The October 6, 1973 Texas 200 was a 100-lap (200-mile) USAC Championship Car race held on the high-banked 2-mile paved oval at Texas World Speedway in College Station, Texas. It was the 15th race of the tragic 1973 season, with 26 cars starting the event. Mario Andretti started on the pole after setting a closed-course world speed record of 214 mph in qualifying.
Gary Bettenhausen, driving the #5 Sunoco DX McLaren-Offy for Roger Penske, won the race after passing Johnny Rutherford on lap 90. He led 17 laps and took the victory with an average speed of 181.91 mph, earning $17,884. There were three cautions during the race, and five different drivers led at various points. Johnny Rutherford finished second, followed by Lee Kunzman in third, Lloyd Ruby in fourth, and A.J. Foyt in fifth.
This was Bettenhausen’s final win in USAC Championship Car competition.
