1968 Indianapolis 500

Time Trials

1968 was the second and eventually the final year the controversial turbine cars were running in the 1968 race classic. In qualifications, Graham Hill the 1966 champion in the #70 STP Turbine is first to qualify, and sets a new qualifying record! Later, his STP turbine teammate joe Leonard in #60 wins the pole position with a speed of 171.559 mph (276.097 km/h).

Race Day

At the drop of the green flag, Joe Leonard in the #60 STP Turbine leaps in the lead, with Bobby Unser in second and Roger McCluskey up to third at the end of lap 1. After only nine laps, Jim Hurtubise in the PepsiCo Frito-lay special has burned a piston, and is out, finishing 30th. About this time, Bobby Unser is now hard after Leonard, and at the end of the main straightway he passes to take the lead. On lap 41, the caution flag flies for the first time when Al Unser loses a wheel and hits the first-turn wall, with Arnie Knepper and Gary Bettenhausen also involved. After 200 miles (320 km), A.J. Foyt is out with a blown engine and the defending champion's bid for his 4th Indy win is over for this year. After 110 laps, Graham Hill loses a wheel and smashes into the turn two wall, bringing out the second caution. On lap 127, Mel Kenyon and rookie Billy Vukovich tangle in turn four. Both are able to re-enter the race, but Johnny Rutherford, trying to slow down, is rear-ended by Jim McElreath. Mike Mosley also loses it in turn four trying to avoid the mess.

When Bobby Unser makes his last pit stop, his car is stuck in high gear. As he leaves his pit struggling to reach racing speed, both Leonard and Ruby pass him. With only 16 laps to go, Joe Leonard still has the #60 turbine in first place, but on the backstretch, Carl Williams hits the wall, bringing out the final caution. After cleanup, the green waves on the 191st lap. At that instant, both leader Joe Leonard in STP turbine #60 and teammate Art Pollard in STP turbine #20 lurch—and instantly slow with identical snapped fuel pump drive shafts. Unser sweeps by into the lead with Dan Gurney inheriting second place. With a nearly full-lap lead, Bobby Unser cruises the final 9 laps to win his first of eventually three Indianapolis 500 victories.

Results of the 1968 Indianapolis 500 held at Indianapolis on Thursday, May 30, 1968.

Finish	Start	No	Name	Qual	Rank	Laps	Led	Status
1	3	3	Bobby Unser	169.507	3	200	127	Running
2	10	48	Dan Gurney	166.512	10	200	0	Running
3	17	15	Mel Kenyon	165.191	14	200	0	Running
4	20	42	Denis Hulme	164.189	19	200	0	Running
5	5	25	Lloyd Ruby	167.613	5	200	42	Running
6	26	59	Ronnie Duman	162.338	27	200	0	Running
7	23	98	Bill Vukovich II	163.510	23	198	0	Flagged
8	27	90	Mike Mosley	162.499	26	197	0	Flagged
9	31	94	Sammy Sessions	162.118	31	197	0	Flagged
10	25	6	Bobby Grim	162.866	25	196	0	Flagged
11	24	16	Bob Veith	163.495	24	196	0	Flagged
12	1	60	Joe Leonard	171.599	1	191	31	Fuel Shaft
13	11	20	Art Pollard	166.297	11	188	0	Fuel Shaft
14	13	82	Jim McElreath	165.327	13	179	0	Stalled
15	28	84	Carl Williams	162.323	28	163	0	Crash BS
16	18	10	Bud Tingelstad	164.444	17	158	0	Oil Pressure
17	12	54	Wally Dallenbach, Sr.	165.548	12	148	0	Engine
18	21	18	Johnny Rutherford	163.830	21	125	0	Crash T4
19	2	70	Graham Hill	171.208	2	110	0	Crash T2
20	8	1	A.J. Foyt	166.821	8	86	0	Rear End
21	19	45	Ronnie Bucknum	164.211	18	76	0	Fuel Leak
22	14	27	Jim Malloy	165.032	15	64	0	Rear End
23	15	78	Jerry Grant	164.782	16	50	0	Oil Leak
24	22	11	Gary Bettenhausen	163.562	22	43	0	Accident T1
25	32	21	Arnie Knepper	161.900	32	42	0	Accident T1
26	6	24	Al Unser	167.069	6	40	0	Crash T1
27	9	4	Gordon Johncock	166.775	9	37	0	Rear End
28	33	64	Larry Dickson	161.124	33	24	0	Piston
29	7	8	Roger McCluskey	166.976	7	16	0	Oil Filter
30	30	56	Jim Hurtubise	162.191	30	9	0	Piston
31	29	29	George Snider	162.264	29	9	0	Oil Leak
32	16	35	Jochen Rindt	164.144	20	5	0	Piston
33	4	2	Mario Andretti	167.691	4	2	0	Piston

Qualification Chronology

Topics

• Jim Hurtubise became the last driver to qualify the race with a front engine roadster.
• Much of the film of the race was used in the movie Winning starring Paul Newman.
• Rain hampered most of the month. During qualifying, Bump Day (the final day of time trials) rain kept cars off the track until late in the evening. A handfull of cars tooks runs into the night, but qualifying had to be halted due to darkness, with the field short of the traditional 33 cars. Time trials was pushed into a 5th day (Monday), and the field was finally filled to 33 cars.