 | |||||
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | USAC | ||||
| Season | 1968 USAC season | ||||
| Date | May 30, 1968 | ||||
| Winner | Bobby Unser | ||||
| Winning team | Leader Cards | ||||
| Average speed | 152.882 mph (246.040 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position | Joe Leonard | ||||
| Pole speed | 171.559 mph (276.097 km/h) | ||||
| Fastest qualifier | Joe Leonard | ||||
| Rookie of the Year | Bill Vukovich II | ||||
| Most laps led | Bobby Unser (127) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| National anthem | Purdue Band | ||||
| "Back Home Again in Indiana" | Richard O. Plothow | ||||
| Starting command | Tony Hulman | ||||
| Pace car | Ford Torino GT | ||||
| Pace car driver | William Clay Ford Sr. | ||||
| Starter | Pat Vidan[1] | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 300,000[2] | ||||
| TV in the United States | |||||
| Network | ABC's Wide World of Sports | ||||
| Announcers | Jim McKay, Rodger Ward | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
The 52nd International 500 Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Thursday May 30, 1968. Bobby Unser won the first of his three Indy 500 victories (1968, 1975, 1981). This was the final Indianapolis 500 to feature a front-engined car in the starting field. Of the 33 cars, 32 were rear-engined machines (including three turbines). Jim Hurtubise's entry, which dropped out after only nine laps, was the last front-engine car to race in the 500. This was also the first 500 won by a turbocharged engine.
For the second year in a row, one of Andy Granatelli's STP Turbine-powered machines was leading late in the race, but once again, it failed within sight of victory.[3][4][5][6] On lap 174, Lloyd Ruby's engine misfired allowing Joe Leonard to take the lead in the Lotus 56 Turbine. Leonard, however, suffered a flameout on the lap 191 restart, and rolled to a silent and shocking halt. Unser, in the venerable piston-powered Offenhauser, inherited the lead and won the race despite gear linkage trouble.
During the month, film crews were on hand to film various action shots and stock footage of the race proceedings to be used in the 1969 film Winning, starring Paul Newman.
With 9.25 inches (23.5 cm) of precipitation in the Indianapolis area in May, the 1968 race featured the wettest month on record for the Indy 500.[7] Rain hampered practice and qualifying, but did not affect race day. This was the most recent Indy 500 scheduled for Thursday; the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was implemented in 1971 and Memorial Day became a three-day weekend (Saturday–Monday) every year. A day previously avoided, Sunday became the scheduled race day beginning in 1974.
- ^ Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
- ^ Lyst, John H. (May 31, 1968). "Infielders Real Mudders". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bobby Unser wins 500 as turbines fail". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. May 31, 1968. p. 17.
- ^ "Unser wins Indy 500 race". The Bulletin. (Bend, Oregon). UPI. May 31, 1968. p. 8.
- ^ Taylor, Jim (May 31, 1968). "Unser, 'King Offy' got all the help they needed". Toledo Blade. (Ohio). p. 18.
- ^ Ottum, Bob (June 10, 1968). "Rude setback for the jet age". Sports Illustrated. p. 34.
- ^ "Monthly Temperature and Precipitation Extremes for Indianapolis (1871 to 2008)". NOAA.gov. 2008-06-01. Retrieved 2012-08-08.
