Quote:
Originally Posted by Blackduce
I remember 1967 to 1974 with 95% AMERICAN DRIVERS, there were 200,000 there for qualifying. Just to see 4 laps for each car and AMERICAN DRIVERS. The crowd standing up for the 4 laps and cheering the AMERICAN DRIVERS. The greatest era of the Indy 500. Oh ya, the dirt cars counted for the points to be the real Indy car Champion.
Lynn
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To do you one better there was only 4 foreign drivers who participated in the 500 from 1970 through 1980. Jack Brabham, Vern Schuppan, Clay Ragazzoni and Cliff Hucul. If you add 67, 68 and 69 you would have to add 5 drivers. Jim Clark, Jochen Rindt, Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Dennis Hulme. The last all American race was 1980 if you count Italian born Mario Andretti as an official American after changing citizenship. By 1993 foreign drivers were dominating the race with 14 in 93, 16 in 94 and 19 in 95. In 1996 the first year of the IRL there were 10 foreign drivers. Unfortunately by 1995 NASCAR popularity was already making huge strides into taking over the nations racing preference.