1971 USAC National Dirt Car Championship


The 1971 USAC National Dirt Car Championship was the first season of the newly formed USAC National Dirt Car Championship. The inaugural champion was George Snider. The Dirt Car championship was created after dirt races were dropped from the schedule of the USAC Championship Car series following the 1970 season.

Technical rules

The existing USAC National Championship was a mixture of road courses, hill climbs and paved or dirt oval races. For the 1971 season this championship switched exclusively to paved ovals. Especially on the paved ovals rear-engined cars dominated the races whereas on the dirt ovals the front-engined cars were superior.
The cars' construction mainly stayed with front engines as established after World War II. The cars with wheelbase of at least 96 inches. Overhead camshaft engines were restricted to 256.284 cubic inches and stock block engine could use up to 305.1 cubic inches.

Confirmed entries

Team / OwnerChassisEngineNoDriversRounds
Agajanian-Faas RacersWatson 64Ford98Sammy Sessions1
Agajanian-Faas RacersWatson 64Offenhauser98Sammy Sessions2–4
A. J. Foyt EnterprisesMeskowski 69Foyt9A. J. Foyt2–4
Bob HarkeyMeskowski 59Offenhauser52Bob HarkeyAll
Carl Gehlhausen RacingKurtis 4000D 343Offenhauser84Tom Bigelow1
Carl Gehlhausen RacingKurtis 4000D 343Offenhauser84Jim Malloy2–4
CHEK Inc.Turner 62Chevrolet44Arnie KnepperAll
Danny BurkeMoore 65Offenhauser33Ronnie Burke2–4
Don RogalaunknownOffenhauser36Billy Vukovich Jr.1
Don RogalaunknownOffenhauser36Jimmy Caruthers2–4
Federal EngineeringMeskowski 64Offenhauser3Johnny Parsons4
Gerhardt RacingunknownPlymouth16Gary Bettenhausen2–4
Harry ConklinunknownOffenhauser64Bill Puterbaugh1
Helen ReynardKuzmaOffenhauser75Jim ReynardAll
Jim McElreathMcElreath 69Chevrolet14Jim McElreathAll
Joe HuntLesovksy 58Offenhauser99Merle Bettenhausen2–4
JordanunknownChevrolet69Duke Cook3–4
Ken BrennMeskowski 62Offenhauser57Lee KunzmanAll
Leader CardWatson 62Offenhauser4George SniderAll
Lindsey HopkinsMeskowski 61Offenhauser6Roger McCluskey4
Louis SenterMeskowski 63Offenhauser22Don HawleyAll
Louis SeymourMeskowski 61Chevrolet39Joe Saldana1
Louis SeymourMeskowski 61Offenhauser39Bruce Walkup2–4
Mataka BrothersBlum 62Offenhauser31Jerry Karl1
Mataka BrothersBlum 62Offenhauser31Joe Saldana2–4
MVS RacingWard 67Offenhauser19Bill Puterbaugh2, 4
Ray SmithWard 68Chevrolet70Carl Williams1
Ray SmithWard 68Chevrolet70Tom Bigelow2–4
Richard BlackerCannon 70Chevrolet47Larry Cannon2–4
Ron HartCedoz 70Chevrolet48Karl BussonAll
Ron KilmanMeskowski 60Offenhauser25Rollie BealeAll
Russ RuppertMeskowski 58Offenhauser17Dick TobiasAll
SteckunknownChevrolet30Billy Thrasher2–4
STP RacingKingfish 69Plymouth5Mario Andretti2–4
STP RacingKingfish 70Chevrolet40Larry DicksonAll
STP RacingKingfish 70Gurney Weslake60Greg Weld1–3
STP RacingKingfish 69Plymouth60Greg Weld4
Tim DelRose EnterprisesKuzma 60Offenhauser18Johnny RutherfordAll
Two JacksGerhardt 66GM Allison Turbine29Art Pollard3–4
United Championship RacersDunlop 64Offenhauser24Gary Bettenhausen1
United Championship RacersDunlop 64Offenhauser24Billy Vukovich Jr.2–4
Vatis EnterprisesVollstedt 59Offenhauser94Carl Williams2–4
Vel's Parnelli Jones RacingKingfish 69Ford1Al Unser1, 4
WalmotorsMeskowski 59Offenhauser77Salt Walther2–4
Walt FlynnFlynn 64Offenhauser58Ralph LiguoriAll
Wib SpaldingMeskowskiChevrolet15Bill Puterbaugh3
Wib SpaldingMeskowskiChevrolet15Don Nordhorn4

Schedule and results

The season consisted of four 100 mile dirt races.
RndDateRace nameTrackLocationPole positionWinning driver
1June 20Nazareth 100Nazareth National SpeedwayNazareth, PennsylvaniaLarry DicksonJim McElreath
2August 22Tony Bettenhausen 100Illinois State FairgroundsSpringfield, IllinoisGreg WeldA. J. Foyt
3September 6Ted Horn MemorialDu Quoin State FairgroundsDu Quoin, IllinoisGreg WeldGeorge Snider
4September 11Hoosier HundredIndiana State FairgroundsIndianapolis, IndianaAl UnserAl Unser

Final point standings

The driver's championship was won by George Snider of 26 classified drivers. The entrants championships went to the #4 car of Leader Card, Inc.