1980 CART Series

Race #1 - Datsun Twin 200

The CART Series made their 1st stop of 1980 at the Ontario Motor Speedway, in Ontario, California, for the Datsun Twin 200.

A packed crowd filled the Ontario Motor Speedway as the CART Series made their second trip at Ontario as Johnny Rutherford got a great jump on the start and kept the lead for much of the event as he would lose the lead only during the round of pitstops. Once the green came back out, Rutherford would take the lead with fifteen laps to go and was able to hold on for his second career CART Series win.

Other Noticeables:
Johnny Rutherford scored his 1st win of the year,
Rutherford led 2 times for 71 laps, including the final 15 laps,
It was the 2nd win of his career in the CART Series and his first since Michigan; 3 races ago,
Gordon Smiley(2nd), Jan Sneva(8th), John Wood(12th), Ron Shuman(13th), Rick Muther(19th), Ross Davis(21st), Pete Halsmer(24th) and Bill Tempero(25th) made their CART Series debuts,
Johnny Rutherford, who finished 1st, is the points lead, leading Gordon Smiley by 80 points

1.4-Johnny Rutherford (71 laps led)
2.60-Gordon Smiley (2 laps led)
3.55-Spike Gehlhausen
4.40-Tom Bagley
5.20-Gordon Johncock (7 laps led)
6.23-Dick Ferguson
7.72-Roger Mears
8.50-Jan Sneva
9.41-Bill Alsup
10.24-Sheldon Kinser
11.47-Phil Caliva
12.42-John Wood
13.75-Ron Shuman
14.48-Mike Mosley
15.1-Rick Mears
16.7-Tom Sneva
17.28-Herm Johnson
18.10-Pancho Carter-1 lap
19.38-Rick Muther-1 lap
20.11-Bobby Unser-1 lap
21.22-Ross Davis-1 lap
22.5-Al Unser-1 lap
23.69-Joe Saldana-1 lap
24.34-Pete Halsmer-11 laps (Engine)
25.15-Bill Tempero-54 laps (Header)

Johnny Rutherford-1-56
Gordon Smiley-57-58
Gordon Johncock-59-65
Johnny Rutherford-66-80

3 Lead Changes among 3 drivers

Caution Flags: 2 for 8 laps
Lap 23 (Car #34 Stalled Turn 3),
Lap 72 (Car #34 Stalled Turn 4)

Margin of Victory: 0.945 Seconds

Time of Race: 1 Hour, 35 Minutes and 12 Seconds

The field has finished qualifying for the 2nd race of the season the Indianapolis 500 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Johnny Rutherford won the pole, with a time of 56.102 seconds, beating Tom Bigelow by 0.029 seconds.

Other Noticeables:
Johnny Rutherford won his 2nd pole of the year and second in a row,
Rutherford won his 3rd career pole in the CART Series and his first since Ontario; 1 race ago,
Rick Mears, who won this race one year ago, will be starting 8th,
Rutherford, who will start 1st, has a 80 point lead over Gordon Smiley

1.4-Johnny Rutherford
2.43-Tom Bigelow
3.46-Gary Bettenhausen
4.9-Tom Sneva
5.29-Billy Engelhart
6.25-Danny Ongais
7.44-Greg Leffler
8.1-Rick Mears
9.10-Pancho Carter
10.21-Tim Richmond
11.20-Gordon Johncock
12.14-A.J. Foyt
13.12-Mario Andretti
14.7-Jerry Sneva
15.5-Al Unser
16.2-Billy Vukovich Jr.
17.96-Don Whittington
18.66-Roger Rager
19.11-Bobby Unser
20.18-Dennis Firestone
21.99-Hurley Haywood
22.40-Tom Bagley
23.70-Gordon Smiley
24.16-George Snider
25.8-Dick Simon
26.94-Bill Whittington
27.23-Jim McElreath
28.48-Mike Mosley
29.15-Johnny Parsons
30.35-Spike Gehlhausen
31.26-Dick Ferguson
32.95-Larry Cannon
33.38-Jerry Karl

Race #2 - Indianapolis 500

The CART Series made their 2nd stop of 1980 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, in Speedway, Indiana, for the Indianapolis 500.

Points leader Johnny Rutherford led a field of thirty three drivers to the green at the track known as "The Brickyard" and started right where he left off at Ontario. A year prior, Indy was field with wrecks and great battles for the year. This year wrecks would still happen however, it was Rutherford who completely dominated the day as the power of his Chaparral Racing engine ruled the day as he would lead 187 of the 200 laps and scored his second straight win of the season.

Other Noticeables:
Johnny Rutherford scored his 2nd win of the year and second in a row,
Rutherford led 4 times for 187 laps, including the final 31 laps,
It was the 3rd win of his career in the CART Series and his first since Ontario; 1 race ago,
Gary Bettenhausen(3rd), Hurley Haywood(10th), Billy Engelhart(11th), Jerry Karl(14th), Roger Rager(23rd) and Greg Leffler(30th) made their CART Series debuts,
Johnny Rutherford, who finished 1st, kept his points lead, leading Gordon Johncock by 400 points

1.4-Johnny Rutherford (187 laps led)
2.20-Gordon Johncock (1 lap led)
3.46-Gary Bettenhausen
4.10-Pancho Carter (10 laps led)
5.9-Tom Sneva
6.1-Rick Mears
7.96-Don Whittington
8.21-Tim Richmond
9.2-Billy Vukovich Jr.
10.99-Hurley Haywood-1 lap
11.29-Billy Engelhart-1 lap
12.25-Danny Ongais-2 laps
13.14-A.J. Foyt-2 laps
14.38-Jerry Karl-2 laps
15.18-Dennis Firestone-2 laps
16.15-Johnny Parsons-2 laps
17.8-Dick Simon-3 laps
18.7-Jerry Sneva-3 laps
19.11-Bobby Unser-3 laps
20.5-Al Unser-4 laps
21.94-Bill Whittington-4 laps
22.23-Jim McElreath-4 laps
23.66-Roger Rager-4 laps
24.12-Mario Andretti-5 laps
25.16-George Snider-6 laps
26.43-Tom Bigelow-18 laps (Valve)
27.40-Tom Bagley-68 laps (Accident)
28.70-Gordon Smiley-68 laps (Accident)
29.26-Dick Ferguson-69 laps (Accident)
30.44-Greg Leffler-71 laps (Accident) (2 laps led)
31.35-Spike Gehlhausen-74 laps (Accident)
32.48-Mike Mosley-112 laps (Piston)
33.95-Larry Cannon-120 laps (Accident)

Johnny Rutherford-1-89
Pancho Carter-90-99
Johnny Rutherford-100-126
Greg Leffler-127-128
Johnny Rutherford-129-168
Gordon Johncock-169
Johnny Rutherford-170-200

6 Lead Changes among 4 drivers

Caution Flags: 11 for 44 laps
Lap 6 (Car #40 Spin Backstretch),
Lap 20 (Car #16 and 70 Spin Turn 1),
Lap 29 (Car #38 Spin Turn 4),
Lap 44 (Car #18 Spin Turn 2),
Lap 60 (Car #95 Spin Backstretch),
Lap 69 (Cars #26 and 66 Spin Turn 2),
Lap 85 (Car #95 Accident Frontstretch),
Lap 91 (Car #35 Spin Backstretch),
Lap 129 (Cars #35 and 44 Accident Backstretch),
Lap 134 (Cars #29, 8, 16, 40, 70, 26, 5, 25, 21 and 15 Accident Backstretch),
Lap 174 (Car #7 Spin Turn 4)

Margin of Victory: 17.774 Seconds

Time of Race: 4 Hours, 13 Minutes and 17 Seconds

The field has finished qualifying for the 3rd race of the season the Gould Rex Mays Classic at the Milwaukee Mile.

Johnny Rutherford won the pole, with a time of 35.490 seconds, beating Billy Engelhart by 0.042 seconds.

Other Noticeables:
Johnny Rutherford won his 3rd pole of the year and third in a row,
Rutherford won his 4th career pole in the CART Series and his first since Indianapolis; 1 race ago,
Rutherford, who will start 1st, has a 400 point lead over Gordon Johncock

1.4-Johnny Rutherford
2.29-Billy Engelhart
3.11-Bobby Unser
4.24-Sheldon Kinser
5.20-Gordon Johncock
6.7-Jerry Sneva
7.81-Cliff Hucul
8.10-Pancho Carter
9.1-Rick Mears
10.41-Bill Alsup
11.43-Howdy Holmes
12.5-Al Unser
13.46-Gary Bettenhausen
14.9-Tom Sneva
15.40-Tom Bagley
16.65-Bill Tempero
17.97-Billie Harvey
18.2-Billy Vukovich Jr.
19.38-Jerry Karl
20.82-Rick Muther
21.28-Herm Johnson
22.8-Dick Simon
23.25-Danny Ongais
24.30-Phil Threshie