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1979 Trenton Twin Indy

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

The 1979 Trenton Twin Indy were the fifth and sixth rounds of the 1979 IndyCar season, held on June 10, at Trenton Speedway, Hamilton Township, Mercer County, near Trenton, New Jersey

Race 1

{{American Championshp Car race report infobox|

Country = United States|

Race = Trenton 1|

Image = Trenton_Speedway.svg|

Caption = Trenton Speedway|

Date = June 10|

Year = 1979|

Official name = Trenton Twin Indy|

Race_No = 5|

Season_No = 14|

Series = IndyCar|

Location = Trenton Speedway, Hamilton Township, Mercer County, near Trenton, New Jersey

Course = Oval|

Course_mi = 1.5|

Course_km = 2.41|

Distance_laps = 67|

Distance_mi = 100.5|

Distance_km = 161.704|

Weather = Unknown|

Pole_Driver = Gordon Johncock|

Pole_Team = Team Patrick|

Pole_Time = 31.341|

Pole_Country = United States|

Fast_Driver = Unknown|

Fast_Team = Unknown|

Fast_Time = Unknown|

Fast_Lap = Unknown|

Fast_Country = none|

First_Driver = Bobby Unser|

First_Team = Team Penske|

First_Country = United States|

Second_Driver = Al Unser|

Second_Team = Chaparral Cars|

Second_Country= United States|

Third_Driver = Gordon Johncock|

Third_Team = Team Patrick|

Third_Country = United States|

}}

= Summary =

Gordon Johncock won the pole for the race, with Bobby Unser starting second, Al Unser starting third, Tom Sneva starting fourth, and Johnny Rutherford starting fifth.

In the race, Johncock held the lead for the first 44 laps, before Bobby Unser took the lead on lap 45 after Johncock entered the pits. Johncock fell further to third after he spun out on lap 49.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/98969253/|title=Detroit Free Press from Detroit, Michigan on June 11, 1979 · Page 18|work=Newspapers.com|access-date=2018-10-01|language=en}}

Al Unser moved up to second, and was two seconds behind Bobby Unser when a caution came out on lap 57, but when the green flag flew again Bobby Unser won over his brother.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

Johncock finished third, Wally Dallenbach finished fourth, and Rick Mears finished fifth.{{Citation needed|date=December 2024}}

=Results=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
PosStaNoDriverTeamLapsTime/RetiredLedPts
1

| 2

| 12

| Bobby Unser

| Penske Racing

| 67

| 0:49:50

| 23

| 200

2

| 3

| 2

| Al Unser

| Chaparral Cars

| 67

|

| 0

| 160

3

| 1

| 20

| Gordon Johncock

| Patrick Racing

| 67

|

| 44

| 140

4

| 7

| 40

| Wally Dallenbach

| Patrick Racing

| 66

| +1 Lap

| 0

| 120

5

| 6

| 9

| Rick Mears

| Penske Racing

| 66

| +1 Lap

| 0

| 100

6

| 4

| 1

| Tom Sneva

| Team O'Connoell

| 66

| +1 Lap

| 0

| 80

7

| 10

| 25

| Danny Ongais

| Team Field

| 66

| +1 Lap

| 0

| 60

8

| 8

| 11

| Tom Bagley

| Team Hillin

| 65

| +2 Lap

| 0

| 50

9

| 12

| 7

| Steve Krisiloff

| Fletcher Racing

| 64

| +3 Laps

| 0

| 40

10

| 13

| 10

| Pancho Carter

| Team Morales

| 64

| +3 Laps

| 0

| 30

11

| 15

| 92

| John Mahler

| Intercomp

| 63

| +4 Laps

| 0

| 20

12

| 17

| 41

| Bill Alsup

| Private

| 60

| +7 Laps

| 0

| 10

13

| 9

| 36

| Mike Mosley

| Team Gurney

| 51

| engine

| 0

| 5

14

| 11

| 21

| Lee Kunzman

| Conqueste Racing Team

| 24

| engine

| 0

| 5

15

| 5

| 4

| Johnny Rutherford

| Team McLaren

| 16

| valve

| 0

| 5

16

| 14

| 35

| Larry Rice

| S&M Electric

| 8

| handling

| 0

| 5

17

| 18

| 69

| Joe Salanda

| Hoffman Racing

| 5

| engine

| 0

| 5

18

| 16

| 19

| Spike Gehlhausen

| Private

| 0

| oil pressure

| 0

| 5

=Lap Leader Breakdown=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
LeaderFrom LapTo Lap# Of Laps
Gordon Johncock

| 1

| 44

| 44

Bobby Unser

| 45

| 67

| 23

Race 2

{{American Championshp Car race report infobox|

Country = United States|

Race = Trenton 2|

Image = Trenton_Speedway.svg|

Caption = Trenton Speedway|

Date = June 10|

Year = 1979|

Official name = Trenton Twin Indy|

Race_No = 6|

Season_No = 14|

Series = IndyCar|

Location = Trenton Speedway, Hamilton Township, Mercer County, near Trenton, New Jersey

Course = Oval|

Course_mi = 1.5|

Course_km = 2.41|

Distance_laps = 67|

Distance_mi = 100.5|

Distance_km = 161.704|

Weather = Unknown|

Pole_Driver = Bobby Unser|

Pole_Team = Team Penske|

Pole_Time = Winner Race 1|

Pole_Country = United States|

Fast_Driver = Unknown|

Fast_Team = Unknown|

Fast_Time = Unknown|

Fast_Lap = Unknown|

Fast_Country = none|

First_Driver = Bobby Unser|

First_Team = Team Penske|

First_Country = United States|

Second_Driver = Wally Dallenbach|

Second_Team = Team Patrick|

Second_Country= United States|

Third_Driver = Johnny Rutherford|

Third_Team = Team McLaren|

Third_Country = United States|

}}

= Summary =

Starting positions for the race were determined by finishes in the first race, putting Bobby Unser on the pole. In the race itself, Unser briefly lost the lead to Gordon Johncock on the first lap, but he took it back and except for 5 laps led by Pancho Carter controlled the rest of the race. Wally Dallenbach finished second, Johnny Rutherford in third, Tom Bagley in fourth, and Gordon Johncock in fifth.

=Results=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
PosStaNoDriverTeamLapsTime/RetiredLedPts
1

| 1

| 12

| Bobby Unser

| Penske Racing

| 67

| 0:40:46

| 62

| 200

2

| 4

| 40

| Wally Dallenbach

| Patrick Racing

| 67

|

| 0

| 160

3

| 13

| 4

| Johnny Rutherford

| McLaren

| 67

|

| 0

| 140

4

| 8

| 11

| Tom Bagley

| Bobby Hillin

| 67

|

| 0

| 120

5

| 3

| 20

| Gordon Johncock

| Patrick Racing

| 66

| +1 Lap

| 0

| 100

6

| 7

| 25

| Danny Ongais

| Ted Field

| 66

| +1 Lap

| 0

| 80

7

| 5

| 12

| Rick Mears

| Penske Racing

| 66

| +1 Lap

| 0

| 60

8

| 10

| 10

| Pancho Carter

| Alex Morales

| 65

| +2 Laps

| 5

| 50

9

| 12

| 41

| Bill Alsup

| Private

| 62

| +5 Laps

| 0

| 40

10

| 14

| 35

| Larry Rice

| Private

| 60

| +7 Laps

| 0

| 30

11

| 11

| 92

| John Mahler

| Private

| 60

| +7 Laps

| 0

| 20

12

| 2

| 2

| Al Unser

| Chaparral Cars

| 52

| universal joint

| 0

| 10

13

| 16

| 19

| Spike Gehlhausen

| Carl Gehlhausen

| 52

| oil line

| 0

| 5

14

| 9

| 7

| Steve Krisiloff

| Fletcher Racing

| 50

| oil leak

| 0

| 5

15

| 6

| 1

| Tom Sneva

| Jerry O'Connell

| 41

| suspension

| 0

| 5

16

| 15

| 69

| Joe Saldana

| Hoffman Racing

| 2

| lost power

| 0

| 5

=Lap leader breakdown=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
LeaderFrom LapTo Lap# Of Laps
Bobby Unser

| 1

| 26

| 26

Pancho Carder

| 27

| 31

| 5

Bobby Unser

| 32

| 67

| 36

=Points standings after the Race=

Note: Only top 10 are listed

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
RankDriverPointsDiffChange
1

| Rick Mears

| 1725

|

| =0

2

| Bobby Unser

| 1275

| -450

| -1

3

| Gordon Johncock

| 1140

| -585

| +1

4

| Johnny Rutherford

| 875

| -850

| -1

5

| Danny Ongais

| 853

| -872

| -1

6

| Mike Mosley

| 835

| -890

| +2

7

| Al Unser

| 640

| -1085

| =0

8

| Tom Bagley

| 583

| -1142

| =0

9

| Wally Dallenbach

| 468

| -1257

| -2

10

| Tom Sneva

| 416

| -1309

| +1

References

External links

  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20070512212749/http://www.champcarworldseries.com/Results/ResultsIndex.asp?ID=591 Full Weekend Times & Results]

{{CART World Series race report|

Name_of_race = Trenton Twin Indy |

Year_of_race = 1979 |

Previous_race_in_season = 1979 Indianapolis 500 |

Next_race_in_season = 1979 Norton Twin |

Previous_year's_race = - Not Held - |

Next_year's_race = 1979 Dizler 150
Same Season

}}

Category:1979 in CART

Category:June 1979 sports events in the United States