The 60th 500 Mile International Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Sunday, May 30, 1976. Polesitter Johnny Rutherford took the lead on lap 80, and was leading when rain halted the race on lap 103. Two hours later, the race was about to be resumed, but rain fell again. USAC officials called the race at that point, reverted the scoring back to the completion of lap 102, and Johnny Rutherford was declared the winner. Rutherford famously walked to Victory Lane, his second career Indy 500 triumph, having completed only 255 miles (410 km), the shortest official race on record. Janet Guthrie became the first female driver to enter the Indianapolis 500. However, her team was underfunded, and she experienced numerous mechanical and engine problems during the month. While she managed to pass her rookie test, and ran numerous practice laps in multiple cars, she was unable to make an attempt to qualify. She would return with a successful effort a year later in 1977.
Hours after the race, IMS Vice President Elmer George was shot and killed during a confrontation.[3] He had been in charge of the IMS Radio Network and was the son-in-law of IMS owner Tony Hulman. The confrontation was unrelated to the running of the race. In addition, 1976 would be the final Indy 500 for longtime radio anchor Sid Collins. After a surgery to repair a disk in his neck,[4] Collins was still suffering muscular and neurological ailments,[5] which made his work at the 1976 race physically difficult. He was later diagnosed with ALS, and committed suicide on May 2, 1977.[5]
Rutherford's victory would be the final win at Indy for the venerable Offenhauser engine. It was the beginning of the end of an era which had seen 27 Indy 500 victories for the Offy powerplant.
The month of May 1976 was highlighted by the grand opening of the new Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum.[6][7] Located in the track infield, the new museum replaced a much smaller facility on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road. It was also the 30th anniversary of the first 500 under Tony Hulman's ownership, the 50th year since the incorporation of the Town of Speedway, and coincided with the year-long United States Bicentennial celebration.[8]
^Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN 0-915088-05-3.
^Marquette, Ray (May 31, 1976). "Weather Again Cuts '500' Short". The Indianapolis Star. p. 1. Retrieved June 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^Oreovicz, John (2011-05-16). "Indy at 100: Fatalities mar the '70s". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2011-08-02.
^"Sid Collins nearly missed 'silver' Indy". AP. The Modesto Bee. 1976-05-27. Retrieved 2012-03-26.[permanent dead link]
^ ab"Collins found dead". People In Sports. The Register-Guard. 1977-05-03. Retrieved 2012-03-26.
^"1996 Indianapolis 500 Official Program". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 1996-05-26.
^"Hall of Fame Museum". IndianapolisMotorSpeedway.com. Archived from the original on 2008-03-28. Retrieved 2008-03-31.
^Devens, Jeff (May 31, 1976). "Rain Dampened Spirit Of Historic '500'". The Indianapolis Star. p. 14. Retrieved May 17, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
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