# 1963 USAC Championship Car season

The 1963 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 21 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 17. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion was A. J. Foyt, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Parnelli Jones. Jim Clark's win at Milwaukee in August marked the first win for a rear-engined car in Champ Car competition.

## Schedule and results

| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Type | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
| 1 | April 21 | Trenton 100 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | Lloyd Ruby | A. J. Foyt |
| 2 | May 30 | International 500 Mile Sweepstakes | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Paved | Parnelli Jones | Parnelli Jones |
| 3 | June 9 | Rex Mays Classic | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Johnny Boyd | Rodger Ward |
| 4 | June 23 | Langhorne 100 | Langhorne Speedway | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | Dirt | Jim Hurtubise | A. J. Foyt |
| NC | July 4 | Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb | Pikes Peak Highway | Pikes Peak, Colorado | Hill | Bobby Unser | Bobby Unser |
| 5 | July 28 | Trenton 150 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt |
| 6 | August 17 | Tony Bettenhausen Memorial | Illinois State Fairgrounds | Springfield, Illinois | Dirt | A. J. Foyt | Rodger Ward |
| 7 | August 18 | Tony Bettenhausen 200 | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Jim Clark | Jim Clark |
| 8 | September 2 | Ted Horn Memorial | DuQuoin State Fairgrounds | Du Quoin, Illinois | Dirt | Rodger Ward | A. J. Foyt |
| 9 | September 14 | Hoosier Hundred | Indiana State Fairgrounds | Indianapolis, Indiana | Dirt | Rodger Ward | Rodger Ward |
| 10 | September 22 | Trenton 200 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | Jim Clark | A. J. Foyt |
| 11 | October 27 | Golden State 100 | California State Fairgrounds | Sacramento, California | Dirt | Rodger Ward | Rodger Ward |
| 12 | November 17 | Bobby Ball Memorial | Arizona State Fairgrounds | Phoenix, Arizona | Dirt | Johnny Rutherford | Rodger Ward |
    ^A No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb.

## Final points standings

| Pos | Driver | TRE1 | INDY | MIL1 | LAN | TRE2 | SPR | MIL2 | DQSF | ISF | TRE3 | SAC | PHX | Pts |
| 1 | A. J. Foyt | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 2950 |
| 2 | Rodger Ward | 18 | 4 | 1 | | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 2210 |
| 3 | Jim McElreath | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1655 |
| 4 | Parnelli Jones | 2 | 1 | DNQ | 4 | 22 | 8 | 23 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 12 | 4 | 1540 |
| 5 | Don Branson | 17 | 5 | 17 | DNS | 12 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 1352 |
| 6 | Jim Clark RY | | 2 | | | | | 1 | | | 21 | | | 1200 |
| 7 | Chuck Hulse | 22 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 6 | DNQ | 5 | 3 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 2 | 1020 |
| 8 | Roger McCluskey | 8 | 15 | 18 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 750 |
| 9 | Jim Hurtubise | 3 | 22 | 19 | 3 | 4 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 24 | 11 | | 660 |
| 10 | Johnny Rutherford | 10 | 29 | 20 | 7 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 17 | 11 | 640 |
| 11 | Troy Ruttman | 5 | 12 | DNQ | | 5 | | 14 | | | 3 | | | 580 |
| 12 | Dan Gurney | | 7 | | | | | 3 | | | 16 | | | 580 |
| 13 | Bud Tingelstad | | 28 | 15 | | 9 | 11 | 18 | 12 | | 2 | 13 | 6 | 490 |
| 14 | Bobby Grim | | 25 | 11 | | 2 | | 9 | | 11 | | 8 | 10 | 440 |
| 15 | Bobby Marshman | 6 | 16 | 7 | 5 | 19 | 15 | 22 | 4 | DNQ | 20 | 18 | 18 | 323 |
| 16 | Lloyd Ruby | 19 | 19 | 12 | | 24 | 9 | 26 | 17 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 16 | 320 |
| 17 | Johnny White R | | | | | | 7 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 320 |
| 18 | Ronnie Duman | 9 | DNQ | 10 | 6 | 10 | 16 | | | 9 | | | | 235 |
| 19 | Al Miller | | 9 | 22 | DNQ | DNQ | | 25 | | DNQ | | | | 200 |
| 20 | Len Sutton | 7 | DNQ | 6 | | 21 | 12 | 12 | 13 | DNQ | | DNQ | | 170 |
| 21 | Eddie Sachs | 15 | 17 | 2 | | DNQ | | 24 | | | 23 | | | 160 |
| 22 | Dempsey Wilson | | 11 | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | 10 | | | 160 |
| 23 | Dick Rathmann | | 10 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 150 |
| 24 | Bob Harkey R | | DNQ | DNQ | 9 | 17 | 13 | | DNQ | 14 | 9 | 15 | DNQ | 120 |
| 25 | Bobby Unser | | 33 | | | | 18 | | | | | 7 | 9 | 100 |
| 26 | Bob Mathouser | 11 | DNQ | DNQ | 11 | 11 | | 15 | DNQ | | 15 | DNQ | 14 | 70 |
| 27 | Colby Scroggin | 13 | DNQ | 8 | DNQ | | | | | 17 | | | 17 | 50 |
| 28 | Ralph Liguori | | DNQ | 16 | 8 | 15 | 14 | DNQ | 18 | 16 | DNQ | | | 50 |
| 29 | Jack Conely | | DNQ | 9 | | | | 17 | | | | | | 40 |
| 30 | Ed Kostenuk | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | 21 | | | 11 | | | 40 |
| 31 | Arnie Knepper R | | | | 13 | DNQ | 10 | | 14 | | | | | 30 |
| 32 | Chuck Booth | | | | | | | | | | | 10 | DNQ | 30 |
| 33 | Eddie Johnson | | 20 | | | | | | | | 12 | | | 20 |
| 34 | Sonny Helms R | | | | | | | | | 13 | | | 12 | 10 |
| 35 | Curtis Turner R | 12 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 10 |
| 36 | Jerry Daniels R | | | | | | | | | 12 | | | | 10 |
| - | Bob Veith | | 26 | 13 | | | | 13 | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jerry Weld R | | | | | | | DNQ | 16 | DNQ | 14 | DNQ | 13 | 0 |
| - | Chuck Rodee | | DNQ | | | | | 20 | | DNQ | 13 | | | 0 |
| - | Bruce Jacobi | | DNQ | | DNQ | 13 | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Christie | | 13 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Johnny Boyd | | 32 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Billy Cantrell R | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 14 | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Mel Kenyon R | | | | | 14 | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Jiggs Peters | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ebb Rose | | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Mickey Shaw R | 20 | | | | 18 | DNQ | DNQ | 15 | DNQ | 25 | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Wente R | | DNQ | | | DNQ | | 16 | | | 17 | | | 0 |
| - | Allen Crowe | 16 | 27 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Paul Goldsmith | | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Art Malone | | 31 | DNQ | | 20 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Al Farmer | 21 | Wth | | | 23 | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | Pat Flaherty | | | 21 | | DNQ | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Stevenson | | 21 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Duane Carter | | 23 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jim Rathmann | | 24 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Elmer George | | 30 | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Davies | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Ed Hoyle | DNQ | | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Bob McLean | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bobby Hogle | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Gig Stephens | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Masten Gregory | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Paul Russo | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Cheesbourg | | DNQ | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | George Morris | | | | | DNQ | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Tommy Copp | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Ray Crawford | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Daywalt | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Engle | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Don Freeland | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Cliff Griffith | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Norm Hall | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Gene Hartley | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Graham Hill | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Junior Johnson | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Krause | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Keith Rachwitz | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Pedro Rodríguez | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Joe Sostilio | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Turner | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Red Amick | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Howard Osborn | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Wally Talbot | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Curly Boyd | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Dee Jones | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | TRE1 | INDY | MIL1 | LAN | TRE2 | SPR | MIL2 | DQSF | ISF | TRE3 | SAC | PHX | Pts |
| Color | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | 4th & 5th place |
| Light Blue | 6th-10th place |
| Dark Blue | Finished (Outside Top 10) |
| Purple | Did not finish (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Brown | Withdrawn (Wth) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| Blank | Did not participate (DNP) |
| Blank | Not competing |
In-line notation :
| Bold | Pole position |
| Italics | Ran fastest race lap |
| * | Led most race laps |
| RY Rookie of the Year ||
| R Rookie ||