1960 USAC Championship Car season

1960 USAC Championship Car season
1960 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races	12
Start date	April 10
End date	November 20
Awards
National champion	A. J. Foyt
Indianapolis 500 winner	Jim Rathmann
	← 1959 1961 →

Last updated October 24, 2025

The 1960 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 10 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 20. There were also two non-championship events at Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and Pikes Peak, Colorado. This was the final year that the Indianapolis 500 was a part of the Formula One World Championship. The USAC National Champion was A. J. Foyt and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Jim Rathmann. Foyt also scored the first four victories of his career, which was four out of the final six races of the season which helped catapult him to his first series championship. Three time USAC/AAA National Champion (1954, 1956, 1957), and 1958 Indianapolis 500 winner Jimmy Bryan, was killed in an accident during the Langhorne 100 at Langhorne Speedway; he was 34 years old.

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race name	Track	Location	Type	Pole position	Winning driver
1	April 10	Trenton 100	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Johnny Thomson	Rodger Ward
NC	April 13	Langhorne 10	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Dirt	Don Branson	Don Branson
2	May 30	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes ^A	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Paved	Eddie Sachs	Jim Rathmann
3	June 5	Rex Mays Classic	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Lloyd Ruby	Rodger Ward
4	June 19	Langhorne 100	Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Dirt	Don Branson	Jim Hurtubise
NC	July 4	Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb	Pikes Peak Highway	Pikes Peak, Colorado	Hill	Al Unser ^B	Bobby Unser
5	August 20	Springfield 100	Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, Illinois	Dirt	Don Branson	Jim Packard
6	August 28	Milwaukee 200	Milwaukee Mile	West Allis, Wisconsin	Paved	Rodger Ward	Len Sutton
7	September 5	Ted Horn Memorial	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	Du Quoin, Illinois	Dirt	Don Branson	A. J. Foyt
8	September 10	Syracuse 100	New York State Fairgrounds	Syracuse, New York	Dirt	Johnny Thomson	Bobby Grim
9	September 17	Hoosier Hundred	Indiana State Fairgrounds	Indianapolis, Indiana	Dirt	Rodger Ward	A. J. Foyt
10	September 25	Trenton 100	Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Paved	Don Branson	Eddie Sachs
11	October 30	Golden State 100	California State Fairgrounds	Sacramento, California	Dirt	Don Branson	A. J. Foyt
12	November 20	Bobby Ball Memorial	Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix, Arizona	Dirt	Bob Cleberg	A. J. Foyt

Paved/Dirt Oval

Road Course/Hill Climb

Non-championship race

^A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1960 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	SPR	MIL2	DQSF	SYR	ISF	TRE2	SAC	PHX	Pts
1	A. J. Foyt	4	25	2	16	17	2	1	3	1	3	1	1	1680
2	Rodger Ward	1	2	1		DNQ	21	16	18	14	2	17	10	1390
3	Don Branson	22	4	22	15	7	19	8	12	4	4	3	4	1220
4	Jim Rathmann		1	DNQ			18				21			1000
5	Tony Bettenhausen	2	23	4	DNQ	15	14	2	2	2	6	5	16	940
6	Gene Force	5	28	7	3	DNQ	5	12	16	3	9	6	7	830
7	Johnny Thomson	20	5	18	DNQ	9	23	9	4	5				800
8	Len Sutton	18	30	3		8	1	DNQ	DNQ	7	5	10	DNQ	780
9	Lloyd Ruby		7	6	11	4	17	6	7	DNQ	8	DNQ	13	710
10	Jim Packard	6	DNQ	DNQ	2	1	6	5	13	18	20			700
11	Paul Goldsmith		3											700
12	Eddie Sachs	8	21	5	13	2	20	4	11	13	1	DNQ		650
13	Wayne Weiler	7	24	21	DNQ	5	7	DNQ	DNQ	19	7	11	3	500
14	Bobby Grim	10	16	19	8	18	DNQ	7	1	16	DNQ	9	5	480
15	Eddie Johnson		6	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	11	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	22			440
16	Jim Hurtubise	17	18	11	1	10	26	13	15	12	13	14	2	420
17	Dick Rathmann		31	10	10		3	DNQ		DNQ	10			370
18	Parnelli Jones RY			16	6	DNQ	13	18	6	17	19	2	DNQ	333
19	Roger McCluskey R			DNQ	5	13	DNQ	15	DNQ	6	11	4	DNQ	320
20	Al Farmer	11	DNQ	DNQ	4	16	25	3	DNQ	15	DNQ	DNQ	11	300
21	Elmer George				DNQ	3		14	8	DNQ		13	6	270
22	Ernie Koch R					14	9	DNQ	5	DNQ	12	7	DNQ	250
23	Bob Veith		8	14					DNP					250
24	Don Freeland	21	22	DNQ		DNQ	4		DNS					240
25	Bud Tingelstad R		9	DNQ			DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	14	12	DNQ	210
26	Jim McWithey	3	29	DNQ	14		12	DNQ			15			160
27	Shorty Templeman		17	13		DNQ	10	10	9	9			DNQ	157
28	Bob Christie		10											150
29	Chuck Stevenson		15	20	DNQ	6	24	17	DNP	8				130
30	Dempsey Wilson		33	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	8	DNQ	17	DNQ	18	DNQ	DNQ	100
31	Red Amick	DNQ	11	DNQ	17									100
32	Jack Rounds		DNQ	DNQ	7	11			DNP			18		80
33	Chuck Hulse		DNQ					11	10	11	17	DNQ	17	70
34	Jack Turner		DNQ	8			15		DNQ	DNQ				50
35	Bruce Jacobi R		DNP	DNQ			DNQ			DNQ	DNQ		8	50
36	A. J. Shepherd R											8	DNQ	50
37	Bill Homeier		13	DNQ	9	12	DNQ	DNQ	DNS			DNS		50
38	Duane Carter		12	DNQ										50
39	Johnny Boyd		27	9			22	DNQ		DNQ				40
40	Gig Stephens	9	DNQ											40
41	Don Davis R											DNQ	9	40
42	Lee Drollinger	12	DNQ			DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	10		15	14	40
43	Jiggs Peters				12	DNQ			DNQ	DNP	16			10
44	Bob Cleberg		DNQ	DNQ		DNQ			DNQ	DNQ	DNQ		12	10
45	Bill Cheesbourg	DNQ	DNQ	12	DNQ		DNQ			DNQ				10
-	Chuck Arnold	13	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ		DNQ	DNP		DNQ			0
-	Gene Hartley	19	14	DNQ										0
-	Al Herman	14	32											0
-	Harold Leep R					DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	14					0
-	Bill Hyde											DNQ	15	0
-	Len Duncan	15												0
-	Nelson Stacy R			15										0
-	Chuck Rodee		DNQ	17			16				DNQ			0
-	Danny Jones R											16	18	0
-	Ralph Liguori	16								DNQ				0
-	Jimmy Bryan		19	DNQ	18									0
-	Troy Ruttman		20	DNQ										0
-	Eddie Russo		26											0
-	Ebb Rose		DNQ	DNQ			DNQ		DNS		DNQ			0
-	Tommy Copp			DNQ			DNQ			DNQ	DNQ	DNQ		0
-	Jimmy Davies			DNQ			DNQ	DNQ		DNQ				0
-	Norm Hall		DNQ	DNQ			DNQ					DNQ		0
-	Johnny Tolan		DNQ	DNQ			DNQ							0
-	Paul Russo		DNQ			DNQ		DNQ						0
-	Bob McLean	DNQ					DNQ		DNP					0
-	Johnny Coy								DNP	DNQ	DNQ			0
-	Russ Congdon		DNQ	DNQ										0
-	Cliff Griffith		DNQ	DNQ										0
-	Tony Romit	DNQ			DNQ									0
-	Mike Magill		DNQ		DNQ									0
-	Bob Tattersall							DNQ		DNQ				0
-	Mike McGreevy											DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Jim Hemmings								DNP	DNQ				0
-	George Constantine	DNQ												0
-	Jimmy Daywalt		DNQ											0
-	Duke Dinsmore		DNQ											0
-	Jack Ensley		DNQ											0
-	Bob Gregg		DNQ											0
-	Eddie Jackson		DNQ											0
-	Al Keller		DNQ											0
-	Marvin Pifer		DNQ											0
-	Bob Wente		DNQ											0
-	Chuck Weyant		DNQ											0
-	Wib Spalding						DNQ							0
-	Bobby Marshman										DNQ			0
-	Cliff Spalding											DNQ		0
-	Don Horvath												DNQ	0
-	Foster Campbell		DNP											0
-	Leon Clum		DNP											0
Pos	Driver	TRE1	INDY	MIL1	LAN	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

References

Åberg, Andreas. "USAC National Championship 1960". Driver Database. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
"1960 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved December 31, 2010.
http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (p. 274-275)

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 2025 2026
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

1960 USAC Championship Car season

Contents

Schedule and results

Final points standings

References

See also