... I was there At the 1982 Indy 500 I was with my buddy Robert Reaves We drove in from Boulder Colorado in my 1965 Cadillac Deville convertible, top down. We were in turn 3 but the beginning of the race was a disaster that ruined the race for lots of people next to me in turn 3.. and all the wrecks. But still a very exciting experience for me. Also it was really a hot day.
Johnny Parsons Jr. was my substitute teacher for a day my senior year of high school in 2012. I spent the whole class period asking him questions about racing. He is a really good guy.
+Mike Harris 1982 was not one of JP Jr's better races. According tothe 1982 Indy 500 yearbook, he had a 45 minute stop to correct an oil leak. He retired after spinning out on lap 143, but only had enough distance for 20th in the final shakedown.
Of all the 500's this is the one that stands out. The start with Andretti and Cogan and the Johncock-Mears duel at the end was memorable. Incredible finish. Hard to believe this was 42 years ago..
Still my favorite race (2nd to 1991) even though my favorite driver came in 2nd. I was 12 years old sitting in the Paddock rooting for Rick. Gordon was a great driver and a class act.
I sat behind Rick Mears' pit (inside main straight) for this race. by far the best sporting even I've ever personally witnessed.....the last several laps when Rick was chasing Gordy down was simply AMAZING. the crowd was SO loud that one couldn't even hear the roar of the cars as they raced by. I was in 8th grade and a huge Gordon Johncock fan.....so, you can imagine the thrill for me!
@@vinceA3748wow...I was there at turn 3. With .Mario out before even lap. ONE...and AJ car damaged it was tough on us in turn 3. Exciting at the end though..! Go Johncock. !!
I've watched the Indy 500's my entire life cause my father grew up in Indiana so that is a the only racing tradition in our family, I agree 1982 finish was the best I've seen only 1989, 1992, & 2006 are close. Mears in my opinion at the time wasn't willing to crash like later in his career, Gordy was willing to crash at that time. Thats why Johncock won in my opinion. What was great about 1982 finish was the television people thought Mears was toast & he just started gaining on Johncock.
Back then, the TV broadcast was shown a few hours later (in prime-time) on a tape delay and edited. During those years, it was a tradition in my home for my family to listen to the live radio broadcast during the afternoon and then watch the tape of the race on TV that night. After listening to the race live on radio, including the incredible finish, we all couldn't wait to watch the finish on TV that night.
I've probably seen this race at least a half dozen times on tape and I was present for the original .I still get cold chills. The best 500 of all time.
DITTO and I have to say I will never forget what I did after the race when Dad was talking to Rick by his Garage and I went up to his tired and kicked it cause I was so mad that Rick lost and yes I was crying! They both looked at me and Rick came up to me and asked me what was wrong, I told him that I was mad that he lost the race as Rick was my favorite driver. He told me to calm down and I might have been the favorite to win the race but there are going to be days to where it isn't going to happen and I have a bad day!
This was my first 500 in person. I was really pulling for Mears but Gordon made an amazing pass going into turn one. I wish ABC would have kept the camera on the cars at that moment.
That guy couldn't hold a candle to Jim Nabors' version of Back Home Again In Indiana. Also, those Penske cars were among the most beautiful I've ever seen.
Louis Sudler: Successful businessman, generous donor to marching band and orchestral musical causes, but mediocre singer at best. He overdoes it with the vibrato so severely that it pulls him off the note he is aiming to hit at times.
You should have the seen the one the year before from Phil Harris, it was literally spoken. An insult. He lived with that legacy for the rest of his life.
One of the best races I ever watched and I started watching when I was very young. I was 13 in 1982. Danny Sullivan became my favorite racer as we let go of the old guard like the Unsers and AJ. Johncock Rutherford Sneva were just iconic.
I was at the race in the Paddock just past the start/finish line. We heard and felt the "boom/crunch" as Andretti t-boned Cogan before the start. We saw Mears closing the gap on the final stretch, but they flashed by so fast we had to look at the scoring pylon to see if the numbers changed - they didn't; 40 over 1 meant that Johncock stayed ahead of Mears and won. Goosebumps every time I watch it.
If you enjoy racing at all, this one is worth watching from start to finish. Don't cheat yourself by just skipping to the finish. I loved the opening lap drama and the fearlessness of A.J. Foyt diving into that first corner after the restart with a damaged suspension, not knowing if the car would even hold. Just incredible racing by Foyt, Sneva, Mears, and Johncock throughout the entire race and so many tense moments going into the corners.
I disagree. A good race is not necessarily good TV. ABC's handling of the end of the race was great TV, mainly because the drama of the whole race showed up in the face of Mears's wife. A lot of what came before was schmaltzy and dumb but the end was great TV.
I watch this race every year, before the Indy 500. And every year, I'm sure that Mears will pass Johncock. And every year, he doesn't. What a race, what a finish!
This had been a terrible month of May until the finish of this race. I was 11 years old and I remember it well. Gilles Villeneuve had been killed at Zolder on May 8. Being a Canadian, that was a national tragedy. Then, the following Saturday, Gordon Smiley was killed just before the ABC live telecast of pole qualifications came on. That was two terrible wrecks in two weeks...Two weeks later, the start of this went all haywire...Then the SPECTACULAR finish to the 500...
One of the best 500s ever. Johncock pushed it to the end. Mears raced brilliantly. He goes on to win three more in his career. I loved watching this video.
Oh my this brings that days memories flooding back ! This was my first Indy 500 first time to the track. There was in different groups a sadness as we lost Gordon Smiley week earlier. To be there in person at the finishing laps. when AJ worked on his own racer, the fiasco with Cogan at the beginning just great to finally see this from this angle. I was disappointed that Mario didn't race and AJ broke but the end finish was worth it. I will never forget that day. Thank you for uploading this.
Loved ABC's taped pieces. They added a lot of value to the broadcast. This race is a fun one. Also, 1:28:35 RIP Father Glenn O'Connor. He just passed away last year.
2:15:12: Greatest lap ever at the 500. Must have shocked everybody that Gordon could prevent Rick from passing him after giving up an 11 second lead so quickly. Even Penske can't win them all.
While a great lap, I feel the 1992 Indy 500 final lap was more epic due to how close Goodyear came to getting Unser Jr. Even lap 199 of the 89 one was pretty great too. Had they not crashed, who knows how dramatic that finish would have been?
The Penske car was simply unbeatable in the turns and in the draft when leading. But Gordons car had the stronger motor, giving it just enough more top end straightaway speed to hold off Mears.
10:33 There's a view we will never forget. My only regret when I visited NYC in 1993 was not going into the World Trade Center buildings. Just the Empire State Building and walking the short way, all the way across Central Park.
Thanks again IndyCar! This is still my favorite Indianapolis 500. Legendary drivers, beautiful cars, numerous plot twists and an exciting finish. Thanks for this high quality upload.
Love Gordy. Love Mears. One of the best race finishes ever ...... and to this day I still cannot fathom why they decided to show Mears' wife while the two were going into turn one side-by-side and ultimately where the race was decided.
Because ABC (Absolute BullSh*t Coverage) were morons. That’s why everyone was so glad to see NBC take over. I was a kid then, bought my own 19inch color TV then because I got in a fight with the ol’ man (my stepdad) because he wouldn’t let me watch the 1981 Indianapolis 500. I already heard the race coverage on the radio, but I didn’t expect to watch this outrageous nonsense on TV. I Guess it would have been fine it was this race only but they did the same goddam thing during 1989 & 1992. F*ck ABC and their producers. May anyone associated with that die long, and lingering deaths.
Hehehe,we got our first color TV in '75,a 19" Zenith,I think I watched with my Dad and brother on it. Now Im watching on 58" inch 4k,with a 560 watt sound system.
The only finish where I enjoyed the call to checkers by both ABC and the IMS Radio Network. Jim McKay's best moment from his 500's and Paul Page and his IMS compadres were stellar. To enjoy the finish to it's fullest, you've got to hear both.
Gordon Johncock displayed what was probably the best pure “driving” job in IMS history.....a car that going “tight” (known as understeering or pushing), and getting tighter by the lap, Gordy just plain refused to lose. When a car goes tight, it will always get worse, because the right front tire gets overheated, surface of the tire will start to get gooey & greasy, and will lose grip. That’s why Gordy said in Victory Lane.... “I was starting to have a “pushing” problem with 10 laps to go...the more I drove it, the worse it got!”. On the last lap, going into turn-3, he drove it in so low, Gordy said that he went over a bump he never felt before.
Even Rick Mears was impressed, one his his quotes was: "Gordy had it all but sideways a couple of times, he drove the wheels off of that car." High praise indeed.
So much better for Gordy this year! Getting the checkered flag after all 200 laps instead of a red flag with the race being called, seeming happily married to a beautiful woman as opposed to being in the middle of a divorce and being able to really enjoy it instead of visiting a friend in a hospital. Great year for him!
One interesting and odd statistical note regarding this race. When they finally got the race started, A.J. Foyt did the one thing he had never previously done in the Indianapolis 500. He led the opening lap. Believe it or not, even on his way to four wins and having previously sat on the pole four times, Foyt had never led lap #1 in any Indianapolis 500. He had led every other lap number, including of course, the final one four times, but as he never led the race again after the 1982 race, this race would mark the only time he ever led the opening lap in the Indianapolis 500.
He was sooooooooo pissed this day(More than usual) because of Cogan, that he simply turned up the boost and wanted no part of traffic. Take it in your own hands.
No, this race marked the only time Foyt ever led the opening lap of any Indianapolis 500, despite starting on the pole four times. Every time he sat on the pole, the driver who started second got the jump on him going into turn one. And actually, winning the pole at Indy is a mixed blessing, because you actually get a bad angle going into turn one. But there are similarities to Richard Petty, both in the start (in Foyt leading the opening lap for the only time in his Indy career), and in how the race finished. After all, despite winning the Daytona 500 seven times and starting on the front row for the Daytona 500 almost as often as he won the race (he started on the front row for the Daytona 500 five times), he only led the opening lap of the Daytona 500 once, in 1966, which also happened to be the only year he won the pole for that event. And of course, Gordon Johncock was literally carrying Richard Petty's legendary STP paint scheme when he won this race in what was the first NASCAR-style finish ever seen at Indy, thus bringing Petty's blue and red paint scheme into victory lane at Indy.
Bobby Unser's take on the cause of the Cogan accident was right on the money. It was later corroborated by several other very experienced veterans. Cogan punched it at the wrong time and got sideways, but Mears set far too slow a pace at the start, and probably deserved as much blame - one of those ironies that makes sports interesting! I'm not a Foyt fan but it took balls to come out charging with car that had unproven steering. The final chase is probably the supreme Indy moment I remember. Johncock did an unbelievable job of nursing a squirrely car to a win. Mears himself was as happy as the winner to have been a part of history, and was full of praise for Johncock. It was a wonderful redemption for Johncock, who had won the tragic rain-plagued shortened race in 1973.
I remember quite well the ovation he received from the crowd at oswego speedway when it was announced he had won, was like your own cousin won or something. living legend
eh, Same Posey can be annoying. Like the comment about it being extremely dangerous business if Mears had caught Johncock. Its Indy, it will always be dangerous, but that comment made it like these guys were not capable of running so close without an incident. The commentary now is pretty good overall, especially in Indycar.
In fact, I believe this was his very first assignment for ABC Sports after many years at CBS Sports. He was also on the 1991 Indianapolis 500 broadcast team, as he did one of his legendary essays during the pre-race coverage.
Jackie Stewart, as always, was the consummate professional. In reality, I don't believe he was terribly happy with his "new role" of being shoved in a darkened room in the infield or wherever it actually was.
I'll say it everyone I see it, if Andretti is in position with his row mates, he misses it. whatever happened with Cogan happened, and aj just along for their ride. but Mario got nobody to blame but himself.
I have nothing but great things to say about the 100th running. It was awesome. But had Alexander Rossi run outa gas a mile or two sooner, we may have been treated to a shoot-out to the end like this one. Ah, the memories.
I remember listening to the start of this race, but this is the first time I saw the start. I agree with Mario and AJ; Penske put Kogan in a car that was too fast for him.
Yes they were, but after the '82 season ground effects technology was banned by CART and USAC. It was believed that it played a part in Gordon Smileys tragic accident.
Johncock alright, yeah. I agree. It's a possible explanation. But Mario really shouldn't have been there. Mario jumped the start. He was too close behind the two Penskes. Btw Mario owed up to it. Not to his own jumpstart because this is just the way starts were conducted these days. You can't put the blame on Cogan because nobody knows whether the driveshaft broke before the accident or from impact. the public was never shown the driveshaft. Johncock held formation and let the hotshots do their thing. He probably had a nose for trouble there. He might have been wondering if there is a bad formation further behind because green was never shown. The starter was hesitant. Maybe even because of Mario and so many others back in the field breaking formation. On the other hand Andretti usually started like this. Johncock was the more complete driver in this situation. Here's an interesting piece with R.Penske denying to know anything about the status of the car. Probably even true. ruclips.net/video/NxXFsI03X9Q/видео.html I'd be very interested in the starter's opinion. Why did he delay the green flag? Which instructions were given in the drivers meeting about the start?
I will be 27 in a few weeks been an Indycar fan since I was 7 or 8 years old been to every Indy 500 from 2002-2019 my dad started going in 1984 when he was 16 I'd say the best Indy 500 races maybe top 10 since that I've either been at or watched on RUclips in no particular order 1. 1982 2. 1985 3. 1989 4. 1992 5. 1995 6. 2002 because it was my first 500 7. 2006 8. 2011 9. 2013 10. 2014 The 2010s was tough because I think all the 500s from this past decade were amazing
Rick Mears Is #1, But On That Particular Day, On May 30, 1982, Gordon Johncock Was #1!🏁🏎️🏎️Rick Mears Was A Class Act, Taking His Defeat, Like A Man!🏁🏎️🏎️🤓😎😎😎
Great quality video considering its age, and you can still clearly see those skid marks made at the end of Turn 3 by Gordon Smiley's car when it fatally crashed into the wall during qualifying a couple of weeks earlier on May 15. The final battle over the last couple of laps between Johncock and Mears shows them driving at full throttle and going just as fast as Smiley was, if not faster. It's amazing to watch the razor thin margin for error and the little regard for danger these guys had to race at in order to compete for a win. One would truly need ice water in their veins to race at such speeds.
Cogan's steering wheel came off. he forgot to snap it in place.if you look at just before he hit Mario, his hands are turning right and the cars front wheels are straight.
2:05:29 Notice that Johncock's last pit stop was a timed stop. Someone had a stick and tapped the fueler on the back and just then he pulled the fuel hose out. Mears put a full load of fuel in.
Now the field is full of "children". It's even worse in Nascar. The younger the field the lower the ratings. It's amazing that the corporations can't figure that out, well not really amazing or surprising considering who they hire nowadays.
Some heck of a very good race! WHAT IF MOMENTS: Mario...A.J. ... Tom Sneva...and Rick Mears...had at least Mario & A.J. would have done a grand show but...Gordon Johncock really showed racing talent in this Indy race! " Understeer" problem Gordie had literally made him have to take that Wildcat model nearly all the track and racing apron on the turns. I was glad I was there to see one of the best Indianapolis 500 races ever. I was in the back stretch bleachers about half way down the straight. Exciting view area to view cars at high speeds! (I believe that old "bleacher stand" is long gone due to ownership changes at I.M.S.) My favorite for that '82 race was Sneva...as he was for several of the "500" races.
In adding to what I mentioned in this earlier comment (written 5-19-2023)...Rick Mears really showed how great of a Champ Car race driver he's been! I do wish ABC-TV camera operators in the 3rd turn had cleaned the smudges on the camera.
Спорт
The bravery of Gordy on the next to the last lap was impressive. I was also impressed with Rick’s classy sportsmanship. One of my favorite Indy 500s.
Gordy had real trouble getting his giant balls into that small cockpit. Was NEVER gonna lift on the last lap.
... I was there At the 1982 Indy 500
I was with my buddy Robert Reaves
We drove in from Boulder Colorado
in my 1965 Cadillac Deville convertible, top down.
We were in turn 3 but the beginning of the race was a disaster
that ruined the race for lots of people next to me in turn 3..
and all the wrecks. But still a very
exciting experience for me. Also it
was really a hot day.
Rick was 11 seconds back from Johncock. What a finish
Johnny Parsons Jr. was my substitute teacher for a day my senior year of high school in 2012. I spent the whole class period asking him questions about racing. He is a really good guy.
+Mike Harris 1982 was not one of JP Jr's better races.
According tothe 1982 Indy 500 yearbook, he had a 45 minute stop to correct an oil leak. He retired after spinning out on lap 143, but only had enough distance for 20th in the final shakedown.
@@MDCSWildcats86 oof
I once hugged Johnny Parsons at the first US Grand Prix at the Speedway. That was nice!!!
Of all the 500's this is the one that stands out. The start with Andretti and Cogan and the Johncock-Mears duel at the end was memorable. Incredible finish. Hard to believe this was 42 years ago..
Still my favorite race (2nd to 1991) even though my favorite driver came in 2nd. I was 12 years old sitting in the Paddock rooting for Rick. Gordon was a great driver and a class act.
I sat behind Rick Mears' pit (inside main straight) for this race. by far the best sporting even I've ever personally witnessed.....the last several laps when Rick was chasing Gordy down was simply AMAZING. the crowd was SO loud that one couldn't even hear the roar of the cars as they raced by. I was in 8th grade and a huge Gordon Johncock fan.....so, you can imagine the thrill for me!
I saw it live on TV with my father. Easily the best Indy 500 ever.
@@vinceA3748wow...I was
there at turn 3. With .Mario out before even lap. ONE...and AJ
car damaged it was tough on us
in turn 3. Exciting at the end though..! Go Johncock. !!
@michaelcelani8325 I don't know if you remember 1992 Roberto Guerrero the pole sitter wrecked on the pace lap.
I still consider this the most exciting ending to an Indy 500 that I've ever seen.
I've watched the Indy 500's my entire life cause my father grew up in Indiana so that is a the only racing tradition in our family, I agree 1982 finish was the best I've seen only 1989, 1992, & 2006 are close. Mears in my opinion at the time wasn't willing to crash like later in his career, Gordy was willing to crash at that time. Thats why Johncock won in my opinion.
What was great about 1982 finish was the television people thought Mears was toast & he just started gaining on Johncock.
Mears said later that he watched the finish over and over, thinking each time "Hey, maybe THIS time I'll get around Gordy!"
Back then, the TV broadcast was shown a few hours later (in prime-time) on a tape delay and edited.
During those years, it was a tradition in my home for my family to listen to the live radio broadcast during the afternoon and then watch the tape of the race on TV that night.
After listening to the race live on radio, including the incredible finish, we all couldn't wait to watch the finish on TV that night.
I've probably seen this race at least a half dozen times on tape and I was present for the original .I still get cold chills. The best 500 of all time.
DITTO and I have to say I will never forget what I did after the race when Dad was talking to Rick by his Garage and I went up to his tired and kicked it cause I was so mad that Rick lost and yes I was crying! They both looked at me and Rick came up to me and asked me what was wrong, I told him that I was mad that he lost the race as Rick was my favorite driver. He told me to calm down and I might have been the favorite to win the race but there are going to be days to where it isn't going to happen and I have a bad day!
@@michaelhogg324...You started out life as a Bad Loser..are you still
one ? #
@@michaelcelani8325 what are you talking about
Hard to believe it has been 40 years ago. Man it goes fast.
The crowd produced an electricity unmatched in any sporting event in history.
I was there. RIP pops and thank you.
This was my first 500 in person. I was really pulling for Mears but Gordon made an amazing pass going into turn one. I wish ABC would have kept the camera on the cars at that moment.
That guy couldn't hold a candle to Jim Nabors' version of Back Home Again In Indiana. Also, those Penske cars were among the most beautiful I've ever seen.
Louis Sudler: Successful businessman, generous donor to marching band and orchestral musical causes, but mediocre singer at best. He overdoes it with the vibrato so severely that it pulls him off the note he is aiming to hit at times.
@@Larry_Harvilla..I would prefer
Rosanna Barr to do the singing .!
You should have the seen the one the year before from Phil Harris, it was literally spoken. An insult. He lived with that legacy for the rest of his life.
Nobody can hold a candle to Jim Nabors and Back Home Again..., it isn't the same without him.
One of the best races I ever watched and I started watching when I was very young. I was 13 in 1982. Danny Sullivan became my favorite racer as we let go of the old guard like the Unsers and AJ. Johncock Rutherford Sneva were just iconic.
I was at the race in the Paddock just past the start/finish line. We heard and felt the "boom/crunch" as Andretti t-boned Cogan before the start. We saw Mears closing the gap on the final stretch, but they flashed by so fast we had to look at the scoring pylon to see if the numbers changed - they didn't; 40 over 1 meant that Johncock stayed ahead of Mears and won. Goosebumps every time I watch it.
"That G.D. Coogan!".............. A.J. Foyt classic quote!
Not a guy you want pissed off at you....even now at 89! A man's man. Juat a roughneck sunovabitch.
Yup AJ Foyt is a loveable jerk but one thing he's not a phony he is gonna tell you what he thinks. Lol
I love seeing these races again. I was 25 in 1982 and loved racing. It is so much fun to relive the memories of these great races.
If you enjoy racing at all, this one is worth watching from start to finish. Don't cheat yourself by just skipping to the finish. I loved the opening lap drama and the fearlessness of A.J. Foyt diving into that first corner after the restart with a damaged suspension, not knowing if the car would even hold. Just incredible racing by Foyt, Sneva, Mears, and Johncock throughout the entire race and so many tense moments going into the corners.
Agree!
It's the best indy 500 ever.
Yelled at the TV every time they cut away to Rick Mears's wife just like in 1982.
I have no idea why the networks feel they have to show the wives for the last 20 laps and not show the racing, drives me nuts.
If only they could’ve done it like NASCAR occasionally does now. Split screen the cars and the wives.
Yeah that technical director needs a good kick in the shins don't he?
The start of an unfortunate trend. OK at 10 laps to go for 2 sec. After that, on track only.
I disagree. A good race is not necessarily good TV. ABC's handling of the end of the race was great TV, mainly because the drama of the whole race showed up in the face of Mears's wife. A lot of what came before was schmaltzy and dumb but the end was great TV.
I watch this race every year, before the Indy 500. And every year, I'm sure that Mears will pass Johncock. And every year, he doesn't. What a race, what a finish!
This had been a terrible month of May until the finish of this race. I was 11 years old and I remember it well. Gilles Villeneuve had been killed at Zolder on May 8. Being a Canadian, that was a national tragedy. Then, the following Saturday, Gordon Smiley was killed just before the ABC live telecast of pole qualifications came on. That was two terrible wrecks in two weeks...Two weeks later, the start of this went all haywire...Then the SPECTACULAR finish to the 500...
That was epic. I probably watched as a kid, completely unaware of the instant classic I had witnessed.
One of the best 500s ever. Johncock pushed it to the end. Mears raced brilliantly. He goes on to win three more in his career. I loved watching this video.
I remember that ending, superb and a fantastic era.
Famous rookies in this race: Chip Ganassi, Danny Sullivan, Bobby Rahal
Danny Sullivan was a comentator for the 97 Vancouver Indy where Alex Zanardi made a questionable pass on Bryan Herta
Oh my this brings that days memories flooding back ! This was my first Indy 500 first time to the track. There was in different groups a sadness as we lost Gordon Smiley week earlier. To be there in person at the finishing laps. when AJ worked on his own racer, the fiasco with Cogan at the beginning just great to finally see this from this angle. I was disappointed that Mario didn't race and AJ broke but the end finish was worth it. I will never forget that day. Thank you for uploading this.
Loved ABC's taped pieces. They added a lot of value to the broadcast. This race is a fun one. Also, 1:28:35 RIP Father Glenn O'Connor. He just passed away last year.
2:15:12: Greatest lap ever at the 500. Must have shocked everybody that Gordon could prevent Rick from passing him after giving up an 11 second lead so quickly. Even Penske can't win them all.
Rick Mears would have 5 Indy 500's if Gordon didn't wheel the heck out of it
I really miss racing when there was racing on pit road. The pit road speed limit is another death nail in the coffin ⚰️ of modern racing.
While a great lap, I feel the 1992 Indy 500 final lap was more epic due to how close Goodyear came to getting Unser Jr. Even lap 199 of the 89 one was pretty great too. Had they not crashed, who knows how dramatic that finish would have been?
The Penske car was simply unbeatable in the turns and in the draft when leading. But Gordons car had the stronger motor, giving it just enough more top end straightaway speed to hold off Mears.
10:33 There's a view we will never forget. My only regret when I visited NYC in 1993 was not going into the World Trade Center buildings. Just the Empire State Building and walking the short way, all the way across Central Park.
The years from 1960 through 1982 were the "Golden Age " of the Indianapolis "500".
Every time the camera goes through turn 3, those two skids into the wall remind me of the Gordon Smiley tragedy two weeks earlier. RIP
Thanks again IndyCar! This is still my favorite Indianapolis 500. Legendary drivers, beautiful cars, numerous plot twists and an exciting finish. Thanks for this high quality upload.
THANK YOU INDYCAR FOR THIS CLASSIC RACE SHOWN AS BROADCASTED IN ITS ENTIRETY!!! ALSO THE 1984 Michigan 500!! PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING!!
Jeez, sometimes RUclips is the bomb!!
Thanks IndyCar for posting these!
Love Gordy. Love Mears. One of the best race finishes ever ...... and to this day I still cannot fathom why they decided to show Mears' wife while the two were going into turn one side-by-side and ultimately where the race was decided.
absolutely agree. The tv director must be judged for this crime.
Terrible
Because ABC (Absolute BullSh*t Coverage) were morons. That’s why everyone was so glad to see NBC take over.
I was a kid then, bought my own 19inch color TV then because I got in a fight with the ol’ man (my stepdad) because he wouldn’t let me watch the 1981 Indianapolis 500.
I already heard the race coverage on the radio, but I didn’t expect to watch this outrageous nonsense on TV.
I Guess it would have been fine it was this race only but they did the same goddam thing during 1989 & 1992. F*ck ABC and their producers. May anyone associated with that die long, and lingering deaths.
@@maxmulsanne7054 now tell us what you really think🤣
@@dlbarney2....ABC is White Trash.
....simple.
I would love to see that theme again on the 100th indy 500.
2:19:00 Intermedics Cap; a tribute to Gordon Smiley :'(
Let’s go Indy weekend 2024 watching classics before the race.
I love the classic STP look that Richard Petty made famous.
I still remember watching this on a 25 inch TV when I was 9. Now I have a home theater with a 140 inch screen. Nothing is better.
Hehehe,we got our first color TV in '75,a 19" Zenith,I think I watched with my Dad and brother on it. Now Im watching on 58" inch 4k,with a 560 watt sound system.
Say what you want, but this is THE best Indianapolis 500 ever
The only finish where I enjoyed the call to checkers by both ABC and the IMS Radio Network. Jim McKay's best moment from his 500's and Paul Page and his IMS compadres were stellar. To enjoy the finish to it's fullest, you've got to hear both.
indycar I really enjoyed watching old school racing coverage like this. thanks so much.
Gordon Johncock displayed what was probably the best pure “driving” job in IMS history.....a car that going “tight” (known as understeering or pushing), and getting tighter by the lap, Gordy just plain refused to lose. When a car goes tight, it will always get worse, because the right front tire gets overheated, surface of the tire will start to get gooey & greasy, and will lose grip.
That’s why Gordy said in Victory Lane.... “I was starting to have a “pushing” problem with 10 laps to go...the more I drove it, the worse it got!”.
On the last lap, going into turn-3, he drove it in so low, Gordy said that he went over a bump he never felt before.
Even Rick Mears was impressed, one his his quotes was: "Gordy had it all but sideways a couple of times, he drove the wheels off of that car." High praise indeed.
Mears had the better car but Gordy was definitely the better driver
This Indy 500 gave us both the ugliest start and the most exciting finish imaginable
So much better for Gordy this year! Getting the checkered flag after all 200 laps instead of a red flag with the race being called, seeming happily married to a beautiful woman as opposed to being in the middle of a divorce and being able to really enjoy it instead of visiting a friend in a hospital. Great year for him!
@@SIGMAMAN692 real masters of their craft.
One interesting and odd statistical note regarding this race. When they finally got the race started, A.J. Foyt did the one thing he had never previously done in the Indianapolis 500. He led the opening lap. Believe it or not, even on his way to four wins and having previously sat on the pole four times, Foyt had never led lap #1 in any Indianapolis 500. He had led every other lap number, including of course, the final one four times, but as he never led the race again after the 1982 race, this race would mark the only time he ever led the opening lap in the Indianapolis 500.
He was sooooooooo pissed this day(More than usual) because of Cogan, that he simply turned up the boost and wanted no part of traffic. Take it in your own hands.
That's actually crazy. I definitely thought he led more first laps
No, this race marked the only time Foyt ever led the opening lap of any Indianapolis 500, despite starting on the pole four times. Every time he sat on the pole, the driver who started second got the jump on him going into turn one. And actually, winning the pole at Indy is a mixed blessing, because you actually get a bad angle going into turn one.
But there are similarities to Richard Petty, both in the start (in Foyt leading the opening lap for the only time in his Indy career), and in how the race finished. After all, despite winning the Daytona 500 seven times and starting on the front row for the Daytona 500 almost as often as he won the race (he started on the front row for the Daytona 500 five times), he only led the opening lap of the Daytona 500 once, in 1966, which also happened to be the only year he won the pole for that event. And of course, Gordon Johncock was literally carrying Richard Petty's legendary STP paint scheme when he won this race in what was the first NASCAR-style finish ever seen at Indy, thus bringing Petty's blue and red paint scheme into victory lane at Indy.
Wow!! Nice info bomb!!
@NTT IndyCar Series thanks a bunch for posting all these old videos with all the old commercials and stuff. So awesome! THANKS!
A blast from the past!! Still love Indycar racing til this day....
I was there with my dad sitting behind the pits. What great memories.
Bobby Unser's take on the cause of the Cogan accident was right on the money. It was later corroborated by several other very experienced veterans. Cogan punched it at the wrong time and got sideways, but Mears set far too slow a pace at the start, and probably deserved as much blame - one of those ironies that makes sports interesting! I'm not a Foyt fan but it took balls to come out charging with car that had unproven steering. The final chase is probably the supreme Indy moment I remember. Johncock did an unbelievable job of nursing a squirrely car to a win. Mears himself was as happy as the winner to have been a part of history, and was full of praise for Johncock. It was a wonderful redemption for Johncock, who had won the tragic rain-plagued shortened race in 1973.
Johncock's car wasn't squirrely. It was pushing.
Yep,he was destroying the right front every lap.
I've watched multiple races, formula one, indycar, nascar. From various eras.
This race is one of the Motorsport's peak, in anytime anywhere.
back when they (IndyCar) have many variety of chassis that can bought
I appreciated the demonstration on the "batmobille"... Great video, thanks for uploading !
I Love To See Those 80s Indycar
I remember quite well the ovation he received from the crowd at oswego speedway when it was announced he had won, was like your own cousin won or something. living legend
Great Video,Thanks.
1:31:38 Dang. Roger Penske was already old 40 years ago
The commentary is so much better than it is in today's sportscasting.
eh, Same Posey can be annoying. Like the comment about it being extremely dangerous business if Mears had caught Johncock. Its Indy, it will always be dangerous, but that comment made it like these guys were not capable of running so close without an incident. The commentary now is pretty good overall, especially in Indycar.
@@jtp2007...Sam Posey was a drag. ! ABC was always a really
" SQUARE" outfit.
At the 35:49 minute if you pause during you can see the marks of the gordon smiley tyres reminder of his tragic accident
oh man thats eerie I never thought to look, still painfully fresh marks.
Unforgettable.
Great upload. Thanks Indycar.
R.I.P Jack Whitaker, he was a war hero. 95 years old.
In fact, I believe this was his very first assignment for ABC Sports after many years at CBS Sports. He was also on the 1991 Indianapolis 500 broadcast team, as he did one of his legendary essays during the pre-race coverage.
It's jarring how fast they drove on pit lane in those days. Safety, schmafety.
Through 1985, the race was tape delayed. Thankfully there was no internet to spoil it. That is unless someone that attended called you!
I have to hand it to Foyt. Chris Economakie is lucky to be alive sticking a mic in Foyts face when hes fixing the car.
Who knew that Alan Parsons Project makes good background music for Indy 500 highlights?
And THE GOLD BUG, no less?
One of the Best finishes In Indianapolis 500 History. Notice the Rookie Chip Ganassi in the race.
Little Al and Scott Goodyear was pretty good too...
Jackie Stewart, as always, was the consummate professional. In reality, I don't believe he was terribly happy with his "new role" of being shoved in a darkened room in the infield or wherever it actually was.
1982. My favourite Indianapolis 500 of all time apart from many others.
I'll say it everyone I see it, if Andretti is in position with his row mates, he misses it. whatever happened with Cogan happened, and aj just along for their ride. but Mario got nobody to blame but himself.
Penske backed Cogan for the rest of the season. Then fired him.
thanks!
I have nothing but great things to say about the 100th running. It was awesome. But had Alexander Rossi run outa gas a mile or two sooner, we may have been treated to a shoot-out to the end like this one. Ah, the memories.
Im so stoked no blackout this year we will watch in Indianapolis this year
I wasn't about to back off !!!
I met Jackie Stewart and Emerson Fittipaldi at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal 2002.
Such a nice men
Great !! Thank you !
I remember listening to the start of this race, but this is the first time I saw the start. I agree with Mario and AJ; Penske put Kogan in a car that was too fast for him.
Love the old races.... you get to see the greats that you seem to forget 🙂
Watching these guys fly down pit lane like that is so crazy.
aerodynamics started getting more serious in the early 80's
Yes they were, but after the '82 season ground effects technology was banned by CART and USAC. It was believed that it played a part in Gordon Smileys tragic accident.
25:51 Gordon Johncock, one of Indy's most experienced drivers in this race called it...Then of Course Mario, 28:56
Johncock alright, yeah. I agree. It's a possible explanation. But Mario really shouldn't have been there. Mario jumped the start. He was too close behind the two Penskes. Btw Mario owed up to it. Not to his own jumpstart because this is just the way starts were conducted these days. You can't put the blame on Cogan because nobody knows whether the driveshaft broke before the accident or from impact. the public was never shown the driveshaft.
Johncock held formation and let the hotshots do their thing. He probably had a nose for trouble there. He might have been wondering if there is a bad formation further behind because green was never shown. The starter was hesitant. Maybe even because of Mario and so many others back in the field breaking formation. On the other hand Andretti usually started like this. Johncock was the more complete driver in this situation.
Here's an interesting piece with R.Penske denying to know anything about the status of the car. Probably even true.
ruclips.net/video/NxXFsI03X9Q/видео.html
I'd be very interested in the starter's opinion. Why did he delay the green flag? Which instructions were given in the drivers meeting about the start?
@@jerryweirdspeed8943 the driveshaft did not break. Coogan messed up. Just before cogan spun Mears almost did the same thing.
I will be 27 in a few weeks been an Indycar fan since I was 7 or 8 years old been to every Indy 500 from 2002-2019 my dad started going in 1984 when he was 16 I'd say the best Indy 500 races maybe top 10 since that I've either been at or watched on RUclips in no particular order
1. 1982
2. 1985
3. 1989
4. 1992
5. 1995
6. 2002 because it was my first 500
7. 2006
8. 2011
9. 2013
10. 2014
The 2010s was tough because I think all the 500s from this past decade were amazing
I've only followed IndyCar for a few years but watching the 1982 500 feels like watching the best the sport has to offer.
What is the name of the song that plays during the starting lineup?? If anyone knows let me know please. Thanks 🙏
The increased tension as the laps ticked down and Mears kept reeling Johncock in. Hollywood could not write that good of a script
The greatest motorsports race Bar None, at the world's greatest race track with the Greatest finish in the history of motorsports,
... Yes..thanks. !! I was there At turn 3...drove my 1965 Cadillac Conv.
from Boulder, Colorado top down. !
just a memory now.
They had a lot of broadcasting talent on this telecast.
Tony and Mary, together forever.
Rick Mears Is #1, But On That Particular Day, On May 30, 1982, Gordon Johncock Was #1!🏁🏎️🏎️Rick Mears Was A Class Act, Taking His Defeat, Like A Man!🏁🏎️🏎️🤓😎😎😎
Great quality video considering its age, and you can still clearly see those skid marks made at the end of Turn 3 by Gordon Smiley's car when it fatally crashed into the wall during qualifying a couple of weeks earlier on May 15.
The final battle over the last couple of laps between Johncock and Mears shows them driving at full throttle and going just as fast as Smiley was, if not faster.
It's amazing to watch the razor thin margin for error and the little regard for danger these guys had to race at in order to compete for a win.
One would truly need ice water in their veins to race at such speeds.
Smiley, worst crash ever. Devastating
@@dlbarney2...1964 was far far worse. Gasoline fire.
1965 they switched to methanol.
Best race of any kind I've ever seen. Even better than the 1976 Daytona 500.
1:10:02 Al Jr. looks SO young!
Jesus Christ that was amazing.
"What will you do for the rest of the day Mario?" - did he say what I thought he said? :) 27:25
Cogan's steering wheel came off. he forgot to snap it in place.if you look at just before he hit Mario, his hands are turning right and the cars front wheels are straight.
tthan k you
"Chip Ganassi a 24 y/o rookie in row 4"😎
Andy Bobby Rahal
that last 10 laps better than 92... by far...
2:05:29 Notice that Johncock's last pit stop was a timed stop. Someone had a stick and tapped the fueler on the back and just then he pulled the fuel hose out. Mears put a full load of fuel in.
Now the field is full of "children". It's even worse in Nascar. The younger the field the lower the ratings. It's amazing that the corporations can't figure that out, well not really amazing or surprising considering who they hire nowadays.
Some heck of a very good race! WHAT IF MOMENTS: Mario...A.J. ... Tom Sneva...and Rick Mears...had at least Mario & A.J. would have done a grand show but...Gordon Johncock really showed racing talent in this Indy race! " Understeer" problem Gordie had literally made him have to take that Wildcat model nearly all the track and racing apron on the turns.
I was glad I was there to see one of the best Indianapolis 500 races ever. I was in the back stretch bleachers about half way down the straight. Exciting view area to view cars at high speeds! (I believe that old "bleacher stand" is long gone due to ownership changes at I.M.S.)
My favorite for that '82 race was Sneva...as he was for several of the "500" races.
In adding to what I mentioned in this earlier comment (written 5-19-2023)...Rick Mears really showed how great of a Champ Car race driver he's been!
I do wish ABC-TV camera operators in the 3rd turn had cleaned the smudges on the camera.
Jim McKay, total professional. We loved Murray Walker for his "Murrayisms" but Jim MacKay, while more conventional, was as good as they come.