# 1961 USAC Championship Car season

The 1961 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 9 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 19. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. The season was marred by the deaths of 1951 and 1958 season champion Tony Bettenhausen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Al Keller at Phoenix.

## Schedule and results

| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Type | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
| 1 | April 9 | Trenton 100 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | Tony Bettenhausen | Eddie Sachs |
| 2 | May 30 | International 500 Mile Sweepstakes | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Paved | Eddie Sachs | A. J. Foyt |
| 3 | June 4 | Rex Mays Classic | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Dick Rathmann | Rodger Ward |
| 4 | June 18 | Langhorne 100 | Langhorne Speedway | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | Dirt | Al Keller | A. J. Foyt |
| NC | July 4 | Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb | Pikes Peak Highway | Pikes Peak, Colorado | Hill | Bobby Unser | Bobby Unser |
| 5 | August 20 | Tony Bettenhausen 200 | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Don Branson | Lloyd Ruby |
| 6 | August 21 | Tony Bettenhausen Memorial | Illinois State Fairgrounds | Springfield, Illinois | Dirt | Parnelli Jones | Jim Hurtubise |
| 7 | September 4 | Ted Horn Memorial | DuQuoin State Fairgrounds | Du Quoin, Illinois | Dirt | Jim Hurtubise | A. J. Foyt |
| 8 | September 9 | Syracuse 100 | New York State Fairgrounds | Syracuse, New York | Dirt | Rodger Ward | Rodger Ward |
| 9 | September 16 | Hoosier Hundred | Indiana State Fairgrounds | Indianapolis, Indiana | Dirt | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt |
| 10 | September 24 | Trenton 100 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | Eddie Sachs | Eddie Sachs |
| 11 | October 29 | Golden State 100 | California State Fairgrounds | Sacramento, California | Dirt | Shorty Templeman | Rodger Ward |
| 12 | November 19 | Bobby Ball Memorial | Arizona State Fairgrounds | Phoenix, Arizona | Dirt | Al Keller | Parnelli Jones |
    ^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 | MIL2 | SPR | DQSF | SYR | ISF | TRE2 | SAC | PHX | Pts |
| 1 | A. J. Foyt | 5 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 14 | 12 | 15 | 2150 |
| 2 | Eddie Sachs | 1 | 2 | Wth | 3 | 5 | DNS | 3 | DNQ | DNQ | 1 | DNQ | 6 | 1760 |
| 3 | Rodger Ward | 18 | 3 | 1 | | 19 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1680 |
| 4 | Shorty Templeman | | 4 | DNQ | | 10 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 1190 |
| 5 | Al Keller | | 5 | 2 | 15 | 12 | 18 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 1000 |
| 6 | Jim Hurtubise | 2 | 22 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 18 | 2 | 14 | DNS | 939 |
| 7 | Len Sutton | DNQ | 19 | 4 | | 2 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 860 |
| 8 | Bobby Marshman RY | 17 | 7 | 19 | 11 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 3 | 11 | 769 |
| 9 | Parnelli Jones | 15 | 12 | | 2 | 23 | 11 | 12 | 5 | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 750 |
| 10 | Dick Rathmann | 4 | 13 | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | DNQ | | 10 | 20 | | | 750 |
| 11 | Lloyd Ruby | | 8 | 21 | | 1 | 16 | 16 | 11 | DNQ | 18 | DNQ | | 670 |
| 12 | Don Branson | 16 | 33 | 6 | 14 | 24 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 3 | 530 |
| 13 | Elmer George | 8 | | 8 | 4 | DNQ | 8 | 14 | 6 | 15 | | 6 | 9 | 470 |
| 14 | Chuck Stevenson | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | 400 |
| 15 | Roger McCluskey | 6 | 27 | 17 | 5 | DNQ | | 15 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 370 |
| 16 | A. J. Shepherd | 11 | 26 | DNQ | | 6 | 4 | 7 | 15 | DNQ | | | | 360 |
| 17 | Chuck Hulse | 12 | DNQ | 14 | 18 | 17 | 13 | 4 | DNQ | 6 | 6 | DNQ | 14 | 302 |
| 18 | Jim McElreath R | | | | | | | | | 3 | 21 | 10 | 4 | 290 |
| 19 | Al Farmer | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 16 | | 7 | 13 | 16 | DNQ | DNQ | 5 | 5 | 260 |
| 20 | Jack Brabham R | | 9 | | | | | | | | | | | 200 |
| 21 | Johnny Boyd | | 21 | 7 | | 8 | | | DNQ | | 15 | | | 160 |
| 22 | Norm Hall R | | 10 | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | | DNQ | | 150 |
| 23 | Troy Ruttman | 3 | 20 | 16 | | | | | | | | | | 140 |
| 24 | Don Davis | | 29 | DNQ | 13 | 13 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 13 | 8 | 8 | DNQ | 140 |
| 25 | Ronnie Duman R | | DNQ | 15 | DNS | 11 | DNQ | DNQ | 10 | DNQ | 13 | 9 | DNQ | 128 |
| 26 | Bob Christie | | 17 | 20 | | 9 | | | | | 10 | | | 110 |
| 27 | Gene Hartley | | 11 | | | | | | | | | | | 100 |
| 28 | Red Riegel R | DNQ | | | 7 | | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 13 | 18 | 60 |
| 29 | Ralph Liguori | | | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | 7 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 60 |
| 30 | Len Duncan | 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | 60 |
| 31 | Jiggs Peters | 9 | | | 12 | | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | | 50 |
| 32 | Danny Jones | | DNQ | | | | | | 14 | 9 | DNQ | | | 40 |
| 33 | Don Freeland | | DNQ | 9 | | DNQ | | | | | | | | 40 |
| 34 | Allen Crowe R | | | | | 16 | 17 | | 13 | DNQ | 12 | DNQ | 10 | 40 |
| 35 | Bruce Jacobi | 14 | DNQ | DNQ | 10 | | | | | | | | | 30 |
| 36 | Wayne Weiler | DNQ | 15 | 10 | | | | | | | | | | 30 |
| 37 | Bob Cleberg | 10 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 30 |
| 38 | Rex Easton | DNQ | | DNQ | 9 | | DNQ | | | | | | | 22 |
| 39 | Bud Tingelstad | | DNQ | DNQ | | 14 | DNQ | 11 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | 20 |
| 40 | Eddie Johnson | | 18 | 11 | | DNQ | | | | | DNQ | | | 20 |
| 41 | Bob Mathouser R | | | | | | | | DNQ | 11 | DNQ | DNQ | | 20 |
| 42 | Dempsey Wilson | | 16 | 12 | | 20 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | | 15 | DNQ | 10 |
| 43 | Jack Turner | | 25 | | | 21 | 12 | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | 10 |
| - | Bill Cheesbourg | | 28 | 13 | | | | | | | DNQ | | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Don Horvath R | 13 | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Leroy Neumayer R | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 13 | 0 |
| - | Paul Goldsmith | | 14 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Keith Rachwitz R | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 16 | 0 |
| - | Jack Rounds | 20 | DNQ | | 17 | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Veith | | DNQ | | | 25 | | | | | 17 | | | 0 |
| - | Ray Wearne R | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | 17 | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Leon Clum R | | DNQ | DNQ | | 18 | | | | DNQ | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Tony Bettenhausen | 19 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tommy Copp R | 21 | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Johnny Coy R | 22 | | | DNQ | | | | | | 22 | | | 0 |
| - | Ernie Koch | | | DNQ | DNQ | 22 | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ebb Rose R | | 23 | | | 26 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Cliff Griffith | | 24 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jim Rathmann | DNQ | 30 | DNQ | | | | | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Daywalt | | 31 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bobby Grim | | 32 | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Beau Clerke | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Jim McWithey | | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | DNQ | | | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Jim Hemmings | | | | | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Harry Beck | | DNP | | | DNQ | | | | DNQ | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Tony Bonadies | DNQ | | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Vern Harriman | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Ray Crawford | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Bill Randall | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bert Brooks | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Conely | | | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ed Kostenuk | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Arnold | | DNQ | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Al Pombo | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Tony Romit | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Duane Carter | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Russ Congdon | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Ensley | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Mike Magill | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Rodee | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Paul Russo | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bud Sterrett | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Wente | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Weyant | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Cliff Spalding | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ray Brown | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Hal Rettberg | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Hyde | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Russ Long | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Davies | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | TRE1 | INDY | MIL1 | LAN | MIL2 | SPR | DQSF | SYR | ISF | TRE2 | 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 ||