50 YEARS AGO, JOHNNY LIGHTNING SWEPT INDIANAPOLIS!
By: Jay Hardin – Track Enterprises Staff
Indianapolis (August 13, 2020)-Fifty years ago Topper Toys sponsored the Vel’s-Parnelli Jones Racing Team and their driver Al Unser. Born out of this relationship was a combination that was nearly unbeatable in 1970 and a paint scheme that is one of the most iconic in auto racing history. Not only did Al win the 1970 Indianapolis 500 leading 170 laps, he also won the road race at Lucas Oil Raceway Park and the prestigious Hoosier Hundred across town, thus sweeping the championship events in the city of Indianapolis. Select race fans who manage to secure a ticket for the August 23 Hoosier Hundred have the opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Al's sweep of Indiana.
Al Unser (Sr.) began racing for team owners Vel Miletich and Parnelli Jones at the start of the 1969 season. A Lola chassis was secured for paved tracks and a Grant King chassis secured for the dirt. Both used V-8 Ford power. Unser broke his leg during May of 1969 and was forced out of action, however he returned to win on the dirt at DuQuoin in September and finish second in the national championship to Mario Andretti.
Topper Toys and its new brand of Johnny Lightning die cast cars brought one of the most unique sponsorships to championship racing and the VPJ team for 1970. Cars were repainted to a dark blue with yellow lightning bolts portraying the Johnny Lightning theme. Al Unser wore a blue uniform with a red helmet and he and Andretti did TV commercials for Topper Toys. Al won the 500 in dominant fashion and would win ten of the eighteen championship races held during 1970.
Five of the national championship races in 1970 were held on one mile dirt tracks and Al won every one of them. The September Hoosier Hundred was the third of the five dirt track races on the schedule. Three weeks earlier Al won at Springfield leading the last 56 miles on a heavy track after an early race duel with Johnny Rutherford. On Labor Day Al battled with A.J. Foyt before taking the lead and sailing to dirt track victory number two.
Foyt and Unser were among the favorites in the field of thirty that descended on the Indiana State Fairgrounds September 12. Al was riding high winning four of the last five, a streak broken when Jim McElreath won at Ontario in a second Foyt car. Race day in Indy was warm and muggy and Jim McKay was on hand to broadcast the race live for ABC Television.
A slow track meant that track records weren’t in jeopardy but a second generation driver and Hoosier Hundred rookie stole the show in qualifying. Johnny Parsons Jr., driving a Chevy powered nine-year old Meskowski for “Boston” Louis Seymour grabbed the pole at just over 102 miles an hour. Sammy Sessions, driving for George Walther, would start alongside. Bruce Walkup grabbed third, followed by Foyt, Bob Harkey and Al Unser. Andretti had a stock block Ford under the hood of his Granatelli machine and he timed 14th. Bobby Unser, Rutherford, Gary Bettenhausen, Larry Dickson and Arnie Knepper were among the notables who missed the show.
Sessions led lap one as Foyt quickly moved up and grabbed the second from Parsons on the backchute and a lap later used the same move to take the lead. With the DOHC Ford V-8 screaming at full song down the straights Foyt appeared to have few challengers. Parsons dropped to 3rd with Bruce Walkup in 4th. Al and the Johnny Lightning car rode in 6th. Mario Andretti once said Al was the “most race savvy” driver he ever ran against. Al would show that ability this day.
Methodically he began picking off cars though still a straight behind leader Foyt. While the ABC cameras focused on a battle between Andretti and Ralph Ligouri, Al took over second and nearly caught leader Foyt in traffic just before the caution flew for a stalled car in turn 4. Al dogged Foyt and finally made the pass going into turn one on lap 56.
From then on it was all Big Blue. Al led the final 45 miles to sweep all the championship races in Indianapolis for 1970. Behind him was a compelling battle. Foyt had a tire going bad and the crowd erupted when hard luck and popular Ralph Ligouri took second from A.J. and held it to the finish line. Foyt ended the day 3rd with Sessions 4th. The second place finish by Ralph Ligouri was his finest ever in championship cars.
Al received nearly $16,000 for the win and the Wolcott Cup as over 19,000 headed for the parking lot. Just for good measure, Al and the same Grant King chassis won the Hoosier Hundred in 1971, 1972 and 1973. The streak of four in a row is not likely to be broken soon.
Race fans, wear your Al Unser gear to the Indiana State Fairgrounds on August 23 in honor of the 50th anniversary of Al Unser’s Hoosier Hundred, Indy 500 and Lucas Oil victories. Practice for the 65th Hoosier Hundred starts at 4 p.m. EDT, with qualifications at 5:15, the last chance race at 7:15 and the Hoosier Hundred at 8 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.usactickets.com.
The event, a promotion of Track Enterprises, will be held with strict policing of head count limits and sanitation guidelines in accordance with the CDC and state and local policies. Attendees are required to wear masks upon entry.