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1959 USAC Championship Car season

Sports season

Sports season

The 1959 USAC Championship Car season (officially the 1959 USAC National Championship Trail) consisted of 13 races, beginning in Daytona Beach, Florida on April 4 and concluding in Sacramento, California on October 25. There were also three non-championship events. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Rodger Ward. In this tragic season seven fatal accidents occurred. During the pre-season, Marshall Teague was fatally injured in a crash at Daytona. He was 37 years old.

In the first race of the season at Daytona, 34-year-old George Amick was killed in an accident on the last lap. In the second race of the season at Trenton, Dick Linder was killed; he was 36 years old. The third race of the season, the Indy 500, had two fatalities. On May 2, Jerry Unser (26 years old) and on May 19, Bob Cortner (32 years old) were both killed in practice accidents. On July 19 at Mechanicsburg in the Indianapolis Sweepstakes non-championship race Van Johnson was killed in an accident; he was 32 years old. On August 30, 32-year-old Ed Elisian was killed at the Milwaukee Mile. The 1959 season could be considered one of the most tragic seasons in American open-wheel car history.

Schedule and results

RndDateRace nameTrackLocationTypePole positionWinning driver1**NC**2345**NC****C****NC**678910111213
April 4USA Daytona 100Daytona International SpeedwayDaytona Beach, FloridaPavedUSA Dick RathmannUSA Jim Rathmann
April 4USA USAC/FIA Formula Libre RaceDaytona International SpeedwayDaytona Beach, FloridaPavedUSA Dick RathmannUSA Jim Rathmann
April 19USA Race of ChampionsTrenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyPavedUSA Don BransonUSA Tony Bettenhausen
May 30USA [International 500 Mile Sweepstakes](1959-indianapolis-500)Indianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, IndianaPavedUSA Johnny ThomsonUSA Rodger Ward
June 7USA Rex Mays ClassicMilwaukee MileWest Allis, WisconsinPavedUSA Johnny ThomsonUSA Johnny Thomson
June 14USA Langhorne 100Langhorne SpeedwayLanghorne, PennsylvaniaDirtUSA Jud LarsonUSA Van Johnson
July 4US Pikes Peak Auto Hill ClimbPikes Peak HighwayPikes Peak, ColoradoHillUS Slim RobertsUS Bobby Unser
July 4USA DaytonaDaytona International SpeedwayDaytona Beach, FloridaPavedCancelledCancelled
July 19US Indianapolis SweepstakesWilliams Grove SpeedwayMechanicsburg, PennsylvaniaDirtUS Rodger WardUS Rodger Ward
August 22US Springfield 100Illinois State FairgroundsSpringfield, IllinoisDirtUS Don BransonUS Len Sutton
August 30US Milwaukee 200Milwaukee MileWest Allis, WisconsinPavedUS Shorty TemplemanUS Rodger Ward
September 7US Ted Horn MemorialDuQuoin State FairgroundsDu Quoin, IllinoisDirtUS Don BransonUS Rodger Ward
September 12US Syracuse 100New York State FairgroundsSyracuse, New YorkDirtUS Johnny ThomsonUS Eddie Sachs
September 19US Hoosier HundredIndiana State FairgroundsIndianapolis, IndianaDirtUS Rodger WardUS Rodger Ward
September 27US Trenton 100Trenton International SpeedwayTrenton, New JerseyPavedUS Eddie SachsUS Eddie Sachs
October 18US Bobby Ball MemorialArizona State FairgroundsPhoenix, ArizonaDirtUS Lloyd RubyUS Tony Bettenhausen
October 25US Golden State 100California State FairgroundsSacramento, CaliforniaDirtUS Wayne WeilerUS Jim Hurtubise

: Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1959 FIA World Championship of Drivers title. : No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb.

Final points standings

Note: At the Milwaukee 200 started with the car #16 Jim Rathmann, after 29 lap the relieved driver A. J. Foyt led the car the remaining 171 lap and finished 4, so the car completed the 200 lap. The points for this place was 240 points, Jim Rathmann received 34.8 points and A. J. Foyt received 205.2 points; because the method: (the points for the finish place) / (number the lap when completed the car) * (number the lap when completed the driver).

PosDriverDAY
USATRE1
USA[INDY](1959-indianapolis-500)
USAMIL1
USALAN
USASPR
USMIL2
USDQSF
USSYR
USISF
USTRE2
USPHX
USSAC
USPts12400214303140041154.85910.2679777808760952010500114801248013450144501539016370173401831019300202802126022250232502424025233262302720028190291703016531160321403314034130351203612037120381003910040804150424043404440453046304720481049105010-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0PosDriverDAY
USATRE1
USA[INDY](1959-indianapolis-500)
USAMIL1
USALAN
USASPR
USMIL2
USDQSF
USSYR
USISF
USTRE2
USSAC
USPHX
USPts
US Rodger Ward2211318113**1**18317
US Tony Bettenhausen1814171717163615218
US Johnny Thomson720**3****1**DNQ4216**16**Wth
US Jim Rathmann142DNQ4
US A. J. Foyt8DNQ103131525DNQ93192DNS
US Eddie Sachs1919177187101812**1**DNQ10
US Don Branson11**13**2499**2****2**2175515
US Johnny Boyd625DNQ
US Len Sutton2016321014119485221611
US Paul Goldsmith522DNQ
US Don Freeland22889315177
US Bobby Grim7261116162655696DNQ
US Gene Force12DNQ2014DNQ714443
US Jim McWithey16DNQDNQ14DNQ9448174
US Eddie Johnson8233
US Dick Rathmann**5**DNP20DNQ76712DNPDNQ
US Bob VeithDNQDNP1261089818
US Duane Carter7DNQDNP12
US Al Keller13DNP1853DNQ7
US Jud Larson16294**2**DNSDNP
US Jim Hurtubise167DNQ1
US Shorty TemplemanDNQDNQ**11**171312696
US Jack Turner271266DNQDNQDNQ
US Ed Elisian153522
US Elmer George66DNQDNQ5
US Van Johnson10DNQ1
US Paul RussoDNQ9DNQDNQ
US Wayne WeilerDNQDNQ101214DNQ117**7**
US Chuck Weyant28DNQ121181111DNQ
US Bill HomeierDNQDNQDNQDNPDNQ109115
US Al FarmerDNQDNQDNQDNQ20DNQ2
US Jimmy Davies153DNQDNQDNQDNQ15
US Bob Christie31525DNQ
US Ralph LiguoriDNQ6DNQDNQDNQ817
US Rex EastonDNQ4
US George Amick4
US Jim Packard1011DNQ14111320DNQ1518218DNQ
US Chuck ArnoldDNQ515DNQDNQ18DNQDNQ13
US Gene Hartley11DNQ24
US Bill Cheesbourg12DNQ2121DNQDNQ211012DNQ10DNQDNQ
US Jerry UnserDNQ8DNQ
US Joe Barzda916DNQ
US Pat Flaherty9171919
US Bill HydeDNQ9
US Buddy Cagle18DNP10DNQ
US Jack Rounds10DNQ
US Lee DrollingerDNQDNQ11DNQ13DNQ
US Dempsey Wilson17DNQ15DNQ13DNQ1216
US Johnny TolanDNQDNQDNQ12
US Len Duncan12
US Lloyd RubyDNQDNQ131413**18**DNQ
US Chuck HulseDNQ13
US Al Herman13
US Bob Cleberg1414
Canada Bob McLean1714
US Jimmy Daywalt14DNQ
US Bill Randall14
US Dick Linder14
US Russ CongdonDNQ15DNQDNQ
US Gig Stephens15
US Tony Bonadies2116
US Bob Schroeder18DNQ
US Johnny Kay18
US Ray Crawford23
US Mike MagillDNQ30
US Red Amick31DNQDNQ
US Jimmy Bryan33
US Johnny MoorhouseDNQDNQDNS
US Bob WenteDNQDNS
US Bob SaidDNS
US Leon ClumDNQDNQDNQDNQ
US Herb HillDNQDNQDNQDNQ
US Chuck RodeeDNQDNQDNQ
US Earl MotterDNQDNQDNQ
US Don DavisDNQDNQ
US Norm HallDNQDNQ
US Bob CortnerDNQ
US Chuck DaighDNQ
US Don EdmundsDNQ
US Jack EnsleyDNQ
US Andy FurciDNQ
US Eddie RussoDNQ
US George MorrisDNQ
US Johnny WoodDNQ
US Ernie KochDNQ
US Johnnie ParsonsDNP
ColorResult
GoldWinner
Silver2nd place
Bronze3rd place
Green4th & 5th place
Light Blue6th-10th place
Dark BlueFinished
(Outside Top 10)
PurpleDid not finish
(Ret)
RedDid not qualify
(DNQ)
BrownWithdrawn
(Wth)
BlackDisqualified
(DSQ)
WhiteDid not start
(DNS)
BlankDid not
participate
(DNP)
Not competing

|- |

Rookie

|} |}

References

  • http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 276-277)

References

  1. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120224075618/http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1959.htm 1959 USAC National Championship Trail, www.champcarstats.com, as archived at web.archive.org]
Info: Wikipedia Source

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