Tom Sneva at Indy
By Charles Apple The Spokesman-Review
On this day 45 years ago, Spokane's own Tom Sneva drove in his first Indianapolis 500 race. He'd go on to run 18 Indy 500s, win once, finish second three times and qualify to start in first place three times. Here's a look at Sneva's history in the Indy 500:
1974
STARTS: 8th
FINISHES: 20th
After failing to qualify for the 1973 Indy 500, Sneva is the fastest-qualifying rookie.
1975
STARTS: 4th
FINISHES: 22nd
Sneva is running fifth when he bumps tires with Eldon Rasmussen in Turn 2, launching Sneva’s car into the catch fence where the car rips in half and bursts into flames. Sneva is able to walk to the ambulance.
1976
STARTS: 3rd
FINISHES: 6th
1977
STARTS: 1st
FINISHES: 2nd
Starts in the pole position after becoming the first Indy driver to turn a lap at more than 200 mph. Finishes second behind A.J. Foyt, who becomes Indy’s first four-time winner.
1978
STARTS: 1st
FINISHES: 2nd
Again, Sneva sits on the pole. Again, he finishes second — this time to Al Unser. Sneva will go on, however, to win a second consecutive USAC championship.d
1979
STARTS: 2nd
FINISHES: 15th
Crashes in Turn 4 with 12 laps to go.
1980
STARTS: 33rd
FINISHES: 2nd
Starts in last place but finishes in second — only the second time in Indy 500 history that’s happened.
1981
STARTS: 20th
FINISHES: 25th
Qualifies with the fastest speed but not until pole qualifying is over. Despite starting way back in the pack, Sneva leads for 25 laps before his clutch fails and his engine stalls on lap 58. He’ll fall 35 laps down before he re-enters the race briefly. His engine dies on lap 131.
1982
STARTS: 7th
FINISHES: 4th
Sneva leads for 31 laps and is in contention with Gordon Johncock and Rick Mears when he loses power with three laps to go. Johncock will go on to win and Mears will finish second.
1983
STARTS: 4th
FINISHES: 1st
Fortune finally smiles upon Sneva. He leads for 98 laps — nearly half the race — but with Al Unser in the lead late in the race, Sneva finds himself deliberately blocked by Unser’s son, Al Unser Jr. Sneva manages to pass them both with 10 laps to go and earns what will be the only Indy 500 win of his career.
1984
STARTS: 1st
FINISHES: 16th
Sneva becomes the first driver to qualify with a speed of more than 210 mph and is rewarded with his third pole. Sneva leads for 31 laps and looks like he’s off to a second consecutive win before he breaks a CV joint with 32 laps to go.
1985
STARTS: 13th
FINISHES: 20th
Is still in the lead lap at the halfway point but attempts to avoid a crash and hits the wall in Turn 1.
1986
STARTS: 7th
FINISHES: 33rd
Sneva is warming up his car on the pace lap when he loses control and crashes at the exit of Turn 2. He’s out of the race before it officially begins.
1987
STARTS: 21st
FINISHES: 14th
It’s a rough month for Sneva. He crashes two cars in three days during qualifying and then, with 50 laps to go in the race itself, hits the wall in Turn 2.
1988
STARTS: 14th
FINISHES: 27th
Crashes coming out of the pits on lap 34.
1989
STARTS: 22nd
FINISHES: 27th
Hits 223.176 mph during qualifying but blows his engine before his run is over.
1990
STARTS: 25th
FINISHES: 30th
1991
Fails to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 for the first time in 17 years.
1992
STARTS: 31st
FINISHES: 31st
After only four laps of racing, Eric Bachelart blows an engine and a yellow flag slows everything down so debris could be cleaned from the track. When the race restarts on lap 11, Sneva loses control and crashes into the Turn 4 wall.
