* from a tire company racing rep. stop average 11 to 14 seconds. -1973 Schaefer 500 winner A. S >| and | chec Roger McCluskey. out of fuel, helplessly coasted to a stop with about 499 miles down in the Schaefer 500-mile event at Long Pond, in the Poconos. The old hang-on artist, A.J. Foyt, thundered by, and seconds later took the checkered flag. The third-annual Shaefer 500 belonged to A.J. Foyt-his reward for doggedly staying a half-lap behind the equally tenacious McCluskey for the last 100 miles of the race. The break he was waiting and hoping for came at almost the last possible instant. Despite many slowdowns, for minor mishaps and blown engines, the winner averaged a brisk 144.944 miles per hour, taking three hours, 26 minutes and 58.57 seconds to finish. The long grind saw two-thirds of the 33 entrants unable to stay in the race that long. The first to go out was Al Unser when he slammed into the first turn guard rail. He was not severly hurt, but had hit it came down. It took a welding crew almost 45 minutes to get the race re-started. ; In addition to that red flag, there were 10 yellow lights, starting with a first lap, first turn rail scrape by Johnny Rutherford. Rutherford went on to finish fifth in an imperfectly running vehicle. About 100.000 watched. most gelling progressively more sunburned, as three-time Indy 500. and five-time national driving championship winner A. J. Foyt completed 200 laps of the 2.5 mile. rounded-triangle to earn $90,000 of the event's $400,000 purse. A. J. drove his own Coyote to his first 500-mile win since the 1967 Indy 500. McCluskey powered an Eagle, owned by Lindsay Hopkins. The $20,000 difference bet- ween first and second place, in the end, rested on an extra pit stop by A.J. Foyt. Foyt made a total of 11 to McCluskey’s 10. Gordan Johncock, this year’s Indy 500 winner fell victim to a blow out which occurred. after 136 laps had passed. He had led much of the race, when the lire blew, as he roared in front of the grand stands. Johncock angrily threw off one glove and then another, as his crippled machine was hoisted up by a wrecker and returned to the garage, oul of the race. Mean- while the crowd cheered the fine job he had done avoiding an accident. Lloyd Ruby and Mike Mosely, both in Eagles, finished third and fourth respectively. = Local favorite Mario Andretti finished seventh, after car troubles forced long pit stops, which put. him many laps behind the leaders. : Bobby Unser led the race for 36 laps, bul with 400 miles down, Turbo-charger trouble slowed him way down, and long pit stops failed to correct the problem. He ended the race in 10th position. In ‘‘tortoise and the hare” fashion, Foy! led few laps. fuel and coasted an 0 go A Lo back straight during the final ho o ad Nol lols -
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