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1956 Indianapolis 500
The 40th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, May 30, 1956. The event was part of the 1956 USAC National Championship Trail and was also race 3 of 8 in the 1956 World Championship of Drivers. The 1956 race was the first to be governed by the United States Automobile Club. AAA withdrew from auto racing the previous August. Another change would have a more immediate effect on the current race. The track had been paved over with asphalt with only about 600 yards of the main stretch still remaining brick. The 1956 race is also known in Indy 500 lore as "Cagle's Miracle." Torrential rains pummeled the Speedway in the days leading up to the race. The track was full of standing water, access tunnels were completely flooded, and the infield was a muddy quagmire. The conditions threatened to postpone or outright cancel the race. Speedway superintendent Clarence Cagle supervised a massive cleanup effort, in which hundreds of thousands ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United States Grand Prix. It is located on the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road, approximately west of Downtown Indianapolis. Constructed in 1909, it is the second purpose-built, banked oval racing circuit after Brooklands and the first to be called a 'speedway'. It is the third-oldest permanent automobile race track in the world, behind Brooklands and the Milwaukee Mile. With a permanent seating capacity of 257,325, it is the highest-capacity sports venue in the world. Considered relatively flat by American standards, the track is a rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its construction. It has two straightaways, four geometrically identical turns, connected by two short straightaways, termed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dick Rathmann
Dick Rathmann (born James Rathmann; January 6, 1924February 1, 2000) was an American race car driver. He drove in the American Automobile Association, AAA Championship Car series in the 1949 and 1950 seasons with 4 starts, including the 1950 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten once, in 6th position at Milwaukee in 1950. In 1951, he moved to NASCAR, where he was a very successful Nextel Cup, Grand National driver through 1955. In 1956, he returned to the United States Automobile Club, USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1956–1964 seasons with an additional 41 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1956 and 1958–1964. He finished in the top ten 21 more times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1959 at Daytona. Rathmann sat on the pole for the 1958 Indianapolis 500. On the first lap, he and fellow front-row starter Ed Elisian raced into turn 3 and started a chain-reaction accident which involved 15 cars and claimed the life of Pat O'Connor (ra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eddie Johnson (auto Racer)
Eddie Johnson (February 10, 1919 – June 30, 1974) was an American race car driver. Born in Richmond, Virginia, Johnson grew up in Los Angeles, where he was a high school acquaintance of 1950 Indianapolis 500 winner Johnnie Parsons. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950–1952 and 1955–1966 seasons with 33 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in all of those years but the first two. He finished in the top ten 9 times, with his best finish in 3rd position, in 1959 at Trenton. Late in his career, Johnson frequently came to Indianapolis without an assigned car only to be signed on to a team which needed a driver to put a struggling car in the race. In 1965, Johnson became the last person on the track in the Indianapolis 500 mile race with a naturally aspirated Offenhauser in a roadster. Johnson was flagged to finish in 10th place. Johnson died in a plane crash near Cleveland, Ohio. The National Transportation Safety Board ruled the p ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al Keller
Alvah August “Al” Keller (April 11, 1920 in Alexander, New York – November 19, 1961 in Phoenix, Arizona) was an American racecar driver. NASCAR Keller participated in the NASCAR Strictly Stock/Grand National series from 1949 to 1956 with 29 career starts. He won two races during the 1954 season and was the first driver in the history of NASCAR's top division to have won a race in a foreign-built car. Keller won the 1954 Grand National road-race at the Linden Airport in New Jersey, driving a Jaguar owned by big band leader Paul Whiteman. He also won by a two-lap margin at Oglethorpe Speedway in 1954. IndyCar In 1954 Keller began a transition to Championship Cars. He drove in the AAA and USAC Champ Car series, racing in the 1954-1959 and 1961 seasons with 32 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 six times. He was involved in the crash that killed Bill Vukovich in 1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * Ja ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bob Christie (racing Driver)
Bob Christie (April 4, 1924 – June 1, 2009) was an American racecar driver. Christie raced in the USAC Championship Car series in the 1956-1963 seasons, with 15 career starts, including every Indianapolis 500 race in that span. He finished in the top ten 5 times, with his best finish in 3rd position in 1959 at Daytona. He died in Grants Pass, Oregon. Indianapolis 500 results Complete Formula One World Championship results (key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...) {{DEFAULTSORT:Christie, Bob 1924 births 2009 deaths Indianapolis 500 drivers American racing drivers Racing drivers from Oregon Sportspeople from Grants Pass, Oregon World Sportscar Championship drivers Carrera Panamericana drivers ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fred Agabashian
Levon "Fred" Agabashian (August 21, 1913 – October 13, 1989) was an American racer of midget cars and Indy cars. Career Midget car racing Agabashian competed in his first midget car race in his teens. His first championship was the 1937 Northern California Racing Association against such drivers as Duane Carter, Lynn Deister, and Paul Swedberg.Biography at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame He captured the 1946 BCRA championship for . He won the 1947 and 1948 BCRA championships for George Bignotti. Championship rac ...
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Gene Hartley
Leslie Eugene "Gene" Hartley (January 28, 1926 – March 13, 1993) was an American racecar driver. He was born and died in Roanoke, Indiana. Hartley was the son of midget car driver Ted Hartley, who competed into his 60s.Biography at the "Auto racing is all I’ve ever known," Gene once said in an interview at the . Racing career He drove in the |
Stevens (constructor)
Stevens was an American racing car constructor. Stevens cars competed in seven FIA World Championship races – the – Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...s. World Championship Indianapolis 500 results {{DEFAULTSORT:Stevens (Constructor) Formula One constructors (Indianapolis only) American racecar constructors ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cliff Griffith
Cliff Griffith (February 6, 1916 in Nineveh, Indiana – January 23, 1996 in Rochester, Indiana) was an American racecar driver. Griffith drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950–1952, 1956 and 1961 seasons with 19 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ... races in each of those years except 1950. He finished in the top ten 8 times, with his best finish in 4th position, in 1950 at Springfield. His best Indy finish was 9th in 1952. Prior to joining USAC, Griffith won a pair of championships on the Midwest Dirt Track Racing Association circuit behind the wheel of Hector Honore's legendary sprint car known as the "Black Deuce". [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lesovsky
Lesovsky was a racing car constructor. Lesovsky roadsters competed in the Indy 500 from 1950 to 1960. World Championship Indy 500 results {, class="wikitable" ! Season ! Driver ! Grid ! Classification ! Points ! Note ! Race Report , - , rowspan=2, 1950 , George Connor , 4 , 8 , , , rowspan=2, Report , - , Troy Ruttman , 24 , 15 , , , - , 1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ... , George Connor , 21 , Ret , , Transmission , 1951 Indianapolis 500, Report , - , rowspan=3, 1952 Formula One season, 1952 , Duane Carter , 6 , 4 , 3 , , rowspan=3, 1952 Indianapolis 500, Report , - , Henry Banks , 12 , 19 , , , - , Manny Ayulo , 28 , 20 , , , - , 1953 Formula One ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jimmy Reece
Jimmy Reece (November 17, 1929 – September 28, 1958) was an American racecar driver. He died in an accident during a 1958 Champ Car race at Trenton Speedway. Indianapolis 500 results World Championship career summary The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Jimmy Reece participated in 6 World Championship races but scored no World Championship points. 1954 Bobby Ball Memorial race On November 8, 1954, Reece crashed during the Bobby Ball Memorial, an AAA Champ Car event held at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, sustaining "a punctured lung, fractured right shoulder and possible internal injuries when his car flipped coming out of the south turn ..and crashed into the east wall." AAA Championship Trail Reece and Bill Vukovich tied for 4th in the 1954 AAA championship standings. Reece scored 1000 points in 6 races b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rodger Ward
Rodger M. Ward (January 10, 1921 – July 5, 2004) was a World War II Lockheed_P-38_Lightning, P-38 aviator in the United States Army Air Forces, and an American race driver with 26 victories in top echelon open-wheel racing in North America, two Indianapolis 500 victories, and two United_States_Automobile_Club#USAC_Championship_Car_Series, USAC National Championships, who conceived the classic tri-oval design and layout of Pocono International Raceway, modeled after his three favorite signature turns, at Trenton_Speedway, Trenton, Indianapolis_Motor_Speedway, Indianapolis and Milwaukee_Mile, Milwaukee. Early history Ward was born in Beloit, Kansas, the son of Ralph and Geneva (née Banta) Ward. By 1930, the family had moved to California. He died in Anaheim, California. Ward's father owned an auto wrecking business in Los Angeles. Rodger was 14 years old when he built a Ford Motor Company, Ford hot rod. He was a P-38 Lightning fighter pilot in World War II. He enjoyed fly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
