Racing career

In 1959, Rutherford started driving modified stock cars in Dallas. He joined the International Motor Contest Association sprint car circuit in 1961 leading it for most of 1962. Rutherford later joined the United States Auto Club (USAC) starting in the Hoosier Hundred and later winning his first championship.

Rutherford won his qualifying heat race for the 1963 Daytona 500, becoming the youngest winner of a Duel as a championship race, a record that would stand as the races were taken off the championship schedule in 1971 (though it has since been broken, the race was not a championship race when it happened). Later that year he also had his first start in the Indianapolis 500. Rutherford's first Indy car race win took place at the Atlanta 250. He won the USAC National Sprint Car Championship in 1965.

On April 3, 1966, Rutherford suffered a serious crash at Eldora Speedway. His car flipped out of the track, and he suffered broken arms, a broken finger, and a head injury. He was forced to sit out the 1966 Indy 500.

Rutherford won pole position at the Indy 500 in 1973, 1976, and 1980. In 1973, Rutherford set a one-lap track record of 199.071 mph, falling just shy of becoming the first driver to break the 200 mph barrier at Indianapolis. Victories at the Indy 500 for him came in 1974, 1976 and 1980. In 1984, at Michigan International Speedway, Rutherford set an all time Indy car qualifying lap speed record of 215.189 mph. He became the first driver to win all three 500 mile races, in 1986, by winning the Michigan 500. Rutherford recorded nine straight seasons with a victory making him one of just six drivers in Indy Car history to do so.

In October 1977, Rutherford travelled 'down under' to compete in Australia's most famous motor race, the Bathurst 1000 km (800 mi) touring car race at the Mount Panorama Circuit. There, partnering fellow Indianapolis racer Janet Guthrie (who earlier that year had become the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500), Rutherford drove a V8 powered Holden Torana for the team that had won the 1976 race, Ron Hodgson Motors. Driving a completely unfamiliar car (Australian cars have the steering wheel on the right side of the car) on a 6.172 km (3.835 mi) public road course carved into the side of a mountain, Rutherford qualified 26th out of 60 starters. During practice he complained about his car as it was not as good as the teams lead car driven by 1976 winners Bob Morris and John Fitzpatrick (JR was 8.2 seconds slower). Morris then got in the car and while not as quick as his own Torana, easily lapped over 5 seconds faster showing the problem was simply JR's lack of familiarity with the car and track. Wisely, JR made a cautious start to the race (another new experience was the standing start), but his race would come effectively to an end on lap 8 when he attempted to lap the Ford Escort RS2000 of 1966 winner Bob Holden. The Torana and Escort made contact and Rutherford ended up crashing into an earth bank at the top of The Mountain. The bent Torana was then brought back to the pits on the back of a tilt-tray truck (with the race still going at full speed and cars passing the truck going along the 2 km long Conrod Straight at over 150 mph (241 km/h)). It was then disqualified before being reinstated. Rutherford then completed another 5 laps before finally retiring with Guthrie not getting to drive.

Rutherford's NASCAR Winston Cup career included 35 starts from 1963 to 1988. He won in his first start, at Daytona International Speedway driving for Smokey Yunick. The win, in the second 100-mile Daytona 500 qualifying race, made him one of the youngest drivers ever to win in NASCAR history, in a full points-paying NASCAR race. (Until 1971, the qualifying races were full points-paying races.) In 1981, Rutherford drove twelve races, the most he ever raced in a single NASCAR season. In addition, Rutherford competed in five runnings of the International Race of Champions - 1975, 1977, 1978, 1980 and 1984.

Post-racing career

Rutherford's 24th and final start at Indianapolis would be 1988. By that time he was running only a part-time schedule, and was splitting time working as a television analyst on NBC, ABC, CBS and ESPN and radio analyst on Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. He also served as the pace car driver for the PPG Indycar series for most of that period. He failed to qualify at Indy in three attempts (1989, 1990, 1992) and was not able to find a ride in 1991 or 1993. Starting in 1989, Rutherford began serving as the driver analyst on the IMS Radio Network. He was never able to achieve his milestone 25th Indy start.

During the month of May 1994, Rutherford officially retired from racing. At its inception in 1996, Rutherford took a full-time position as an official with the IRL, serving as pace car driver and driver coach. Rutherford also served as a racing consultant for Team Pennzoil.

Personal life

Rutherford was born in Coffeyville, Kansas. Rutherford was the honorary chairman of the Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance in 2006.

Johnny's wife Betty was a fixture at his side throughout his racing career. His first Indy 500 win in 1974, with Betty looking on from the pits, helped to end the taboo in American racing against allowing women in the pit area.

Rutherford, who has been invited to The White House on behalf of Indy on multiple occasions, is considered a popular ambassador and spokesman for the sport of Indy car racing.

Awards

• Inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1996
• Inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1995
• Inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1993

Racing record

American open-wheel racing results

(key)

PPG Indycar Series

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Rank	Points
1979	Team McLaren	PHX	ATL	ATL	INDY	TRE	TRE	MCH	MCH	WGL	TRE	ONT	MCH	ATL	PHX				4th	2163
1980	Chaparral Cars	ONT	INDY	MIL	POC	MDO	MCH	WGL	MIL	ONT	MCH	MEX	PHX						1st	4723
1981	Chaparral Cars	PHX	MIL	ATL	ATL	MCH	RIV	MIL	MCH	WGL	MEX	PHX							5th	120
1982	Chaparral Cars	PHX	ATL	MIL	CLE	MCH	MIL	POC	RIV	ROA	MCH	PHX							12th	62
1983	Patrick Racing	ATL	INDY	MIL	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	RIV	MDO	MCH	CPL	LAG	PHX					NC	0
1984	Doug Shierson Racing	LBH	PHX	INDY															22nd	20
	Gilmore Racing			INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	MDO
	Team Penske												SAN	MCH	PHX	LAG	CPL
1985	Alex Morales Motorsports	LBH	INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	MCH	ROA	POC	MDO	SAN	MCH	LAG	PHX	MIA			11th	51
1986	Alex Morales Motorsports	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	TOR	MCH	POC	MDO	SAN	MCH	ROA	LAG	PHX	MIA	11th	78
1987	Alex Morales Motorsports	LBH	PHX	INDY	MIL	POR	MEA	CLE	TOR	MCH	POC	ROA	MDO	NAZ	LAG	MIA			18th	23
1988	King Racing	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	POR	CLE	TOR	MEA										43rd	0
	AJ Foyt Enterprises									MCH	POC	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LAG	MIA
1989	Team Menard	PHX	LBH	INDY															27th	3
	AJ Foyt Enterprises			INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	MEA	TOR
	Stoops Racing										MCH	POC	MDO	ROA
	Machinists Union Racing														NAZ	LAG
1990	Stoops Racing	PHX	LBH	INDY	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	MEA	TOR	MCH	DEN	VAN	MDO	ROA	NAZ	LAG		NC	-
1992	Walker Racing	SRF	PHX	LBH	INDY	DET	POR	MIL	NHA	TOR	MCH	CLE	ROA	VAN	MDO	NAZ	LAG		NC	-
1994	AJ Foyt Enterprises	SRF	PHX	LBH	INDY 1	MIL	DET	POR	CLE	TOR	MCH	MDO	NHA	VAN	ROA	NAZ	LAG		NC	-

1 Retired

Indy 500 results

Year	Chassis	Engine	Start	Finish	Team/Entrant
1963	Watson	Offy	26th	29th	Ed Kostenuk
1964	Watson	Offy	15th	27th	Racing Associates
1965	Halibrand	Ford	11th	31st	Racing Associates
1966	Did not compete due to injury
1967	Eagle	Ford	19th	25th	W&W Enterprises
1968	Eagle	Ford	21st	18th	Alan Green
1969	Eagle	Offy	17th	29th	Michner Petroleum
1970	Eagle	Offy	2nd	18th	Michner Petroleum
1971	Eagle	Offy	24th	18th	Michner Petroleum
1972	Brabham	Offy	8th	27th	Michner-Patrick Racing
1973	McLaren	Offy	1st	9th	McLaren Intl
1974	McLaren	Offy	25th	1st	McLaren Intl
1975	McLaren	Offy	7th	2nd	McLaren Intl
1976	McLaren	Offy	1st	1st	McLaren Intl
1977	McLaren	Cosworth	17th	33rd	McLaren Intl
1978	McLaren	Cosworth	4th	13th	McLaren Intl
1979	McLaren	Cosworth	8th	18th	McLaren Intl
1980	Chaparral	Cosworth	1st	1st	Chaparral Racing
1981	Chaparral	Cosworth	5th	32nd	Chaparral Racing
1982	Chaparral	Cosworth	12th	8th	Chaparral Racing
1983	Wildcat	Cosworth	Practice Crash		Patrick Racing
1984	March	Cosworth	30th	22nd	Foyt
1985	March	Cosworth	30th	6th	Morales
1986	March	Cosworth	12th	8th	Morales
1987	March	Cosworth	8th	11th	Morales
1988	Lola	Buick	30th	22nd	King Racing
1989	Lola	Cosworth	Failed to Qualify		Foyt
1990	Lola	Cosworth	Failed to Qualify		Stoops Racing
1991	Did not enter
1992	Lola	Chevrolet	Failed to Qualify		Walker Racing
1994	Retired

[ Source: Wikipedia ]