1976 Trenton Times Auto Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976): Difference between revisions

From The Lost Media Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(Gordon Johncock redeems himself following his fuel issues at the previous Trenton race to claim victory here, in an event shortened by rain.)
 
Line 68: Line 68:
*[[1976 Jimmy Bryan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
*[[1976 Jimmy Bryan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
*[[1976 Michigan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
*[[1976 Michigan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
*[[1976 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
*[[1976 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
*[[1976 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)]]
*[[1978 Daily Express Indy Silverstone (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]  
*[[1977 American Parts 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
*[[1981 Pocono 500 (lost televised footage of IndyCar race; 1981)]]  
*[[1977 Jimmy Bryan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
*[[1977 Michigan Grand Prix (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
*[[1977 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
*[[1977 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
*[[1977 Texas Grand Prix (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
*[[1977 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)]]
*[[1978 Coors 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]
*[[1978 Daily Express Indy Silverstone (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]
*[[1978 Daily Mail Indy Trophy (partially found CBS and BBC One footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]
*[[1978 Norton Twin 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]]
*[[1979 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; 1979)]]
*[[1979 California 500 (lost footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; existence unconfirmed; 1979)]]
*[[1979 Gould Grand Prix (lost footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; 1979)]]
*[[1980 Miller High Life 150 (partially found footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)]]
*[[1980 Norton Twin 200 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)]]
*[[1980 Primera Copa Mexico 150 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)]]
*[[1980 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (lost footage of CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1980)]]
*[[1981 Kraco Car Stereo 150 (lost CART PPG IndyCar World Series race; 1981)]]  
*[[1981 Pocono 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1981)]]
*[[1996 Las Vegas 500K (partially lost footage of IRL Season race; 1996)]]  
*[[Indianapolis 500 WFBM-TV Broadcasts (lost racing footage; 1949-1950)]]  
*[[Indianapolis 500 WFBM-TV Broadcasts (lost racing footage; 1949-1950)]]  
*[[Indianapolis 500 MCA closed-circuit broadcasts (partially lost racing footage; 1964-1970)]]
*[[Indianapolis 500 MCA closed-circuit broadcasts (partially lost racing footage; 1964-1970)]]

Revision as of 13:36, 4 July 2022

1976trentontimesautoclassic1.png

Gordon Johncock (pictured at the 1973 Indianapolis 500) won the event.

Status: Lost

The 1976 Trenton Times Auto Classic (also known as the 1976 Trenton 200) was the eighth race of the 1976 USAC Championship Car Season. Occurring on 15th August at the Trenton Speedway, the race would ultimately be won by Gordon Johncock in a Wildcat-DGS, in an event shortened to 117 laps because of rain.

Background

The 1976 Trenton Times Auto Classic was the eighth running of the event, with the annual race typically lasting just over 200 miles.[1] It was one of two 1976 USAC Championship Car Season races to commence at Trenton Speedway, the other being the Trentonian 200,[2] which occurred on 2nd May and was won by Johnny Rutherford in a McLaren-Offenhauser.[3] Trenton would host IndyCar races until 1979 before being dropped from the schedule, with the circuit being demolished in 1980.[4]

Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with A.J. Foyt winning the pole position in a Coyote-Foyt with a speed of 165.797 mph.[5][1] Directly behind him was Gordon Johncock, who was looking to redeem himself after having run out of fuel while leading at the Trenton 200,[6] with Parnelli-Cosworth's Al Unser lining up third out of 22 competitors.[5][1] Among those who did not qualify was Eagle-Offenhauser's Bobby Unser, who missed his second consecutive Trenton race, this time because of an engine failure.[5]

The Race

With the starting order decided, the 1976 Trenton Times Auto Classic commenced on 15th August.[1] Johncock shot into the lead on the opening lap, leading the next 13 laps before Foyt regained it on lap 14.[1] Foyt would then defend the first position for 29 laps, but during a caution period between laps 43-47, Johncock would be leading when the race resumed, holding it for the next 24 laps.[1] Foyt would again move back into first on lap 68, defending it for 22 laps.[1] On lap 90, Johncock achieved an overtake, but Foyt swiftly regained the lead a lap later.[1]

After 93 laps, Foyt attempted to pass Eagle-Offenhauser's Bill Simpson on the third curve, but his attempt ended in disaster when his car swerved into the wall.[6][1] An angry Foyt retired from the spot because of a broken suspension, and blamed Simpson, stating "Simpson got me into the wall. The suspension of the car is too badly damaged to continue the race."[6] A caution period emerged, with Unser leading five laps, before Johncock took over before the start of the next green flag on lap 99.[1] For the final 20 laps, a duel between Johncock and Unser emerged, the latter providing significant pressure.[6][1] However, Johncock remained in the lead by the time the race's final four laps were ran under caution because of rain.[6][1] The race did not restart, meaning it was shortened by 17 laps.[6][1] Johncock therefore claimed his third Trenton victory and around $14,000 in prize money.[6][1] Unser took second, with McLaren-Offenhauser's Tom Sneva taking third.[6][1]

Availability

According to IndyCar on TV, the race would be the first since the 1966 Trenton 150 to be televised by CBS.[7][8] It received live flag-to-flag coverage, although the race's start was delayed by 30 minutes because CBS needed to finish its Republican National Convention coverage.[7] The broadcast has yet to resurface however, and no footage of the race is currently publicly available.

See Also

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 1.12 1.13 1.14 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the event. Retrieved 20th Jun '22
  2. ↑ Racing-Reference detailing the 1976 USAC Championship Car Season schedule. Retrieved 20th Jun '22
  3. ↑ Racing-Reference detailing results of the 1976 Trentonian 200. Retrieved 20th Jun '22
  4. ↑ Racing Circuits detailing the history of the Trenton Speedway. Retrieved 20th Jun '22
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The New York Times reporting on Foyt winning the pole position. Retrieved 20th Jun '22
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 The New York Times reporting on Johncock winning the race. Retrieved 20th Jun '22
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 IndyCar on TV detailing the CBS broadcast of the race. Retrieved 20th Jun '22
  8. ↑ IndyCar on TV detailing the CBS broadcast of the 1966 Trenton 150. Retrieved 20th Jun '22
Retrieved from "https://lostmediawiki.com/w/index.php?title=1976_Trenton_Times_Auto_Classic_(lost_footage_of_USAC_Championship_Car_Season_race;_1976)&oldid=182796"