# 1974 USAC Championship Car season

The 1974 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 14 races, beginning in Ontario, California on March 3 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on November 2. The USAC National Champion was Bobby Unser and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Johnny Rutherford. Due to the events of the 1973 Indianapolis 500 significant improvements were made to the cars for safety concerns. Wings were reduced in size, and pop-off valves were added to the turbocharger plenums in order to reduce horsepower and curtail speeds.

## Schedule and results

All races running on Oval/Speedway.
| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
| 1 | March 3 | California 500 Qualification Heat 1 | Ontario Motor Speedway | Ontario, California | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt |
| 2 | March 3 | California 500 Qualification Heat 2 | Ontario Motor Speedway | Ontario, California | Johnny Rutherford | Johnny Rutherford |
| 3 | March 10 | California 500 | Ontario Motor Speedway | Ontario, California | A. J. Foyt | Bobby Unser |
| 4 | March 17 | Phoenix 150 | Phoenix International Raceway | Avondale, Arizona | Al Unser | Mike Mosley |
| 5 | April 7 | Trentonian 200 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Mario Andretti | Bobby Unser |
| 6 | May 26 | International 500 Mile Sweepstakes | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | A. J. Foyt | Johnny Rutherford |
| 7 | June 9 | Rex Mays Classic | Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway | West Allis, Wisconsin | A. J. Foyt | Johnny Rutherford |
| 8 | June 30 | Schaefer 500 | Pocono International Raceway | Long Pond, Pennsylvania | Bobby Unser | Johnny Rutherford |
| 9 | July 21 | Michigan 200 | Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan | Bobby Unser | Bobby Unser |
| 10 | August 11 | Tony Bettenhausen 200 | Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway | West Allis, Wisconsin | A. J. Foyt | Gordon Johncock |
| 11 | September 15 | Norton 250 | Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, Michigan | A. J. Foyt | Al Unser |
| 12 | September 22 | Trenton 300 Heat #1 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt |
| 13 | September 22 | Trenton 300 Heat #2 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | A. J. Foyt | Bobby Unser |
| 14 | November 2 | Bobby Ball 150 | Phoenix International Raceway | Avondale, Arizona | Johnny Rutherford | Gordon Johncock |

## Final points standings

Note 1: Jim Hurtubise, Skip Barber, David Hobbs, Sam Posey and Evan Noyes are not eligible for points.
Note 2: Jerry Grant did not obtain a USAC license until after the Ontario event, making him ineligible for points for the first two races of the year.
| Pos | Driver | ONT Q-H1 | ONT Q-H2 | ONT 500 | PHX1 150 | TRE1 200 | INDY 500 | MIL1 150 | POC 500 | MIC1 200 | MIL2 200 | MIC2 250 | TRE2 150 | TRE3 150 | PHX2 150 | Pts |
| 1 | Bobby Unser | 2 | | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4870 |
| 2 | Johnny Rutherford | | 1 | 27 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 3650 |
| 3 | Gordon Johncock | 14 | | 26 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 3050 |
| 4 | Al Unser | | 5 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 5 | 22 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2430 |
| 5 | Jimmy Caruthers | | 2 | 4 | 19 | 4 | 23 | 20 | 2 | 11 | 13 | 18 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 2065 |
| 6 | Bill Vukovich II | 10 | | 21 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 18 | | 6 | 1925 |
| 7 | Lloyd Ruby | 3 | | 5 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 6 | DNQ | 7 | 21 | DNQ | | | 1580 |
| 8 | A. J. Foyt | 1 | | 30 | 3 | Wth | 15 | 6 | 27 | 13 | 2 | 24 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 1510 |
| 9 | Wally Dallenbach Sr. | 7 | | 6 | 6 | 13 | 30 | 15 | 10 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 18 | 1445 |
| 10 | Steve Krisiloff | | 3 | 24 | | | 22 | 11 | 4 | | 23 | | 5 | 3 | 22 | 1130 |
| 11 | Pancho Carter RY | | | | | | 7 | | 15 | 9 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 1040 |
| 12 | Mike Mosley | 6 | | 7 | 1 | 7 | 29 | 10 | 21 | 8 | 18 | 15 | 17 | | DNQ | 945 |
| 13 | Jim McElreath | 4 | | 15 | 10 | 18 | 6 | 7 | 23 | | | | | | 10 | 700 |
| 14 | Mario Andretti | | 9 | 25 | 5 | 9 | 31 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 8 | 10 | | | 3 | 655 |
| 15 | John Martin | | 6 | 9 | | | 11 | | 16 | 12 | 16 | 6 | | | | 600 |
| 16 | Roger McCluskey | 5 | | 8 | 16 | | 16 | 18 | 28 | 16 | 6 | 13 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 555 |
| 17 | Tom Sneva | 13 | | 12 | 15 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 24 | 550 |
| 18 | Mike Hiss | | | 31 | | | 14 | | | 7 | | 4 | | | | 420 |
| 19 | Jerry Grant | | 13 | 3 | | 5 | 10 | 13 | DNQ | | | | | | DNP | 350 |
| 20 | Bentley Warren | 12 | | 13 | 11 | 17 | DNQ | | 7 | 17 | | | DNQ | | | 340 |
| 21 | Dick Simon | 8 | | 28 | 13 | | 33 | 4 | 29 | 21 | 11 | | | | 15 | 270 |
| 22 | Gary Bettenhausen | | 11 | 20 | 14 | DNQ | 32 | 2 | 31 | | | | | | | 260 |
| 23 | Bob Harkey | | 15 | 17 | | 14 | 8 | | 26 | | | | | | | 250 |
| 24 | Tom Bigelow | 9 | | 10 | | | 12 | DNQ | 19 | 22 | | | | | 23 | 240 |
| 25 | Eldon Rasmussen | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | | 9 | 20 | | 22 | DNQ | | | 200 |
| 26 | Al Loquasto | | | 18 | 12 | | DNQ | | 11 | | | | 14 | 11 | 12 | 160 |
| 27 | Dan Murphy R | | | DNQ | | | | 19 | | 23 | 22 | 7 | 13 | 15 | DNQ | 150 |
| 28 | Karl Busson | | | | | | | | | | | 8 | 12 | 13 | 21 | 140 |
| 29 | George Snider | | 10 | 11 | 17 | | 28 | | 25 | | | 16 | | | | 130 |
| 30 | Joe Leonard | | 4 | 19 | | | | | | | | | | | | 120 |
| 31 | Salt Walther | | 8 | 22 | | 12 | 17 | DNP | 20 | DNQ | | | 15 | 10 | 20 | 115 |
| 32 | Bill Simpson | | 14 | 14 | | | 13 | 8 | 18 | | 19 | | | | 11 | 105 |
| 33 | Jerry Karl | | 7 | 29 | | | 19 | 12 | 32 | | | | | | 16 | 75 |
| 34 | Larry McCoy | | | | | 16 | DNQ | | 12 | 15 | 20 | 17 | Wth | | | 50 |
| 35 | Mel Kenyon | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | 12 | | | | 25 |
| 36 | Lee Brayton | 11 | | DNS | | | DNQ | | 14 | DNS | | 20 | | | | 20 |
| 37 | John Cannon | | 12 | 16 | DNS | 19 | DNQ | | | | | | | | DNP | 10 |
| - | David Hobbs | | | | | | 5 | | | | | | | | DNP | 0 |
| - | Sam Posey | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 13 | 0 |
| - | John Hubbard | | | | | | | 22 | DNQ | 19 | 15 | 23 | DNQ | 14 | | 0 |
| - | Sam Sessions | | | | | | DNQ | | 30 | 14 | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Billy Scott R | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | 0 |
| - | Skip Barber R | 15 | | 32 | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Max Dudley | | | | | 15 | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Benny Rapp R | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 16 | | | 0 |
| - | Johnny Parsons | | | 33 | | | 26 | | DNQ | DNQ | 17 | | | | 17 | 0 |
| - | Mel Cornett R | | | | | | | | | | 21 | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jan Opperman R | | | | | | 21 | 23 | 33 | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Rick Muther | | | 23 | | | 27 | | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jim Hurtubise | | | DNQ | | | 25 | | 24 | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Larry Rice R | | | | | DNQ | Wth | 24 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Larry Cannon | | | | | | 24 | | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Evan Noyes R | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 25 | 0 |
| - | Jigger Sirois | | | DNS | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Denny Zimmerman | | | DNS | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bud Tingelstad | | | DNS | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bruce Jacobi | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | John Mahler | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Puterbaugh | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Brett Lunger | | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Steve Durst | | | DNP | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | ONT Q-H1 | ONT Q-H2 | ONT 500 | PHX1 150 | TRE1 200 | INDY 500 | MIL1 150 | POC 500 | MIC1 200 | MIL2 200 | MIC2 250 | TRE2 150 | TRE3 150 | PHX2 150 | 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 ||