Emerson Fittipaldi was well on his way to becoming the first driver since Al Unser (1970–71) to record back-to-back victories when his left wheels momentarily wandered onto the rumble strips on the inside of Turn 4 on his 185th lap. The car wiggled briefly, arched a little too widely out of the turn, and sideswiped the outer wall, sending the car slithering down the main straight to a halt with damaged suspension and a dislodged rear wing. Al Unser Jr., his teammate, who had been inches away from being lapped, went on to score his second win in three years. Their clearly dominant cars were powered by special Mercedes–Benz-financed Ilmor Engineering “pushrod” engines which were built in complete secrecy for this event and never raced again.
Click "EXPAND" above to view the photo gallery.