|| *Comments on the 1965 Indianapolis 500:* View the most recent comment <#22> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. Beau posted: 11.15.2010 - 9:39 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Race won by F1 champ Jim Clark. He was the first F1 champ to successfully do it - only Graham Hill would do it AFTER being World Champion. Yes, Jacques Villeneuve won the Indy 500 later but that was before he went to F1 so he doesn't count. 2. RaceFanX posted: 01.19.2011 - 10:56 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) After two close calls the rear-engineed Lotus and Jimmy Clark finally win at Indy. And much of America could watch it too. For the first time highlights of the Indy 500 were televised by ABC and their Wide World of Sports program. The ABC and Indy combination has been a good one and continues to this day. Mario Andretti makes his Indy debut and breaks the track record doing so. Andretti would go on to finish 3rd and claim top rookie honors but his record was shortlived as Clark smashed the 160 MPH barrier then Foyt broke that record to take the pole, the first for him at Indy. On the start Clark jumped out into the lead and began to pull away. Eventually gearbox issues put Foyt on the trailer and Clark was able to cruise to victory. Lloyd Ruby did a 360 spin but didn't hit anything and kept racing. He'd have to settle for 11th though after his motor conked out. Clark's winning Lotus / Ford from this race is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. This was his second and final USAC Champ Car win, he'd also won at Milwaukee in 1963. 3. Pacer posted: 07.26.2011 - 12:37 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The pace car for this 500 was a Plymouth Sport Fury, the only Plymouth to have that honor. 4. RaceFanX posted: 07.26.2011 - 12:46 am Rate this comment: (1) (0) Ford really wanted to win this race and went all out to do it by bringing in the Wood Brothers from NASCAR. The Woods were the team that brought the fast modern pit stop to American racing and even out of their element they again provided fast pit stops that helped Jimmy Clark to victory. It remains the Woods' only victory at Indy. 5. Schroeder51 posted: 10.05.2013 - 1:54 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) A more complete list of drivers and teams that DNQed, courtesy of the ChampCarStats website... #21 Bob Christie #86 Bobby Grim #36 Paul Goldsmith #10, #95 Bob Harkey #56 Jim Hurtubise #8 Norm Hall #96 Skip Hudson (note: Failed his rookie tesst) #27 Mel Kenyon #15 Jud Larson #99 Ralph Ligouri #67 Art Malone #77, #87 Bob Mathouser #65 Mike McGreevy #44, #63, #96, #97 Al Unser #6 Bobby Unser #67 Bob Wente #33 Carl Williams #44 Dempsey Wilson #19 Greg Weld (note: Failed his rookie test) #2 Rodger Ward #79 Ebb Rose #21 Paul Russo #23 Mickey Rupp #34 Bob Hurt #47 Chuck Rodee #96 Ray Furnal (note: Entry was declined due to lack of experience) Bill Cheesbourg Gig Stephens 6. Schroeder51 posted: 03.14.2015 - 3:53 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First Indy 500 starts for Mario Andretti, Gordon Johncock, Bobby Johns, Al Unser, Billy Foster, Arnie Knepper, George Snider, Jerry Grant, and Joe Leonard. Only Indy 500 starts for Mickey Rupp and Masten Gregory. Last Indy 500 starts for Len Sutton, Walt Hansgen, Chuck Stevenson, Chuck Rodee, and Bill Cheesbourg. Paul Russo's DNQ marked the final time a driver who competed in the 500 before WWII attempted the race. 7. Schroeder51 posted: 03.14.2015 - 11:13 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Add to DNQs: Mickey Rupp, #23 Chapman (Did not qualify) Bob Hurt, #34 Robbins (Did not qualify) Al Unser, #44 VIta Fresh Orange Juice (Did not qualify) Chuck Rodee, #47 WIFE Radio Good Guy (Did not qualify) Bob Harkey, #95 (Did not qualify) Ray Furnal, #96 Harrison (Did not qualify) Al Unser, #97 (Did not qualify) Gig Stephens, New Boston (Did not qualify) 8. indycar1 posted: 05.08.2015 - 10:16 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race ran 11 minutes under caution. 9. Anthony posted: 12.24.2015 - 3:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) This race changed the sport. For someone to come over from Europe and win, it was unprecedented. 10. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 01.30.2016 - 8:51 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Qualifying results: 1. A. J. Foyt-161.233 MPH 2. Jimmy Clark-160.729 MPH 3. Dan Gurney-158.898 MPH 4. Mario Andretti-158.849 MPH 5. Parnelli Jones-158.625 MPH 6. Billy Foster-158.416 MPH 7. Al Miller-157.805 MPH 8. Bobby Unser-157.467 MPH 9. Lloyd Ruby-157.246 MPH 10. Jim Hurtubise-156.863 MPH 11. Bob Veith-156.427 MPH 12. Johnny Rutherford-156.291 MPH 13. Len Sutton-156.121 MPH 14. Jim McElreath-155.878 MPH 15. Walt Hansgen-155.662 MPH 16. Don Branson-155.501 MPH 17. Bobby Johns-155.481 MPH 18. Roger McCluskey-155.186 MPH 19. Johnny Boyd-155.172 MPH 20. Gordon Johncock-155.012 MPH 21. Mickey Rupp-154.839 MPH 22. George Snider-154.825 MPH 23. Bud Tingelstad-154.672 MPH 24. Jerry Grant-154.606 MPH 25. Chuck Rodee-154.546 MPH 26. Masten Gregory-154.540 MPH 27. Ronnie Duman-154.533 MPH 28. Arnie Knepper-154.513 MPH 29. Al Unser-154.440 MPH 30. Chuck Stevenson-154.275 MPH 31. Joe Leonard-154.268 MPH 32. Eddie Johnson-153.998 MPH 33. Bill Cheesbourg-153.774 MPH 11. Maverick11 posted: 05.22.2016 - 8:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Clark was the first non-American to win the 500 since Gaston Chevrolet in 1920. 12. Maverick11 posted: 05.22.2016 - 8:09 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) My mistake, at least according to this site, Chevrolet is listed as an American. First foreigner since Dario Resta in 1916. 13. Rob posted: 12.20.2016 - 7:22 pm Rate this comment: (2) (0) Geez, you could have had a good race with the non-qualifiers. 14. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 03.21.2017 - 11:51 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) ^You could really say that about a TON of Indy 500s. It's always impressive to look back at these old 500s and see how many of them had nearly as many drivers fail to qualify as those who did (and sometimes, even more)... First alternate: Rodger Ward After failing to qualify Ward provided commentary for the hour-long Wide World of Sports coverage on ABC, alongside Charlie Brockman. This was the first time that ABC covered the 500, a tradition that has continued for over 50 years since. 15. RaceFanX posted: 06.03.2018 - 4:24 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The tradition of ABC covering the 500 began with this race and continued through 2018 before the race moved to NBC. It would be a tape delayed coverage for more than 20 years before the broadcast went live in 1986. 16. RaceFanX posted: 05.20.2019 - 2:59 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Rodger Ward had two wins and no finishes worse than fourth in the 500 over the prior six years, including a second in 1964, but just could not find the speed all month leading to his shock DNQ. This was his penultimate attempt at the Indianapolis 500, he'd retire after this race in 1966. 17. RaceFanX posted: 05.23.2019 - 1:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Clark's victory was the first for a rear-engined car at Indianapolis and every winner since has used that same layout, the victory further cementing the end of the roadster era at Indy. The European entries here and earlier in the 1960s had shown the new direction of the sport and only six of the 33 starters in this one had roadsters. While Jim Hurtubise stuck with them into the 1970s, after 1968 the roadsters were extinct on the starting grid. Clark's win also marked the first ever victory at the Brickyard for Ford as the American automaker became the first company other than Offenhauser to power its way into victory lane since George Robson won with Sparks power in 1946. The Blue Oval Boys would go on to win eight Indianapolis 500s including the last two to date it entered in 1995 and 1996. 18. SweetRich posted: 02.29.2020 - 7:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) The commentators for the race were Charlie Brockman and Rodger Ward. 19. JollyMeanGiant posted: 02.23.2021 - 7:46 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Additional DNQs according to UltimateRacingHistory: LeeRoy Yarbrough, #96 Harrison, Eisert 65/Chevy (Owner: J. Frank Harrison) Skip Hudson, #96 Harrison, Eisert 65/Chevy (Owner: J. Frank Harrison) 20. JollyMeanGiant posted: 03.03.2021 - 1:34 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 37 cars completed full qualifying runs. Bob Christie in the #21, Bobby Grim in the #86, Norm Hall in the #8 and Mel Kenyon in the #27 were not fast enough to make the field. (Not sure of the exact order they qualified in, but Rodger Ward is somehow listed as first alternate despite apparently not completing a qualifying run. Huh?) 21. RaceFanX posted: 03.09.2021 - 10:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmy Clark and Dan Gurney were full-time Formula 1 drivers at the time of this race and both of them skipped the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix to run here at Indianapolis instead. Given how much this victory adds to Clark's incredible racing legacy it's hard to question that decision. Missing a race didn't hurt Clark's World Championship hopes either, he won six of the nine F1 races he entered in 1965 and became the first and to date only driver to win both the Indy 500 and the F1 championship in the same season. Gurney finished fourth in F1 points as well, matching his best championship finish too. Part-time Ford NASCAR Cup racer Bobby Johns also passed on the World 600 at Charlotte to race a Lotus here as Clark's teammate; bringing the "British Racing Green" #83 home with a strong seventh-place finish in his first USAC Champ Car start. Johns' only prior appearance at Indianapolis saw him DNQ in 1964 driving Smokey Eunice's bizarre "Sidecar" creation so this was a nice reversal of his prior fate. While the roadsters were fast becoming obsolete there was still a little life in them. Of the six in this race Gordon Johncock turned in the best run as he brought the Offenhauser-powered #76 Weinberger Homes Watson home fifth and finished on the lead lap in the process. Eddie Johnson also finished in the top-10 driving a roadster. This was the first year the majority of the field at Indianapolis drove rear-engine cars. Bob Mathouser attempted to qualify for the race driving the unique front-wheel drive Chevrolet-powered #87 "MT Challenger Wheel Special" roadster built and owned by the one and only Mickey Thompson. The car did have the speed during the Month of May but reliability issues, including a blown engine in qualifying, resulted in a DNQ and to date no one has attempted the Indy 500 with a front-wheel drive car of any kind since. 22. RaceFanX posted: 03.09.2021 - 10:13 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) The 1965 Indy 500 turned out to be the last ride for the famous Novi engines at the big race. Two of the roadsters in the field used them with the STP-backed entries for Bobby Unser and Jim Hurtubise. Both Novis ran this race with white wall tires for added visibility. Herk's #59 broke on lap 2 but Unser's Andy Granatelli-owned #9 featured an all-wheel drive setup borrowed from the Ferguson P99 F1 car and was running well. Bobby ran in the top-10 all day until a failure in the fitting of the oil line connected to the supercharger put him out of the race. Another Novi would attempt to qualify at Indy in 1966 but missed the field. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: