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472:"The best thing would be to run the next day, Penske said. "The decision was made because of the wonderful support we've had, from the press and from all of the fans. We felt we needed to give them the opportunity to come back. We're trying to help the fans, and I think you'll see most of them come back."
508:
14 people were injured in the fire. 12 were treated for minor burns at the track hospital, including
Johnson who had minor facial burns. Graig Nelson, a Johnson crew member, was hospitalized with first and second degree burns to his feet. Jay Signore, a Team Penske crewman for Bobby Unser, suffered a
526:
While leading on lap 112, Johnny
Rutherford ran over debris and blew a right-rear tire on the backstretch. The car spun 360 degrees and Rutherford continued back to the pits. Suspension damage knocked him out of the race. The misfortune for Rutherford allowed Pancho Carter to return to the lead lap.
519:
On lap 81, A. J. Foyt crashed hard into the turn two wall. Foyt was knocked unconscious in the impact and his right arm was nearly severed by the guard rail. He suffered a wound to his left leg and a compound fracture to his right arm along with severe lacerations to his arm. He was airlifted to the
352:
Crowd enthusiasm was very high for the change in distance to 500 miles. Penske declared that ticket sales had almost doubled compared to the 200 mile event in July 1980. "The moment we announced we were going to have a 500-mile Indy car race here, it was like I had invented a new formula. The ticket
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Second-place finisher, Tony
Bettenhausen Jr. filed an appeal claiming Carter's push start on lap 144 was in violation of CART rules. With an affidavit from Tom Sneva, who had retired earlier in the race, Bettenhausen appealed to CART stewards, seeking a penalty for Carter, but was denied later that
459:
and Jim Buick crashed on lap eight. Buick was transported to a local hospital after complaining of shoulder pains but was released later that day. Harry MacDonald and Phil Caliva were the only two other cars to finish. Chassey and Bill
Tempero were added to the starting grid by posting the 34th and
468:
A constant rain marred race day on Sunday July 19. Once it became apparent the rain would not stop, the race was postponed until the following
Saturday. While the possibility existed for the race to be run on Monday, (with NBC taping the event for later broadcast), Roger Penske decided to run the
348:
Penske insisted the creation of the
Michigan 500 was not an attempt for CART to supplant the Indianapolis 500, but rather just a chance to build a successful event. "We have the finest racing facility in the country today. With the proper presentation we can build this to be a major event. It's a
504:
lightly hit the wall after hitting the oil and Pancho Carter spun into the infied grass. Under caution, Herm
Johnson's car caught fire while refueling. The methanol fire spread uncontrolled to other pit boxes as people fled. Tires exploding from the heat caused loud explosions. Heroic work from
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cut leg and was hospitalized. The race was red-flagged for 97 minutes while fire damage was cleaned and fire equipment was replaced. It was the third pit fire in two months, following a fire in Rick Mears's pit during the
Indianapolis 500 and a previous fire for Herm Johnson at Milwaukee.
323:, where two separate open-wheel schedules were held. In 1980, the two series briefly merged as the Championship Racing League before once again splitting. As Indy car racing entered 1981, USAC retained sanctioning control of the Indianapolis 500 and Pocono 500.
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344:
vice-president of sports programming, Dick
Auerbach, said, "With the squabbles they've been having at Indianapolis recently, I think this race will be the 500-mile race of the future. It could supplant the Memorial Day race within a few years."
505:
firefighters kept the fuel tanks from exploding. Track fire crews were unable to completely extinguish the blaze, firefighters from the
Cambridge Township Department were summoned and were able to extinguish the fire in five minutes.
437:
The opening round of Time Trials was held on Thursday afternoon. Tom Sneva won the pole with a speed of 201.359 mph. Johnny Rutherford and Rick Mears posted the second and third fastest speeds to occupy spots on the front row.
433:
and Tom Sneva posted the fastest practice speed when they ran identical lap speeds of 197.8 mph. Team Penske drivers Rick Mears and Bill Alsup ran laps at 196.7 mph, followed by Pancho Carter at 196 mph.
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On Saturday, July 19, Roger Penske exercised his "promoter's option" and expanded the starting field to 37 starters. Two alternate starters and the top-two finishers from a 10-lap qualifying race were added.
411:
417:
After not committing to join CART for two years, A. J. Foyt obtained CART membership on July 13, and entered the Michigan 500. Mario Andretti skipped the Michigan 500 in order to run the
590:
Because of the rain delay, Ohlmeyer estimated it would cost NBC "a quarter of a million dollars" to bring its cameras and crew back to Michigan for the rescheduled race one week later.
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371:. While the win was returned to Unser through a USAC appeal in October, as of July's Michigan 500, Andretti was still considered the winner of that year's Indianapolis 500.
410:
were suspended by CART for 60 days for competing in the Pocono 500, a suspension that would extend through the Michigan 500. The drivers filed a lawsuit against CART in
326:
For the majority of the first twelve years of Michigan International Speedway, the July Indy car race was a 200-mile event. On February 26, 1981, track-owner
475:
A practice session was held on Friday, July 24, ahead of the rescheduled race. Polesitter Tom Sneva posted the fastest practice speed at 199.5 mph.
530:
Suspension issues knocked Bobby Unser out of contention for the win. After leading 34 laps, Mike Mosley fell out of the race with engine problems.
53:
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The Michigan 500 was the first time ever that a 500-mile Indy Car race was broadcast live in its entirety. NBC's broadcast was overseen by
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35th fastest qualifying speeds. MacDonald and Caliva were added to the Michigan 500 by being the two highest finishers not added by speed.
523:
On lap 96, Sneva's car experienced gearbox failure with the car stuck in third gear. He retired from the race after completing 107 laps.
333:
With NBC providing live coverage, the Michigan 500 would become the second 500-mile auto race to be aired live in its entirety, joining
29:
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assumed the lead and paced the field for 46 laps. Unser's chances of winning ended on lap 196 when he blew an engine while leading.
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562:, who said, "We probably put as much effort into preparing for this telecast as we have ever put into any single sports event."
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Seven cars entered Saturday's 10-lap qualifying race for those not among the top-33 fastest qualifiers. The race was won by
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to the finish line by two seconds. It was Carter's first win in 78 starts. Only 10 of the 37 starters finished the race.
516:. Mosley took the lead and extended his advantage to seven seconds over Sneva by the time he stopped for fuel on lap 76.
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was created as a way for Indy car teams to have greater control over the sport. It led to a split between CART and
176:
Cloudy with temperatures up to 83 °F (28 °C); wind speeds reaching up to 9 miles per hour (14 km/h)
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Pancho Carter had battled Unser for the lead past the halfway point and led the final 55 laps, beating
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The restart came out on lap five and Johnny Rutherford quickly passed Sneva for the lead. In turn one,
520:
University of Michigan hospital in Roger Penske's personal helicopter where he underwent surgery.
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which was successful and overturned their suspension, allowing them to enter the Michigan 500.
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closed and created a void in the Triple Crown where only two 500 mile races would be held.
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NBC aired a qualifying report and race preview on Saturday, July 18. The car driven by
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When the race began, Tom Sneva pulled out to a lead. At the beginning of lap two,
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24: in Brooklyn, Michigan, on Saturday, July 25, 1981. Branded as the
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382:. CART teams boycotted the event and the field was filled with dirt cars.
536:
742:"Suspended Drivers Win Court Battle But Will Not Compete in Sunday Race"
444:
led second day qualifiers on Friday with a speed of 193.876 mph.
533:
On lap 144, Carter received a push start after stalling on pit road.
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but had his win stripped away due to a rules violation and given to
28:
for sponsorship reasons, the event was race number 5 of 11 in the
820:. (South Carolina). Associated Press. July 18, 1981. p. A11.
748:. (South Carolina). Associated Press. June 27, 1981. p. A10.
412:
United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia
802:. (South Carolina). Associated Press. July 17, 1981. p. C3.
20:, the inaugural running of the event, was held at the
664:. (Michigan). Associated Press. February 27, 1981. p. 43.
646:. (Michigan). Associated Press. February 27, 1981. p. 43.
628:. (Michigan). Associated Press. February 27, 1981. p. 43.
341:
1113:. (Michigan). Associated Press. July 20, 1981. p. 43.
1068:. (Michigan). Associated Press. July 20, 1981. p. 43.
892:. (Michigan). Associated Press. July 20, 1981. p. 19.
874:. (Michigan). Associated Press. July 20, 1981. p. 19.
856:. (Michigan). Associated Press. July 19, 1981. p. 76.
682:. (New York). Associated Press. July 18, 1981. p. 26.
1086:. (Michigan). Associated Press. July 18, 1981. p. 9.
1050:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 26, 1981. p. 70.
1018:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 26, 1981. p. 70.
1000:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 26, 1981. p. 71.
982:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 26, 1981. p. 71.
964:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 26, 1981. p. 71.
946:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 26, 1981. p. 70.
928:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 26, 1981. p. 70.
910:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 25, 1981. p. 13.
784:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 16, 1981. p. 42.
766:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 14, 1981. p. 22.
730:. (Florida). Associated Press. June 22, 1981. p. 29.
838:. (Indiana). Associated Press. July 18, 1981. p. 7.
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good business decision. We have no conflict with Indy."
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announced that the race would be extended to 500 miles.
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After the restart, Tom Sneva ran in close company with
694:"Digital Newspapers - Penn State University Libraries"
40:
victory. The race commenced a 20-year history of the
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724:"Foyt's Dad Gets A Pocono Present on Father's Day"
1096:1981 Michigan 500 Telecast: NBC-TV, July 25, 1981
353:sales jumped almost 100 percent over last year."
308:. This continued for 10 years until late 1980,
8:
1140:Motorsport competitions in the United States
429:In Wednesday's opening three-hour practice,
83:
1107:"Another Ohlmeyer Show Wrecked by NBC Jinx"
1062:"Another Ohlmeyer Show Wrecked by NBC Jinx"
850:"Lansing Driver Wins 10-Lap MIS Qualifier"
82:
469:following weekend to retain spectators.
288:Indy car racing's Triple Crown began in
598:
572:did the play-by-play coverage for NBC.
778:"Rutherford, Sneva Have Fastest Times"
7:
904:"Rain May Be Winner in Michigan 500"
796:"Sneva Takes Pole for Michigan Race"
455:. Chassey had a half-mile lead when
209:201.359 mph (324.056 km/h)
698:digitalnewspapers.libraries.psu.edu
340:. At the time of the announcement,
30:1981 CART PPG Indy Car World Series
1044:"Pancho Fastest Michigan Survivor"
1030:"1981 Norton Michigan 500 Results"
1012:"Pancho Fastest Michigan Survivor"
704:from the original on March 4, 2016
44:being a part of Indy car racing's
14:
482:spun in turn two and continued.
378:was held in June and was won by
296:opened and held their inaugural
261:
243:
225:
192:
111:
85:
832:"Heat May Slow Norton 500 Pace"
142:Michigan International Speedway
22:Michigan International Speedway
317:Championship Auto Racing Teams
234: (Alex Morales Autosport)
201: (Bignotti-Cotter Racing)
1:
658:"CART Rolls 500-Miler to MIS"
640:"CART Rolls 500-Miler to MIS"
622:"CART Rolls 500-Miler to MIS"
252: (Tony Bettenhausen Jr.)
922:"Fire Pays Return Pit Visit"
676:"Penske Boosts Michigan 500"
606:Weather information for the
500:blew an engine in turn one.
1130:1981 in American motorsport
814:"Walther Turns 193 MPH Lap"
587:carried an onboard camera.
1161:
760:"Foyt to Race at Michigan"
580:served as pit reporters.
156:Permanent racing facility
110:
100:
69:42.0663000°N 84.2414389°W
994:"Michigan 500 Continued"
976:"Michigan 500 Continued"
958:"Michigan 500 Continued"
608:1981 Norton Michigan 500
425:Practice and Time Trials
132:1981 Norton Michigan 500
26:1981 Norton Michigan 500
419:1981 British Grand Prix
168:500.000 mi / 804.672 km
74:42.0663000; -84.2414389
1135:Motorsport in Michigan
310:Ontario Motor Speedway
32:. The race was won by
1084:Lansing State Journal
940:"14 Hurt in Pit Fire"
890:Lansing State Journal
886:"Rain Ruins MIS Race"
872:Lansing State Journal
868:"Rain Ruins MIS Race"
544:Tony Bettenhausen Jr.
361:1981 Indianapolis 500
250:Tony Bettenhausen Jr.
836:Muncie Evening-Press
102:Race 5 of 11 in the
158:2.000 mi / 3.219 km
92:
65: /
1111:Detroit Free Press
1066:Detroit Free Press
854:Detroit Free-Press
662:Detroit Free Press
644:Detroit Free Press
626:Detroit Free Press
146:Brooklyn, Michigan
123:July 25, 1981
1145:Michigan Indy 400
1048:Indianapolis Star
1016:Indianapolis Star
998:Indianapolis Star
980:Indianapolis Star
962:Indianapolis Star
944:Indianapolis Star
926:Indianapolis Star
782:Indianapolis Star
764:Indianapolis News
431:Johnny Rutherford
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91:1981 Michigan 500
18:1981 Michigan 500
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182:Pole position
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60:84°14′29.18″W
57:42°03′58.68″N
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34:Pancho Carter
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706:. Retrieved
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578:Bruce Jenner
574:Gary Gerould
564:
560:Don Ohlmeyer
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554:Broadcasting
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498:Bill Tempero
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480:Larry Cannon
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442:Salt Walther
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408:Dean Vetrock
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328:Roger Penske
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96:Race details
50:
46:Triple Crown
42:Michigan 500
36:- his first
25:
17:
15:
514:Mike Mosley
496:On lap 25,
457:Jerry Sneva
400:Tom Bigelow
392:Roger Rager
365:Team Penske
357:Bobby Unser
338:Daytona 500
272:Team Penske
72: /
1124:Categories
594:References
585:Bill Alsup
388:Dick Simon
380:A. J. Foyt
376:Pocono 500
298:Pocono 500
284:Background
268:Rick Mears
708:April 25,
566:Paul Page
550:evening.
493:crashed.
384:Tom Sneva
315:In 1979,
199:Tom Sneva
16:The
702:Archived
537:Al Unser
359:won the
335:NASCAR's
166:250 laps
163:Distance
138:Location
38:Indy Car
374:USAC's
270: (
173:Weather
406:, and
239:Second
215:Podium
188:Driver
153:Course
342:NBC's
292:when
257:Third
221:First
710:2018
576:and
568:and
489:and
464:Race
363:for
321:USAC
304:and
290:1971
206:Time
120:Date
1126::
1109:.
1082:.
1064:.
1046:.
1014:.
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