1959 USAC Championship Car season

Sports season September 2020 USAC Championship Car 1959 USAC National Championship Trail 13 April 4 October 25 National champion USA 1959 Rodger Ward USA 1912 Rodger Ward 1958 1960 The 1959 USAC Championship Car season (officially the 1959 USAC National Championship Trail)1959 USAC National Championship Trail, www.champcarstats.com, as archived at web.archive.org 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 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. Schedule and results Rnd Date Race name Track Location Type Pole position Winning driver 1 April 4 USA 1912 Daytona 100 Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida Paved USA 1912 Dick Rathmann USA 1912 Jim RathmannNC April 4 USA 1912 USAC/FIA Formula Libre Race Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida Paved USA 1912 Dick Rathmann USA 1912 Jim Rathmann 2 April 19 USA 1912 Race of Champions Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved USA 1912 Don Branson USA 1912 Tony Bettenhausen 3 May 30 USA 1912 International 500 Mile SweepstakesA A Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Paved USA 1912 Johnny Thomson USA 1912 Rodger Ward 4 June 7 USA 1912 Rex Mays Classic Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved USA 1912 Johnny Thomson USA 1912 Johnny Thomson 5 June 14 USA 1912 Langhorne 100 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Dirt USA 1912 Jud Larson USA 1912 Van JohnsonNC July 4 US 1959 Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill US 1959 Slim RobertsB B US 1959 Bobby UnserC July 4 USA 1912 Daytona Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida Paved CancelledNC July 19 US 1959 Indianapolis Sweepstakes Williams Grove Speedway Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Dirt US 1959 Rodger Ward US 1959 Rodger Ward 6 August 22 US 1959 Springfield 100 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt US 1959 Don Branson US 1959 Len Sutton 7 August 30 US 1959 Milwaukee 200 Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved US 1959 Shorty Templeman US 1959 Rodger Ward 8 September 7 US 1959 Ted Horn Memorial DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt US 1959 Don Branson US 1959 Rodger Ward 9 September 12 US 1959 Syracuse 100 Syracuse Mile Syracuse, New York Dirt US 1959 Johnny Thomson US 1959 Eddie Sachs 10 September 19 US 1959 Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt US 1959 Rodger Ward US 1959 Rodger Ward 11 September 27 US 1959 Trenton 100 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved US 1959 Eddie Sachs US 1959 Eddie Sachs 12 October 18 US 1959 Bobby Ball Memorial Arizona State Fairgrounds Phoenix, Arizona Dirt US 1959 Lloyd Ruby US 1959 Tony Bettenhausen 13 October 25 US 1959 Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt US 1959 Wayne Weiler US 1959 Jim Hurtubise #FFFFFF Paved/Dirt Oval solid 1px #AAAAAA #D0E7FF Road Course/Hill Climb solid 1px #AAAAAA #FB9902 Non-championship race solid 1px #AAAAAA A A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1959 FIA World Championship of Drivers title. B B 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). List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems Pos Driver DAYUSA 1912 TRE1USA 1912 INDYUSA 1912 MIL1USA 1912 LHSUSA 1912 SPRUS 1959 MIL2US 1959 DQSFUS 1959 SYRUS 1959 ISFUS 1959 TRE2US 1959 ASFUSA 1959 CSFUS 1959 Pts 1US 1959 Rodger Ward 2 2 1 13 18 1 1 3 1 18 3 17 2400 2US 1959 Tony Bettenhausen 18 1 4 17 17 17 16 3 6 15 2 1 8 1430 3US 1959 Johnny Thomson 7 20 3 1 DNQ 4 2 16 16 Wth 1400 4US 1959 Jim Rathmann 1 4 2 DNQ 4 1154.8 5US 1959 A. J. Foyt 8 DNQ 10 3 13 15 25 DNQ 9 3 19 2 DNS 910.2 6US 1959 Eddie Sachs 19 19 17 7 18 7 10 18 1 2 1 DNQ 10 797 7US 1959 Don Branson 11 13 24 9 9 2 2 2 17 5 5 15 780 8US 1959 Johnny Boyd 6 2 5 DNQ 760 9US 1959 Len Sutton 20 16 32 10 14 1 19 4 8 5 22 16 11 520 10US 1959 Paul Goldsmith 5 22 DNQ 500 11US 1959 Don Freeland 22 8 8 9 3 15 17 7 480 12US 1959 Bobby Grim 7 26 11 16 16 26 5 5 6 9 6 DNQ 480 13US 1959 Gene Force 12 DNQ 20 14 DNQ 7 14 4 4 3 450 14US 1959 Jim McWithey 16 DNQ DNQ 14 DNQ 9 4 4 8 17 4 450 15US 1959 Eddie Johnson 8 23 3 390 16US 1959 Dick Rathmann 5 DNP 20 DNQ 7 6 7 12 DNP DNQ 370 17US 1959 Bob Veith DNQ DNP 12 6 10 8 9 8 18 340 18US 1959 Duane Carter 7 DNQ DNP 12 310 19US 1959 Al Keller 13 DNP 18 5 3 DNQ 7 300 20US 1959 Jud Larson 16 29 4 2 DNS DNP 280 21US 1959 Jim Hurtubise gold RY silver 16 7 DNQ 1 260 22US 1959 Shorty Templeman DNQ DNQ 11 17 13 12 6 9 6 250 23US 1959 Jack Turner 27 12 6 6 DNQ DNQ DNQ 250 24US 1959 Ed Elisian 15 3 5 22 240 25US 1959 Elmer George 6 6 DNQ DNQ 5 233 26US 1959 Van Johnson 10 DNQ 1 230 27US 1959 Paul Russo DNQ 9 DNQ DNQ 200 28US 1959 Wayne Weiler DNQ DNQ 10 12 14 DNQ 11 7 7 190 29US 1959 Chuck Weyant 28 DNQ 12 11 8 11 11 DNQ 170 30US 1959 Bill Homeier DNQ DNQ DNQ DNP DNQ 10 9 11 5 165 31US 1959 Al Farmer orange R silver DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 20 DNQ 2 160 32US 1959 Jimmy Davies 15 3 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 15 140 33US 1959 Bob Christie 3 15 25 DNQ 140 34US 1959 Ralph Liguori DNQ 6 DNQ DNQ DNQ 8 17 130 35US 1959 Rex Easton DNQ 4 120 36US 1959 George Amick 4 120 37US 1959 Jim Packard 10 11 DNQ 14 11 13 20 DNQ 15 18 21 8 DNQ 120 38US 1959 Chuck Arnold orange R silver DNQ 5 15 DNQ DNQ 18 DNQ DNQ 13 100 39US 1959 Gene Hartley 11 DNQ 24 100 40US 1959 Bill Cheesbourg 12 DNQ 21 21 DNQ DNQ 21 10 12 DNQ 10 DNQ DNQ 80 41US 1959 Jerry Unser DNQ 8 DNQ 50 42US 1959 Joe Barzda 9 16 DNQ 40 43US 1959 Pat Flaherty 9 17 19 19 40 44US 1959 Bill Hyde orange R silver DNQ 9 40 45US 1959 Buddy Cagle 18 DNP 10 DNQ 30 46US 1959 Jack Rounds orange R silver 10 DNQ 30 47US 1959 Lee Drollinger orange R silver DNQ DNQ 11 DNQ 13 DNQ 20 48US 1959 Dempsey Wilson 17 DNQ 15 DNQ 13 DNQ 12 16 10 49US 1959 Johnny Tolan DNQ DNQ DNQ 12 10 50US 1959 Len Duncan 12 10 -US 1959 Lloyd Ruby DNQ DNQ 13 14 13 18 DNQ 0 -US 1959 Chuck Hulse DNQ 13 0 -US 1959 Al Herman 13 0 -US 1959 Bob Cleberg orange R silver 14 14 0 -Canada 1957 Bob McLean orange R silver 17 14 0 -US 1959 Jimmy Daywalt 14 DNQ 0 -US 1959 Bill Randall 14 0 -US 1959 Dick Linder 14 0 -US 1959 Russ Congdon orange R silver DNQ 15 DNQ DNQ 0 -US 1959 Gig Stephens orange R silver 15 0 -US 1959 Tony Bonadies 21 16 0 -US 1959 Bob Schroeder 18 DNQ 0 -US 1959 Johnny Kay 18 0 -US 1959 Ray Crawford 23 0 -US 1959 Mike Magill DNQ 30 0 -US 1959 Red Amick orange R silver 31 DNQ DNQ 0 -US 1959 Jimmy Bryan 33 0 -US 1959 Johnny Moorhouse DNQ DNQ DNS 0 -US 1959 Bob Wente DNQ DNS 0 -US 1959 Bob Said DNS 0 -US 1959 Leon Clum DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 -US 1959 Herb Hill DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 -US 1959 Chuck Rodee DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 -US 1959 Earl Motter DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 -US 1959 Don Davis DNQ DNQ 0 -US 1959 Norm Hall DNQ DNQ 0 -US 1959 Bob Cortner DNQ 0 -US 1959 Chuck Daigh DNQ 0 -US 1959 Don Edmunds DNQ 0 -US 1959 Jack Ensley DNQ 0 -US 1959 Andy Furci DNQ 0 -US 1959 Eddie Russo DNQ 0 -US 1959 George Morris DNQ 0 -US 1959 Johnny Wood DNQ 0 -US 1959 Ernie Koch DNQ 0 -US 1959 Johnnie Parsons DNP 0 Pos Driver DAYUSA 1912 TRE1USA 1912 INDYUSA 1912 MIL1USA 1912 LHSUSA 1912 SPRUS 1959 MIL2US 1959 DQSFUS 1959 SYRUS 1959 ISFUS 1959 TRE2US 1959 ASFUSA 1959 CSFUS 1959 Pts Color Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green 4th & 5th place Light Blue 6th-10th place Dark Blue Finished(Outside Top 10) Purple Did not finish(Ret) Red Did not qualify(DNQ) Brown Withdrawn(Wth) Black Disqualified(DSQ) White Did not start(DNS) Blank Did notparticipate(DNP) Not competing In-line notationBoldPole positionItalicsRan fastest race lap*Led most race lapsgold RY silver Rookie of the Yearorange R silver Rookie References http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1959/ USAC National Championship 1959 Åberg, Andreas Driver Database January 1, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120910234515/http://www.driverdb.com/standings/980-1959/ September 10, 2012 live http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1959.htm 1959 USAC National Championship Trail ChampCarStats.com January 1, 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20120224075618/http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1959.htm February 24, 2012 live http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053905/http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf March 4, 2016 (p. 276-277) See also 1959 Indianapolis 500 Category:1959 USAC Championship Car season USAC Championship Car season Category:USAC Championship Car Category:1959 in American motorsport