1979 USAC Championship Car season


The 1979 USAC Championship Car season consisted of seven races, beginning in Ontario, California on March 25 and concluding in West Allis, Wisconsin on August 12. The USAC National Champion was A. J. Foyt and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Rick Mears. With the exception of the Indianapolis 500, most top drivers instead competed in races sanctioned by CART.
During the summer of 1979, after the California 500 switched alliances mid-season to become a CART series race, USAC proposed a Labor Day weekend race meet that would consist of a USAC Stock Car/Championship Car doubleheader at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. A 250-mile stock car race on Saturday would be followed by a 250-mile Indy car race on Sunday. However, the plan never materialized.

Schedule and results

All races running on Oval/Speedway.
RndDateRace NameLengthTrackLocationPole PositionWinning Driver
1March 25 Datsun Twin 200Ontario Motor SpeedwayOntario, California A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt
2April 8 Coors 200Texas World SpeedwayCollege Station, Texas A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt
3May 27 International 500 Mile SweepstakesIndianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, Indiana Rick Mears Rick Mears
4June 10 Rex Mays ClassicWisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, Wisconsin A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt
5June 24 Music 500 at PoconoPocono International RacewayLong Pond, Pennsylvania A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt
6August 5 Lubrilon Grand PrixTexas World SpeedwayCollege Station, Texas A. J. Foyt A. J. Foyt
7August 12 Tony Bettenhausen 200Wisconsin State Fair Park SpeedwayWest Allis, Wisconsin Tom Bigelow Roger McCluskey
September 2CancelledOntario Motor SpeedwayOntario, California——

The California 500 at Ontario Motor Speedway was originally scheduled as a USAC race for September 2, but was switched mid-season to a CART series race.
Non-USAC driver.

Final points standings

The CART drivers were not eligible for points.

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