The 58th Running of the Indianapolis 500 was held on Sunday, May 26, 1974, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Johnny Rutherford won his first of three Indianapolis 500 victories after starting the race from 25th position.
During the early years (1970's) that ABC carried a same-day edited videotape of the Indianapolis "500", Jim McKay always mentioned the date at the start of the telecast, so viewers would know that the taped race they were about to see took place earlier that day. From 1971 through 1985, millions of families (my late parents, my younger brother, and I included) would listen to the race live on radio during the day, then watch the edited videotape on TV that evening.
and I'm still angry about it. It made me hate ABC for life (I always hated the Roone Arledge melodrama). Even the Daytona 500 went live on CBS in '79 (and every Nascar race was live on cable by '85).
@@ericferguson68 I suspect it was the Indianapolis Speedway, and not ABC, that didn't allow a live telecast of the race in the United States until 1986. I'm sure that if the Speedway wanted ABC to carry the race live in the 1970's and early 1980's, ABC would have done so.
@@altfactor : It's certainly possible, but they truly didn't believe that people would sit and watch the cars go around for 4 or 5 hours. ABC was really into the melodrama. They liked to cut all kinds of pre-recorded clips into the telecast. The LA/NYC crowd that runs the networks often doesn't understand what flyover county wants to watch.
@@ericferguson68 It wasn't ABC's call. They wanted to start carrying the race live as far back as the late 1960s. But Tony Hulman was an old-time promoter, who believed all racetracks live and die by the gate receipts, so he didn't want people watching on TV when they could come to the track and see it live.
@@almostfm Exactly ... they held those rights dearly. Subsequently, IMS allowed live coverage but a regional blackout. I attend (53 500s and counting), and living in Indy, my Mom and Dad would road trip to an out of state hotel, get a room and watch the race live on TV. Even today, it's still a local blackout, with a replay later that evening.
The best days .....I loved the piece showing the folks in turn one.....man, people were just different. Everyone having fun, partying, assin around, nobody offended, nobody complaining, just everyone there to relax, watch the race with people of all walks of life.
Very different back then. 1. No safety cars and no packing up under yellow flags. The pits did not close under yellow. 2. No pit lane speed limits. 3. No professional pit crews and a 20 second pit stop was considered "fast". 4. Reliability was awful. Seven cars went out with engine related problems in the first 11 laps and back then it was common that at least two thirds of the cars would not finish the race. 5. No timing and scoring on TV.
I was at the '73 race and my parents wouldn't let me go back until I turned 18. My dad's co-workers were sitting where Salt Walther's fuel spewed and 2 were burned badly. We were sitting in turn 1. Dad and mom thought it was to disturbing to see and didn't want me to see it again until I was old enough (I was 9)
and then comes up with the classic, there is dick simon in car #44, he is the father of 7 children....................... and that means what to the race ??
@@NotSteveCook Of course weaving puts temperature into the tires. The car is going a longer distance than if you were just going in a straight line, plus the stress on the tires from the cornering forces are also heating the tires.
Lone Star JR in that beautiful papaya McLaren at Indy is quintessential mid-70's American open wheel racing. A great first win for a legend on the track and a true gentlemen both on and off it. Combined with the understated, refined and, for lack of a better term, adult-ness of the Jim McKay led broadcast team, when compared to today's juvenile buffoonish gimmicky antics in the broadcast booth and on the track, this feels like it's from another planet...one where grownups still exist.
Agreed on all points. Nobody yelling or making up some catch phrases or making it about themselves....it was just a better time in every conceivable way.
My Name Is John Clark. 😎🤓 I Was Born In October 1968.👶 I Remember 🤔 Watching Indianapolis 500 Race On 🌞 Sunday Night 🌛🌉🌃🌌 On Television 📺 With My Father 🧑🤓📺. I Remember 🤔 My Mother 👩 Called Me "Johnny" Clark. Johnny Rutherford Is One Of My Sports Heroes , Because He Is A Class Act!😎😎🤓 Always Talking To The Media 🗣️🎤🎧📺 Whether He Wins 🏁🏎️🥛🏆Or Loses! I Am Posting 📬 This At 12:30 p.m. , Wednesday Afternoon 🌁🛤️🛣️🏙️ , May 22 , 2024.
I agree. ABC showed part of the original broadcast of the 1972 race during 500 Time Trials one year back in the mid-to-late 1980s, so it does exist somewhere in the archives. I believe.
This was the year after they had the big multi-car crash at the start. The grandstands were pushed way back and the fences strengthened and the pit road entrance lengthened
I guess even in 1974 directors thought fans wanted to see extended shots of driver's wives reacting while viewers miss on-track action. Absolutely maddening. I remember all the times they'd cut to Ashley Judd's idiotic face.
the ,74 indy 500 race was a major improvement from last years ,73 indy 500 horror film contest of death kudos to usac 4 the improvements to insure us we didn t ever have to have a nightmare month like 1973 thanks tom binford and even the flagman pat vidan
Ironically, had the '73 500 been on Saturday like the two previous years (it was moved to Monday in '73 after many complaints about people unable to go in 1971 and '72 when it was on a Saturday (prior to 1971 it had been on May 30 regardless of which day of the week that fell on unless May 30 was a Sunday, then it was on Monday) as many still had a six-day workweek then with only Sundays and holidays off and religious groups as I remember didn't want the 500 on Sunday before caving in after '73 that had been planned before the '73 edition), it would have avoided ALL of the rain that hit Indy that weekend and beyond as that rain hit WELL AFTER that 500 would have been completed if it had been on Saturday instead of Monday. That rain likely played a huge factor with why that Indy 500 was as tragic as it was and the worst Indy 500 in history.
Johnny Rutherford Blew An Engine On Saturday May 11, 1974. So Was Unable To Win 🏆 The Pole Position From Fellow Texan Anthony Joseph Foyt. Johnny Rutherford Crew Installed Another Engine Into Johnny Rutherford's Car.🏎️ And Johnny Rutherford Qualified On 🌞 Saturday May 18, 1974. The 58th Indianapolis 500 Race Was Held On 🌞 Sunday May 26, 1974.🏁🏎️📺 1:39:25 Johnny Rutherford Had 8 Pit Stops , Where As 2nd Place Bobby Unser Had 10 Pit Stops. Johnny Rutherford From The 25th Starting Position ( Inside Of The 9th Row ) Won 🏁🏎️🥛🏆 The 1974 Indianapolis 500 At 3 Hours 9 Minutes 10.06 Seconds. Bobby Unser Was 2nd Place , 22.32 Seconds Behind Johnny Rutherford. So Bobby Unser Making 2 Extra Pit Stops Was The Different In This Race. But Bobby Unser Said That "His McLaren Was Just Too Fast!" In A Post Race Interview On Television. 📺 I Remember 🤔 My Mother 👩 Called Me "Johnny" Clark After This Race!👩🏁🏎️🥛🏆😎😎😁🤓🙂☺️🇺🇲 I Am Posting 📬 This At 2:56 p.m. , Wednesday Afternoon 🌁🛤️🛣️🏙️ , May 22 , 2024.
Who made the claim this was broadcast in 1080p? Now you would think the people in charge of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's video collection would be aware that recording for broadcast at 1080p was not a thing in 1974 because scan lines on television sets wasn't even at 500 lines.
I want copy's of every radio full broadcast from as far back as it was recorded till now as well every video full broadcast from as back as possible till current
This was lst Indy "500" run on Sun., Mem. holiday wknd. as its "Never On Sun." policy was lifted. Prestigious race's previous 57 runnings were on tr'dtnl Mem. Day, May 30. Whenever May 30 would fall on Sun., race 🏁 itself would take place day l'tr, Mon. May 31
And actually, what you saw when they showed Hulman giving the command was from when they first tried to start the race in 1973. Frankly, ABC made a couple of major missteps in their coverage of this race. The first was not showing Hulman's command from that particular year, which might have been his best and most dramatic giving of the command to start engines. The other major misstep of ABC's coverage was that they never showed Johnny Rutherford getting the checkered flag because their cameras were focused on Betty Rutherford and the McLaren team at the moment Rutherford took the checkered flag.
Track layout changes did help for safety in 1974 but ABC announcers were trying to infer the track conditions in 1973 were unsafe and cars were too fast. When they asked more than one driver(especially the top drivers) they found conditions were normal and relatively safe for racing. Just like the media does today, they were trying to drum up controversy. Not very many cars that ran during that race were handling good enough and with average drivers who could evaluate whether or not they should drive their higher horse power cars at the limits. It was a big jump in speed from 1972 to 1973 and average drivers couldn`t acclimate. Besides Jackie Stewart, the ABC commentators know very little about motor sports and they made Americans sound like morons.And that still happens today.
I am an English motor racing fan well into his 60's and I just wish to say how much I enjoy American motor racing history. I go the Goodwood and the Duke of Richmond and Gordon is a huge Indy fan, the Borg Warner trophy last year was something I never thought I would see. IMS, you have fans around the world and we love you and your glorious history. I echo the thanks from other fans for your making these superb films available.
I second that being from Switzerland. I been to F1 races in Monza, Hockenheim and Nürburgring. Ever since I was a kid, when I first heard of the Indy 500 (must have been about 10y) I made it my life goal to be in attendance of this race once in my life. At the time simply bc an oval race with half a million spectators seemed about as exotic as it got. Despite knowing about all the other oval races now I still plan to fulfill this goal within the decade.
BRM H16 Growing up an hour away from Detroit, Drag Racing was a big deal as well, especially in the 60s and 70s. Very Colorful like Indy. If you like give a documentary a try. It's got alot of American 🇺🇸 flavor.
Speaking for & as the American racing fan, Thank you! So many of us have long loved the racing from across the pond. The F1 racing from the 70's was such a thrill to watch. Great drivers & absolutely awesome looking cars (a car with 4 front tires, are you freak'n kidding me!! 🤩) & of course, so many legendary tracks & all the epic battle's waged on them. 💪🤠👍!!
@@iflick7235 Ironically, Hobbs is best known for his work in the early days of CBS's NASCAR telecasts when they began to show such in their entireties.
Sam Posey's "fill-in" work as analyst for the 1974 Indianapolis "500" impressed ABC: He would go on to work many auto racing events for the network, including several subsequent Indy races,
Johnny Rutherford is one of my heroes! I have a poster from his 1976 Indy win that I mailed to him, and he signed it for me. I am a Johnny Rutherford fan forever!@@grantprice2328
My Name Is John Clark. 😎🤓 I Was Born In October 1968. I Remember 🤔 Watching The Indy 500 Highlights On Television 📺 With My Father 🧑 Back In The 1970's!🧑🤓📺 But I Remember 🤔 My Mother 👩 Called Me "Johnny" Clark , Back In The 1970's! 👩😁😎😎🤓🙂☺️ Johnny Rutherford Is One Of My True Sports Heroes! 😎🏁🏎️🥛🏆😎🤓🙂☺️🇺🇲 I Am Posting 📬 This At 12:22 p.m. , Wednesday Afternoon 🌁🛤️🛣️🏙️ , May 22 , 2024.
So strange watching this particular race as my parents were in the turn 4 grandstands while my Mom was pregnant with me. So technically, this is my 50th year being at Indy!!!
My first memory of the Indy 500 was with my father, we watched Gordon Johncock win his second Indy 500 in 1982, he beat Rick Mears by about a car length if memory serves me right.
Sam Posey is a living legend. As someone that went back and watched all these 1970s-90s races, so thankful for Posey's ability to describe whats happening from a driver's perspective
I only recall Posey crossing the line once, when he tried to interview Kevin Cogan in 1986, when he was leading the race during the yellow. Of course, Bobby Rahal got the jump on Cogan when the green flag was waved and won, but that probably had nothing to do with Posey bothering him.
Sam 'Day-bree' Posey. I was hit and miss with him. He obviously knew his shit, but annoyed here and there. His little jousts with Bobby Unser were pretty entertaining, as stated here 😆 classic dick measuring/pissing contests that men do...😆 especially about cars
Even Though I Am A Fan Of A. J. Foyt. It Seems Like ABC Was Giving A. J. Foyt, That 4th Victory, Already, Before The 1974 Indianapolis 500 Race, Even Got Started! 😳🧐😱🤯😁😅😂🤣😁😎🤓😎🙂☺️ We Would Have To Wait, Another 3 Years, Before Anthony Joseph Foyt Would Get That 4th Indianapolis 500 Victory! 🏁🏎️🏆🥛 Typed By John Clark 🌞 Sunday Afternoon 4:36 p.m. 🌁🏙️, April 16, 2023
These are great to see again, reminds me of my youth staying away from any news regarding who won because the replay was at night. But, the races today are much closer than they were back then and the cars were so fragile, just look at this race, 5 cars done within the first 10 laps.
Pit crew guy wearing a cowboy hat haha. The evolution of the pit crew to modern day is something to behold. And pretty funny to look back at these times
You gotta love AJ, he wanted to make damn sure everyone knew he was from Texas. Hell, I'm surprised he didn't have Bob Wills & The Texas Playboy's for a pit-crew & Ol' Waylon on top of his pit-box 🤔...oh yeah, I forgot, no pit-box command centers back then 🤷🏻♂️ LOL!
Who has the fastest running pit crew lol, I love the commentary on these old race videos, and the pit crews are not even wearing gloves never mind helmets, back when people had balls.
100%. Definitely not 'stay safe!' era approved. And we also rode BMX bikes and skateboards as kids without helmets and pads all over our bodies, and went out and played with our friends all day and only came in when it got too dark to see. I feel bad for kids today that kind of freedom is something they'll never know...
My cousin was married to the brother of racer Don Branson who was killed in a bizarre accident in Arizona in 1966. I got to spend time in his garage. He was a good guy. One thing I'm wondering: After watching a lot of football videos from the '70s, how did you get such a great video? Thanks for the upload.
Not only did ABC's tease at the start of thus telecast focus on A.J. Foyt, but so did the network's on air promotion in the days prior to the race. Foyt entered the race as an odds-on favorite to win. He didn't get that right the career win in 1974, but did so in 1977, one of the most popular victories in the 110-year history of the "500".
