| 1971 USAC Championship Car season | |
|---|---|
| USAC Marlboro Championship Trail | |
| Season | |
| Races | 12 |
| Start date | February 28 |
| End date | October 23 |
| Awards | |
| National champion |  Joe Leonard |
| Indianapolis 500 winner | Al Unser |
The 1971 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Rafaela, Argentina on February 28 and concluding in Avondale, Arizona on October 23. The USAC National Champion was Joe Leonard and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Al Unser. For 1971 it was decided that there should be three separate points championships, for paved ovals, dirt ovals, and road courses.[1][2]
The existing Championship Car championship was then restricted to only paved ovals, and two new championships were created. The National Dirt Car Championship (which would become the modern Silver Crown Series in 1981) was run over four races, and won by George Snider.[1] The Road Racing championship was originally to be run over between 8 and 10 races, however a lack of interest lead to just two races being held on the same day, on the 7th of August at Seattle International Raceway. Continental Championship cars were allowed, and made up the majority of the grid, with just 5 USAC specification cars entered. Jim Dittemore won the series in a Formula 5000 specification Lola T192-Chevrolet.[1][3] The Road Racing championship did not continue in 1972.
- ^ a b c Waltz, Keith. "Sweeping Changes For USAC After 1970 Season". Speed Sport. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ Braddock, Bill (November 15, 1970). "$300,000 Marlboro Auto Slate Hits Paved Oval Trail in 1971". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ Klopfer, Wolfgang (2004). Formula A and Formula 5000 in America. Books on Demand. p. 79. ISBN 383340566X.