USAC officials called the race at that point, reverted the scoring back to the completion of lap 102, and Johnny Rutherford was declared the winner.

Rutherford famously walked to Victory Lane, his second career Indy 500 triumph, having completed only 255 miles (410 km), the shortest official race on record.

While she managed to pass her rookie test, and ran numerous practice laps in multiple cars, she was unable to make an attempt to qualify.

After a surgery to repair a disk in his neck,[4] Collins was still suffering muscular and neurological ailments,[5] which made his work at the 1976 race physically difficult.

[6][7] Located in the track infield, the new museum replaced a much smaller facility on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road.

It was also the 30th anniversary of the first 500 under Tony Hulman's ownership, the 50th year since the incorporation of the Town of Speedway, and coincided with the year-long United States Bicentennial celebration.

Reagan met with Tony Hulman, toured the Speedway, and drove around the track in one of the Buick pace cars.

[11] A mild controversy swirled around the garage area, as some competitors claimed their pop-off valves were not functioning correctly.

In addition, some complained that not being allowed to install the valves during practice prevented the mechanics from being able to tune their engines to optimum performance.

[12][13] USAC technical supervisor Frank DelRoy dismissed the complaints, however, stating that the mechanics were simply setting their wastegates wrong.

[11] The biggest story of practice was the appearance of Janet Guthrie, who was attempting to become the first female driver to qualify for the Indianapolis 500.

The car hit an earth embankment, flipped over wildly, cleared two fences, then came to rest upside-down near the bleachers.

Overnight and morning rain delayed the start of time trials until 2:30 p.m. During Saturday's pre-qualifying practice session, Johnny Rutherford finally broke the 190 mph barrier for the month, making him the favorite for the pole position.

About an hour later, Johnny Rutherford (188.957 mph) bumped Johncock off the top spot and would hold on to win the pole position.

Mario Andretti, who had departed Indianapolis a few days earlier to compete in the Belgian Grand Prix, dropped out of that race.

Andretti was scheduled to return to Indianapolis soon, and begin preparing his car for a qualifying attempt on the second weekend of time trials.

Promoter Humpy Wheeler consummated a deal for Guthrie to acquire a car from NASCAR owner Ralph Moody, and within 48 hours, flew her to Charlotte to qualify instead for the World 600.

The tone of the race was being set, a "Texas shootout" between longtime Fort Worth resident Rutherford, and Houston native Foyt.

Under the red flag, A. J. Foyt immediately expressed anger that Rutherford had illegally gained track position during the caution period for Jerry Grant's tow-in.

However, the issue was scrapped when USAC announced the race would restart with the cars nose-to-tail, erasing any additional track position advantage Rutherford had built.

At 2:45 p.m., chief steward Tom Binford announced that the race will resume in about twenty minutes, and the focus shifted to the restart procedure.

With the cars lining up in the pit lane for a restart, observers around the circuit reported a dry track, but intermittent rain drops were falling at various locations.

They judged there was not sufficient time left in the day to wait out the shower, dry the track once again, and complete the final 97 laps before twilight set in.

Jim McKay described Foyt as a "man caged by fate", as he had been angrily pacing up and down pit lane waiting for the race to resume.

In 2023, Cole Custer won the NASCAR Xfinity Series race on the Chicago Street Circuit after 25 of a planned 55 laps because of lighting and regulations from NASCAR's contract with the City of Chicago, causing the race to end before official status for the first time since the 1961 Virginia 500 at Martinsville Speedway, which lasted 149 laps of 500.

In 2004 and 2007, victory lane would not be used but instead, the winning car is driven or pushed inside the Master Control Tower (often nicknamed the Pagoda until 1955, and again since 2000), where the winner's ceremonies are now conducted indoors in case of inclement weather.

After a surgery to repair a disk in his neck,[4] Collins was still suffering muscular and neurological ailments,[5] which made his work at the 1976 race physically difficult.

[21][22] Analyst Jackie Stewart was absent from the broadcast, as he was in Monte Carlo for coverage of the Monaco Grand Prix, to be aired on ABC's Wide World of Sports the following weekend.

Former driver Sam Posey joined McKay at Indianapolis, his second time on the crew as booth analyst, and third year overall.

[24] "Heavy Action" was used in an "Indianapolis 500" opening credits for the first time as Monday Night Football Producers Roone Arledge and Chuck Howard along with Directors Larry Kamm and Don Ohlmeyer also did work on this broadcast.