1958 United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars

August 2023 thumb|250px|Riverside International Raceway The 1958 United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars was a sports car race held at Riverside International Raceway on October 12, 1958. It was the fourth and final round of the 1958 USAC Road Racing Championship season, the seventeenth round of the Sports Car Club of America's Pacific Coast Championship, the second running of the Riverside Grand Prix, and the first post-World War II running of the United States Grand Prix. The race was held over 62 laps of Riverside's 3.3 mi km on circuit, for a total of 203.1 mi km. Chuck Daigh won the race overall, driving one of Lance Reventlow's Scarab-Chevrolets. The race is also noteworthy in the annals of international racing, as the strong second-place finish by a local driver named Dan Gurney earned him a test drive in a factory Ferrari Formula 1 car, effectively launching the Californian's legendary racing career. The weather at this event was very warm, even for a desert climate that routinely saw daytime temperatures of 100F plus during the summer. On race day the temperature reached an extraordinary high for the era 95 F C; with winds gusting up to 9.9 mph km/h on race day. http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/CA/Moreno%20Valley/1958-10-12 Weather information for the 1958 United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars The Old Farmers' Almanac 2013-11-13 Even with the global warming that emerged decades after the late 1950s, the maximum temperature of Riverside, California never exceeded 79.2 F C for the month of October 2013. http://www.almanac.com/weather/history/CA/Moreno%20Valley/2013-10-12 Weather comparison – 2010s climate vs 1950s climate The Old Farmers' Almanac 2013-11-13 Entry The race was open to cars meeting the Sports Car Club of America's B Modified through G Modified classes. Although named "modified", most of the cars in classes C through G were factory-built sports racing cars. The field was unusually large for an American sports car race, attracted in large part by a large purse consisting of $14,500 ($ in today's money).Dredge Bill Berha arrives to drive in $14,500 U.S. Grand Prix https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/585291432.html?dids=585291432:585291432&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+10%2C+1958&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=BEHRA+ARRIVES+TO+DRIVE+IN+%2414%2C500+U.S.+GRAND+PRIX&pqatl=google 5 June 2011 Los Angeles Times 10 October 1958 2 March 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120302211134/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/585291432.html?dids=585291432:585291432&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+10%2C+1958&author=&pub=Los+Angeles+Times&desc=BEHRA+ARRIVES+TO+DRIVE+IN+%2414%2C500+U.S.+GRAND+PRIX&pqatl=google dead Class Displacement B Modified 5000-8000cc C Modified 3000-5000cc D Modified 2000-3000cc E Modified 1500-2000cc F Modified 1100-1500cc G Modified 750-1100ccHaybale: Official Sports Car Racing Program, New England Championship http://www.ferrariexperts.com/SCCA%20results%201958.htm#lma Etceterini 5 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110707105932/http://ferrariexperts.com/SCCA%20results%201958.htm 7 July 2011 live Qualifying Pole position winners in each class are marked in bold. Pos Class Car Driver Lap Time 1 BM #5 Scarab Mk II-Chevrolet Chuck Daigh 02:04.0 2 CM #2 Ferrari 412 S Phil Hill 02:06.0 3 BM #3 Scarab Mk II-Chevrolet Lance Reventlow 02:08.1 4 CM #59 Aston Martin DBR2 Bob Oker 02:09.7 5 CM #69 Ferrari 375 Plus Dan Gurney 02:10.2 6 CM #11 Ferrari 335 S John von Neumann 02:10.8 7 BM #70 Ol' Yaller Mk.I-Buick Max Balchowsky 02:11.1 8 DM #159 Aston Martin DBR1 Roy Salvadori 02:11.6 9 DM #211 Ferrari 250 TR Richie Ginther 02:12.3 10 BM #172 Kurtis 500X-Cadillac Jerry Unser 02:12.4 11 CM #27 Jaguar D-Type Bill Krause 02:13.6 12 BM #111 Devin-Chevrolet Special Ak Miller 02:13.7 13 FM #7 Porsche 718 RSK Jean Behra 02:14.3 14 BM #14 Lister-Corvette Bill Pollack 02:15.5 15 CM #88 Ferrari 410 S Masten Gregory 02:15.6 16 CM #78 Maserati 450S Carroll Shelby 02:15.6 17 BM #229 Chevrolet Special Clem Proctor 02:17.6 18 BM #264 Huffaker Special-Chrysler Fred Knoop 02:17.7 19 EM #50 Porsche 550 RS Spyder Ken Miles 02:18.0 20 FM #126 Lotus Eleven Pat Pigott 02:18.6 21 EM #155 Ferrari 500 TR Sam Weiss 02:18.8 22 BM #149 Zidar Special (Kurtis-Corvette) Ray Crawford 02:19.8 23 GM #125 Lotus Eleven Pete Lovely 02:21.8 24 BM #98 Maserati 450S-Pontiac Jim Rathmann 02:22.9 25 GM #127 Lotus Eleven-Climax Skip Conklin 02:23.4 26 EM #9 Meyer-Drake Special-Offenhauser Bill Cantrell 02:24.0 27 FM #49 Cooper-Climax Bob Drake 02:24.3 28 FM #117 Osca TN Harry Hanford 02:24.4 29 FM #4 Lotus Eleven Lew Florence 02:24.6 30 EM #135 Ferrari 500 TR Alan Markelson 02:24.9 31 CM #129 HWM-Chevrolet Ralph Ormsbee 02:25.3 32 BM #96 Kurtis-Ford Marvin Porter 02:25.4 33 BM #110 Caballo de Hiero Mk II-Oldsmobile Bobby Unser 02:26.3 34 EM #121 Ferrari 500 TRC Frank Becker 02:26.3 35 BM #93 Buick Special Floyd Burt 02:27.6 36 FM #122 Cooper-Porsche Tom Meehan 02:28.2 37 FM #124 Porsche 550 RS Spyder George Keck 02:28.3 38 DM #259 Aston Martin DB3S William de Creeft 02:28.8 39 EM #35 Osca 2000 Pearce Woods 02:29.0 40 BM #140 Kurtis-Buick Bill Cheesbourg 02:30.1 41 EM #23 Lotus Mark X John Timanus 02:30.4 42 DM #118 Porsche 356 Carrera GT Coupe Jean Pierre Kunstle 02:34.2 43 DM #138 Duncan Special Bill Love 02:35.3 44 EM #26 Ferrari 500 TR Gordon Glyer 02:36.5 45 BM #6 Kurtis-Buick Troy Ruttman no time 46 BM #181 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL-Corvette Johnnie Parsons no time DNQ FM #8 Maserati 150S Dusty Miller – DNQ BM #16 Scarab Mk I-Chevrolet Lance Reventlow – DNQ BM #52 Kurtis-Corvette Bert Ruttman – DNQ CM #77 Ferrari 735 LM Rodger Ward – DNQ EM #114 Sebring 2000SS Hank Tubman – Race result Class winners marked in bold. Pos Class No Team Drivers Car Laps 1 BM 5 Reventlow Automobile Incorporated USA Chuck Daigh Scarab Mk II 62 Chevrolet Corvette 5.5L V8 2 CM 69 Frank Arciero USA Dan Gurney Ferrari 375 Plus 62 Ferrari 5.0L V12 3 CM 27 Frank Millard USA Bill Krause Jaguar D-Type 62 Jaguar XK 3.9L I6 4 FM 7 Porsche AG FRA Jean Behra Porsche 718 RSK 61 Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 5 DM 211 Ferrari Representatives of California USA Richie Ginther Ferrari 250 TR 61 Ferrari Tipo 128 3.0L V12 6 DM 159 David Brown GBR Roy Salvadori Aston Martin DBR1 61 Aston Martin 2.9L I6 7 BM 70 Motor Trend Magazine USA Max Balchowsky Ol'Yaller Mk.1 60 Buick 5.3L V8 8 BM 14 Dean Van Lines USA Bill Pollack Lister 60 Chevrolet Corvette 5.8L V8 9 EM 50 Precision Motor Cars GBR Ken Miles Porsche 550 RS 60 Porsche 1.6L Flat-4 10 FM 49 Top Equipment Co. USA Bob Drake Cooper 58 Coventry Climax 1.5L I4 11 CM 88 John Edgar USA Masten Gregory Ferrari 410 S 57 Ferrari 5.0L V12 12 EM 26 Gordon Glyer USA Gordon Glyer Ferrari 500 TR 57 Ferrari Tipo 131 2.0L I4 13 CM 129 Team Empire USA Ralph Ormsbee HWM 57 Chevrolet 5.0L V8 14 FM 117 Tim Considine USA Harry Hanford Osca TN 57 Osca 1.5L I4 15 EM 135 Alan Markelson USA Alan Markelson Ferrari 500 TR 56 Ferrari Tipo 131 2.0L I4 16 EM 9 Mar-Chris Co. USA Bill Cantrell Meyer-Drake Special 56 Offenhauser 1.7L 17 EM 121 Team Empire USA Frank Becker Ferrari 500 TRC 55 Ferrari 2.0L I4 18 GM 127 Skip Conklin USA Skip Conklin Lotus Eleven 55 Climax 1.1L I4 19 FM 124 Team Empire USA George Keck Porsche 550 RS 54 Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 20 DM 118 Jean Pierre Kunstle USA Jean Pierre Kunstle Porsche 356 Carrera GT 54 Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 21 DM 259 William de Creeft USA William de Creeft Aston Martin DB3S 52 Aston Martin 2.9L I6 22 EM 35 C. Vernon USA Pearce Woods Osca 2000 47 Osca 2.0L 23 DM 138 West Coast Racing USA Bill Love Duncan Special 44 Triumph TR2 2.2L 24 EM 23 John Timanus USA John Timanus Lotus Mark X 39 1.4L (Supercharged) I4 25DNF CM 2 Ferrari Representatives of California USA Phil Hill Ferrari 412 S 55 Ferrari 4.0L V12 DOHC 26DNF GM 125 Team Empire USA Pete Lovely Lotus Eleven 54 Coventry Climax FWA 1.1L I4 27DNF FM 126 Team Empire USA Pat Pigott Lotus Eleven 46 Coventry Climax 1.5L I4 28DNF FM 4 Team Empire USA Lew Florence Lotus Eleven 25 Coventry Climax 1.5L I4 29DNF BM 93 Floyd Burt USA Floyd Burt Buick Special 23 Buick 30DNF BM 149 Ray Crawford USA Ray Crawford "Zidar Special" Kurtis 20 Chevrolet Corvette 5.5L V8 31DNF BM 181 Chuck Porter USA Johnnie Parsons Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Special 16 Chevrolet Corvette (Supercharged) 5.0L V8 32DNF BM 264 Fred Knoop USA Fred Knoop Huffaker-Chrysler Special 13 Chrysler 5.2L V8 33DNF BM 3 Reventlow Automobile Incorporated USA Lance Reventlow Scarab Mk II-Chevrolet 9 Chevrolet Corvette 5.5L V8 34DNF BM 140 Alex Budurin USA Bill Cheesbourg Kurtis Kraft 8 Buick 35DNF BM 172 Mickey Thompson USA Jerry Unser Kurtis 500 X2 7 Cadillac 5.6L V8 36DNF BM 6 Bill Murphy's Buick USA Troy Ruttman Kurtis Kraft 7 Buick 5.1L V8 37DNF FM 122 Team Empire USA Tom Meehan Cooper 6 Porsche 1.5L Flat-4 38DNF CM 78 Temple Buell USA Carroll Shelby Maserati 450S 4 Maserati 4.7L V8 DOHC 39DNF BM 96 Marvin Porter Kurtis Kraft 4 Ford 40DNF BM 110 Ak Miller USA Bobby Unser Caballo de Hiero Mk II 3 Oldsmobile 6.2L V8 41DNF EM 155 Sam Weiss USA Sam Weiss Ferrari 500 TR 1 Ferrari Tipo 131 2.0L I4 42DNF CM 11 Ferrari Representatives of California USA John von Neumann Ferrari 335 S 0 Ferrari 4.0L V12 DOHC 43DNF BM 111 Ak Miller USA Ak Miller Devin Special 0 Chevrolet 5.6L V8 DNS CM 59 David Brown USA Bob Oker Aston Martin DBR2 – Aston Martin 3.9L I6 DNS BM 98 John Engar USA Jim Rathmann Maserati 450S – Pontiac 6.3L V8 DNS BM 229 Clem Proctor USA Clem Proctor Chevrolet Special – Chevrolet (Supercharged) 4.6L V8 DNQ FM 8 Dusty Miller USA Dusty Miller Maserati 150S – Maserati 1.5L I4 DNQ BM 16 Reventlow Automobile Incorporated USA Lance Reventlow Scarab Mk I-Chevrolet – Chevrolet Corvette 5.5L V8 DNQ BM 52 Engine Masters USA Bert Ruttman Kurtis Kraft – Chevrolet Corvette V8 DNQ CM 77 Italia Motors USA Rodger Ward Ferrari 735 LM – Ferrari 4.4L I6 DNQ EM 114 Dean Van Lines USA Hank Tubman Sebring 2000 SS – 2.0L Time of race: 2 hours, 17 minutes, 15 seconds Average speed: 88.87 mph km/h on Support races Two support races were held: a production car race won by Skip Hudson in a Chevrolet Corvette, and an under-1400cc race won by Jock Ross in a Cooper-Climax.Riverside (BP+CP+DP+EP+FP) http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Riverside-1958-10-12p.html Racing Sports Cars 5 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304024748/http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Riverside-1958-10-12p.html 4 March 2016 live Riverside (GM+HM+GP+HP) http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Riverside-1958-10-12s.html Racing Sports Cars 5 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060239/http://www.racingsportscars.com/results/Riverside-1958-10-12s.html 4 March 2016 live References 30em Krejci Martin United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars http://wsrp.ic.cz/usacrrc1958.html#4 World Sports Racing Prototypes 5 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120226065157/http://wsrp.ic.cz/usacrrc1958.html#4 2012-02-26 dead Grand Prix Riverside 200 Miles 1958 http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Riverside-1958-10-12.html Racing Sports Cars 5 June 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20140419073629/http://www.racingsportscars.com/race/Riverside-1958-10-12.html 19 April 2014 live USAC Road Racing Championship1958 season 1958 Watkins Glen Formula Libre Grand Prix none Riverside Grand Prix 1957 Riverside National Championship Sports Car Races 1959 United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars United States Grand Prix 1916 American Grand Prize 1959 United States Grand Prix United States Grand Prix United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars United States Grand Prix Category:United States Grand Prix Category:Los Angeles Times Grand Prix United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars Category:History of Riverside, California