1976 California 500

Ontario Motor Speedway was built using public bonds and the bond-owners were represented by the non-profit Ontario Motor Speedway Corporation. Beginning in 1973, a group led by Parnelli Jones and Tony Hulman leased Ontario Motor Speedway and promoted racing events there. 15 days after the 1975 California 500, Jones announced that the group would terminate their lease with the non-profit group. Jones said, "We have lost a lot of money and the future doesn't look any better. There is too much politics involved in the speedway. We have to answer to the non-profit board that oversees the track, to the bank that represents the bond holders, and to the City Council, which can tell us what we can and can't promote."^[1]

Moving forward, OMS Corp. eliminated the business of leasing to promoter groups and rehired Ray Smartis as General Manager on their behalf, who had worked with the track under past groups. Under his leadership, Smartis realized the track was unsustainable by using it only as a venue for large events and aimed to have the track pay their bills through small events such as swap meets, film production rentals, and concerts. The large events would help the track be profitable.^[2]

Smartis also moved the California 500 back to its original Labor Day weekend. "Running the California 500 in March proved to be a financial disaster," Smartis said in August 1975.^[3] "Considerable research had gone into the Labor Day scheduling back in 1968 when the speedway was built and that was the best possible time."^[4]

Indy cars were scheduled to return to Ontario in March with a 200-mile doubleheader paired with a USAC Stock Car race. In January 1976, the March doubleheader was canceled by the track due to a lack of sponsorship.

The move to Labor Day, once again made the California 500 the final leg in IndyCar's Triple Crown. In May, Johnny Rutherford won the Indianapolis 500. In the second Crown Jewel race, Al Unser won the Pocono 500.

Janet Guthrie entered the California 500 and attempted to become the first woman to compete in the California 500. Earlier that year, Guthrie attempted to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 and was the first woman to compete in a 500-mile Indy Car when she competed in the Pocono 500. In addition, Rick Mears and Danny Ongais made their Indy car debut at the California 500. Mears was driving a car owned by Bill Simpson while Ongais drove for Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing.^[5]

Unlike in past years, practice and Time Trials were reduced to one week instead of two, with practice beginning on Sunday August 29. On the first day of practice, Bobby Unser posted the fastest speed at 185.594 mph.^[6] In Monday's practice, Johnny Rutherford was fastest with a speed of 187.153 mph. Al Loquasto crashed in turn one. Later, Al Unser spun and hit the turn one wall, impacting the concrete with the rear of the car and climbing several feet off the ground. Both crashes were blamed on high winds.^[7]

Rutherford posted the fastest speed on Tuesday at 188.957 mph. A. J. Foyt arrived at the track on Tuesday after spending time with his mother in Houston who suffered a stroke on Sunday. Foyt ran only two laps before a leaky radiator forced him back to the garage.^[8]

For the first time since 1972, qualifying was a four-lap, 10 mile average speed. The Heat Races that had been run the last three years were also canceled.

Despite having only a few hours of practice, A. J. Foyt won his third consecutive California 500 pole with an average speed of 190.416 mph. Roger McCluskey was second fastest at 189.235 mph. Tom Sneva completed the front row with a speed of 189.215 mph. Johnny Rutherford, who had been among the fastest in practice, could only produce the seventh fastest speed due to high winds on his qualifying run.^[9]

Inaugural California 500 winner, Jim McElreath found himself without a ride entering the final day of qualifying. McElreath stood in his firesuit on pit road in the event that a team would have an open car for him to qualify. With one hour left in time trials, car-owner Warner Hodgdon hired McElreath to replace his driver Billy Scott who was four miles per hour slower than the time needed to make the race. With 10 minutes left in qualifying, McElreath made his run. Without any practice laps in the car, McElreath was three mph faster than Scott, but at 174.995 mph, was still one mph slower than what was needed to make the race. After a second lap was no faster, he graciously pulled off the track to allow Al Loquasto a chance to qualify before time expired. The crowd at the track gave McElreath a standing ovation for his sportsmanship. Loquasto was not fast enough to qualify.^[10]

Janet Guthrie failed to qualify for the race. Two laps of 174.757 and 173.444 were the quickest the car was capable of before the crew aborted the run.^[10]