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1979 California 500 Previous race results / Next race results                     Next at this track     Post CART race number 11 of 14 Sunday, September 2, 1979 at Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, CA 200 laps on a 2.500 mile paved track (500.000 miles) Time of race: 3:24:22 Average speed: 146.794 mph Pole speed: 203.046 mph Cautions: 12 for 51 laps Margin of victory: n/a Attendance: n/a Lead changes: 18 Glossary    1979 CART results   /   1979 standings

Pos St # Driver Sponsor / Owner Chass./Eng. Laps Money Status Led Pts 22 22 41   Bill Alsup WASP Racing   (Bill Alsup) McLaren / Offy 59   cylinder 0 15 3 4 99   Mario Andretti Gould Charge   (Roger Penske) Penske / Cosworth 200   running 0 700 32 9 11   Tom Bagley Dairy Queen / Kent Oil   (Bobby Hillin) Penske / Cosworth 7   crash 0 5 27 28 19   Phil Caliva Sta-On Car Glaze Eagle / Offy 23   oil leak 0 10 14 35 95   Larry Cannon Cannon Racing   (Larry Cannon) Wildcat / Offy 128   piston 0 25 28 19 10   Pancho Carter Alex XLNT Foods   (Alex Morales) Lightning / Offy 21   camshaft 0 10 24 16 40   Wally Dallenbach Foreman Industries   (Pat Patrick) Penske / Cosworth 46   engine 0 15 16 15 23   Dick Ferguson Aero Electronics Penske / Cosworth 118   valve 0 25 31 21 86   Dennis Firestone AMS Oil Lola / Cosworth 10   oil leak 0   11 31 18   Tom Frantz Kent Oil Wildcat / Offy 152   running 0 100 25 10 55   Spike Gehlhausen Frosty Acres Lightning / Cosworth 46   halfshaft 0 10 29 26 15   Bob Harkey Alex Foods   (Alex Morales) Lightning / Offy 17   crash 0   35 34 79   Cliff Hucul Hoffman Racing Eagle / Offy 2   transmission 0   15 12 20   Gordon Johncock North American Van Lines   (Pat Patrick) Penske / Cosworth 119   fuel pump 0 25 23 7 71   Steve Krisiloff Dairy Queen / Kent Oil Penske / Cosworth 47   valve 0 15 9 14 21   Lee Kunzman Vetter / Windjammer   (Conqueste Racing Team) Parnelli / Cosworth 188   running 0 200 21 27 69   Al Loquasto Biane Winery Eagle / Offy 69   piston 0 15 18 23 30   John Martin Paramount Printing McLaren / Offy 107   engine 0   2 1 9   Rick Mears Gould Charge   (Roger Penske) Penske / Cosworth 200   running 34 800 13 17 60   Roger Mears Patrick Racing   (Pat Patrick) Penske / Cosworth 135   engine 0   34 11 36   Mike Mosley Theodore Racing   (Dan Gurney) Eagle / Cosworth 2   engine 0 5 6 8 25   Danny Ongais Interscope / Panasonic   (Ted Field) Parnelli / Cosworth 196   running 0 400 33 6 32   Johnny Parsons Sugaripe Prunes   (Jerry O'Connell) McLaren / Cosworth 4   valve 0   26 18 35   Tim Richmond S & M Electric Lightning / Offy 39   transmission 0 10 4 13 4   Johnny Rutherford Budweiser   (Bruce McLaren) McLaren / Cosworth 199   running 2 600 30 33 59   Joe Saldana Hoffman Racing Lightning / Offy 14   oil pump 0 5 7 30 34   Vern Schuppan Wysard Motors   (Herb Wysard) Wildcat / DGS 192   running 0 300 19 32 28   Bill Scott Wheel Center Eagle / Offy 74   engine 0 20 10 25 72   Jerry Sneva Hodgdon Racing McLaren / Cosworth 170   engine 0 150 17 5 1   Tom Sneva Sugaripe Prunes   (Jerry O'Connell) McLaren / Cosworth 108   oil pump 5 20 5 2 2   Al Unser Pennzoil   (Chaparral Cars) Chaparral / Cosworth 197   running 62 500 1 3 12   Bobby Unser Norton Spirit   (Roger Penske) Penske / Cosworth 200   running 97 1000 20 20 77   Salt Walther Walmotor   (Walmotors) Penske / Cosworth 69   transmission 0 20 12 24 98   Bill Whittington Road Atlanta Parnelli / Cosworth 139   intake manifold 0   8 29 94   Don Whittington Budweiser McLaren / Cosworth 190   running 0

Lap leader breakdown: Leader From Lap To Lap # Of Laps   Al Unser 1 25 25   Tom Sneva 26 30 5   Al Unser 31 47 17   Bobby Unser 48 51 4   Al Unser 52 71 20   Bobby Unser 72 106 35   Rick Mears 107 115 9   Bobby Unser 116 125 10   Rick Mears 126 138 13   Johnny Rutherford 139 139 1   Bobby Unser 140 150 11   Rick Mears 151 155 5   Bobby Unser 156 161 6   Rick Mears 162 164 3   Johnny Rutherford 165 165 1   Bobby Unser 166 183 18   Rick Mears 184 187 4   Bobby Unser 188 200 13 Points Standings after this race: Rank Driver Points Diff 1   Rick Mears 3340     2   Bobby Unser 3070   -270   3   Johnny Rutherford 1833   -1507   4   Gordon Johncock 1783   -1557   5   Al Unser 1590   -1750   6   Danny Ongais 1459   -1881   7   Mike Mosley 1068   -2272   8   Tom Bagley 998   -2342   9   Tom Sneva 895   -2445   10   Wally Dallenbach 834   -2506   11   Mario Andretti 700   -2640   12   Lee Kunzman 485   -2855   13   Vern Schuppan 441   -2899   14   Salt Walther 299   -3041   15   Pancho Carter 279   -3061   16   Bill Alsup 265   -3075   17   Joe Saldana 242   -3098   18   Spike Gehlhausen 230   -3110   19   Tom Frantz 228   -3112   20   Steve Krisiloff 189   -3151   21   Jerry Sneva 155   -3185