| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Race 10 of 12 in the 1971 USAC Championship Car season | |
 | |
| Date | September 5, 1971 |
| Official name | 1971 California 500 |
| Location | Ontario Motor Speedway, Ontario, California, United States |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 2.500 mi / 4.023 km |
| Distance | 200 laps 500.000 mi / 804.672 km |
| Pole position | |
| Driver |  Mark Donohue (Team Penske) |
| Time | 185.004 mph (297.735 km/h) |
| Podium | |
| First | Joe Leonard (Vel's Parnelli Jones Racing) |
| Second | Art Pollard (Gilmore Racing) |
| Third | Gary Bettenhausen (Don Gerhardt) |
The 1971 California 500, the second running of the event, was held at the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California, on Sunday, September 5, 1971. The event was race number 10 of 12 in the 1971 USAC Championship Car season. The race was won by Joe Leonard.