1959 USAC Championship Car 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 7 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) was killed in a practice accident, and on May 19 death Bob Cortner (32 years old) was also killed in a practice accident. 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.

1959 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races	13
Start date	April 4
End date	October 25
Awards
National champion	Rodger Ward
Indianapolis 500 winner	Rodger Ward

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Track	Location	Type	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	April 4	Daytona 100	Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach, Florida	Paved	Dick Rathmann	Jim Rathmann
NC	April 4	USAC/FIA Formula Libre Race	Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach, Florida	Paved	Dick Rathmann	Jim Rathmann
2	April 19	Race of Champions	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Don Branson	Tony Bettenhausen
3	May 30	International 500 Mile SweepstakesA	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Paved	Johnny Thomson	Rodger Ward
4	June 7	Rex Mays Classic	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Johnny Thomson	Johnny Thomson
5	June 14	Langhorne 100	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Dirt	Jud Larson	Van Johnson
NC	July 4	Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb	Pikes Peak Highway	Pikes Peak, Colorado	Hill	Slim RobertsB	Bobby Unser
C	July 4	Daytona	Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach, Florida	Paved	Cancelled	Cancelled
NC	July 19	Indianapolis Sweepstakes	Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt	Rodger Ward	Rodger Ward
6	August 22	Springfield 100	Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, Illinois	Dirt	Don Branson	Len Sutton
7	August 30	Milwaukee 200	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Shorty Templeman	Rodger Ward
8	September 7	Ted Horn Memorial	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	Du Quoin, Illinois	Dirt	Don Branson	Rodger Ward
9	September 12	Syracuse 100	New York State Fairgrounds	Syracuse, New York	Dirt	Johnny Thomson	Eddie Sachs
10	September 19	Hoosier Hundred	Indiana State Fairgrounds	Indianapolis, Indiana	Dirt	Rodger Ward	Rodger Ward
11	September 27	Trenton 100	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Eddie Sachs	Eddie Sachs
12	October 18	Bobby Ball Memorial	Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix, Arizona	Dirt	Lloyd Ruby	Tony Bettenhausen
13	October 25	Golden State 100	California State Fairgrounds	Sacramento, California	Dirt	Wayne Weiler	Jim Hurtubise

  Paved/Dirt Oval

  Road Course/Hill Climb

  Non-championship race

^A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1959 FIA World Championship of Drivers title.

^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).

Further information: List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems

Pos Driver DAY TRE1 INDY MIL1 LAN SPR MIL2 DQSF SYR ISF TRE2 PHX SAC Pts 1 Rodger Ward 2 2 1 13 18 1 1 3 1 18 3 17 2400 2 Tony Bettenhausen 18 1 4 17 17 17 16 3 6 15 2 1 8 1430 3 Johnny Thomson 7 20 3 1 DNQ 4 2 16 16 Wth 1400 4 Jim Rathmann 1 4 2 DNQ 4 1154.8 5 A. J. Foyt 8 DNQ 10 3 13 15 25 DNQ 9 3 19 2 DNS 910.2 6 Eddie Sachs 19 19 17 7 18 7 10 18 1 2 1 DNQ 10 797 7 Don Branson 11 13 24 9 9 2 2 2 17 5 5 15 780 8 Johnny Boyd 6 2 5 DNQ 760 9 Len Sutton 20 16 32 10 14 1 19 4 8 5 22 16 11 520 10 Paul Goldsmith 5 22 DNQ 500 11 Don Freeland 22 8 8 9 3 15 17 7 480 12 Bobby Grim 7 26 11 16 16 26 5 5 6 9 6 DNQ 480 13 Gene Force 12 DNQ 20 14 DNQ 7 14 4 4 3 450 14 Jim McWithey 16 DNQ DNQ 14 DNQ 9 4 4 8 17 4 450 15 Eddie Johnson 8 23 3 390 16 Dick Rathmann 5 DNP 20 DNQ 7 6 7 12 DNP DNQ 370 17 Bob Veith DNQ DNP 12 6 10 8 9 8 18 340 18 Duane Carter 7 DNQ DNP 12 310 19 Al Keller 13 DNP 18 5 3 DNQ 7 300 20 Jud Larson 16 29 4 2 DNS DNP 280 21 Jim Hurtubise  RY  16 7 DNQ 1 260 22 Shorty Templeman DNQ DNQ 11 17 13 12 6 9 6 250 23 Jack Turner 27 12 6 6 DNQ DNQ DNQ 250 24 Ed Elisian 15 3 5 22 240 25 Elmer George 6 6 DNQ DNQ 5 233 26 Van Johnson 10 DNQ 1 230 27 Paul Russo DNQ 9 DNQ DNQ 200 28 Wayne Weiler DNQ DNQ 10 12 14 DNQ 11 7 7 190 29 Chuck Weyant 28 DNQ 12 11 8 11 11 DNQ 170 30 Bill Homeier DNQ DNQ DNQ DNP DNQ 10 9 11 5 165 31 Al Farmer  R  DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 20 DNQ 2 160 32 Jimmy Davies 15 3 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 15 140 33 Bob Christie 3 15 25 DNQ 140 34 Ralph Liguori DNQ 6 DNQ DNQ DNQ 8 17 130 35 Rex Easton DNQ 4 120 36 George Amick 4 120 37 Jim Packard 10 11 DNQ 14 11 13 20 DNQ 15 18 21 8 DNQ 120 38 Chuck Arnold  R  DNQ 5 15 DNQ DNQ 18 DNQ DNQ 13 100 39 Gene Hartley 11 DNQ 24 100 40 Bill Cheesbourg 12 DNQ 21 21 DNQ DNQ 21 10 12 DNQ 10 DNQ DNQ 80 41 Jerry Unser DNQ 8 DNQ 50 42 Joe Barzda 9 16 DNQ 40 43 Pat Flaherty 9 17 19 19 40 44 Bill Hyde  R  DNQ 9 40 45 Buddy Cagle 18 DNP 10 DNQ 30 46 Jack Rounds  R  10 DNQ 30 47 Lee Drollinger  R  DNQ DNQ 11 DNQ 13 DNQ 20 48 Dempsey Wilson 17 DNQ 15 DNQ 13 DNQ 12 16 10 49 Johnny Tolan DNQ DNQ DNQ 12 10 50 Len Duncan 12 10 - Lloyd Ruby DNQ DNQ 13 14 13 18 DNQ 0 - Chuck Hulse DNQ 13 0 - Al Herman 13 0 - Bob Cleberg  R  14 14 0 - Bob McLean  R  17 14 0 - Jimmy Daywalt 14 DNQ 0 - Bill Randall 14 0 - Dick Linder 14 0 - Russ Congdon  R  DNQ 15 DNQ DNQ 0 - Gig Stephens  R  15 0 - Tony Bonadies 21 16 0 - Bob Schroeder 18 DNQ 0 - Johnny Kay 18 0 - Ray Crawford 23 0 - Mike Magill DNQ 30 0 - Red Amick  R  31 DNQ DNQ 0 - Jimmy Bryan 33 0 - Johnny Moorhouse DNQ DNQ DNS 0 - Bob Wente DNQ DNS 0 - Bob Said DNS 0 - Leon Clum DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 - Herb Hill DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 - Chuck Rodee DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 - Earl Motter DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 - Don Davis DNQ DNQ 0 - Norm Hall DNQ DNQ 0 - Bob Cortner DNQ 0 - Chuck Daigh DNQ 0 - Don Edmunds DNQ 0 - Jack Ensley DNQ 0 - Andy Furci DNQ 0 - Eddie Russo DNQ 0 - George Morris DNQ 0 - Johnny Wood DNQ 0 - Ernie Koch DNQ 0 - Johnnie Parsons DNP 0 Pos Driver DAY TRE1 INDY MIL1 LAN SPR MIL2 DQSF SYR ISF TRE2 SAC PHX 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 not participate (DNP) Not competing In-line notation Bold Pole position Italics Ran fastest race lap * Led most race laps  RY  Rookie of the Year  R  Rookie

References

• Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1959". Driver Database. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
• "1959 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
• http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (p. 276-277)

See also

• 1959 Indianapolis 500