1965 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races	18
Start date	March 28
End date	November 21
Awards
National champion	Mario Andretti
Indianapolis 500 winner	Jim Clark
← 1964 1966 →

The 1965 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 18 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 28 and concluding at the same location on November 21. This season was notable for the Hoosier Grand Prix, the first Championship Car event held on a road course since the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup. The USAC National Champion was Mario Andretti and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Jim Clark.

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Track	Location	Type	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	March 28	Jimmy Bryan Memorial	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Paved	A. J. Foyt	Don Branson
2	April 25	Trenton 100	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	A. J. Foyt	Jim McElreath
3	May 31	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Paved	A. J. Foyt	Jim Clark
4	June 6	Rex Mays Classic	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	A. J. Foyt	Parnelli Jones
5	June 20	Langhorne 100	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Paved	Mario Andretti	Jim McElreath
6	July 4	Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb	Pikes Peak Highway	Pikes Peak, Colorado	Hill	Al Unser^A	Al Unser
7	July 18	Trenton 150	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	A. J. Foyt	A. J. Foyt
8	July 25	Hoosier Grand Prix	Indianapolis Raceway Park	Clermont, Indiana	Road	Mario Andretti	Mario Andretti
9	August 1	Atlanta Championship 250	Atlanta International Raceway	Hampton, Georgia	Paved	A. J. Foyt	Johnny Rutherford
10	August 8	Langhorne 125	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Paved	Gordon Johncock	Jim McElreath
11	August 14	Milwaukee 150	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Parnelli Jones	Joe Leonard
12	August 21	Tony Bettenhausen Memorial	Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, Illinois	Dirt	Jim McElreath	A. J. Foyt
13	August 22	Tony Bettenhausen 200	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	A. J. Foyt	Gordon Johncock
14	September 6	Ted Horn Memorial	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	Du Quoin, Illinois	Dirt	A. J. Foyt	Don Branson
15	September 18	Hoosier Hundred	Indiana State Fairgrounds	Indianapolis, Indiana	Dirt	A. J. Foyt	A. J. Foyt
16	September 26	Trenton 200	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	A. J. Foyt	A. J. Foyt
17	October 24	Golden State 100	California State Fairgrounds	Sacramento, California	Dirt	Don Branson	Don Branson
18	November 21	Bobby Ball Memorial	Phoenix International Raceway	Avondale, Arizona	Paved	Mario Andretti	A. J. Foyt

Paved/Dirt Oval

Road Course/Hill Climb

^A No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb.

Final points standings

Note: Bobby Johns is not eligible for points.

Further information: List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems

Pos	Driver	PHX1	TRE1	INDY	MIL1	LAN1	PIP	TRE2	IRP	ATL	LAN2	MIL2	SPR	MIL3	DQSF	ISF	TRE3	SAC	PHX2	Pts
1	Mario Andretti	6	2	3	4	2		Wth	1	2	4	2	3	16	15	2	13	3	2	3110
2	A. J. Foyt	19	17	15	16	17		1	4	19	2	19	1	2	3	1	1	2	1	2500
3	Jim McElreath	2	1	20	3	1		11	5	10	1	14	5	6	2	DNQ	3	8	23	2035
4	Don Branson	1	13	8	20	15		4	6	8	6	6	6	25	1	13	15	1	5	1875
5	Gordon Johncock	17	8	5	7	10		23	8	6	3	15	11	1	10	DNQ	14		21	1540
6	Joe Leonard			29	2	19		5	10	Wth		1		5			2		4	1415
7	Bobby Unser	16	10	19	17	14	2	14	2	22	5	4	10	18	17	4	6	4	3	1402
8	Roger McCluskey	21		30	6	13		17	3	9	DNQ	5		4		DNS	4	9	26	1060
9	Jud Larson	12	5	DNQ		DNQ		6	19	16	12	7	8	9	4	3	8	5	8	1028
10	Parnelli Jones		DNQ	2	1							17		DNQ						1000
11	Jim Clark			1																1000
12	Johnny Rutherford	15	11	31	15	DNQ		DNS	11	1	8	13	4	24	5	6	16	6	22	993
13	Lloyd Ruby	5	DNQ	11	19	3		18	7	23		9		3		10	26		DNQ	850
14	Jim Hurtubise	4	19	33	DNQ	21		2	18	4	21	16	DNQ	21	7	16	25		16	743
15	Al Miller			4	DNQ				Wth		20	10	12	15	Wth	DNQ	18			655
16	Billy Foster	24	7	17	DNQ	5		20	DNP	3	17	20		26		12	24	DNQ	13	520
17	Bobby Grim		15	DNQ	8	11		3		28		24		8			7			500
18	Mickey Rupp			6	5							18								500
19	Al Unser			9	13	12	1	22	12	26	16	11		7		DNQ	20	11	17	495
20	Bud Tingelstad	13	4	16	18	4		15		14	19	21	7	13	16	14		16	6	460
21	George Snider	23		21	DNQ	16		9	9	25	7		2		14	8	10	15	DNQ	453
22	Ronnie Duman	3	6	22	9	6		16	14	12	14	23	15	14	Wth	DNS	19		DNQ	447
23	Carl Williams RY	DNQ	12	DNQ	DNQ	9		7					13		8	7	17	13	7	370
24	Chuck Rodee	22		28						5		12		10		DNQ		DNQ		325
25	Bob Harkey	20	9	DNQ	DNQ	8		8	15	11	DNQ					9	DNQ	10	11	325
26	Dan Gurney			26								3		12						230
27	Tommy Copp				DNQ					7		8		DNQ					25	225
28	Red Riegel					DNQ		DNQ			11		14		6	5	DNQ			205
29	Art Pollard R													22			5	DNQ	19	200
30	Arnie Knepper	7	16	18	14	22		DNQ	16	21	DNQ		16	11	13	15		7		190
31	Gary Congdon R							10	22		10		9		11	11	DNQ	18	DNQ	163
32	Sam Sessions R		DNS			DNQ				13	9	DNQ				DNQ	11		10	150
33	Eddie Johnson			10																150
34	Bob Wente	14	3	DNQ	DNQ															140
35	Len Sutton			12	21	7		DNQ												110
36	Wally Dallenbach Sr. R										13	DNQ					9			80
37	Bill Vukovich II R																		9	80
38	Bob Hurt	8		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ			Wth	29	DNQ	DNQ								75
39	Norm Hall	10		DNQ	10	DNQ		19	21											75
40	Charles Louderman						3													70
41	Wes Vandervoort R						4													60
42	Dee Jones	9								24	DNQ				DNQ	DNQ				60
43	Paul Kleinschmidt						5													50
44	Bob Mathouser		21	DNQ	11	DNQ		12	13	27	18	DNQ		17	12		22		18	45
45	Jack Hahn						6													40
46	Bay Darnell R														9	DNQ				40
47	Roy Walker R						7													30
48	Rodger Ward	11	20	DNQ	22	DNQ		DNQ	24			22		23			23		15	30
49	Dick Atkins R																	12	12	30
50	Orville Nance R						8													25
51	Slim Roberts						9													20
52	Greg Weld R			DNQ						DNQ						17	12	DNQ	20	20
53	Grier Manning R						10													15
54	Malcolm Brazier						11													10
55	Bill Cheesbourg			32	12	DNQ			17										DNQ	10
56	Louis Unser						12													5
-	Bobby Johns R			7																0
-	Dave Paul R				DNQ	DNQ		13		20	15	DNQ		DNQ						0
-	Johnny Boyd			13																0
-	Vern Root R						13													0
-	Art Malone		14	DNQ				21	23	15	22	DNQ		20						0
-	Larry Dickson R																	14	24	0
-	Dempsey Wilson			DNQ														DNQ	14	0
-	Walt Hansgen			14																0
-	Thurel Novotny R						14													0
-	Bob Daly R						15													0
-	Bob McLees R						16													0
-	Ralph Liguori	18	18	DNQ		20		24	20	17						DNQ				0
-	Mike McGreevy R			DNQ									17					DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Bob Tattersall R																	17	DNQ	0
-	Rick Vermillion R						17													0
-	Bruce Jacobi					DNQ				18					DNQ	18				0
-	Mel Kenyon			DNQ	DNQ	18														0
-	Bob Werner R						18													0
-	George Morris R														18					0
-	Clark Yowell R						19													0
-	Bob Pratt R													19						0
-	Hank Davis R						20													0
-	Dan Morgan						21													0
-	Skip Hedrick R																21			0
-	Ted Foltz						22													0
-	Masten Gregory R			23																0
-	Clyde McFarlin R						23													0
-	Bob Veith			24																0
-	Walter Miller R						24													0
-	Chuck Stevenson			25	DNQ	DNQ														0
-	Danny Collins						25													0
-	Jerry Grant R			27	DNQ															0
-	Chuck Arnold					DNQ		DNS												0
-	Bill Eldridge		DNQ			DNQ		DNQ									DNQ			0
-	Gig Stephens			DNQ		DNQ											DNQ			0
-	Bob King															DNQ	DNQ			0
-	Chuck Booth																	DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Bob Huebner																	Wth	DNQ	0
-	Bob Christie			DNQ																0
-	Paul Goldsmith			DNQ																0
-	Skip Hudson			DNQ																0
-	Ebb Rose			DNQ																0
-	Paul Russo			DNQ																0
-	Bill Sullivan																	DNQ		0
-	Chuck Hulse																		DNQ	0
-	Ray Furnal			DNP																0
-	Sherman Cleveland																	DNP		0
Pos	Driver	PHX1	TRE1	INDY	MIL1	LAN1	PIP	TRE2	IRP	ATL	LAN2	MIL2	SPR	MIL3	DQSF	ISF	TRE3	SAC	PHX2	Pts

Color	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	4th & 5th place
Light Blue	6th-10th place
Dark Blue	Finished (Outside Top 10)
Purple	Did not finish (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Brown	Withdrawn (Wth)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
Blank	Did not participate (DNP)
Blank	Not competing

In-line notation
Bold	Pole position
Italics	Ran fastest race lap
*	Led most race laps
RY Rookie of the Year
R Rookie

References

v t e American Championship car racing (Indy car) seasons
AAA	1905 1906–1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
USAC	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95
CART	1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
CCWS	2004 2005 2006 2007 ~~2008~~
IRL	1996 1996–97 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
INDYCAR	2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Years marked in italics are not official championship years or upcoming seasons.

v t e USAC Championship Cars (1956-1970)
Seasons	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
Indianapolis 500s	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
National Champions	Mario Andretti (three times) Tony Bettenhausen Jimmy Bryan (twice) A. J. Foyt (five times) Al Unser Bobby Unser Rodger Ward (twice)
Tracks	Arizona State Fair Atlanta Brainerd California State Fair Continental Divide Darlington Daytona Dover DuQuoin State Fair Hanford Illinois State Fair Indianapolis Indianapolis Raceway Park Indiana State Fair Lakewood Langhorne Michigan Michigan State Fair Milwaukee Missouri State Fair Mont-Tremblant Mosport Nazareth New York State Fair Ontario Phoenix Pikes Peak Riverside Stardust Sears Point Seattle Trenton

Schedule and results

Final points standings

References

See also