1958 USAC Championship Car season

1958 USAC Championship Car season
1958 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races	13
Start date	March 30
End date	November 11
Awards
National champion	Tony Bettenhausen
Indianapolis 500 winner	Jimmy Bryan
	← 1957 1959 →

Last updated March 24, 2024

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	Trenton 100	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Len Sutton	Len Sutton
2	May 30	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes ^A	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Paved	Dick Rathmann	Jimmy Bryan
3	June 8	Rex Mays Classic	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Art Bisch	Art Bisch
4	June 15	Langhorne 100	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Dirt	Jud Larson	Eddie Sachs
NC	June 29	500 Miglia di Monza	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza	Monza, Italy	Paved	Heat 1: Luigi Musso	Heat 1: Jim Rathmann
Heat 2: Jim Rathmann						Heat 2: Jim Rathmann
Heat 3: Jim Rathmann						Heat 3: Jim Rathmann
5	July 4	Atlanta 100	Lakewood Speedway	Atlanta, Georgia	Dirt	Don Branson	Jud Larson
NC	July 4	Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb	Pikes Peak Highway	Pikes Peak, Colorado	Hill	Louie Unser ^B	Bobby Unser
NC	July 20	Indianapolis Sweepstakes	Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt	Johnny Thomson	Jud Larson
6	August 16	Springfield 100	Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, Illinois	Dirt	Jud Larson	Johnny Thomson
7	August 24	Milwaukee 200	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Jim Rathmann	Rodger Ward
8	September 1	Ted Horn Memorial	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	Du Quoin, Illinois	Dirt	Johnny Thomson	Johnny Thomson
9	September 6	Syracuse 100	New York State Fairgrounds	Syracuse, New York	Dirt	Jud Larson	Johnny Thomson
10	September 13	Hoosier Hundred	Indiana State Fairgrounds	Indianapolis, Indiana	Dirt	Jud Larson	Eddie Sachs
11	September 28	Trenton 100	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Jimmy Reece	Rodger Ward
12	October 26	Golden State 100	California State Fairgrounds	Sacramento, California	Dirt	Johnny Thomson	Johnny Thomson
13	November 11	Bobby Ball Memorial	Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix, Arizona	Dirt	Rex Easton	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	INDY	MIL1	LAN	ATL	SPR	MIL2	DQSF	SYR	ISF	TRE2	SAC	PHX	Pts
1	Tony Bettenhausen	2	4	2	5	18	12	25	2	3	5	3	5	2	1830
2	George Amick	6	2	6	14	2	18	4	18	2	Wth	19	4	15	1640
3	Johnny Thomson	3	23	4	18	3	1	22	1	1	2	2	1	14	1520
4	Jud Larson	5	8	9	3	1	13		7	5	17	22	2	1	1250
5	Rodger Ward	11	20	19	DNQ	7	16	1	4	4	3	1	16	5	1160
6	Jimmy Bryan		1												1000
7	Eddie Sachs	DNQ	22	10	1	6	DNQ	3	17	10	1	10	15	3	990
8	Johnny Boyd		3	5	15										800
9	Don Branson			DNQ	4	5	7	12	3	6	4	6	12	7	790
10	A. J. Foyt		16	21	2	11	11	7	8	14	8	11	3	4	700
11	Len Sutton	1	32	11	9	4	9	9	6	DNQ	DNQ	8	DNQ	9	670
12	Jimmy Reece	DNQ	6	3				26	DNQ		7	7			660
13	Don Freeland		7	DNQ	6		3	21	9	18	16	14	DNQ		560
14	Jim Rathmann		5	7				23							560
15	Bob Veith		26	DNQ			6	2				16	6	18	480
16	Johnny Tolan		13	8			15	6	5	9	11	18	8	10	450
17	Eddie Johnson		9	22				10			DNQ	5			360
18	Joe Barzda RY	9		13	16		4	11		13	15	4			320
19	Elmer George	12	DNQ	17	13	8	2	DNQ	DNS	16	10	DNQ	17	8	300
20	Rex Easton		DNQ	15	17	13	5	17	10	7	DNQ	13	13	6	270
21	Jack Turner		25	DNS	12	17		5		11	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ		230
22	Bill Cheesbourg		10	12	10	10	DNQ	DNS			DNS			DNQ	220
23	Art Bisch		33	1	DNQ	16									200
24	Ed Elisian		28	DNQ	DNQ		17	8			9	9			180
25	Ralph Liguori	4			8	15	DNQ				18		DNQ	DNQ	170
26	Buzz Barton	7		DNQ	11	9	8	DNQ	DNQ		DNQ				170
27	Earl Motter		DNQ	16	DNQ		10	14	16	DNQ	6		11		130
28	Al Keller	DNQ	11												100
29	Jim Packard R						14	DNQ	12	DNQ	12	DNQ	7	DNQ	80
30	Mike Magill		17		7							DNQ			60
31	Dempsey Wilson	10	15	20	DNQ			19			DNQ	12	18	11	60
32	Paul Russo		18							8	14				50
33	Chuck Rodee	8													50
34	Johnnie Parsons		12	Wth											50
35	Wayne Weiler R												9	17	40
36	Bobby Grim R												10	12	40
37	Shorty Templeman		19					13	11	12	DNQ	20	DNQ	DNQ	30
38	Roy Graham					12	DNQ					DNQ			10
-	Bob Schroeder R					DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	13	15	DNQ	15	DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Gene Hartley		DNQ					18			13				0
-	Pat O’Connor	13	29												0
-	Lloyd Ruby R													13	0
-	Dick Linder R								14	17	DNQ	17			0
-	Dick Rathmann		27	14				24							0
-	Troy Ruttman		DNQ										14	DNP	0
-	Bob Christie		14												0
-	Jiggs Peters					14									0
-	Jimmy Davies							20	15		DNQ	DNP			0
-	Gene Force							15			DNQ				0
-	Bill Homeier		DNQ										DNQ	16	0
-	Pat Flaherty		DNQ					16							0
-	Billy Garrett		21	18											0
-	Tony Bonadies		DNQ	DNQ								21			0
-	Chuck Weyant		24	DNQ			DNQ	DNS	DNQ						0
-	Paul Goldsmith R		30												0
-	Jerry Unser		31				DNQ	DNQ	DNQ		DNQ				0
-	Red Amick	DNS													0
-	Jim McWithey		DNQ							DNQ	DNQ	DNQ			0
-	Van Johnson		DNQ				DNQ								0
-	Allen Crowe					DNQ	DNQ								0
-	Jimmy Daywalt		DNQ								DNQ				0
-	Don Edmunds		DNQ									DNQ			0
-	Bill Hyde												DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Ernie Koch												DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Tom Pistone		DNP	DNQ											0
-	Peter Collins	DNQ													0
-	Fred Agabashian		DNQ												0
-	Bud Clemons		DNQ												0
-	Bob Cortner		DNQ												0
-	Ray Crawford		DNQ												0
-	Jack Ensley		DNQ												0
-	Juan Manuel Fangio		DNQ												0
-	Joe Giba		DNQ												0
-	Al Herman		DNQ												0
-	Eddie Russo		DNQ												0
-	Carroll Shelby		DNQ												0
-	Marshall Teague		DNQ												0
-	Leroy Warriner		DNQ												0
-	Norm Hall				DNQ										0
-	Bill Chennault								DNQ						0
-	Chuck Hulse												DNQ		0
-	Buddy Cagle													DNQ	0
-	Don Whittington													DNQ	0
-	Dutch Schaefer		DNP												0
Pos	Driver	TRE1	INDY	MIL1	LAN	ATL	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)
Blank	Not competing

In-line notation
Bold	Pole position
Italics	Ran fastest race lap
*	Led most race laps
RY Rookie of the Year
R Rookie

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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)

v t e American Championship car racing (Indy car) seasons
AAA	1905 1906–1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
USAC	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95
CART	1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
CCWS	2004 2005 2006 2007 ~~2008~~
IRL	1996 1996–97 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
INDYCAR	2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Years marked in italics are not official championship years or upcoming seasons.

v t e USAC Championship Cars (1956-1970)
Seasons	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
Indianapolis 500s	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970
National Champions	Mario Andretti (three times) Tony Bettenhausen Jimmy Bryan (twice) A. J. Foyt (five times) Al Unser Bobby Unser Rodger Ward (twice)
Tracks	Arizona State Fair Atlanta Brainerd California State Fair Continental Divide Darlington Daytona Dover DuQuoin State Fair Hanford Illinois State Fair Indianapolis Indianapolis Raceway Park Indiana State Fair Lakewood Langhorne Michigan Michigan State Fair Milwaukee Missouri State Fair Mont-Tremblant Mosport Nazareth New York State Fair Ontario Phoenix Pikes Peak Riverside Stardust Sears Point Seattle Trenton

1958 USAC Championship Car season

Contents

Schedule and results

Final points standings

Related Research Articles

References

See also