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| Venue | Ontario Motor Speedway |
|---|---|
| First race | 1970 |
| Last race | 1980 |
| Distance | 500 mi (800 km) |
| Laps | 200 |
| Most wins (driver) | Bobby Unser (4) |
| Most wins (team) | Eagle (3) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Chassis:All American Racers (3) Engine:Offenhauser (4) Cosworth (4) |
TheCalifornia 500 was aUSAC, and laterCART, race held atOntario Motor Speedway inOntario, California. The event represented a continuous lineage ofopen wheel oval racing in Southern California that dates back to 1970.
Open wheel oval racing in southern California dated back to theUSAC California 500 atOntario Motor Speedway inOntario, California, held from 1970 to 1978. The race was part of IndyCar racing's"triple crown," and at its inception, was held in high prestige. The inaugural running was considered a huge success, with 187,000 in attendance. However, it became aCART event in 1979 and the track fell into financial troubles in 1980, closing at the end of that year. Subsequent runnings were never able to match the success of the 1970 event.[1]
Indy car races were also held at nearbyRiverside, but only from 1967–1969 (prior to the opening of Ontario) in 1970 and again from 1981–1983 (after Ontario closed in 1980).[2]
| Season | Date | Driver | Team | Chassis | Engine | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) | Report | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||||
| USAC Championship Car | ||||||||||
| 1970 | September 6 |  Jim McElreath | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Coyote | Ford | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:07:22 | 160.106 | Report |
| 1971 | September 5 | Joe Leonard | Vel's Parnelli Jones | Colt | Ford | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:16:55 | 152.354 | Report |
| 1972 | September 3 | Roger McCluskey | Lindsey Hopkins Racing | McLaren | Offy | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:17:58 | 151.54 | Report |
| 1973 | September 2 | Wally Dallenbach Sr. | Patrick Racing | Eagle | Offy | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:10:17 | 157.66 | Report |
| 1974 | March 10 | Bobby Unser | All American Racers | Eagle | Offy | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:11:04 | 157.017 | Report |
| 1975 | March 9 | A. J. Foyt | A. J. Foyt Enterprises | Coyote | Foyt | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:14:22 | 154.344 | Report |
| 1976 | September 5 | Bobby Unser | All American Racers | Eagle | Offy | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:29:26 | 143.246 | Report |
| 1977 | September 4 | Al Unser | Vel's Parnelli Jones | Parnelli | Cosworth | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:17:16 | 154.687 | Report |
| 1978 | September 3 | Al Unser | Chaparral Racing | Chaparral | Cosworth | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:26:40 | 145.158 | Report |
| CART Championship Car | ||||||||||
| 1979 | September 2 | Bobby Unser | Penske Racing | Penske | Cosworth | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:24:22 | 146.794 | Report |
| 1980 | August 31 | Bobby Unser | Penske Racing | Penske | Cosworth | 200 | 500 (804.672) | 3:11:51 | 156.372 | Report |