1958 USAC Championship Car season

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

1958 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races13
Start dateMarch 30
End dateNovember 11
Awards
National championUnited States Tony Bettenhausen
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited States Jimmy Bryan
← 1957
1959 →

The 1958 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on March 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11. There were also five non-championship events. The USAC National Champion was Tony Bettenhausen and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Jimmy Bryan. There were three fatalities during the season. Pat O'Connor lost his life in a first lap accident during the Indy 500. Art Bisch died of injuries suffered during the race at Lakewood Speedway. Jimmy Reece was killed in a late-race incident at the second Trenton 100. Bettenhausen became the first USAC champion without a single race win (and at the time the only one) during the season until Tom Sneva did so 20 years later.

Schedule and results

Rnd Date Race Name Track Location Type Pole Position Winning Driver
1 March 30 United States Trenton 100 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved United States Len Sutton United States Len Sutton
2 May 30 United States International 500 Mile SweepstakesA Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Paved United States Dick Rathmann United States Jimmy Bryan
3 June 8 United States Rex Mays Classic Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved United States Art Bisch United States Art Bisch
4 June 15 United States Langhorne 100 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Dirt United States Jud Larson United States Eddie Sachs
NC June 29 Italy 500 Miglia di Monza Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Monza, Italy Paved Heat 1: Italy Luigi Musso Heat 1: United States Jim Rathmann
Heat 2: United States Jim Rathmann Heat 2: United States Jim Rathmann
Heat 3: United States Jim Rathmann Heat 3: United States Jim Rathmann
5 July 4 United States Atlanta 100 Lakewood Speedway Atlanta, Georgia Dirt United States Don Branson United States Jud Larson
NC July 4 United States Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill United States Louie UnserB United States Bobby Unser
NC July 20 United States Indianapolis Sweepstakes Williams Grove Speedway Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Dirt United States Johnny Thomson United States Jud Larson
6 August 16 United States Springfield 100 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt United States Jud Larson United States Johnny Thomson
7 August 24 United States Milwaukee 200 Milwaukee Mile West Allis, Wisconsin Paved United States Jim Rathmann United States Rodger Ward
8 September 1 United States Ted Horn Memorial DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt United States Johnny Thomson United States Johnny Thomson
9 September 6 United States Syracuse 100 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse, New York Dirt United States Jud Larson United States Johnny Thomson
10 September 13 United States Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt United States Jud Larson United States Eddie Sachs
11 September 28 United States Trenton 100 Trenton International Speedway Trenton, New Jersey Paved United States Jimmy Reece United States Rodger Ward
12 October 26 United States Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt United States Johnny Thomson United States Johnny Thomson
13 November 11 United States Bobby Ball Memorial Arizona State Fairgrounds Phoenix, Arizona Dirt United States Rex Easton United States Jud Larson
  Paved/Dirt Oval
  Road Course/Hill Climb
  Non-championship race
^A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1958 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

Pos Driver TRE1
United States
INDY
United States
MIL1
United States
LAN
United States
ATL
United States
SPR
United States
MIL2
United States
DQSF
United States
SYR
United States
ISF
United States
TRE2
United States
SAC
United States
PHX
United States
Pts
1 United States Tony Bettenhausen 2 4 2 5 18 12 25 2 3 5 3 5 2 1830
2 United States George Amick 6 2 6 14 2 18 4 18 2 Wth 19 4 15 1640
3 United States Johnny Thomson 3 23 4 18 3 1 22 1 1 2 2 1 14 1520
4 United States Jud Larson 5 8 9 3 1 13 7 5 17 22 2 1 1250
5 United States Rodger Ward 11 20 19 DNQ 7 16 1 4 4 3 1 16 5 1160
6 United States Jimmy Bryan 1 1000
7 United States Eddie Sachs DNQ 22 10 1 6 DNQ 3 17 10 1 10 15 3 990
8 United States Johnny Boyd 3 5 15 800
9 United States Don Branson DNQ 4 5 7 12 3 6 4 6 12 7 790
10 United States A. J. Foyt 16 21 2 11 11 7 8 14 8 11 3 4 700
11 United States Len Sutton 1 32 11 9 4 9 9 6 DNQ DNQ 8 DNQ 9 670
12 United States Jimmy Reece DNQ 6 3 26 DNQ 7 7 660
13 United States Don Freeland 7 DNQ 6 3 21 9 18 16 14 DNQ 560
14 United States Jim Rathmann 5 7 23 560
15 United States Bob Veith 26 DNQ 6 2 16 6 18 480
16 United States Johnny Tolan 13 8 15 6 5 9 11 18 8 10 450
17 United States Eddie Johnson 9 22 10 DNQ 5 360
18 United States Joe Barzda  RY  9 13 16 4 11 13 15 4 320
19 United States Elmer George 12 DNQ 17 13 8 2 DNQ DNS 16 10 DNQ 17 8 300
20 United States Rex Easton DNQ 15 17 13 5 17 10 7 DNQ 13 13 6 270
21 United States Jack Turner 25 DNS 12 17 5 11 DNQ DNQ DNQ 230
22 United States Bill Cheesbourg 10 12 10 10 DNQ DNS DNS DNQ 220
23 United States Art Bisch 33 1 DNQ 16 200
24 United States Ed Elisian 28 DNQ DNQ 17 8 9 9 180
25 United States Ralph Liguori 4 8 15 DNQ 18 DNQ DNQ 170
26 United States Buzz Barton 7 DNQ 11 9 8 DNQ DNQ DNQ 170
27 United States Earl Motter DNQ 16 DNQ 10 14 16 DNQ 6 11 130
28 United States Al Keller DNQ 11 100
29 United States Jim Packard  R  14 DNQ 12 DNQ 12 DNQ 7 DNQ 80
30 United States Mike Magill 17 7 DNQ 60
31 United States Dempsey Wilson 10 15 20 DNQ 19 DNQ 12 18 11 60
32 United States Paul Russo 18 8 14 50
33 United States Chuck Rodee 8 50
34 United States Johnnie Parsons 12 Wth 50
35 United States Wayne Weiler  R  9 17 40
36 United States Bobby Grim  R  10 12 40
37 United States Shorty Templeman 19 13 11 12 DNQ 20 DNQ DNQ 30
38 United States Roy Graham 12 DNQ DNQ 10
- United States Bob Schroeder  R  DNQ DNQ DNQ 13 15 DNQ 15 DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Gene Hartley DNQ 18 13 0
- United States Pat O’Connor 13 29 0
- United States Lloyd Ruby  R  13 0
- United States Dick Linder  R  14 17 DNQ 17 0
- United States Dick Rathmann 27 14 24 0
- United States Troy Ruttman DNQ 14 DNP 0
- United States Bob Christie 14 0
- United States Jiggs Peters 14 0
- United States Jimmy Davies 20 15 DNQ DNP 0
- United States Gene Force 15 DNQ 0
- United States Bill Homeier DNQ DNQ 16 0
- United States Pat Flaherty DNQ 16 0
- United States Billy Garrett 21 18 0
- United States Tony Bonadies DNQ DNQ 21 0
- United States Chuck Weyant 24 DNQ DNQ DNS DNQ 0
- United States Paul Goldsmith  R  30 0
- United States Jerry Unser 31 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Red Amick DNS 0
- United States Jim McWithey DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Van Johnson DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Allen Crowe DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Jimmy Daywalt DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Don Edmunds DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Bill Hyde DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Ernie Koch DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Tom Pistone DNP DNQ 0
- United Kingdom Peter Collins DNQ 0
- United States Fred Agabashian DNQ 0
- United States Bud Clemons DNQ 0
- United States Bob Cortner DNQ 0
- United States Ray Crawford DNQ 0
- United States Jack Ensley DNQ 0
- Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio DNQ 0
- United States Joe Giba DNQ 0
- United States Al Herman DNQ 0
- United States Eddie Russo DNQ 0
- United States Carroll Shelby DNQ 0
- United States Marshall Teague DNQ 0
- United States Leroy Warriner DNQ 0
- United States Norm Hall DNQ 0
- United States Bill Chennault DNQ 0
- United States Chuck Hulse DNQ 0
- United States Buddy Cagle DNQ 0
- United States Don Whittington DNQ 0
- United States Dutch Schaefer DNP 0
Pos Driver TRE1
United States
INDY
United States
MIL1
United States
LAN
United States
ATL
United States
SPR
United States
MIL2
United States
DQSF
United States
SYR
United States
ISF
United States
TRE2
United States
SAC
United States
PHX
United States
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 1958". Driver Database. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  • "1958 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 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (p. 278-279)

See also