Johnny Rutherford

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Lore & Background

Rutherford's racing career began in 1959 driving modified stock cars in Dallas. He joined the International Motor Contest Association sprint car circuit in 1961, leading it for most of 1962. He later joined USAC, winning his first championship and the USAC National Sprint Car Championship in 1965. His first Indy car race win came at the Atlanta 250. In 1973, he joined the McLaren team and won pole position at the Indianapolis 500, setting a one-lap track record of 199.071 mph, falling just shy of the 200 mph barrier. His long-awaited second career win came at Ontario Motor Speedway in 1973, followed by Indianapolis 500 victories in 1974, 1976, and 1980. In 1984 at Michigan International Speedway, Rutherford set an all-time Indy car qualifying lap speed record of 215.189 mph. His win in the 1986 Michigan 500 at age 48 made him the oldest winner of a 500-mile race, a record that still stands. From 1973 to 1981, he recorded nine straight seasons with a victory, one of just six drivers in Indy Car history to do so.

In Their Own Story

In October 1977, Rutherford traveled to Australia to compete in the Bathurst 1000 km touring car race at Mount Panorama. Partnering fellow Indianapolis racer Janet Guthrie, who earlier that year became the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, Rutherford drove a V8 powered Holden Torana for Ron Hodgson Motors. Driving a completely unfamiliar car with right-hand steering on a 6.172 km public road course carved into a mountain, he qualified 26th out of sixty starters. During practice, he complained about his car, which was 8.2 seconds slower than the team's lead car. When 1976 winner Bob Morris got in Rutherford's car, he easily lapped over five seconds faster, showing the problem was Rutherford's lack of familiarity with the car and track. Rutherford made a cautious start to the race, but on lap 8 he attempted to lap the Ford Escort RS2000 of 1966 winner Bob Holden. The cars made contact, and Rutherford crashed into an earth bank at the top of The Mountain. The bent Torana was brought back to the pits on a tilt-tray truck while the race continued at full speed, with cars passing the truck along the 2 km Conrod Straight at over 150 mph. The car was disqualified before being reinstated, and Rutherford completed five more laps before retiring, with Guthrie never getting to drive.

Reader's Guide

**Era at the Club:** Rutherford's Indy Car career spanned more than three decades, from the 1960s through the early 1990s. His peak period was from 1973 to 1981, when he recorded nine straight seasons with a victory. His 24th and final start at the Indianapolis 500 came in 1988. **Playing Style:** Known for his smooth, precise driving, Rutherford was a master of conserving tires and fuel while maintaining speed. He was particularly adept on ovals, where his patience and car control set him apart. His 1980 Indianapolis 500 win in the revolutionary ground-effects Chaparral was particularly dominant. **Greatest Achievements:** Three Indianapolis 500 wins (1974, 1976, 1980), the 1980 CART championship, 27 wins and 23 pole positions in 314 Indy Car starts. He also won in his first NASCAR Cup Series start at Daytona International Speedway in 1963, making him one of the youngest drivers ever to win a NASCAR points-paying race and only the sixth racer to win in their NASCAR debut. **Legacy:** Rutherford is remembered as a fan favorite and a bridge between the classic roadster era and the modern turbocharged cars. His three Indy 500 wins place him among the race's elite. After retiring from driving in 1994, he served as pace car driver for CART and later the Indy Racing League, and worked as a television analyst on NBC, CBS, and ESPN, as well as the IMS Radio Network.

Did You Know?

• Rutherford was born in Coffeyville, Kansas, not Texas, despite proudly displaying the flag of Texas on his racing helmet.
• During the 1964 Indianapolis 500, Rutherford was directly behind Eddie Sachs when Sachs crashed into the burning car of Dave MacDonald, killing both drivers. Rutherford squeezed between the crash and the wall so closely that a lemon Sachs wore on a string around his neck was found inside Rutherford's engine compartment.
• Rutherford met his wife Betty Hoyer, a nurse, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1963 when he was taking his rookie test. They married two months later.
• Rutherford's art was featured on the program cover of the 2021 Indianapolis 500.
• He was one of only six drivers to win the Indianapolis 500 at least three times.