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 tragic 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. The 1959 season could be considered one of the most tragic seasons in American open-wheel car history.

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 RathmannNC 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 Sweepstakes 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 JohnsonNC July 4 Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill Slim Roberts Bobby UnserC July 4 Daytona Daytona International Speedway Daytona Beach, Florida Paved CancelledNC 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 Syracuse Mile 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

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

Pos Driver DAY TRE1 INDY MIL1 LHS SPR MIL2 DQSF SYR ISF TRE2 ASF CSF 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 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 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 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 DNQ 9 40 45 Buddy Cagle 18 DNP 10 DNQ 30 46 Jack Rounds 10 DNQ 30 47 Lee Drollinger 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 14 14 0 - Bob McLean 17 14 0 - Jimmy Daywalt 14 DNQ 0 - Bill Randall 14 0 - Dick Linder 14 0 - Russ Congdon DNQ 15 DNQ DNQ 0 - Gig Stephens 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 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 LHS SPR MIL2 DQSF SYR ISF TRE2 ASF CSF 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 laps Rookie of the Year Rookie

References

http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf (p. 276-277)

See also 1959 Indianapolis 500