Home / CART / Seasons / 1980

CART in the 1980 season. Full information

2nd season of the CART proved to be an exhilarating ride for motorsport enthusiasts worldwide. Spanning from 13th April to 8th November in 1980, this season showcased thrilling races, unexpected twists, and fierce competition. Join us as we relive the excitement and drama that unfolded throughout this unforgettable season of CART!

Beginners of the season: Gordon Smiley , Ron Shuman , John Wood , Bill Tempero , Pete Halsmer , Ross Davis , Greg Leffler , Billy Engelhart , Billie Harvey , Bob Frey , Michael Chandler , Chip Mead , Jeff Heywood , Daniel Muniz , Michel Jourdain

Participated in training: Pancho Carter , Bobby Unser , Michel Jourdain , Gordon Smiley , Howdy Holmes , John Wood , Phil Threshie , Gary Bettenhausen , Lee Kunzman , Dick Simon , Joe Saldana , AJ Foyt jr , Gordon Johncock , Tom Bagley , Johnny Parsons jr , George Snider , Bob Frey , Dick Ferguson , Tim Richmond , Tony Bettenhausen jr , John Mahler , Larry Cannon

List of races and tracks in the 1980 season

Race	Winner	Track	Race Start
1980 Ontario Champ Cars	Johnny Rutherford Chaparral 2K, #4	Ontario	13th April 1980
1980 Indianapolis 500	Johnny Rutherford Chaparral 2K, #4	Indianapolis	26th May 1980
1980 Milwaukee Champ Cars Race 1	Bobby Unser Penske PC9, #11	Milwaukee	8th June 1980
1980 Pocono 500	Bobby Unser Penske PC9, #11	Pocono	22nd June 1980
1980 Mid-Ohio Champ Cars	Johnny Rutherford Chaparral 2K, #4	Mid-Ohio	13th July 1980
1980 Michigan Champ Cars Race 1	Johnny Rutherford Chaparral 2K, #4	Michigan	20th July 1980
1980 Watkins Glen Champ Cars	Bobby Unser Penske PC9, #11	Watkins Glen	3rd August 1980
1980 Milwaukee Champ Cars Race 2	Johnny Rutherford Chaparral 2K, #4	Milwaukee	10th August 1980
1980 California 500	Bobby Unser Penske PC9, #11	Ontario	31st August 1980
1980 Michigan Champ Cars Race 2	Mario Andretti Penske PC9, #12	Michigan	20th September 1980
1980 Mexico City Champ Cars	Rick Mears Penske PC9, #1	Mexico City	26th October 1980
1980 Phoenix Champ Cars	Tom Sneva Phoenix 80, #9	Phoenix	8th November 1980

Drivers championship 1980

Johnny Rutherford

United States

Champion

Points: 4723 Wins: 5 Poles: 3

Bobby Unser

United States

2nd place

Points: 3714 Wins: 4 Poles: 4

Tom Sneva

United States

3rd place

Points: 2930 Wins: 1 Poles: 0

List of all drivers for the 1980 season

Name	Points
Johnny Rutherford	4723
Bobby Unser	3714
Tom Sneva	2930
Rick Mears	2866
Pancho Carter	1855
Gordon Johncock	1572
Bill Alsup	1214
Al Unser	1153
Gary Bettenhausen	1057
Vern Schuppan	806
Tom Bagley	794
Dennis Firestone	743
Sheldon Kinser	697
Tom Gloy	680
Danny Ongais	601
Mario Andretti	580
Spike Gehlhausen	473
Roger Rager	381
Rick Muther	356
Bill Tempero	331
Dick Ferguson	315
Howdy Holmes	314
Larry Cannon	299
Herm Johnson	272
Roger Mears	272
Tom Bigelow	260
Billy Engelhart	246
Jim McElreath	240
Jerry Karl	215
Tim Richmond	209
Dick Simon	185
Greg Leffler	184
Gordon Smiley	176
Lee Kunzman	150
Jerry Sneva	149
Pete Halsmer	128
Billy Vukovich	96
Cliff Hucul	90
Phil Caliva	70
Jan Sneva	60
John Martin	56
Mike Mosley	56
Joe Saldana	50
AJ Foyt jr	45
Ron Shuman	40
John Mahler	35
George Snider	25
Don Whittington	25
Michael Chandler	25
John Wood	25
Johnny Parsons jr	21
Hurley Haywood	20
Phil Threshie	15
Larry Dickson	10
Jerry Miller	8
Daniel Muniz	8
Ross Davis	6
Billie Harvey	6
Bob Frey	6
Salt Walther	6
Juan Carlos Bolanos	6
Michel Jourdain	6
Al Loquasto	5
Chip Mead	5
Jeff Heywood	5
Tony Bettenhausen jr	5
Bill Whittington	5