RACE: 60th Indianapolis 500
DATE: May 30, 1976
WINNER: Johnny Rutherford
AVERAGE SPEED: 188.957 mph
WHAT HAPPENED: Pole-sitter Rutherford won his second Indy 500. He was the leader when rain stopped the race at lap 103. After a two-hour delay, it began to rain again and the race was called. Rutherford walked to victory lane and is credited with completing the shortest Indy 500 on record at just 255 miles.
NOTABLE: Janet Guthrie became the first female driver to enter the Indianapolis 500. Mechanical and engine problems during the month left her unable to make an attempt to qualify. Hours after the race, former driver Elmer George, the husband of Mari Hulman George, was shot and killed during a confrontation. The race was also the final Indy 500 for longtime radio anchor Sid Collins.
