Johnny Rutherford

45
Johnny Rutherford bigraphy, stories - American racing driver

Johnny Rutherford : biography

March 12, 1938 –

For the Major League Baseball pitcher, see Johnny Rutherford (baseball). For other people with a similar name, see John Rutherford

John Sherman Rutherford III (born March 12, 1938), better known as Johnny Rutherford, and also known as "Lone Star JR" is a former U.S. automobile racer known for being one of nine drivers to win the prestigious Indianapolis 500 mile race at least three times. Rutherford won that race in 1974, 1976, and 1980.http://www.aeispeakers.com/speakerbio.php?SpeakerID=878

Rutherford began racing Modified stock cars in 1959 and he also dabbled in stock car racing, making 35 NASCAR Winston Cup starts from 1963 to 1988. Rutherford won in his first start, at Daytona International Speedway driving for Smokey Yunick. This made him one of the youngest drivers ever to win in NASCAR history, in a full points-paying NASCAR race.

Racing career

In 1959, Rutherford started driving modified stock cars in Dallas. He joined the International Motor Contest Association sprint car circuit in 1961 leading it for most of 1962. Rutherford later joined the United States Auto Club (USAC) starting in the Hoosier Hundred and later winning his first championship.

Rutherford set a world record for speed in his first qualifying effort in a stock car during qualifying for the 1963 Daytona 500. Later that year he also had his first start in the Indianapolis 500. Rutherford’s first Indy car race took place at the Atlanta 250. He won the USAC National Sprint Car Championship in 1965.

On April 3, 1966, Rutherford suffered a serious crash at Eldora Speedway. His car flipped out of the track, and he suffered broken arms, a broken finger, and a head injury. He was forced to sit out the 1966 Indy 500.

Rutherford won pole position at the Indy 500 in 1973, 1976, and 1980. In 1973, Rutherford set a one-lap track record of 199.071 mph, falling just shy of becoming the first driver to break the 200 mph barrier at Indianapolis. Victories at the Indy 500 for him came in the years 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. He became the first driver to win all three 500 mile races, in 1986, by winning the Michigan 500. Rutherford recorded 9 straight seasons with a victory making him one of just 6 drivers in Indy Car history to do so.

Rutherford’s NASCAR Winston Cup career included 35 starts from 1963 to 1988. He won in his first start, at Daytona International Speedway driving for Smokey Yunick. The win, in the second 100-mile Daytona 500 qualifying race, made him one of the youngest drivers ever to win in NASCAR history, in a full points-paying NASCAR race. (Until 1971, the qualifying races were full points-paying races.) In 1981, Rutherford drove twelve races, the most he ever raced in a single NASCAR season. In addition, Rutherford competed in five runnings of the International Race of Champions – 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980, and 1984.

Awards

  • Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1996
  • Inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1995
  • Inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1993

American open–wheel racing results

(key)

PPG Indycar Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Rank Points
1979 McLaren International PHX3 ATL1 ATL1 INDY18 TRE15 TRE3 MCH3 MCH11 WGL15 TRE5 ONT4 MCH4 ATL11 PHX6 4th 2163
1980 Chaparral Cars Inc. ONT1 INDY1 MIL2 POC2 MDO1 MCH1 WGL5 MIL1 ONT2 MCH4 MEX10 PHX13 1st 4723
1981 Chaparral Cars Inc. PHX1 MIL6 ATL2 ATL3 MCH22 RIV21 MIL4 MCH20 WGL2 MEX26 PHX21 5th 120
1982 Chaparral Cars Inc. PHX4 ATL MIL15 CLE23 MCH28 MIL17 POC12 RIV3 ROA12 MCHDNS PHX21 12th 62
1983 Patrick Racing ATL18 INDYDNQ MIL21 CLE MCH ROA POC RIV MDO MCH23 CPL24 LAG PHX20 NC 0
1984 Gilmore Racing LBH PHX INDY22 MIL POR MEA CLE MCH7 ROA POC28 MDO 22nd 20
Team Penske SAN5 MCH14 PHX11 LAG CPL
1985 Alex Morales Motorsports LBH10 INDY6 MIL23 POR9 MEA14 CLE15 MCH4 ROADNS POC14 MDO22 SAN1 MCH9 LAG21 PHX26 MIA19 11th 51
1986 Alex Morales Motorsports PHX5 LBH9 INDY8 MIL4 POR15 MEA7 CLE10 TOR10 MCH1 POC18 MDO8 SAN16 MCH9 ROA14 LAG12 PHX9 MIA12 11th 78
1987 Alex Morales Motorsports LBH23 PHX9 INDY11 MIL9 POR7 MEA11 CLE9 TOR21 MCH28 POC26 ROA24 MDO12 NAZ20 LAG15 MIA16 18th 23
1988 Bernstein Racing PHX LBH INDY22 MIL POR CLE TOR MEA 43th 0
A. J. Foyt Enterprises MCH18 POC MDO ROA NAZ LAG MIA
1989 A. J. Foyt Enterprises PHX LBH INDYDNQ MIL DET POR CLE MEA TOR 27th 3
Stoops Freightliner MCH10 POC13 MDO ROA
Machinists Union Racing NAZDNS LAG
1990 Conseco Racing PHX LBH INDYDNQ MIL DET POR CLE MEA TOR MCH DEN VAN MDO ROA NAZ LAG NC
1992 Walker Motorsport SRF PHX LBH INDYDNQ DET POR MIL NHA TOR MCH CLE ROA VAN MDO NAZ LAG NC
1994 A. J. Foyt Enterprises SRF PHX LBH INDYWth1 MIL DET POR CLE TOR MCH MDO NHA VAN ROA NAZ LAG NC