1970 Indianapolis 500 [ESPN Classic Telecast Version] (Full Race)

[@rodjohnson2534]

ABC’s coverage was always top notch! I love watching these Indy 500’s of the past !

[@jakelaguna2278]

Growing up in Indianapolis in the early 70's and 80's, born here in 1967 has afforded me to go to this race every year from the time I was 11 years old in 1978, and every year HERE since 1978 until the return of the fans here has been a constant part of my life until just watching Helio Castroneves win his 4th time at the classic yard of bricks...On this day of 30, May, 2021... I was at every race since my first one at 2.5 yrs old in 1970, and have been to every one ran since... I loved today's race, SO COOL and the fans were so friendly and just a great time with HC winning his 4th today... Indy car IS SO BACK!!!!!

[@skyedog24]

That's a great story 👍 very lucky heritage. DJT24🙂

[@RubenB658]

The pace car for this year driven by Roger Ward, now resides near Lake Conroe, Texas. It’s owned by my friend who has a private collection.

[@christophermuddiman527]

WOW!!

[@Jhihmoac]

44:12 - For kids such as myself, who owned JL 500 tracks and cars, this was the absolute talk of the town for the next two weeks afterwards... You'd think WE all won the Indy 500! We all were saving our allowances, scrambling to the local stores that sold HW or JL cars and track sets almost every day for about a month, looking for the little die cast Al Unser JL #2 Indy Car... Always sold out! I didn't get one until Christmas later in the year...

[@doctorgarbonzo2525]

Great Stuff! Growing up in Indy before the Pacers all these Race Drivers were my Hero's, Mark Donahue was One of the 1st College Grads to drive

[@mikew3494]

The Pacers predated Donahue by two years...

[@bertmustin]

Rodger Ward the analyst and pace car driver had one of the best six year runs in Indy history from 1959-1964. 2 wins, 2 2nd place finishes 1 third and 1 4th.

[@doctorgarbonzo2525]

Roger had an incredible career & his commentary was exceptional as well!

[@asianoramaagain2269]

On paper,the entire field was within 5-mph of each other on the grid....In reality,the race was a flawless cakewalk for 'Johnny Lightning.' Al Unser led 190 of the 200 laps in one of the most dominating performances ever.

[@joseyw2378]

Mmm

[@mercoid]

I Johnny

[@scottsherwood7061]

Ĵnumber jĵ Iya ńn

[@VPJP6B25]

Amazing how they dubbed the sound of an Offy for all of the cars. A turbo Ford was incredibly loud and had a completely different sound than an Offenhauser.

[@WaltGekko]

This would be the last time the Indy 500 would be presented this way: A one-hour recap 10-15 days after the actual running. Beginning with 1971 and continuing through 1985, it would be a two-hour and later three-hour prime time telecast before airing live for the first time on May 31, 1986 (in a race delayed five days by rain that forced the then-traditional week-after race, the Rex Mays 200 to be pushed back to a later date. This happened to be a on a Saturday and would be the last time the Indy 500 would be scheduled for May 30 regardless of which day of the week it fell on (the ill-fated 1973 edition wound up on May 30 due to rain) as after 1970 Memorial Day would always being the last Monday in May. This was the first of three straight years the race was on a Saturday due to that change, it was originally on Monday in '73 and then starting in 1974 was for the first time on Sunday where it has been ever since.

[@markdinkel-uh2je]

Wow never knew that. Thank for info.🏎️

[@WaltGekko]

@@markdinkel-uh2je Yep. Except for 1986 due to rain and a few times where the race had to be finished on a later day due to rain, the race has been on a Sunday since 1974 (including 2020 when the race was in August due to COVID and contested with no fans in attendance).

[@harrellkerkhoff8054]

Stock car legand Donnie Allison had a great race. So many famous racing names in 1970.

[@DNSKansas]

NASCAR before '72 had a glut of races. Also, he probably made more at Indy than he did in 10 NASCAR races that year.

[@WaltGekko]

@@DNSKansas And also the Indy 500 was never on Sunday when the World 600 took place. That allowed numerous NASCAR regulars through 1973 to compete at Indy before the 500 was moved permanently to Sunday in '74.

[@ror312gallery19]

A great race run on tuesday may 30,,allowed more varied drivers to take part, nascar, F1 cheers all 49 year fan cheers from torino,italy,!

[@flatlineheartbeat1851]

Love those old races

[@DetTigerFan]

I remember Al Unser was the 1st to crack the 170 mph qualifying speed at Indy.

[@markdinkel-uh2je]

Nope. Hill & Leonard in 68

[@conedweller2003]

After finishing 4th,Donnie Allison won the World 600 at Charlotte the next day.

[@RustyB22]

9:23 the cam work and quality is so fascinating for some reason

[@johnclark8360]

Al Unser 1939-2021🥺😢🙏 Rest In Peace 😢 🥺😢🙏

[@doctorgarbonzo2525]

Jim Mckay & Chris Economaki were the Best! RIP

[@TimRobinson-hc7mt]

I wondered when I was a kid watching these old races why did they have a delayed tv start that they could not show the race live and complete. Still its great to watch these old Indi races from when I was a kid thanks for posting

[@almostfm]

It's all down to Tony Hulman. he was worried that if they showed the race live, it would hurt the gate.

[@TimRobinson-hc7mt]

@@almostfm Ok thanks for the reply it makes me think of the Wertz family and the Chicago Blackhawks would not show home games for the same reason

[@nickylup9566]

one thing though I love the announcers back then like Jackie Stewart that was my road dog.he absolutely always got into the race like he was in the race car himself.

[@johnnguyen270]

+nicky lup Sadly we wouldn't hear Sir Jackie's voice on ABC's Indy 500 until the following year.

[@nickylup9566]

yeah I really like him and his accent was all that

[@pajasa62]

+nicky lup And then after Stewart, we got Sam Posey, who was good, but sometimes acted like he was a nervous wreck.

[@nickylup9566]

yes Sam Posey

[@jmason2838]

Jackie Stewart..❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.

[@8avexp]

Unser and Andretti filmed a commercial for a Johnny Lightning race track after that race.

[@mercoid]

8avexp ....I had that track. It came with a helmet emblazoned with the Johnny Lighting name.

[@ShmuelWeintraub]

Me too!!

[@yvlakhtionov]

Fantastic he is saying hello to his kids: little Al too ;-)

[@doctorgarbonzo2525]

Glory Days! Growing up in Indy back then there was nothing like the start of that Race, These Race drivers were my hero's, The Pacers had arrived in '68 & the Colts later

[@towhee89]

Thanks a ton for this !

[@PeterMayer]

I remember my friend had Johnny lightnings. Being a hot wheel fanatic, I thought, what the hell are Johnny lightnings?

[@victorbrunswick]

In the Victory Lane interview the man in dark glasses behind Al Unser is Henry Orenstein the founder of Topper Toys the original maker of Johnny Lightning.

[@gary24fan]

Matchbox were better.

[@deborahchesser7375]

They are rare as hens teeth now and worth some pretty good coin. I wish I had all the toys I had growing up in the 70’s

[@LogoAttitude]

This was the last year live flag-to-flag coverage was produced for paid admission venues by MCA Television. The following year, ABC would begin airing the race in full, but not live until 1986, which they continued to do until 2018. Since 2019, the Indianapolis 500 has been on NBC, which when it moved there in 2019 was essentially a homecoming, as NBC has been under common ownership with former MCA subsidiary Universal Studios since 2004, with NBC and Universal being the flagship properties of the NBCUniversal media conglomerate, which is currently owned by Comcast (which incidentally cannot be spelled without "MCA", that exact substring).

[@jakelaguna2278]

OK.. I'm gonna vent here a bit... I was at this race at the young age of 2.5 years, and it was the first memory I have as a child as well... Then the very next year, I was again at this race, and I do have fond memories of the changes and upgrades made to the cars and drivers as well... I told my parents at the end of this years race, that in five years, the cars would all be the same design, and would have exact specifications to be the power-plant of the car... Well, it took 9 more years, but it happened... Could you imagine if there were 33 cars out there these days all different designs and engine types like they did in the classic day races??? The top 6 competing cars in this race ALL had different manufactures and designers... AND NONE OF THEM WERE CAR BRANDS DRIVEN ON THE STREET OTHER THAN FORD...

[@7775Kevin]

I would like to find a clearer version of this race. I was 13 when it was run and remember listening to the radio coverage. Never actually saw it.

[@kenmericle409]

I'm 58, I remember walking around the block and hearing people out in their yards working, partying on Memorial day weekend when ABC would not show the race till that night

[@johnclark8360]

Well, You Have To Understand That This Was 5 Years, Before The First VCR's Would Be Available To The General Public, To Buy In A JC Penny's Department Store!🏬There Was Only 2 Heads, Recording. 1 Recording Head For Audio; And, 1 Head For The Visual!😳🙄🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😅😂🤣 And, The Previous 1969 Indy 500, The Video Crew, 📹, Only Had 16 Milimeter Cameras, To, ( Literally!😳), FILM🎥A Home Movie 🎥Of This Race 🏁🏎🏆. And, They Would Show This Movie In A Movie Theater, And / Or Show This On "Wild World 🌎Of Sports!!" I Wasn't Born, Until Late 1968! So, I Was Still, Just A Little Kid👶, In May 1970!😳🙄🏁🏎🏆😎🤓

[@bradleysmall2230]

i love it when 2 drivers are drafting each other in the slosing laps

[@gary24fan]

I slosed my door so hard once the window broce.

[@pacmanindy]

50th anniversary of Big Al’s first win

[@johnclark8360]

Al Unser May 29, 1939-December 9, 2021🥺😢🙏🏁🏎🥛🏆🥛🏆🥛🏆🥛🏆

[@randylovering24]

Wide world of sports aired the Indy 500 from 1965 to 1970 then in 1971 abc aired the Indy 500 in prime time and in 1986 abc aired the 500 live for the first time and aired live until 2019 when NBC took over the Indy 500 after 53 years on abc

[@randylovering24]

It was kind of strange that NBC did the Indy 500 this year and maybe it could work out

[@randylovering24]

@Flame Resistant Troll it was fun in the 1970's to watch the Indy 500 in prime time on Sunday night but by around mid 80's the ratings were not good so they broadcast the race live in 1986 like they wanted to

[@jacksmith5692]

Sad guys like Art Pollard, Mark Donahue, and Peter Revson were all killed driving. This was dangerous back then even with the slower speeds.

[@jacksmith5692]

@Flame Resistant Troll I didn't write that Revson or Donahue were killed at Indy. I was just mentioning drivers off the top of my head that were killed even with the slower speeds. The race that Revson was practicing for averaged 116 mph and it was 110 mph for the race that Donahue was practicing for. Formula One races were slow but very dangerous. Art Pollard did die at Indy also during a practice lap at around 190 mph. 190 mph is not the 230 mph laps run today at Indy. So all three that I happened to mention died not during the actual race but practicing. It showed the inherit danger!

[@aceperee]

@@jacksmith5692 jim malloy!

[@gwcrispi]

Probably my favorite year ever. Huge variation in cars. Wings won't appear in earnest until next year. Stinker of a race though. Al was just too good.

[@DNSKansas]

The bolt-ons appeared in '72. The crews had to be inventive in '71 with the wings.

[@juan833blue]

RIP Art Pollard @ 26:49

[@mikew3494]

Amen

[@DNSKansas]

Jim Malloy preceded him to the grave. Swede Savage followed two months later, then Peter Revson the next year.

[@johnclark8360]

Al Unser May 29, 1939🏁🏎🥛🏆🥛🏆🥛🏆🥛🏆Rest In Peace

[@randylovering24]

Next year we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Al unser win

[@tabucchitechnologies3535]

Tabucchi engine

[@saragrant9749]

To think, just two short years later Malloy would die at Indy, then Pollard a year after that. Dangerous times back then. So many legends of the sport here.

[@memztv956]

Earlier last night I found the pace car from this race abandoned in a parking garage

[@Zoomer30]

The falgman had a brass pair that Chuck Norris would have been jealous of. It was blind luck he was not killed in 1973 (had Salt Walter gone left instead of right and got airborne he would have hit Pat B.)

[@DNSKansas]

That's why Pat Vidan was elevated beginning in 1974. He was pissed about that. He was fired after the 1979 race.

[@HaiVitouSeyhaSengVanOudomOffic]

9:25

[@mikebloomberg9975]

Video gets choppy just after the 36m mark. It looks like an encoding/ripping problem, not an issue with the original source if this can be ripped again. Also, anyone have 1972 indy 500? Seems to be one of this era missing.

[@mavidateeta]

still hasnt surfaced as of july 2020

[@joaofaria6547]

thank you

[@tonydrake462]

1976 full race seems impossible to find... someone must have a video somewhere

[@asianoramaagain2269]

I agree.Looks like 1972 and 1976 are only ones missing now.

[@jmason2838]

So - '72 and '76 Indy 500 races in their entirety are not available .... Question : 🤔🤨🤔😮😭🙁🙁🙁 WHY?!?? - what is soooo special about these two races that the public is not allowed to see them?!?!? not fair ..also - one should not have to have a password to see the full race .... or have to join a pay site .🤔.. this is recorded Americana 🕴️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸. Every race should be available ...at no extra charge ... !!! ..... ?!?!?🤨

[@HenryFrederick]

While others here seem down on 500s, I see it as generational. ONCE the rear spoilers (wings) were added, speeds increased and things got really dicey in subsequent years and decades. When this race was run, I was 10 years old. With the 2016 Indy 500 just weeks away, I'm 54 years old. I appreciate the Indianapolis 500 more so each passing year...

[@almostfm]

It's an ongoing story-we figure out how to make the cars fast, and then we figure out how to make them safer at that speed.

[@idak12]

The INDY 500 today just is not as fantastic as it was back then. Any body else agree

[@andsevenguitars1678]

idak12 The race itself is still great. The series is shit anymore, they're obsessed with road circuits and foreign f1 washout drivers and all it is anymore is a wannabe f1.

[@nickylup9566]

+idak12 yes it is different. And back in the day they didn't have so many rules as today but I can see why because cause for safety reasons. But it was sweet back then.. The one rule I don't like how you have to do anywhere from 50 to 60 miles an hour coming in to the pits.. Because you're doing 200 miles an hour or more and they want you cut it down to 50 or 60 that's hard to do.. Maybe they should make the pits bigger

[@flatlineheartbeat1851]

+idak12 It's all political and commercial now days.The skill factor has dropped some with all the high tech.

[@nickylup9566]

i love INDYCAR

[@TomSmith-io9uk]

+idak12 Even though they are faster today it was far more dangerous back then. I was at the 73' race where 2 drivers and one pit crew member were killed as well as driver Salt Walther being critically injured and scores of fans burned. One of the drivers from this video Art Pollard the grand daddy from Portland was killed in practice

[@altfactor]

I believe the ESPN Classic presentation was severely edited. I think the race, along with a short feature on the history of the race, filled the entire 90-minute "Wide World Of Sports" telecast the week after the race. Take out the commercials and the "500" history featurette, and I believe the actual coverage of the race itself ran a bit more than an hour.

[@timdub70]

altfactor This was on Wide World of Sports which aired on the Saturday after the race. From 1971-85 it was aired on tape delay and since 1986 it has been live.

[@mvgsports]

altfactor it does say "we've moved ahead to later in the race" which lends credence to your comment

[@DNSKansas]

Complaints about how WWOS covered the 500 prompted ABC to begin showing the race on same-day tape delay seven hours after the green flag dropped from 1971-85. Live flag-to-flag coverage started in 1986.

[@altfactor]

Actually, the Indy 500 was shown on a closed circuit basis in theatres from 1964 through 1970. The speedway dropped the live closed circuit theatre telecast after 1970, which allowed ABC to carry the race on tape the evening of the day it was run. As far back as 1972, ABC wanted to carry the race live but the speedway wouldn't allow a live telecast until 1986. Even in the years when it was shown on same day tape (1971:85) the same day taped telecast wad blacked out in Indianapolis.

[@davidfast3511]

Why did Jim McKay keep referring to Johnny Rutherford as "The outsider"? By 1970 JR was well established and respected in the racing community.

[@williamjordan5554]

Johnny Lightning was the competitor to Hot Wheels.

[@mikew3494]

I remember that... I was 11 when this race was ran...

[@gary24fan]

Did Malloy actually have suspension failure coming to the start, which put him in the wall? Or did he spin on cold tires and the suspension broke due to the impact? Because I doubt nearly everything Chris Economaki says.

[@mercoid]

Chris Economy Car

[@alainbelanger6788]

Johnny Lightening let not forget than was more than what you were driving same year I was there 1974

[@-brent-8675]

Eight months before I was born.

[@williamjordan5554]

Donahue had only a few years left to live.

[@christophermuddiman527]

Freaking Awesome!!!

[@tedzehnder961]

In 52 years since 1911 to 1970 they are going 50 - 60 mph faster.From 1970 to 2021 (50 years) they increased the speeds 50 - 60 mph.If they keep running this race for another 50 years, I doubt they will continue the pace, but you never know.

[@renegadetenor]

Thanks! That's the kind of thing I like to know, as I don't follow this sport too much in its details. I just know a lot the names and such..

[@jacksmith5692]

Boy the pit changes were slow back then.

[@darlenehargitt3791]

anyone from the 1970 500 race remember a motorcycle on the track after the race?

[@andrewgillis8572]

GRANATELLI foiled again this time by a hood fitting - the win in 73 is spoiled by the Swede Savage accident & aftermath - the '69 win is nice, but asterisk, comes via a backup car

[@Zoomer30]

The firetruck/red pickup looks like the same model as the one that hit and killed the pit crew man in 73. Looks like another example of the issues they had in the 70s with pace laps are too slow.

[@MotoAtheist]

I'm just amazed at how many accidents they had back in the day when they really weren't going that fast for such a track, 155mph is nothing. Just have to factor in the tech at the time was just not capable even though the track easily was capable of allowing more speed.

[@marguskiis7711]

still no wings

[@markdinkel-uh2je]

Mario gad a 6th place finish . Nice lookin Macnamara

[@williamjordan5554]

1st of 4 Al Unser wins.

[@williamjordan5554]

Unser's sponsor was Johnny Lightning, Hot Wheels only real competition. What happened to the brand?

[@markdinkel9006]

no I don't agree. it's a lot safer now with what they've learned to do with car design.

[@williamjordan5554]

Al Unser, 4 Indy wins, Bobby Unser, 3. Al Unser Jr., 2 (?).

[@pajasa62]

Geezz! Look at the crowd for QUALIFYING! That was when qualifying for the Indy 500 was about speed...now all they offer are gimmicks.

[@pajasa62]

***** eeehhhh....Well, I hope they let themselves crack 230 mph in qualifying this year...WHY they choose to hold down the speeds, I have no idea.

[@ozzymd1]

pajasa62 same went for woodstock ,in 1969 it was about the music , 25 years later in 1994 it was about advertising and money !

[@HenryFrederick]

+pajasa62 Safety!

[@pajasa62]

+Henry Frederick Funny that we are are on 1970 Indy 500 video. If the same mentality and political correctness existed back then OR ANY TIME PRIOR, Indy Car would not exist as a sport. The saddest thing I had ever seen was going to Fontana last year and NO ONE showed up for the race. In 2000, Gil deFerran, did a 241 qualifying lap and last year and the year before, they were in the 210's. At qualifying last year , there were about 60 people actual fans there...MORE VENDORS, than fans. Now what track owner is going to open up his facility for that? Meanwhile in what was an amazing race the next day, under 5,000 people showed up. As you know, Fontana is no longer on the schedule. My whole thing is that I love IndyCar, but the simple fact is that if Verizon pulls its sponsorship, I wonder if the whole series will be in serious trouble.

[@HenryFrederick]

Well isn't NASCAR losing Sprint?

[@invisiblepuppet3437]

12:24

[@HJBounell]

If Jim Malloy had hit AJ Foyt would AJ have called him "that damn Mall-oy"?

[@stansmad]

"That damn COOGAN ! 🤣

[@Carlos-r5n2b]

Donnie Alison 🐐

[@bradleysmall2230]

why oh why did jim announce lloyd ruby was CHEATED... it then makes indy to respond or who ever cheated him

[@ericstewart1770]

thanks indianapolismotor speedway. i want to perform the worlds largest kareoke concert and the travis pastrana triple jump for mr knievel anually for the kids. i am in logging industry. i am a american trucker biker kareoke singer swimmer daydreamer best wishes. eric stewart monroe city indiana happy trails yeeha

[@pinedelgado4743]

In retrospect, it must have SUCKED being an auto racer's wife! :( :(

[@43north70]

When they added the wings, they destroyed the series.

[@skyhigh335]

Lloyd Ruby has such bad luck at indy. If it wasn't for that, he would've won at least 3 indy 500s

[@deborahchesser7375]

That Offy looks like a lawn mower engine beside that Cosworth Ford wow

[@sidefx996]

That lawn mower engine won Indy 27 out of 41 attempts,

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@sidefx996 that’s true

[@jmason2838]

.... . . over 300,000 + people attending ... really doubt that amt. will ever be there attending again... 😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷😷

[@randylovering24]

Lloyd Ruby should of won the Indy 500 but didn't

[@jcarby86]

Wish the color was better.....never understood they put man on the mood but the video quality sucks lol

[@JeffSherlock]

With the horrible ESPN logo garbage stuck on the screen.

[@koclark5683]

damn these cars are SLOW

[@petermoran2832]

It wasn't THAT competitive! Al Unser dominated it almost all the way.

[@HODIUSDUDE]

Your statement pretty much sums up the whole 1970 season.

[@cjs83172]

For the lead, yes it wasn't particularly competitive because of the advantage Al Unser had on everyone, but behind Al, it was mighty competitive, as is seen in this upload. And even as the race wound down, it looked like the battle for second place was going to be a nail-biter right to the finish between A.J. Foyt and Mark Donohue, two drivers who seemed to have almost nothing in common, except for how good they were as racers. But then Foyt had his engine problem right at the end, which handed second to Donohue. But the racing in the pack behind Al Unser in those first 50 laps was about as good as it got back then.

[@brucebrooks1809]

Those were the days. I was there. Its a Disney event now. They have air conditioned helmets. Also they have added SISIE BARRIERS.

[@almostfm]

Yeah-because God forbid we do something to reduce the risk of serious injury or death, right?

[@robertolerota4234]

That pace car is for sale right now local to me.

[@HaiVitouSeyhaSengVanOudomOffic]

9:41

[@neonflashtv9085]

12:22