# 1962 USAC Championship Car season

The 1962 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 8 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 18. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Rodger Ward. Hugh Randall was killed in the first Langhorne 100 at Langhorne Speedway; he was 29 years old.

## Schedule and results

| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Type | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
| 1 | April 8 | Trenton 100 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | Don Davis | A. J. Foyt |
| 2 | May 30 | International 500 Mile Sweepstakes | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Paved | Parnelli Jones | Rodger Ward |
| 3 | June 10 | Rex Mays Classic | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt |
| 4 | July 1 | 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 22 | Trenton 150 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | A. J. Foyt | Rodger Ward |
| 6 | August 19 | Tony Bettenhausen Memorial | Illinois State Fairgrounds | Springfield, Illinois | Dirt | Roger McCluskey | Jim Hurtubise |
| 7 | August 20 | Tony Bettenhausen 200 | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Bobby Marshman | Rodger Ward |
| 8 | August 26 | Langhorne 100 | Langhorne Speedway | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | Dirt | A. J. Foyt | Don Branson |
| - | September 3 | Ted Horn Memorial | DuQuoin State Fairgrounds | Du Quoin, Illinois | Dirt | | |
| 9 | September 8 | Syracuse 100 | New York State Fairgrounds | Syracuse, New York | Dirt | Parnelli Jones | Rodger Ward |
| 10 | September 15 | Hoosier Hundred | Indiana State Fairgrounds | Indianapolis, Indiana | Dirt | Parnelli Jones | Parnelli Jones |
| 11 | September 23 | Trenton 200 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | A. J. Foyt | Don Branson |
| 12 | October 28 | Golden State 100 | California State Fairgrounds | Sacramento, California | Dirt | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt |
| 13 | November 18 | Bobby Ball Memorial | Arizona State Fairgrounds | Phoenix, Arizona | Dirt | Parnelli Jones | Bobby Marshman |
- The Ted Horn Memorial was rained out, and a suitable alternative date was not found.
    ^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 | LAN1 | TRE2 | SPR | MIL2 | LAN2 | DUQ | SYR | ISF | TRE3 | SAC | PHX | Pts |
| 1 | Rodger Ward | 3 | 1 | 4 | | 1 | 17 | 1 | | C | 1 | 5 | 5 | | | 2460 |
| 2 | A. J. Foyt | 1 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 4 | C | 2 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1950 |
| 3 | Parnelli Jones | 2 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 3 | C | 15 | 1 | 19 | 5 | 4 | 1760 |
| 4 | Don Branson | 4 | 12 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 25 | 1 | C | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1700 |
| 5 | Bobby Marshman | 10 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 9 | C | 13 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 1 | 1581 |
| 6 | Jim Hurtubise | 6 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 2 | C | 4 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 1340 |
| 7 | Len Sutton | 7 | 2 | 15 | | | | 20 | | | DNP | | 2 | 10 | 9 | 1250 |
| 8 | Jim McElreath | 16 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 7 | C | 10 | 3 | 8 | 14 | DNQ | 1210 |
| 9 | Eddie Sachs | 18 | 3 | 21 | | 15 | | 4 | | | | | 7 | | | 1060 |
| 10 | Don Davis | 5 | 4 | 8 | 17 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | 960 |
| 11 | Lloyd Ruby | | 8 | 19 | | | 6 | 22 | | C | 11 | 13 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 700 |
| 12 | Roger McCluskey | 8 | 16 | 5 | 14 | DNQ | 15 | 6 | 5 | C | 6 | 4 | 21 | 18 | 6 | 690 |
| 13 | Ronnie Duman | 19 | DNQ | 6 | 6 | 10 | DNQ | 8 | 10 | C | 9 | 10 | 20 | DNQ | | 405 |
| 14 | Allen Crowe | DNQ | 31 | 10 | 10 | 8 | DNQ | 10 | 12 | C | 5 | 14 | | | | 305 |
| 15 | Troy Ruttman | | 18 | DNQ | | | | 13 | | C | 3 | DNQ | 13 | 6 | 7 | 280 |
| 16 | Bud Tingelstad | 21 | 15 | 7 | | 9 | | 7 | | C | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | 240 |
| 17 | Chuck Hulse | 22 | 21 | DNQ | 13 | 13 | | 26 | 6 | C | DNQ | 7 | 10 | 13 | 10 | 230 |
| 18 | Elmer George | DNQ | 17 | 18 | DNQ | DNQ | 10 | 17 | DNQ | | 18 | 18 | | 3 | 16 | 229 |
| 19 | Jim Rathmann | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 200 |
| 20 | Johnny Boyd | | 10 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 150 |
| 21 | Shorty Templeman | 9 | 11 | 16 | | | 13 | 18 | | | | | | | | 140 |
| 22 | Al Farmer | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 8 | | 14 | 24 | 8 | C | 16 | DNQ | 18 | 16 | DNQ | 100 |
| 23 | Bobby Grim | | 19 | | | | 8 | | | | | 11 | 11 | | | 97 |
| 24 | Bob Mathouser | | DNQ | DNQ | 16 | 17 | 18 | DNQ | 13 | | 8 | DNQ | 12 | | DNQ | 83 |
| 25 | Johnny Rutherford RY | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 80 |
| 26 | Bruce Jacobi | 11 | DNQ | DNQ | 9 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | 75 |
| 27 | Bobby Marvin R | 17 | | DNQ | | | 9 | 15 | 11 | C | 17 | 17 | | DNQ | 12 | 70 |
| 28 | Ernie Koch | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | 16 | C | 12 | 9 | 22 | 11 | 17 | 70 |
| 29 | Chuck Rodee | | 32 | 11 | | | | 11 | | | | | | | | 60 |
| 30 | Chuck Booth R | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | 15 | 40 |
| 31 | Bob Veith | | 33 | 9 | | | | 23 | | | | DNQ | | | | 40 |
| 32 | Don Freeland | | DNQ | | | 11 | | | | | | | | | | 30 |
| 33 | Bill Cheesbourg | | DNQ | DNQ | 12 | DNQ | | 12 | | | | | 17 | | | 30 |
| 34 | Jiggs Peters | DNQ | | | | 23 | 11 | DNQ | 15 | | DNQ | | 24 | | | 20 |
| 35 | Red Riegel | | | | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | 20 |
| 36 | Keith Rachwitz | | DNQ | 13 | | Wth | 12 | | 14 | C | | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | 10 |
| 37 | Ralph Liguori | | DNQ | | 18 | 22 | DNQ | | 17 | C | | 12 | | 17 | 13 | 10 |
| 38 | Colby Scroggin R | | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | 14 | 10 |
| 39 | Dempsey Wilson | 12 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 10 |
| - | Roy Graham | 13 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Leroy Neumayer | DNQ | | | 15 | 14 | 16 | DNQ | | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Conely R | | DNQ | 22 | | 19 | | 14 | | C | | | 16 | | | 0 |
| - | Al Miller R | | DNQ | | | | DNQ | | | | 14 | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Arnold | 14 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Ebb Rose | | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ed Kostenuk R | | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | 15 | | | 0 |
| - | Johnny Coy | 15 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Dick Rathmann | 20 | 24 | DNQ | DNS | 18 | | 16 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Christie | | 30 | DNQ | | 16 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Art Malone R | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 18 | 0 |
| - | Jack Turner | | 29 | | | | | 19 | | | | DNQ | 23 | | | 0 |
| - | Eddie Johnson | | 25 | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jim Hemmings | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 20 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dan Gurney R | | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Daywalt | | 22 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Randall | DNQ | | | | 24 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Paul Goldsmith | | 26 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Gene Hartley | | 27 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Paul Russo | | 28 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Curtis Turner | | | | | | DNQ | | DNS | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Herb Hill | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Gig Stephens | | DNQ | | | DNQ | | | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Hugh Randall | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Duane Carter | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tommy Copp | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Mike McGreevy | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ray Brown | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Leon Clum | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Russ Congdon | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Daigh | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Ensley | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Fairman | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Cliff Griffith | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Norm Hall | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Stevenson | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Weyant | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Carl Williams | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | George Morris | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Buzz Rose | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Bobby Unser | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Ray Wearne | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Howard Osborn | | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | TRE1 | INDY | MIL1 | LAN1 | TRE2 | SPR | MIL2 | LAN2 | DUQ | SYR | 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 ||