# 1964 USAC Championship Car season

The 1964 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 22 and concluding at the same location on November 22. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. At Indianapolis in the 500 mile race Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald were killed during lap 2 of the race; Sachs was 37 years old, and MacDonald was 27. In the Tony Bettenhausen Memorial at Springfield, Bill Horstmeyer died during the race; he was 34 years old. In November, five days after the season ended, Bobby Marshman died in a testing accident at Phoenix; he was 28 years old.

## Schedule and results

| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Type | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
| 1 | March 22 | Phoenix 100 | Phoenix International Raceway | Avondale, Arizona | Paved | Parnelli Jones | A. J. Foyt |
| 2 | April 19 | Trenton 100 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt |
| 3 | May 30 | International 500 Mile Sweepstakes | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Paved | Jim Clark | A. J. Foyt |
| 4 | June 7 | Rex Mays Classic | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Rodger Ward | A. J. Foyt |
| 5 | June 21 | Langhorne 100 | Langhorne Speedway | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | Dirt | Johnny Rutherford | A. J. Foyt |
| NC | July 4 | Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb | Pikes Peak Highway | Pikes Peak, Colorado | Hill | Bobby Unser | Al Unser |
| 6 | July 19 | Trenton 150 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | Jim McElreath | A. J. Foyt |
| 7 | August 22 | Tony Bettenhausen Memorial | Illinois State Fairgrounds | Springfield, Illinois | Dirt | Rodger Ward | A. J. Foyt |
| 8 | August 23 | Tony Bettenhausen 200 | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Parnelli Jones | Parnelli Jones |
| 9 | September 7 | Ted Horn Memorial | DuQuoin State Fairgrounds | Du Quoin, Illinois | Dirt | Don Branson | A. J. Foyt |
| 10 | September 26 | Hoosier Hundred | Indiana State Fairgrounds | Indianapolis, Indiana | Dirt | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt |
| 11 | September 27 | Trenton 200 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | Parnelli Jones | Parnelli Jones |
| 12 | October 25 | Golden State 100 | California State Fairgrounds | Sacramento, California | Dirt | Parnelli Jones | A. J. Foyt |
| 13 | November 22 | Bobby Ball Memorial | Phoenix International Raceway | Avondale, Arizona | Paved | Parnelli Jones | Lloyd Ruby |
    ^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 | PHX1 | TRE1 | INDY | MIL1 | LAN | TRE2 | SPR | MIL2 | DQSF | ISF | TRE3 | SAC | PHX2 | Pts |
| 1 | A. J. Foyt | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 19 | 2900 |
| 2 | Rodger Ward | 5 | 18 | 2 | 13 | | 7 | 15 | 2 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2128 |
| 3 | Lloyd Ruby | 9 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 9 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 1752 |
| 4 | Don Branson | 4 | | 12 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1700 |
| 5 | Bud Tingelstad | 8 | 17 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 10 | 4 | 1640 |
| 6 | Parnelli Jones | 3 | 19 | 23 | | | DNQ | 13 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 940 |
| 7 | Bobby Marshman | 7 | 3 | 25 | 21 | 3 | 22 | 2 | 24 | 2 | 16 | 16 | 2 | 13 | 867 |
| 8 | Norm Hall | 12 | 7 | 33 | 8 | 11 | 5 | DNQ | 11 | 12 | 11 | 5 | 13 | 7 | 677 |
| 9 | Johnny White | 10 | 16 | 4 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | 630 |
| 10 | Bob Harkey | | 15 | 8 | 7 | 13 | 4 | 10 | 18 | DNQ | 13 | 19 | 9 | 14 | 560 |
| 11 | Mario Andretti RY | | 11 | | | 9 | 11 | 6 | 3 | 15 | 10 | 22 | 8 | 18 | 530 |
| 12 | Johnny Boyd | 14 | | 5 | 20 | | | | | | | | | | 500 |
| 13 | Jud Larson | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 10 | 15 | 11 | 17 | 6 | 4 | | 6 | 6 | 490 |
| 14 | Bobby Unser | 17 | | 32 | 12 | 7 | 18 | 4 | 20 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 18 | 22 | 470 |
| 15 | Bob Wente | | 6 | 9 | 11 | | 6 | | 25 | | | 25 | | DNQ | 420 |
| 16 | Arnie Knepper | | | | | 5 | 24 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 23 | 11 | 16 | 390 |
| 17 | Len Sutton | 22 | | 15 | 2 | | 10 | 5 | DNQ | 11 | 8 | 15 | | DNQ | 338 |
| 18 | Jim McElreath | 11 | DNQ | 21 | 9 | 4 | 14 | DNQ | 12 | 5 | DNQ | 12 | | 25 | 320 |
| 19 | Ronnie Duman | | 20 | 31 | | | | | 6 | | 7 | DNS | 17 | DNP | 302 |
| 20 | Dick Rathmann | | | 7 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 300 |
| 21 | Johnny Rutherford | 21 | Wth | 27 | 22 | 12 | 17 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 18 | Wth | 14 | 23 | 270 |
| 22 | Roger McCluskey | 2 | | | | | DNS | | | | | 8 | 7 | DNS | 238 |
| 23 | Bobby Grim | 13 | 8 | 10 | DNQ | | 20 | DNQ | 19 | | | DNQ | | 12 | 220 |
| 24 | Joe Leonard R | | | | | | | | | 14 | 12 | 24 | 15 | 5 | 210 |
| 25 | Jim Hurtubise | 16 | 2 | 14 | 14 | | | | | | | | | | 160 |
| 26 | Troy Ruttman | | | 18 | 4 | | 8 | | Wth | | | | | | 160 |
| 27 | Mel Kenyon | | | | 5 | | 16 | | 22 | | | 10 | | 15 | 160 |
| 28 | Tommy Copp | | | | | | | | 7 | | | 11 | | | 160 |
| 29 | Bob Mathouser | | 9 | 22 | 19 | 6 | DNQ | DNQ | 14 | DNS | | 13 | | | 123 |
| 30 | Chuck Hulse | 20 | 4 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 120 |
| 31 | Billy Foster | | | | | | | | 16 | | | 7 | | 21 | 120 |
| 32 | Ralph Liguori | | | DNQ | | | 21 | 9 | DNQ | 9 | DNQ | 14 | | 11 | 120 |
| 33 | Bob Veith | | | 19 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 8 | 100 |
| 34 | Art Malone | | | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | 100 |
| 35 | Chuck Stevenson | DNQ | | 28 | 6 | | | | | | | | | | 80 |
| 36 | Eddie Sachs | 6 | DNQ | 30 | | | | | | | | | | | 80 |
| 37 | Mickey Rupp R | | | | | | | | 9 | | | 21 | | | 80 |
| 38 | Chuck Arnold | | | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | 9 | | | 80 |
| 39 | George Snider R | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | 80 |
| 40 | Gordon Johncock R | | | | | | DNQ | 18 | 21 | DNQ | 14 | DNQ | DNQ | 10 | 60 |
| 41 | Dee Jones R | 15 | | DNQ | DNQ | 16 | 23 | 14 | DNQ | DNS | DNQ | 17 | | | 35 |
| 42 | Bob Hurt R | DNQ | | | 10 | | DNQ | | 15 | DNQ | | | | DNQ | 30 |
| 43 | Chuck Rodee | | 10 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 20 | 30 |
| 44 | Buzz Gregory R | | | | | | 12 | | | | | | | DNQ | 15 |
| 45 | Ed Kostenuk | 19 | 12 | DNQ | DNQ | | 19 | | | | | | | | 10 |
| 46 | Chuck Booth | | | | | | | | | | | | 12 | | 10 |
| - | Bruce Jacobi | | 14 | | | 14 | 13 | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dempsey Wilson | | 13 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Walt Hansgen R | | | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Cheesbourg | | | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Conely | | | | 16 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Horstmeyer R | | | | | | | 16 | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dan Gurney | | | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Curly Boyd R | | | | | 17 | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jim Clark | | | 24 | | | | | | | | 18 | | | 0 |
| - | Jerry Weld | 18 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Brabham | | | 20 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Al Unser R | | | | | | | | 23 | | | | | DNS | 0 |
| - | Keith Rachwitz | | | | | | | | | | | | | 24 | 0 |
| - | Eddie Johnson | | | 26 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dave MacDonald R | | | 29 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Frank Ballard | DNQ | DNS | | DNS | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Christie | | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | DNQ | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Hal Rettberg | | | | | | | DNQ | | | DNQ | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Gig Stephens | | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Herb Hill | | | | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | George Morris | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNP | 0 |
| - | Ed Hoyle | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Duane Carter | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Elmer George | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jerry Grant | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Masten Gregory | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Cliff Griffith | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Don Horvath | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bobby Johns | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Al Miller | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Pedro Rodríguez | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Paul Russo | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Steve Stapp | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Billy Cantrell | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Gil Michaels | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Tattersall | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | PHX1 | TRE1 | INDY | MIL1 | LAN | TRE2 | SPR | MIL2 | DQSF | ISF | TRE3 | SAC | 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 ||