1979 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of SCCA/CART IndyCar Series race; 1979): Difference between revisions
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*[[1978 Daily Express Indy Silverstone (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 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)]] | *[[1978 Norton Twin 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1978)]] | ||
*[[1981 Pocono 500 (lost | *[[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 13:42, 4 July 2022
The 1979 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 (also known as the 1979 Phoenix 150) marked the inaugural race of the Championship Automobile Racing Teams (CART) IndyCar Series. Occurring on 11th March at the Phoenix International Raceway, the race would ultimately be won by Gordon Johncock in a Penske-Cosworth, after having led the final 31 laps of the event.
Background
In 1979, the first of two major splits in IndyCar racing occurred, when several prominent cars owners, including Dan Gurney and Roger Penske, broke away from the United States Auto Club (USAC) and formed CART.[1][2][3] The origins of CART dated back to early 1978, when Gurney and others became increasingly frustrated with USAC's leadership and inability to grow the sport, and noting Formula One's growth thanks to the rise of the Formula One Constructors' Association (FOCA).[1][2][3] He therefore established the "Gurney White Paper" that called upon a group independent of USAC that demanded greater influence over the sport's governing, sponsorship, and media.[1] After USAC refused to agree to these demands, Gurney, as well as other prominent car owners and drivers, officially formed a breakaway championship.[1][2][3] With the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) sanctioning the series, CART would begin running its first championship to rival USAC's in 1979.[2][3][1]
The 1979 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 would be CART's first ever event, with it being the 15th running of this annual IndyCar race.[1][2][3] Lasting 150 miles,[4] it was one of two 1979 SCCA/CART IndyCar Series races to commence at Phoenix International Raceway, the other being the Miller High Life 150,[5] which occurred on 20th October and was won by Al Unser in a Chaparral-Cosworth.[6] The race, named in honour of 1958 Indianapolis 500 winner Jimmy Bryan,[7] 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.[8]
Prior to the race, qualifying commenced with Bobby Unser winning the pole position in a Penske-Cosworth with a speed of 145.666 mph.[3][4] He was driving a debuting Penske PC-7, which was notable for being the first Indy car to utilise ground effect.[3] Beforehand, Unser claimed that CART's formation was a necessity, criticising the USAC and its governing body for being too large and for ignoring the needs of its members.[2] Directly behind him were the McLaren-Cosworths of Tom Sneva and Johnny Rutherford, in second and third respectively.[4] Gordon Johncock qualified eighth out of 21 competitors.[4] Meanwhile, Bill Alsup qualified 11th in a McLaren-Cosworth, being notable as the only driver in the field to have not competed in a USAC Championship Car Season race.[3][4]
The Race
With the starting order decided, the 1979 Arizona Republic / Jimmy Bryan 150 commenced on 11th March.[4] Unser maintained his lead from the start, going on to lead the first 64 laps of the race before making a pitstop on that enabled Johncock to move by.[3][4] With Johncock pitting soon afterwards, and with a caution occurring not long afterwards, Unser swiftly regained the lead, holding it for the next 20 laps.[3][4] However, Unser suddenly encountered tyre trouble, forcing him to pit and giving the lead to Danny Ongais in a Parnelli-Cosworth.[9][3][4]
Ongais would lead the next 33 laps, before he was passed by Johncock on lap 120.[3][4] Eight laps later, Ongais retired because of an engine failure, with oil leaking onto the track that forced a caution between laps 129-139.[3][4] This enabled Johncock to control proceedings for the remaining laps, claiming victory and $18,670 in prize money.[3][9][4] Rick Mears finished second in a Penske-Cosworth, while Rutherford finished third.[3][9][4] This was the first instance of a Penske car winning when it was not owned by Roger Penske, with Johncock's chassis' owner being Pat Patrick.[3] Johncock ultimately was fortunate to have completed the race, as his car's radiator blew as he celebrated in Victory Lane.[10]
Availability
According to IndyCar on TV, the race received live flag-to-flag coverage from NBC as part of its NBC Sportsworld, being billed as the Phoenix 150.[11] The broadcast faced criticism from reporter Tom Cheche, with him deeming Charlie Jones' commentary to have been inadequate and with the cameras failing to showcase any footage of any drivers outside the top four.[10] He summarised it as "almost an exercise in doing things the wrong way."[10] Yet, despite the historic nature of the event, the NBC broadcast has yet to publicly resurface.[12] The only currently available footage of the event consists of a 3/4 inch tape of "800 Miles to Indy", which was uploaded to YouTube on 26th October 2011 by Bobi Neher.[12]
Gallery
Videos
Images
See Also
- 1962 Trenton 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1962)
- 1962 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1962)
- 1963 Trenton 100 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1963)
- 1963 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1963)
- 1964 Golden State 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1964)
- 1964 Trenton 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1964)
- 1965 Golden State 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1965)
- 1965 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1965)
- 1966 Jimmy Bryan Memorial (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1966)
- 1966 Trenton 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1966)
- 1967 Trenton 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1967)
- 1968 Tony Bettenhausen 100 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1968)
- 1968 Trenton 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1968)
- 1969 Langhorne 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)
- 1969 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)
- 1969 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1969)
- 1970 Bobby Ball 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Langhorne 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Rex Mays Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Rocky Mountain 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1970 Trenton 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1970)
- 1971 Bobby Ball 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Jimmy Bryan 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Marlboro 300 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Michigan 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Rex Mays Classic (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Schaefer 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1971 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1971)
- 1972 Best Western Motels 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Indianapolis 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Phoenix 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Rex Mays Classic (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Tony Bettenhausen 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Trenton Times 300 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1972 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1972)
- 1973 Schaefer 500 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1973)
- 1973 Texas 200 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1973)
- 1974 Phoenix 150 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)
- 1974 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)
- 1974 Trentonian 200 (partially found footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1974)
- 1975 Bricklin 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)
- 1975 Michigan 150 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)
- 1975 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1975)
- 1976 Indianapolis 500 (partially found 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 Schaefer 500 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1976 Trenton Times Auto Classic (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1976 Trentonian 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1976)
- 1977 American Parts 200 (lost footage of USAC Championship Car Season race; 1977)
- 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 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 MCA closed-circuit broadcasts (partially lost racing footage; 1964-1970)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Dan Gurney's All American Racers detailing the "Gurney White Paper" and CART's formation. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Fort Worth Star-Telegram reporting on CART's formation and its sanctioning by the SCCA. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 Motorsports Tribune detailing CART's split from USAC and the race itself. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 Racing-Reference detailing the qualifying and race results of the event. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ Racing-Reference detailing the 1979 SCCA/CART IndyCar Series schedule. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ Racing-Reference detailing the results of the 1979 Miller High Life 150. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ Motorsport Memorial page for Jimmy Bryan. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ IndyStar reporting on Phoenix races being dropped from the IndyCar schedule after 2018. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 The Morning Call from Allentown, Pennsylvania reporting on Johncock winning the race and Unser's tyre issues. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Tom Cheche's review of the NBC broadcast. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ IndyCar on TV detailing the NBC broadcast of the race. Retrieved 29 Jun '22
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 r/lostmedia post detailing the missing NBC broadcast. Retrieved 29 Jun '22