1985 USAC Gold Crown Series (Johnsonverse)

The 1985 USAC Marlboro Gold Crown Series season was the 30th national championship season of American open wheel racing sanctioned by USAC. The season consisted of 21 races. Al Unser Sr. was the national champion, and the rookie of the year was Arie Luyendyk. Danny Sullivan won the Indianapolis 500, in dramatic fashion, a race that became known as the "Spin and Win."
In September 1984, Rick Mears suffered serious leg injuries in a crash at Sanair. Mears drove only a part-time schedule in 1985, racing at Indianapolis, and subsequently on ovals only. Al Unser Sr. took Mears' full-time seat at Penske Racing as a substitute for the season. Unser had one win, ten top fives, and one other top ten, en route to the championship, a battle that climaxed in dramatic fashion in the final race of the season.
== Season summary ==
Defending series champion Mario Andretti won the season opener, finished second at the Indy 500, and won the next two races, jumping out to the early points lead. A mid-season slump, however, saw him achieve only one top five finish the remainder of the year. He then broke his collarbone in a crash at Michigan, and was forced to sit out one race. The driver of the season became Al Unser Jr., who won the next two races (Meadowlands and Cleveland), and finished the year with nine finishes in the top 4.
At the midpoint of the season, Mario Andretti's points lead had dwindled, while Emerson Fittipaldi, Al Unser Sr., and Al Unser Jr. were all closing in. At the Pocono 500, Rick Mears triumphantly returned to victory lane after his leg injuries. Finishing second and third were Al Jr. and Al Sr., respectively, with Al Sr. now taking the points lead. Unser Jr. ate away at the points lead over the next four races, and the Unsers were neck-and-neck approaching the season finale. Meanwhile, Bobby Rahal was making a championship run of his own, winning 3 out of 4 races, and four poles in a row during a stretch in September-October. He almost won four races in row, but was taken out while leading at Sanair with only 13 laps to go. Rahal closed to within 13 points of the championship lead.
With two races to go, Unser Jr. led Unser Sr. by only 3 points. Father and son finished 1st and 2nd at Phoenix, and the standings were flipped. Al Sr. led Al Jr. by 3 points going into the finale at Miami. Rahal finished a distant 6th at Phoenix, and was mathematically eliminated from the championship.
The season finale at Daytona ended in dramatic fashion. Danny Sullivan and Bobby Rahal finished 1st and 2nd, respectively, but the attention of the day was focused on the two Unsers. Late in the race, Al Unser Jr. was running third, and Al Unser Sr. was running 5th. At the moment, Al Jr. was leading the hypothetical championship standings by 1 point.
In the closing laps, Al Unser Sr. chased down and passed Roberto Moreno for 4th place. He held on to finish fourth, and thus won the championship by 1 point over his son. Unser Sr. afterwards expressed some regret about snatching the championship title from his son, but felt it was his responsibility to his own team and his own sponsors to race to his ability all the way to the end. It was also in the best interests of sportsmanship to all competitors not to give favor to his son. Unser Sr. also knew his days were numbered as a competitive driver on the circuit, while he knew Unser Jr. had many years ahead to have another chance at the title (Al Unser Jr. would indeed win the championship twice - 1990 and 1994).
== Drivers and teams ==
=== Chassis constructors ===
Constructor 	Chassis 	First year
Lola Cars 	Lola T900 	1985
March Engineering 	March 85C 	1985
March Engineering 	March 84C 	1984
All-American Racers 	Eagle 85GC 	1985
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers	IAM 005 	1985
Theodore Racing 	Theodore 	1985
McLaren Racing Limited 	McLaren M32 	1985
Rolla Vollstedt 	Vollstedt 85 	1985
Ferrari S.p.A. 	Ferrari 156I 	1985
Williams Grand Prix Engineering 	Williams IW85 	1985
Équipe Ligier 	Ligier IS24 	1985
Groupe Renault 	Renault RI60 	1985
Motor Racing Developments Ltd. 	Brabham IT54 	1985
ATS 	ATS I8 	1985
RAM Racing 	RAM 03B 	1985
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. 	Alfa Romeo 185I	1985
=== Engine manufacturers ===
Manufacturer 	Marquee 	Type
Cosworth 	Cosworth DFX	V6
Offenhauser 	Offenhauser 	V8
General Motors 	Chevrolet 	V8
General Motors 	Pontiac 	V6
General Motors 	Oldsmobile 	V6
General Motors 	Buick 	V6
Chrysler Corporation 	Dodge 	V8
Groupe Renault 	Renault 	V6
Ferrari S.p.A. 	Ferrari Tipo	V6
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG 	BMW M12 	V6
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG 	Porsche 	V6
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A.	Alfa Romeo 	V6
=== Drivers and teams ===
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1985 Gold Crown Series season. All cars used Goodyear tires.
Team 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	No	Drivers
Team Penske 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	4 	Danny Sullivan
Team Penske 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	5 	Rick Mears
Team Penske 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	5 	Al Unser
Team Penske 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	5 	Al Unser
Team Penske 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	11	Al Unser
Doug Shierson Racing 	Lola-Cosworth 	Lola T900 	Cosworth DFX 	30	Al Unser Jr.
Truesports Co. 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	3 	Bobby Rahal
Truesports Co. 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	8 	Ludwig Heimrath Jr.
Newman/Haas Racing 	Lola-Pontiac 	Lola T900 	Pontiac V6 	1 	Mario Andretti
Patrick Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	20	Bruno Giacomelli
Patrick Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	40	Sammy Swindell
Patrick Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	60	Rich Vogler
All American Racers 	Eagle-CosworthLola-Cosworth 	Eagle 85GC
Lola T900	Cosworth DFX 	2 	Tom Sneva
All American Racers 	Lola-Cosworth 	Lola T900 	Cosworth DFX 	97	Tony Bettenhausen Jr.
All American Racers 	Eagle-CosworthLola-Cosworth 	Eagle 85GC
Lola T900	Cosworth DFX 	98	Ed Pimm
Kraco Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	18	Kevin Cogan
Kraco Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	99	Michael Andretti
Alex Morales Motorsports	March-Offenhauser 	March 85C 	Offenhauser V8 	21	Johnny Rutherford
Machinists Union Racing 	IAM-Cosworth 	IAM 005 	Cosworth DFX 	55	Josele Garza
Machinists Union Racing 	IAM-Cosworth 	IAM 005 	Cosworth DFX 	59	Pete Halsmer
Galles Racing 	March-BuickMarch-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Buick V-6
Cosworth DFX	6 	Pancho Carter
Galles Racing 	March-BuickMarch-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	7 	Geoff Brabham
Team Cotter 	March-Offenhauser 	March 85C 	Offenhauser V8 	9 	Roberto Guerrero
Forsythe Racing 	Lola-Cosworth 	Lola T900 	Cosworth DFX 	32	Howdy Holmes
Pace Racing 	March-CosworthLola-Cosworth 	March 84C
Lola T900	Cosworth DFX 	36	Dennis Firestone
Dick Simon Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	22	Dick Simon
Dick Simon Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	23	Raul Boesel
Leader Card Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C
March 84C	Cosworth DFX 	24	Dominic Dobson
Canadian Tire Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	67	Jim Crawford
Canadian Tire Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	76	Jacques Villeneuve Sr.
Provimi Racing 	Lola-Cosworth 	Lola T900 	Cosworth DFX 	61	Arie Luyendyk
Arciero Racing 	Lola-CosworthMarch-Cosworth 	Lola T900
March 85C	Cosworth DFX 	12	Bill Whittington
Arciero Racing 	Lola-CosworthMarch-Cosworth 	Lola T900 	Cosworth DFX 	57	Randy Lanier
Dale Coyne Racing 	Lola-Chevrolet 	Lola T800 	Chevy 	19	Dale Coyne
Gohr Racing 	March-Chevrolet 	March 85C 	Chevy 	56	Steve Chassey
Hemelgarn Racing 	Lola-CosworthMarch-Cosworth 	Lola T900
March 85C	Cosworth DFX 	72	Spike Gehlhausen
Wysard Racing 	Lola-Cosworth 	Lola T900 	Cosworth DFX 	34	Darin Brassfield
Brayton Racing 	March-CosworthMarch-Buick 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX/Buick V-6	37	Scott Brayton
Interscope Racing 	March-Cosworth 	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	25	Danny Ongais
AMI Racing 	McLaren-Cosworth 	McLaren M32 	Cosworth DFX 	43	John Paul Jr.
Circle Bar Racing 	Lola-Cosworth 	Lola T900 	Cosworth DFX 	38	Chet Fillip
Menard Cashway Lumber 	Ligier-Cosworth 	Ligier IS24 	Cosworth DFX 	8 	Herm Johnson
Tom Hess Racing 	Lola-Cosworth 	Lola T800 	Cosworth DFX 	29	Dick Ferguson
Purcell Racing 	Ferrari-Cosworth 	Ferrari 156I 	Cosworth DFX 	50	Tom Bigelow
Purcell Racing 	Ferrari-Cosworth 	Ferrari 156I 	Cosworth DFX 	51	Phil Krueger
Gilmore Racing 	March-CosworthLola-CosworthMarch-Chevrolet	March 85C
Lola T900	Cosworth DFX 	14	A. J. Foyt
Gilmore Racing 	March-CosworthLola-CosworthMarch-Chevrolet	March 84C 	Cosworth DFX 	41	Mike Nish
Gilmore Racing 	March-CosworthLola-CosworthMarch-Chevrolet	March 85C 	Chevy 	44	George Snider
Gilmore Racing 	March-CosworthLola-CosworthMarch-Chevrolet	March 85C 	Cosworth DFX 	85	Chip Ganassi
Theodore Racing 	Theodore-Cosworth 	Theodore 	Cosworth DFX 	15	Chico Serra
Vollstedt Racing 	Vollstedt-Oldsmobile 	Vollstedt 85 	Oldsmobile V6 	52	Keith Kauffman
Renault 	Renault 	Renault RI60 	Renault V6 	26	Roberto Moreno
Renault 	Renault 	Renault RI60 	Renault V6 	27	Jeff Wood
Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari 	Ferrari 156I 	Ferrari Tipo V6 	53	Rupert Keegan
Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari 	Ferrari 156I 	Ferrari Tipo V6 	83	Tom Bagley
Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari 	Ferrari 156I 	Ferrari Tipo V6 	84	Emerson Fittipaldi
Brabham 	Brabham-BMW 	Brabham IT54 	BMW M12 	63	Corrado Fabi
Brabham 	Brabham-BMW 	Brabham IT54 	BMW M12 	71	Peter Kuhn
Team Lotus 	Lotus-Renault 	Lotus 97I 	Renault V6 	13	Teo Fabi
Team Lotus 	Lotus-Renault 	Lotus 97I 	Renault V6 	16	Gary Bettenhausen
ATS 	ATS-BMW 	ATS I8 	BMW M12 	46	Graham McRae
ATS 	ATS-BMW 	ATS I8 	BMW M12 	47	Derek Daly
McLaren-Bud Moore 	McLaren-Porsche 	McLaren M32 	Porsche V6 	62	Ian Ashley
McLaren-Bud Moore 	McLaren-Porsche 	McLaren M32 	Porsche V6 	64	Mike Thackwell
Williams Indy 	Williams-Cosworth 	Williams IW85 	Cosworth DFX 	48	Drake Olson
Williams Indy 	Williams-Cosworth 	Williams IW85 	Cosworth DFX 	49	Kenny Acheson
Équipe Ligier Gitanes 	Ligier-Cosworth 	Ligier IS25 	Cosworth DFX 	88	Jan Lammers
Équipe Ligier Gitanes 	Ligier-Cosworth 	Ligier IS25 	Cosworth DFX 	96	Don Whittington
RAM Racing 	RAM-Offenhauser 	RAM 03B 	Offenhauser V8 	81	Rocky Moran
RAM Racing 	RAM-Offenhauser 	RAM 03B 	Offenhauser V8 	95	Enrique Mansilla
Alfa Romeo 	Alfa Romeo 	Alfa Romeo 185I	Alfa Romeo V8 	28	Michael Roe
Alfa Romeo 	Alfa Romeo 	Alfa Romeo 185I	Alfa Romeo V8 	31	Darin Brassfield
=== Notable team and driver changes ===
* Rick Mears was sidelined due to injuries for much of the season. Danny Sullivan left Doug Shierson Racing to join Team Penske.
* Al Unser Jr. left Galles Racing to replace Sullivan at Doug Shierson Racing. He was replaced at Galles Racing by Geoff Brabham, who previously drove for Kraco Racing.
* Mayer Motor Racing, which ran 1984 with drivers Tom Sneva and Howdy Holmes, did not run in 1985. Tom Sneva moved to All American Racers, which expanded to a two car team, while Howdy Holmes moved to Forsythe Racing, who had run 1984 without a steady driver.
* Galles Racing expanded to a two car team. Joining Geoff Brabham, the second car was run by Pancho Carter on the ovals and rookie Roberto Moreno on the road courses.
* Bignotti-Cotter Racing changed its name to Team Cotter, continuing to field a car for Roberto Guerrero.
* After Whittington Brothers Racing folded in 1983, Bill Whittington, who did not have a ride in 1984, joined Arciero Racing, replacing Pete Halsmer. Halsmer only ran a few races that year. Don Whittington, meanwhile, joined Équipe Ligier Gitanes.
* Rookie Arie Luyendyk ran his first full season, driving for Provimi Veal Racing. He replaced Derek Daly, who was left without a full-time ride.
* Geoff Brabham was replaced at Kraco Racing by Kevin Cogan.
* Gordon Johncock retired shortly before the 1985 Indianapolis 500. He was replaced at Patrick Racing by rookie Bruno Giacomelli.
* Johnny Rutherford replaced Al Holbert at Alex Morales Motorsports. Holbert returned to sports cars.
* Stan Fox, who ran full-time in 1984, did not run in 1985. A variety of drivers are ran at Leader Card Racing.
* Tom Hess Racing, which drove most of 1984 with Dick Ferguson, also scaled back to part-time.
* Alfa Romeo, another Formula One team, started a two-car USAC team, confirming fears that Johnson's acquisition of USAC was not to stop the creation of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART), but a transparent power grab from F1.
== Season Schedule and Results ==
=== Schedule ===
No.	Race title 	Track 	Track Type 	Date
1 	Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach 	Streets of Long Beach, Long Beach, California 	Street course 	April 14
2 	Nissan 200 	Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, California 	Superspeedway (unrestricted)	April 21
3 	Indianapolis 500 	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Indiana 	Superspeewday (unrestricted)	May 26
4 	Miller American 200 in Honor of Rex Mays	Milwaukee Mile, West Allis, Wisconsin 	One-mile oval 	June 2
5 	Domino's Pizza 500 	Pocono International Speedway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania	Superspeedway (unrestricted)	June 9
6 	Stroh's/G. I. Joe's 200 	Portland International Raceway, Portland, Oregon 	Road course 	June 16
7 	March Engineering 200 	Suzuka International Circuit, Suzuka, Kansai 	Road course 	June 30
8 	Budweiser Cleveland Grand Prix 	Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio 	Airport road course 	July 7
9 	Howard Johnson 200 	Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, Colorado 	Intermediate oval 	July 14
10 	Michigan 500 	Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan 	Superspeedway (unrestricted)	July 28
11 	Provimi Veal 200 	Road America, Lake Elkhart, Wisconsin 	Road course 	August 4
12 	Molson 200 	Fuji Speedway, Fuji, Kanto 	Superspeedway (restricted) 	August 11
13 	California 500 	Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, California 	Superspeedway (unrestricted)	August 18
14 	Alabama 500K 	Alabama International Motor Speedway, Lincoln, Alabama	Superspeedway (restricted) 	August 25
15 	Escort Radar Warning 200 	Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, Lexington, Ohio 	Road course 	September 1
16 	Molson Indy 300 	Sanair Super Speedway, Saint-Pie, Quebec, Canada 	Short oval 	September 8
17 	Lola Cars 200 	Mallory Park, Leicestershire, United Kingdom 	One-mile oval 	September 15
18 	Detroit News 200 	Michigan International Speewday, Brooklyn, Michigan 	Superspeedway (unrestricted)	September 22
19 	Stroh's 300k 	Laguna Seca Raceway, Monterey, California 	Road course 	October 6
20 	Dana 150 	Phoenix International Raceway, Avondale, Arizona 	One-mile oval 	October 13
21 	Florida Citrus Growers 500 	Daytona International Speedway, Daytona Beach, Florida	Superspeedway (unrestricted)	November 9
The Dana 150 was scheduled for March 31, but postponed on March 13 due to track damage sustained over winter testing. On August 6, it was rescheduled for an October 13 date.
The Michigan 500 was scheduled for July 21, but postponed a week due to tire concerns.
In terms of schedule changes, Texas World Speedway and Atlanta International Raceway both lost their dates, Texas due to ongoing maintenance and management issues with the track, and Atlanta due to NASCAR's own financial issues caused by USAC's popularity. The Florida Citrus Growers 500 became the season finale to avoid hurricane season, as the 1984 race had been plagued by rain. It took Texas World's date, and Daytona's old date was taken by Mallory Park in the United Kingdom.
=== Race results ===
No.	Race title 	Pole position 	Winner 	Winning team 	Chassis/Engine
1 	Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach 	Mario Andretti 	Mario Andretti 	Newman/Haas Racing 	Lola/Pontiac
2 	Nissan 200 	A. J. Foyt 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari/Ferrari
3 	Indianapolis 500 	Pancho Carter 	Danny Sullivan 	Team Penske 	March/Cosworth
4 	Miller American 200 in Honor of Rex Mays	Mario Andretti 	Mike Thackwell 	McLaren-Bud Moore 	McLaren/Porsche
5 	Domino's Pizza 500 	Rick Mears 	Rick Mears 	Team Penske 	March/Cosworth
6 	Stroh's/G. I. Joe's 200 	Danny Sullivan 	Mario Andretti 	Newman/Haas Racing 	Lola/Pontiac
7 	March Engineering 200 	Drake Olson 	Gary Bettenhausen 	Team Lotus 	Lotus/Renault
8 	Budweiser Cleveland Grand Prix 	Bobby Rahal 	Al Unser Jr. 	Doug Shierson Racing 	Lola/Cosworth
9 	Howard Johnson 200 	Danny Ongais 	A. J. Foyt 	Gilmore Racing 	Lola/Cosworth
10 	Michigan 500 	Rick Mears 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari/Ferrari
11 	Provimi Veal 200 	Danny Sullivan 	Jacques Villeneuve Sr.	Canadian Tire Racing 	March/Cosworth
12 	Molson 200 	Arie Luyendyk 	Keith Kauffman 	Vollstedt Racing 	Vollstedt/Oldsmobile
13 	California 500 	Danny Sullivan 	Pete Halsmer 	Machinists Union Racing 	IAM/Cosworth
14 	Alabama 500K 	Bobby Rahal 	Chico Serra 	Theodore Racing 	Theodore/Cosworth
15 	Escort Radar Warning 200 	Bobby Rahal 	Bobby Rahal 	Truesports 	March/Cosworth
16 	Molson Indy 300 	Bobby Rahal 	Johnny Rutherford 	Alex Morales Motorsports	March/Offenhauser
17 	Lola Cars 200 	Mario Andretti 	Gary Bettenhausen 	Team Lotus 	Lotus/Renault
18 	Detroit News 200 	Bobby Rahal 	Bobby Rahal 	Truesports 	March/Cosworth
19 	Stroh's 300k 	Bobby Rahal 	Emerson Fittipaldi 	Scuderia Ferrari 	Ferrari/Ferrari
20 	Dana 150 	Al Unser 	Al Unser 	Team Penske 	March/Cosworth
21 	Florida Citrus Growers 500 	Michael Andretti	Arie Luyendyk 	Provimi Racing 	Lola/Cosworth
Category:Johnsonverse