1979 California 500 in CART at the Ontario circuit. Full information

1979 California 500

1979 California 500 is 10th CART race. Passed at the Ontario circuit. Rick Mears won the pole position, Bobby Unser won this race. Rick Mears and Mario Andretti also climbed to the podium, in second and third place. Race distance 200 laps (805 km).

Previous race: 1979 Trenton Champ Cars
Next race: 1979 Michigan Champ Cars
Race Start: 2nd September 1979

Interesting facts and statistics about the 1979 California 500

6th victory for the Penske Racing team
5th victory for the Bobby Unser
6th podium for the Bobby Unser
5th podium for the Rick Mears
1st podium for the Mario Andretti

Penske PC7 - 1979 California 500 winner

Penske PC7 #12 - 1979 California 500 winner

1979 California 500 results

Position Name Car Points Result Lap Team
1 Bobby Unser Penske PC7, #12 1000 3h 24m 22s 0 Penske Racing
2 Rick Mears Penske PC7, #9 800 3h 24m 32s 0 Penske Racing
3 Mario Andretti Penske PC6, #99 700 3h 24m 56s 0 Penske Racing
4 Johnny Rutherford McLaren M24B, #4 600 199 laps 0 Team McLaren
5 Al Unser Chaparral 2K, #2 500 197 laps 0 Chaparral Racing
6 Danny Ongais Parnelli VPJ6B, #25 400 196 laps 0 Interscope Racing
7 Vern Schuppan Wildcat Mk2, #34 300 192 laps 0 Wysard Motor Co
8 Don Whittington McLaren M24B, #94 250 190 laps 0 Team McLaren
9 Lee Kunzman Parnelli VPJ6C, #21 200 188 laps 0 Conquest Racing Team
10 Jerry Sneva McLaren M24, #72 150 170 laps Engine 0 Hodgson Racing
11 Tom Frantz Wildcat ? 1979, #18 100 152 laps 0 Tom Frantz
12 Bill Whittington Parnelli VPJ6C, #98 50 139 laps Inlet manifold 0 Whittington Racing
13 Roger Mears Penske PC6, #60 25 135 laps Engine 0 Patrick Racing
14 Larry Cannon Wildcat ? 1979, #95 25 128 laps Piston 0 Cannon Racing Team
15 Gordon Johncock Penske PC6, #20 25 119 laps Fuel pump 0 Patrick Racing
16 Dick Ferguson Penske ? 1979, #23 25 118 laps Valve 0 Aero Electronics
17 Tom Sneva McLaren M24, #1 20 108 laps Oil pump 0 Sugaripe Prune Racing Team
18 John Martin McLaren ? 1979, #30 20 107 laps Engine 0 John A Martin
19 Bill Scott Eagle ? 1979, #28 20 74 laps Engine 0 Bill Scott
20 Salt Walther Penske PC6, #77 20 69 laps Transmission 0 Dayton-Walther
21 Al Loquasto Eagle ? 1979, #69 15 69 laps Piston 0 Spike Gehlhausen
22 Bill Alsup McLaren M16D, #41 15 59 laps Cylinder block 0 WASP Racing
23 Steve Krisiloff Penske PC6, #71 15 47 laps Valve 0 Longhorn Racing
24 Wally Dallenbach Penske PC6, #40 15 46 laps Engine 0 Patrick Racing
25 Spike Gehlhausen Lightning ? 1979, #55 10 46 laps Half shaft 0 Fletcher Racing Team
26 Tim Richmond Lightning ? 1979, #35 10 39 laps Transmission 0 Pat Santello
27 Phil Caliva Eagle 79, #19 10 23 laps Oil leak 0 Spike Gehlhausen
28 Pancho Carter Lightning ? 1979, #10 10 21 laps Camshaft 0 Alex Foods Racing
29 Bob Harkey Lightning ? 1979, #15 5 17 laps Accident 0 Alex Foods Racing
30 Joe Saldana Lightning ? 1979, #59 5 14 laps Oil pump 0 Hoffman Racing
31 Dennis Firestone Lola ? 1979, #86 5 10 laps Oil leak 0 Dennis Firestone
32 Tom Bagley Penske PC6, #11 5 7 laps Accident 0 Longhorn Racing
33 Johnny Parsons jr McLaren ? 1979, #32 5 4 laps Valve 0 Sugaripe Prune Racing Team
34 Mike Mosley Eagle 79, #36 5 2 laps Engine 0 All-American Racers
35 Cliff Hucul Eagle ? 1979, #79 5 2 laps Transmission 0 Hoffman Racing

Qualifying Results for the 1979 California 500 on the Ontario circuit

Position Name Car Result Team
1 Rick Mears Penske PC7, #9 44.325s Penske Racing
2 Al Unser Chaparral 2K, #2 44.51s Chaparral Racing
3 Bobby Unser Penske PC7, #12 44.692s Penske Racing
4 Mario Andretti Penske PC6, #99 44.91s Penske Racing
5 Tom Sneva McLaren M24, #1 45.39s Sugaripe Prune Racing Team
6 Johnny Parsons jr McLaren ? 1979, #32 45.49s Sugaripe Prune Racing Team
7 Steve Krisiloff Penske PC6, #71 45.52s Longhorn Racing
8 Danny Ongais Parnelli VPJ6B, #25 45.73s Interscope Racing
9 Tom Bagley Penske PC6, #11 45.85s Longhorn Racing
10 Spike Gehlhausen Lightning ? 1979, #55 46.17s Fletcher Racing Team
11 Mike Mosley Eagle 79, #36 46.29s All-American Racers
12 Gordon Johncock Penske PC6, #20 46.4s Patrick Racing
13 Johnny Rutherford McLaren M24B, #4 46.42s Team McLaren
14 Lee Kunzman Parnelli VPJ6C, #21 46.56s Conquest Racing Team
15 Dick Ferguson Penske ? 1979, #23 46.61s Aero Electronics
16 Wally Dallenbach Penske PC6, #40 46.84s Patrick Racing
17 Roger Mears Penske PC6, #60 46.87s Patrick Racing
18 Tim Richmond Lightning ? 1979, #35 47s Pat Santello
19 Pancho Carter Lightning ? 1979, #10 47.35s Alex Foods Racing
20 Salt Walther Penske PC6, #77 47.84s Dayton-Walther
21 Dennis Firestone Lola ? 1979, #86 47.98s Dennis Firestone
22 Bill Alsup McLaren M16D, #41 48.24s WASP Racing
23 John Martin McLaren ? 1979, #30 48.67s John A Martin
24 Bill Whittington Parnelli VPJ6C, #98 49.21s Whittington Racing
25 Jerry Sneva McLaren M24, #72 49.29s Hodgson Racing
26 Bob Harkey Lightning ? 1979, #15 49.31s Alex Foods Racing
27 Al Loquasto Eagle ? 1979, #69 49.83s Spike Gehlhausen
28 Phil Caliva Eagle 79, #19 50.09s Spike Gehlhausen
29 Don Whittington McLaren M24B, #94 50.3s Team McLaren
30 Vern Schuppan Wildcat Mk2, #34 50.51s Wysard Motor Co
31 Tom Frantz Wildcat ? 1979, #18 50.94s Tom Frantz
32 Bill Scott Eagle ? 1979, #28 51.02s Bill Scott
33 Joe Saldana Lightning ? 1979, #59 47.67s Hoffman Racing
34 Cliff Hucul Eagle ? 1979, #79 49.32s Hoffman Racing
35 Larry Cannon Wildcat ? 1979, #95 50.47s Cannon Racing Team

List of all cars for the 1979 California 500 on the Ontario circuit

Wildcat Mk2

Offenhauser

Eagle 79

Cosworth

Eagle 79

Offenhauser

McLaren ? 1979

Offenhauser

McLaren M24B

Cosworth

Penske ? 1979

Cosworth

Parnelli VPJ6C

Cosworth

McLaren ? 1979

Cosworth

Eagle ? 1979

Offenhauser

Penske PC6

Cosworth

Parnelli VPJ6B

Cosworth

McLaren M24

Cosworth

Chaparral 2K

Cosworth

Penske PC7

Cosworth

Wildcat ? 1979

Offenhauser

McLaren M16D

Offenhauser

Lola ? 1979

Cosworth

Lightning ? 1979

Offenhauser