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This is the 61st Indianapolis 500, run on May 29, 1977.

NOTE: While I use the host segments for the Indy 500: The Classics airing of the highlight film, this is, in fact, a combined version between the SpeedVision version and ESPN's Legends of the Brickyard series, which started with this race. Thus virtually the entire film is presented in one upload.

In the history of the Indianapolis 500, there may have been no year where more history was made than there was in 1977. However, the month started with sadness, as the legendary Sid Collins, the Voice of the 500 since 1952, committed suicide on May 2 after being diagnosed with ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease.

After the track was repaved for the first time since 1961, speeds climbed to where they'd been in 1973, but overall, it was a safe month. On the first day of time trials, while the big names, such as A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, one of the Unsers, or Gordon Johncock were predicted to be the first to break the 200 MPH barrier, if anyone would. However, it would be Tom Sneva, driving for Roger Penske, that would be the first to break that historic barrier. However, while Sneva ran two laps over 200, his overall average was less than that, though he did break Johnny Rutherford's 1973 4-lap qualifying record to take the pole. He would be the only non-winner in the first two rows, as the Unser brothers joined Sneva on the front row, while Johncock, Foyt, and Andretti would make up the second row.

However, it was not to be a good month for Rutherford, who struggled on the first day of time trials, qualified on the second day, and was the first out of the race.

More history was made on the second qualifying weekend when Janet Guthrie, who had driven in that year's Daytona 500, became the first woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, forcing Tony Hulman, who was battling illness himself, to alter the traditional command, "Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!"

Though Al Unser led the first 18 laps, almost the entire 1977 race was a duel between Johncock, who was trying to prove he could win going the distance, and Foyt, who was seeking to become the first 4-time Indy winner. Heat would be a problem as numerous top drivers, including Johncock, ran into trouble caused by the heat, nearly hitting the wall in turn one, and then again in turn three when he got into oil from Pancho Carter's blown engine at the 400-mile mark.

The scariest moment of the race on the 36th lap, when veteran Lloyd Ruby crashed hard under the VIP suites in turn two in what was his final race at Indy. Andretti, Bobby Unser, rookie Danny Ongais, and Pancho Carter all were among those who suffered engine-related failures, as did Guthrie, who despite a vallant attempt by her crew, was also among the early casuialties.

With 16 laps remaining, Johncock seemed to have a lock on victory, as he held a 13-second lead on Foyt when he broke his crankshaft at the start of the 185th lap, handing Foyt the lead and more history, as he became the race's first 4-time winner.

In addition, near the end of the race, Larry Cannon took over for John Mahler, finishing the race as a relief driver. This is notable because this would mark the last time a relief driver would be needed until rain forced Robby Gordon out of his car in the 2004 Indianapolis 500.

Following Foyt was Tom Sneva, who wasn't the only driver in his family that had a big month. His brother Jerry finished 10th, taking Indy's coveted Rookie of the Year honors. Al Unser took third, despite running out of fuel on his final lap, while Johncock's two teammates, Wally Dallenbach and Johnny Parsons, Jr., rounded out the top five. They were followed by Tom Bigelow, who was a career-best sixth, Lee Kunzman, who matched his best finish at Indy, veteran Roger McCluskey, and Steve Krisiloff.

Sadly, this would be the last Indianapolis 500 for Tony Hulman, who died that fall. When Foyt pulled into victory lane, nobody seemed to be happier than Hulman himself (he's the man in the gold jacket that's first to shake Foyt's hand in victory lane).

It's also ironic that the legendary Bud Lindemann, who took over as the narrator for the official Indianapolis 500 film in 1977, would be the one to narrate the film of Foyt's fourth Indianapolis 500 win, as Foyt was one of the many racing legends Lindemann covered in seven seasons with his Car and Track program, which focused mostly on NASCAR and IndyCar racing.

All credits go to SPEED (SpeedVision, the predecessor to the SPEED Channel, aired much of the content in this presentation), ESPN/The Walt Disney Company, who also aired quite a bit of what is seen in this video, USAC, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Championship Racefilms.

If there are any others who I'm forgetting, please let me know so I can add them to the list of those to credit.