon World Women's Marathon and Survival of the Fittest, being billed as the Milwaukee 200.[44] The coverage received criticism, with The Indianapolis Star lambasting how just 20 of the 90-minute race was shown. Additionally, the review criticised the limited coverage of the race standings, as well as failing to capture much of the battle between Rutherford and Unser, one camera apparently being situated behind a tree.[44] The review deemed the coverage as an example of motor racing's lack of popularity compared to other sports.[44] No coverage has resurfaced, though like the Norton Twin 200, highlights were included in a now-deleted YouTube video.[43]

While the 1980 Primera Copa Mexico did not receive television coverage in the United States, it is known to have been broadcast on Mexican television.[45] According to Track Forum user chaparral 2k, who researched early CART television broadcasts, the Mexican broadcast was confirmed by a yearbook for the 1981 CART PPG IndyCar World Series.[45] This broadcast has never since resurfaced.

Meanwhile, 30 minutes of highlights from the 1980 Miller High Life 150 were televised by NBC on 22nd November 1980, being billed as the Phoenix 150 and becoming part of its NBC Sportsworld, alongside Legends of Bowling and Tokyo Sumo Wrestling.[46] It is known that 15 minutes of the coverage was uploaded to YouTube by MotorsportsHistoryTV, but the video has since been taken down.[47] As of the present day, a few minutes of footage and some photos concerning Rutherford's can be found online.[24][23]

NBC also provided one hour of highlights from the 1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150 on 5th April 1981, also billed as the Phoenix 150, alongside the 1981 Grand National.[48] No footage from this event has been recovered.

Several photos of the 1981 Pocono 500 are publicly accessible.[49] But while a one-hour film containing highlights of the race was televised two weeks following the event on syndicated programming like NBC Sports, including on Indianapolis television station WRTV, no footage of the event is currently publicly available.[50] According to nascarman History, it is believed that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum may have a copy of the footage, but this remains unconfirmed.

Gallery

Videos

Footage of Rutherford's crash at the 1980 Miller High Life 150.

Ryan Holman Reviews video discussing the 1981 Pocono 500.

nascarman History's Top 10 Lost IndyCar Broadcasts detailing the broadcast of the 1981 Pocono 500 (2:50-3:10).

References

  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1980 Norton Twin 200. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Racing-Reference detailing the 1980 CART PPG IndyCar World Series schedule. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  3. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1980 Gould Grand Prix. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  4. Eurosport reporting on the Michigan International Speedway being dropped from the IndyCar schedule. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  5. Motorsport noting the 1980 edition was Rutherford's second Norton Twin 200 win. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  6. 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200. Retrieved 2 July '22
  7. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1980 Gould Rex Mays Classic. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  8. Haul Away! noting origins of the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200's name. Retrieved 2 Jun '22
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 Racing Nation detailing the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200. Retrieved 2 Jun '22
  10. UPI reporting on the Tony Bettenhausen 200 being dropped from 1983 onwards. Retrieved 2 July '22
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 Track Forum discussing the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200 and the crashes. Retrieved 2 July '22
  12. Racing Circuits detailing the history of the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and its CART races. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  13. Motorsport noting the 1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150 was the first in Mexico to be sanctioned by CART. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  14. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1981 Copa Mexico 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  15. Motorsport reporting on Miles' comments surrounding an IndyCar return to Mexico. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  16. 16.00 16.01 16.02 16.03 16.04 16.05 16.06 16.07 16.08 16.09 16.10 16.11 16.12 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  17. 17.0 17.1 UPI reporting on the Indianapolis 500 winners competing at the 1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150 and Bagley's comments. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  18. IndyCar noting the 1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150's lack of cautions and 1-2 finish. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 19.7 19.8 19.9 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1980 Miller High Life 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  20. Midwest Racing Archives detailing the origins of the Bobby Ball race. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  21. IndyStar reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 22.6 22.7 22.8 22.9 Track Forum discussing the 1980 Miller High Life 150 and Rutherford's crash. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  23. 23.0 23.1 The Crash Photos Database detailing Rutherford's accident at the 1980 Miller High Life 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 24.5 Twitter post providing television coverage of Rutherford's crash at the 1980 Miller High Life 150 as well as an interview. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  25. Indianapolis Motor Speedway detailing the story of Unser obtaining photos of Rutherford's wrecked car following the 1980 Miller High Life 150 that would help with the 1981 Penske's development. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  26. 26.00 26.01 26.02 26.03 26.04 26.05 26.06 26.07 26.08 26.09 26.10 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the 1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  27. Racing-Reference detailing the 1981 CART PPG IndyCar World Series schedule. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  28. Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1981 Miller High Life 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  29. Motorsport Memorial page for Jimmy Bryan. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  30. IndyStar reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  31. 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 The New York Times reporting on Rutherford winning the 1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  32. DriveTribe discussing the USAC-CART split. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  33. Dan Gurney's White Paper deeming CART was required for IndyCar's future success. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  34. AP Motorsports reporting on the 1979 boycott, the 1980 Championship Racing League race, and the 1981 boycott where only seven CART regulars ultimately decided to compete. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  35. KM Village stating that USAC opened up the field to allow for Silver Crown entrants in an attempt to meet the track organisers' demands. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  36. Ultimate Racing History providing small facts about the race, including the starting order being determined by a random draw. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  37. New York Times article reporting on A. J. Foyt winning his fourth Pocono 500. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  38. ESPN article noting A. J. Foyt's win at the 1981 Pocono 500 was his last IndyCar victory. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  39. Pocono Record newspaper reporting on Mark Alderson being the highest place dirt car driver. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  40. New York Times reporting on the seven CART drivers being banned for 60 days, and the lawsuit that would enable them to return earlier than stated. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  41. Speed Smorgasbord discussing the 1981 Pocono 500 and the aftermath of the event. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  42. IndyCar on TV detailing the NBC broadcast of the 1980 Norton Twin 200. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  43. 43.0 43.1 Motorsport Retro Facebook post linking to a deleted YouTube that contained race highlights of 1979-1981 CART races. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 IndyCar on TV detailing the NBC broadcast of the 1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200 and its criticism from the The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2 July '22
  45. 45.0 45.1 Track Forum detailing 1980 CART race broadcasts including coverage of the Primera Copa Mexico 150 on Mexican television. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  46. IndyCar on TV detailing the NBC broadcast of the 1980 Miller High Life 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  47. r/INDYCAR discussing the missing NBC broadcast of the 1980 Miller High Life 150 and the video by MotorsportsHistoryTV that has since been taken down. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  48. IndyCar on TV detailing the NBC broadcast of the 1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150. Retrieved 2nd Jul '22
  49. Archived list of photos of the 1981 Pocono 500. Retrieved 25 Sep '21
  50. Track Forum discussing the lost television broadcast of the 1981 Pocono 500. Retrieved 25 Sep '21