1956 Indianapolis 500

Last updated
40th Indianapolis 500
Indy500winningcar1956.JPG
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body USAC
DateMay 30, 1956
Winner Pat Flaherty
Winning team John Zink
Average speed128.490 mph (206.785 km/h)
Pole position Pat Flaherty
Pole speed145.596 mph (234.314 km/h)
Most laps led Pat Flaherty – 127 laps
Pre-race ceremonies
Pace car DeSoto Fireflite
Pace car driver L. Irving Woolson
StarterBill Vanderwater [1]
Estimated attendance125,000-150,000 [2]
Chronology
PreviousNext
1955 1957

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.

Contents

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 of gallons of water were pumped out of the tunnels and the infield. Cagle and his crew worked non-stop for 48 hours straight, some without sleep, and had the track ready just in time for race morning. [3]

Time trials

Time trials was scheduled for four days, but the third day was rained out. With the new surface, a new track record was expected. Pat Flaherty did not disappoint with a pole speed of 145.596 mph (234.314 km/h), over 4.5 mph (7.2 km/h) faster than the 1954 record. 29 drivers qualified opening weekend. The second weekend saw heavy rain that completely canceled Saturday and left only a small window on Sunday for 4 drivers to fill the field. Nino Farina was one of the drivers left out when he didn't get a chance to qualify his Bardahl-Ferrari.

Race summary

The early part of the race turned into a three-man duel between Russo, O'Connor, and Flaherty. Russo was the first to retire when his tire failed and his car crashed and caught fire. At quarter distance due to yellows and the pit stops, Parsons took the lead followed by Freeland. By the 200-mile (320 km) mark Flaherty took over the lead followed by Freeland, Sweikert, and Parsons but Hanks was working his way through the fields after sustaining some damage in the Russo crash, eventually taking second. Flaherty had built up such a lead that he was able to make his last pit stop and remain in front. He crossed the finish line with Hanks the only other car on the lead lap. The only real change in the top cars toward the end was both O'Connor and Jim Rathmann having to drop back with mechanical problems while both drivers were in the top 5.

Box score

PosGridNoDriverConstructorQualRankLapsLedTime/RetiredPoints
118 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Pat Flaherty Watson-Offenhauser 145.5912001273:53:28.848
2134 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Sam Hanks Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 142.05212000+0:20.456
32616 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Don Freeland Phillips-Offenhauser 141.69222004+1:30.234
4698 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Johnnie Parsons  W  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 144.14720016+3:25.693
5473 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Dick Rathmann Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 144.4762000+4:21.812
6101 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bob Sweikert  W  Kuzma-Offenhauser 143.03122000+5:35.05
72314 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bob Veith  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 142.53162000+6:25.63
81519 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Rodger Ward Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 141.17272000+6:32.31
92126 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jimmy Reece Lesovsky-Offenhauser 142.88142000+6:38.31
103027 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Cliff Griffith Stevens-Offenhauser 141.47241990+1 Lap
112282 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Gene Hartley Kuzma-Offenhauser 142.84151960+4 Laps
12742 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Fred Agabashian Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 144.0681960+4 Laps
132557 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Bob Christie  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 142.23201960+4 Laps
142855 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Al Keller Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 141.19261950+5 Laps
153281 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Eddie Johnson Kuzma-Offenhauser 139.09321950+5 Laps
162941 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Billy Garrett  R  Kuzma-Offenhauser 140.55301940+6 Laps
173364 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Duke Dinsmore Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 138.53331910+9 Laps
1837 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Pat O'Connor Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 144.98418739+13 Laps
19192 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jimmy Bryan Kuzma-Offenhauser 143.7491850+15 Laps
20224 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jim Rathmann Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 145.1231753Engine
213134 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Johnnie Tolan  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 140.06311730Engine
22599 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Tony Bettenhausen Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 144.6051600Accident
231410 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Ed Elisian
(Relieved by Eddie Russo; 37 laps)		 Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 141.38251600Brakes
241648 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jimmy Daywalt Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 140.97281340Accident
252454 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Jack Turner  R  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 142.39181310Engine
262089 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Keith Andrews Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 142.9713940Transmission
2795 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Andy Linden Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 143.0511900Oil Leak
282712 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Al Herman Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 141.6123740Accident
291749 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Ray Crawford Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 140.8829490Accident
301215 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Johnny Boyd Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 142.3319350Oil Leak
311153 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Troy Ruttman  W  Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 142.4817220Spun Off
321888 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Johnny Thomson Kuzma-Offenhauser 145.542220Spun Off
33829 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Paul Russo Kurtis Kraft-Novi 143.54102111Accident1 1
Notes

Alternates

Failed to Qualify

Race notes

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. Sid Collins served as chief announcer. The broadcast was carried by over 280 affiliates, as well as Armed Forces Radio. The broadcast came on-air at 10:45 a.m. local time, fifteen minutes prior to the start of the race. This was the final broadcast based out of the old wooden Pagoda, which was demolished after the race. [7]

This was also the final year to have only two turn reporters ("south turns" and "north turns"). Beginning in 1957, the crew would be expanded to have one reporter in each of the four turns.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Booth AnnouncersTurn Reporters Pit reporters

Chief Announcer: Sid Collins
Analyst: Charlie Brockman

South turns: Bill Frosch
Backstretch: Bernie Herman
North turns: Jim Shelton

Luke Walton
Greg Smith
Bob Rhodes (garages)

Championship standings after the race

World Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1rightarrow blue.svg 1 Flag of France.svg Jean Behra 10
1rightarrow blue.svg 2 Flag of Argentina.svg Juan Manuel Fangio 9
1rightarrow blue.svg 3 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stirling Moss 8
1uparrow green.svg 224 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Pat Flaherty 8
1uparrow green.svg 215 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Sam Hanks 6
Source: [8]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Fox, Jack C. (1994). The Illustrated History of the Indianapolis 500 1911-1994 (4th ed.). Carl Hungness Publishing. p. 22. ISBN   0-915088-05-3.
  2. ↑ Campbell, Don G. (May 31, 1956). "Race Fans Battle, Slosh Through And Sit In Mud". The Indianapolis Star. p. 2. Retrieved June 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  3. ↑ "Autocourse Official History of the Indianapolis 500" Donald Davidson, 2006, page 138
  4. ↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
  5. ↑ "1956 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats.com. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  6. ↑ The Talk of Gasoline Alley – 1070-AM WIBC, May 13, 2007
  7. ↑ Brockman, Charles (May 30, 1956). "5 Radio Stations Broadcast '500'". The Indianapolis Star. p. 33. Retrieved March 7, 2018– via Newspapers.com. Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg
  8. ↑ "Indianapolis 1956 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
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