# 1977 USAC Championship Car season

The 1977 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 14 races, beginning in Ontario, California on March 6 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on October 29. The USAC National Champion was Tom Sneva and the Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. The schedule included a road course for the first time since 1970.

## Schedule and results

| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
| 1 | March 6 | Datsun Twin 200s | O Ontario Motor Speedway | Ontario, California | Johnny Rutherford | A. J. Foyt |
| 2 | March 27 | Jimmy Bryan 150 | O Phoenix International Raceway | Avondale, Arizona | Johnny Rutherford | Johnny Rutherford |
| 3 | April 2 | Texas Grand Prix | O Texas World Speedway | College Station, Texas | Johnny Rutherford | Tom Sneva |
| 4 | April 30 | Trenton 200 | O Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Johnny Rutherford | Wally Dallenbach Sr. |
| 5 | May 29 | International 500 Mile Sweepstakes | O Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Tom Sneva | A. J. Foyt |
| 6 | June 12 | Rex Mays Classic 150 | O Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway | West Allis, Wisconsin | Bobby Unser | Johnny Rutherford |
| 7 | June 26 | Schaefer 500 | O Pocono International Raceway | Long Pond, Pennsylvania | A. J. Foyt | Tom Sneva |
| 8 | July 3 | Molson Diamond Indy | R Mosport Park | Bowmanville, Ontario | Al Unser | A. J. Foyt |
| 9 | July 17 | Norton 200 | O Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan | Tom Sneva | Danny Ongais |
| 10 | July 31 | American Parts 200 | O Texas World Speedway | College Station, Texas | Danny Ongais | Johnny Rutherford |
| 11 | August 21 | Tony Bettenhausen 200 | O Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway | West Allis, Wisconsin | Danny Ongais | Johnny Rutherford |
| 12 | September 4 | California 500 | O Ontario Motor Speedway | Ontario, California | Johnny Rutherford | Al Unser |
| 13 | September 17 | Michigan Grand Prix | O Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan | Danny Ongais | Gordon Johncock |
| - | September 24 | Machinists Union 150 | O Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Race postponed due to rain; eventually cancelled | Race postponed due to rain; eventually cancelled |
| 14 | October 29 | Bobby Ball 150 | O Phoenix International Raceway | Avondale, Arizona | Bobby Unser | Gordon Johncock |
* The Machinist Union 150, scheduled for September 24, was first postponed due to rain, and was eventually cancelled on October 3.

## Final points standings

| Pos | Driver | ONT1 | PHX1 | TXS1 | TRE1 | INDY | MIL1 | POC | MOS | MIC1 | TXS2 | MIL2 | ONT2 | MIC2 | TRE2 | PHX2 | Pts |
| 1 | Tom Sneva | 14 | 16 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 10 | C | 17 | 3965 |
| 2 | Al Unser | 2 | 9 | 2 | | 3 | 3 | 25 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 15 | 1 | 4 | C | 2 | 3030 |
| 3 | Johnny Rutherford | 25 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 33 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 2 | C | 22 | 2840 |
| 4 | A. J. Foyt | 1 | 2 | 14 | | 1 | | 15 | 1 | Wth | 19 | | 2 | | C | | 2840 |
| 5 | Gordon Johncock | 5 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 11 | 1 | C | 1 | 2830 |
| 6 | Wally Dallenbach Sr. | 18 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 16 | 8 | 17 | 3 | 20 | 3 | C | 6 | 2635 |
| 7 | Mario Andretti | | DNQ | | 16 | 26 | | 2 | | | | | 4 | 20 | C | 4 | 1580 |
| 8 | Pancho Carter | 3 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 15 | 5 | 20 | | 10 | 3 | 2 | 14 | | | 3 | 1420 |
| 9 | Tom Bigelow | 4 | 4 | 12 | 15 | 6 | 7 | 29 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 28 | 15 | C | 19 | 1370 |
| 10 | Mike Mosley | 16 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 19 | 4 | 8 | | Wth | | | 16 | 18 | C | DNQ | 1030 |
| 11 | Roger McCluskey | 22 | 3 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 26 | 11 | 20 | DNQ | 20 | 22 | 7 | C | 5 | 940 |
| 12 | Danny Ongais RY | 7 | 5 | 13 | | 20 | 17 | 23 | 15 | 1 | 13 | 21 | 8 | 17 | C | 12 | 935 |
| 13 | Bobby Olivero | | | | | 25 | 6 | 32 | | | 9 | 6 | 5 | 9 | C | 21 | 920 |
| 14 | Gary Bettenhausen | 10 | 11 | | 11 | 16 | 20 | 7 | 2 | 17 | | 8 | 17 | | C | 14 | 850 |
| 15 | Johnny Parsons | DNQ | DNP | | | 5 | DNQ | 11 | | 18 | 4 | 13 | 29 | 14 | C | 20 | 840 |
| 16 | Larry Dickson | 13 | DNQ | 18 | | DNQ | | | 13 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 6 | C | 18 | 740 |
| 17 | Lee Kunzman | | | | | 7 | DNP | 6 | DNQ | | 22 | | 15 | 16 | | DNQ | 700 |
| 18 | Todd Gibson | 11 | 13 | 6 | 6 | DNQ | 14 | DNQ | 4 | 15 | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | 600 |
| 19 | Rick Mears | 24 | DNQ | 15 | | DNQ | | 30 | | 6 | 7 | 5 | 26 | 8 | C | | 555 |
| 20 | Spike Gehlhausen | 26 | 14 | 8 | 12 | DNQ | 9 | DNQ | 10 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 13 | C | 7 | 550 |
| 21 | Jim McElreath | | | | | 23 | | 24 | | 12 | 6 | | 9 | 5 | | | 530 |
| 22 | Vern Schuppan | 8 | 8 | 16 | 17 | DNQ | | 21 | 19 | | | | 6 | | | | 475 |
| 23 | Salt Walther | 23 | 18 | | 4 | DNQ | 18 | 12 | 6 | | DNP | | 25 | DNQ | C | 13 | 450 |
| 24 | Dick Simon | 6 | 7 | | | 31 | 13 | 16 | | 19 | 14 | 9 | 33 | | C | 11 | 360 |
| 25 | Steve Krisiloff | 21 | | | | 9 | DNP | 22 | 14 | 7 | DNQ | 19 | 27 | | | | 320 |
| 26 | James McElreath R | | DNQ | 7 | 7 | DNQ | | 31 | | | DNQ | DNQ | 23 | 19 | C | | 240 |
| 27 | Bill Vukovich II | 20 | 19 | | 13 | 17 | | 9 | 12 | 14 | | | 31 | | | | 220 |
| 28 | Joe Saldana R | | | | | DNQ | 11 | 10 | | Wth | 18 | 11 | DNQ | 22 | C | | 220 |
| 29 | Jerry Grant | | | | | Wth | | 13 | 5 | DNQ | DNQ | 16 | | | | | 200 |
| 30 | Ed Crombie | | | | | | 10 | | 7 | | DNQ | 14 | DNS | | | | 165 |
| 31 | Jerry Sneva | | | | | 10 | DNP | 18 | DNQ | DNQ | | 22 | DNQ | DNQ | C | | 150 |
| 32 | John Martin | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | 10 | | | | 150 |
| 33 | Larry Cannon | | | DNP | | DNQ | | | | | | | 12 | 12 | C | 9 | 125 |
| 34 | Bill Simpson | 9 | 22 | | | Wth | | | | | | | | | | | 80 |
| 35 | Bobby Unser | 15 | 17 | DNP | Wth | 18 | 16 | 19 | | 21 | 15 | 17 | 30 | | | 8 | 75 |
| 36 | Clark Templeman R | | | | | | 8 | | | | | | | | | | 75 |
| 37 | Al Loquasto | 19 | 21 | DNP | Wth | 28 | | 28 | | | 11 | | 19 | 11 | C | 16 | 70 |
| 38 | Gary Irvin R | | | 10 | 14 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 60 |
| 39 | Bill Puterbaugh | | | | | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | 50 |
| 40 | George Snider | | | | | 24 | | 33 | | DNQ | 20 | | 32 | 21 | C | 10 | 45 |
| 41 | Cliff Hucul R | 12 | 15 | 19 | | 22 | | | | | | | DNP | | | DNQ | 20 |
| - | Phil Threshie R | | | | | | | | | 13 | 16 | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Eldon Rasmussen | | | | | 13 | | | | | | | 21 | | | | 0 |
| - | John Mahler | | | | | 14 | | 14 | | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tom Gloy R | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | 0 |
| - | Lloyd Ruby | 17 | | | | 27 | | | | | | | DNP | | | | 0 |
| - | Bubby Jones | | | | | 21 | | | | | | | | DNQ | C | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Bob Harkey | | | | | DNQ | | | | 22 | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Gurney | | | | | | | 27 | | | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Sheldon Kinser | | | | | 32 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Alan Jones | DNS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Larry McCoy | | | | | DNQ | | Wth | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tommy Hunt | | | | | | | | | | | | DNS | | | | 0 |
| - | Ed Finley | | | | | | | | | | | | | | C | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Jerry Karl | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Bertil Roos | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | C | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Jim Hurtubise | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Mel Kenyon | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Teddy Pilette | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tom Frantz | | | | | Wth | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Owens | | | | | | | | | | | | | | C | | 0 |
| Ineligible for USAC championship points ||||||||||||||||||
| - | Janet Guthrie | DNQ | | | | 29 | | 17 | | | | | 18 | | C | | 0 |
| - | Clay Regazzoni R | | | | | 30 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | ONT1 | PHX1 | TXS1 | TRE1 | INDY | MIL1 | POC | MOS | MIC1 | TXS2 | MIL2 | ONT2 | MIC2 | TRE2 | PHX2 | 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 ||