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Race schedule[]

Race schedule — May, 1968
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

 

 

 
1
Opening Day
2
Practice
3
Practice
4
Practice
5
Practice
6
Practice
7
Practice
8
Practice
9
Practice
10
Practice
11
Practice
12
Practice
13
Practice
14
Practice
15
Practice
16
Practice
17
Practice
18
Pole Day
19
Time Trials
20
Practice
21
Practice
22
Practice
23
Practice
24
Practice
25
Time Trials
26
Bump Day
27
Time Trials
28
Carb Day
29
 
30
Indy 500
31
 

 
Color Notes
Green Practice
Dark Blue Time trials
Silver Race day
Red Rained out*
Blank No track activity

* Includes days where track activity
was significantly limited due to rain

Time Trials[]

1968 was the second and eventually the final year the controversial turbine cars were running in the 1968 race classic. Turbine cars were entered by STP (the Lotus 56 and STP-Paxton Turbocar) and by Carroll Shelby.[1] USAC had imposed revised regulations regarding the maximum inlet size (reduced from 23.999 square inches to 15.999 square inches) that the turbine cars could have, to limit their power output.[2] The Shelby cars were found to be getting around this regulation by the use of variable inlet doors and were disqualified.[3] In qualifications, Graham Hill the 1966 champion in the #70 STP Lotus 56 is first to qualify, and sets a new qualifying record. Later, his STP Lotus 56 teammate Joe Leonard in #60 wins the pole position with a speed of Template:Convert/mi/h.

Race Day[]

At the drop of the green flag, Joe Leonard in the #60 STP Turbine leaps in the lead, with Bobby Unser in second and Roger McCluskey up to third at the end of lap 1. After only nine laps, Jim Hurtubise in the PepsiCo Frito-lay special has burned a piston, and is out, finishing 30th. About this time, Bobby Unser is now hard after Leonard, and at the end of the main straightway he passes to take the lead. On lap 41, the caution flag flies for the first time when Al Unser loses a wheel and hits the first-turn wall, with Arnie Knepper and Gary Bettenhausen also involved. After 200 miles (Template:Convert/(200)*1609.344), A.J. Foyt is out with a blown engine and the defending champion's bid for his 4th Indy win is over for this year. After 110 laps, Graham Hill loses a wheel and smashes into the turn two wall, bringing out the second caution. On lap 127, Mel Kenyon and rookie Billy Vukovich tangle in turn four. Both are able to re-enter the race, but Johnny Rutherford, trying to slow down, is rear-ended by Jim McElreath. Mike Mosley also loses it in turn four trying to avoid the mess.

When Bobby Unser makes his last pit stop, his car is stuck in high gear. As he leaves his pit struggling to reach racing speed, both Leonard and Ruby pass him. With only 16 laps to go, Joe Leonard still has the #60 turbine in first place, but on the backstretch, Carl Williams hits the wall, bringing out the final caution. After cleanup, the green waves on the 191st lap. At that instant, both leader Joe Leonard in STP turbine #60 and teammate Art Pollard in STP turbine #20 lurch—and instantly slow with identical snapped fuel pump drive shafts. Unser sweeps by into the lead with Dan Gurney inheriting second place. With a nearly full-lap lead, Bobby Unser cruises the final 9 laps to win his first of eventually three Indianapolis 500 victories.

Results of the 1968 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Thursday, May 30, 1968.

Finish Start No Name Qual Rank Laps Led Status
1 3 3 25px USA Bobby Unser 169.507 3 200 127 Running
2 10 48 25px USA Dan Gurney 166.512 10 200 0 Running
3 17 15 25px USA Mel Kenyon 165.191 14 200 0 Running
4 20 42 25px New Zealand Denny Hulme 164.189 19 200 0 Running
5 5 25 25px USA Lloyd Ruby 167.613 5 200 42 Running
6 26 59 25px USA Ronnie Duman 162.338 27 200 0 Running
7 23 98 25px USA Bill Vukovich II 163.510 23 198 0 Flagged
8 27 90 25px USA Mike Mosley 162.499 26 197 0 Flagged
9 31 94 25px USA Sammy Sessions 162.118 31 197 0 Flagged
10 25 6 25px USA Bobby Grim 162.866 25 196 0 Flagged
11 24 16 25px USA Bob Veith 163.495 24 196 0 Flagged
12 1 60 25px USA Joe Leonard 171.599 1 191 31 Fuel Shaft
13 11 20 25px USA Art Pollard 166.297 11 188 0 Fuel Shaft
14 13 82 25px USA Jim McElreath 165.327 13 179 0 Stalled
15 28 84 25px USA Carl Williams 162.323 28 163 0 Crash BS
16 18 10 25px USA Bud Tingelstad 164.444 17 158 0 Oil Pressure
17 12 54 25px USA Wally Dallenbach, Sr. 165.548 12 148 0 Engine
18 21 18 25px USA Johnny Rutherford 163.830 21 125 0 Crash T4
19 2 70 25px Great Britain Graham Hill 171.208 2 110 0 Crash T2
20 8 1 25px USA A. J. Foyt 166.821 8 86 0 Rear End
21 19 45 25px USA Ronnie Bucknum 164.211 18 76 0 Fuel Leak
22 14 27 25px USA Jim Malloy 165.032 15 64 0 Rear End
23 15 78 25px USA Jerry Grant 164.782 16 50 0 Oil Leak
24 22 11 25px USA Gary Bettenhausen 163.562 22 43 0 Accident T1
25 32 21 25px USA Arnie Knepper 161.900 32 42 0 Accident T1
26 6 24 25px USA Al Unser 167.069 6 40 0 Crash T1
27 9 4 25px USA Gordon Johncock 166.775 9 37 0 Rear End
28 33 64 25px USA Larry Dickson 161.124 33 24 0 Piston
29 7 8 25px USA Roger McCluskey 166.976 7 16 0 Oil Filter
30 30 56 25px USA Jim Hurtubise 162.191 30 9 0 Piston
31 29 29 25px USA George Snider 162.264 29 9 0 Oil Leak
32 16 35 25px Austria Jochen Rindt 164.144 20 5 0 Piston
33 4 2 25px USA Mario Andretti 167.691 4 2 0 Piston

Qualification Chronology[]

Att # Date Time Qual
day
Car # Driver
name
Laps Qual
time
Qual
speed
Rank Start Comment
1 05-18 1 1 70 Graham Hill 4 171.208 2 2
2 05-18 2 1 25 Lloyd Ruby 4 167.613 5 5
3 05-18 3 1 8 Roger McCluskey 4 166.976 7 7
4 05-18 4 1 15 Mel Kenyon 2 Waved off
5 05-18 5 1 54 Wally Dallenbach 3 Waved off
6 05-18 6 1 3 Bobby Unser 4 169.507 3 3
7 05-18 7 1 4 Gordon Johncock 3 Waved off
8 05-18 8 1 1 A. J. Foyt 4 166.821 8 8
9 05-18 9 1 48 Dan Gurney 4 166.512 10 10
10 05-18 10 1 27 Jim Malloy 4 165.032 15 14
11 05-18 11 1 60 Joe Leonard 4 171.559 1 1
12 05-18 12 1 4 Gordon Johncock 4 166.775 9 9
13 05-18 13 1 82 Jim McElreath 4 165.512 13 13
14 05-18 14 1 24 Al Unser 4 167.069 6 6
15 05-18 15 1 2 Mario Andretti 4 167.691 4 4
16 05-18 16 1 54 Wally Dallenbach 4 165.548 12 12
17 05-18 17 1 56 Jim Hurtubise 1 Accident
18 05-18 18 1 78 Jerry Grant 4 164.782 16 15
19 05-18 19 1 20 Art Pollard 4 166.297 11 11
20 05-19 20 2 35 Jochen Rindt 4 164.144 20 16
21 05-19 21 2 42 Denis Hulme 3 Waved off
22 05-25 22 3 21 Arnie Knepper 1 Accident
23 05-25 23 3 15 Mel Kenyon 3 Waved off
24 05-25 24 3 62 Bruce Walkup 3
25 05-25 25 3 11 Gary Bettenhausen 4 163.562 22 22
26 05-25 26 3 18 Johnny Rutherford 4 163.830 21 21
27 05-25 27 3 45 Ronnie Bucknum 4 164.211 18 19 Disqualfied 5/25; Reinstated 5/27; Bumps #88
28 05-25 28 3 88 Bob Harkey 3 Waved off
29 05-25 29 3 36 Larry Dickson 3 Waved off
30 05-25 30 3 59 Ronnie Duman 4 162.338 27 26
31 05-25 31 3 98 Billy Vukovich II 4 163.510 23 23
32 05-25 32 3 26 Bobby Johns 3 Waved off
33 05-25 33 3 14 Bob Hurt 3 Waved off
34 05-25 34 3 16 Bob Veith 4 163.495 24 24
35 05-25 35 3 10 Bud Tingelstad 1 Pulled off
36 05-25 36 3 90 Mike Mosley 2 Waved off
37 05-25 37 3 6 Bobby Grim 4 162.866 25 25
38 05-25 38 3 84 Carl Williams 2 Waved off
39 05-25 39 3 26 Bobby Johns 3 Waved off
40 05-25 40 3 10 Bud Tingelstad 4 164.444 17 18
41 05-25 41 3 21 Arnie Knepper 3 Waved off
42 05-25 42 3 42 Denis Hulme 4 164.189 19 20
43 05-25 43 3 15 Mel Kenyon 4 165.191 14 17
44 05-25 44 3 84 Carl Williams 3 Waved off
45 05-25 45 3 36 Larry Dickson 3 Waved off
Sunday May 26
05-26 Bill Putterbaugh 4 157.301 Bumped
05-26 Bill Cheesbourg 4 157.274 Bumped
05-26 Bobby Johns 157.274 Spun on second warm up lap
Monday May 27
46 05-27 46 4 22 Bill Cheesbourg 4 157.274 Bumped by #21
47 05-27 47 4 77 Bill Puterbaugh 4 157.301 Bumped by #84
48 05-27 48 4 88 Bob Harkey 4 159.915 Bumped by #45 reinstatement
49 05-27 49 4 90 Mike Mosley 4 162.449 26 27
50 05-27 50 4 41 George Follmer 4 158.877 Bumped by #62
51 05-27 51 4 28 Rick Muther 2 Accident
52 05-27 52 4 94 Sam Sessions 4 162.118 31 31
53 05-27 53 4 31 Sonny Ates 4 158.221 Bumped by #29
54 05-27 54 4 36 Larry Dickson 4 159.652 Bumped by #56
55 05-27 55 4 21 Arnie Knepper 4 161.900 32 32 Bumps #22
56 05-27 56 4 84 Carl Williams 4 162.232 29 29 Bumps #77
57 05-27 57 4 29 George Snider 4 162.264 28 28 Bumps #31
58 05-27 58 4 62 Bruce Walkup 4 160.514 Bumps #41; Bumped by #64
59 05-27 59 4 56 Jim Hurtubise 4 162.191 30 30 Bumps #36
60 05-27 60 4 32 Al Miller II 4 157.109 Too slow
61 05-27 61 4 71 Bob Harkey 4 156.257 Too slow
62 05-27 62 4 64 Larry Dickson 4 161.124 33 33 Bumps #88
63 05-27 63 4 76 Jerry Titus 4 154.540 Too slow

Topics[]

  • Jim Hurtubise became the last driver to qualify the race with a front engine roadster.
  • Much of the film of the race was used in the movie Winning starring Paul Newman.
  • Rain hampered most of the month. During qualifying, Bump Day (the final day of time trials) rain kept cars off the track until late in the evening. A handful of cars tooks runs into the night, but qualifying had to be halted due to darkness, with the field short of the traditional 33 cars. Time trials was pushed into a 5th day (Monday), and the field was finally filled to 33 cars.
1967 Indianapolis 500
A.J. Foyt
1968 Indianapolis 500
Bobby Unser
1969 Indianapolis 500
Mario Andretti


Indianapolis 500 seasons

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References[]

Smallwikipedialogo.png This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at 1968 Indianapolis 500. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Autopedia, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


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