Indianapolis 500 1959

Indianapolis
30 May 1959
200 laps
804.7 km
4.023 km a lap
Indianapolis 500 – counted for the championship, not a Formula 1 race

Pole positionJohnny ThomsonLesovsky · 4:06.730
Fastest lapJohnny Thomson1:01.890 · lap 64
Winner started fromP6on the grid

Result

Pos	Driver	No.	Team · engine	Grid	Laps	Time / reason	Points
1	Rodger Ward	5	Watson · Offenhauser	6	200	3:40:49.200	8
2	Jim Rathmann	16	Watson · Offenhauser	3	200	+23.277	6
3	Johnny Thomsonfastest lap	3	Lesovsky · Offenhauser	1	200	+50.640	5
4	Tony Bettenhausen	1	Epperly · Offenhauser	15	200	+1:47.090	3
5	Paul Goldsmith	99	Epperly · Offenhauser	16	200	+2:06.439	2
6	Johnny Boyd	33	Epperly · Offenhauser	11	200	+3:16.979
7	Duane Carter	37	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	12	200	+4:09.920
8	Eddie Johnson	19	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	8	200	+4:10.530
9	Paul Russo	45	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	27	200	+4:11.040
10	Anthony Joseph Foyt	10	Kuzma · Offenhauser	17	200	+4:14.479
11	Gene Hartley	88	Kuzma · Offenhauser	9	200	+5:42.479
12	Bob Veith	74	Moore · Offenhauser	7	200	+6:09.729
13	Al Herman	89	Dunn · Offenhauser	23	200	+6:40.399
14	Jimmy Daywalt	66	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	13	200	+6:41.540
15	Chuck Arnold	71	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	21	200	+8:19.859
16	Jim McWithey	58	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	33	200	+11:41.689
17	Eddie Sachs	44	Kuzma · Offenhauser	2	182	Spun off
18	Al Keller	57	Kuzma · Offenhauser	28	163	Engine
19	Pat Flaherty	64	Watson · Offenhauser	18	162	Accident
20	Dick Rathmann	73	Watson · Offenhauser	4	150	Fire
21	Bill Cheesbourg	53	Kuzma · Offenhauser	30	147	Magneto
22	Don Freeland	15	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	25	136	Magneto
23	Ray Crawford	49	Elder · Offenhauser	32	115	Accident
24	Don Branson	9	Phillips · Offenhauser	10	112	Suspension
25	Bob Christie	65	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	24	109	Engine
26	Bobby Grim	48	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	5	85	Magneto
27	Jack Turner	24	Christensen · Offenhauser	14	47	Fuel leak
28	Chuck Weyant	47	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	29	45	Accident
29	Jud Larson	7	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	19	45	Accident
30	Mike Magill	77	Sutton · Offenhauser	31	45	Accident
31	Red Amick	87	Kurtis Kraft · Offenhauser	26	45	Accident
32	Len Sutton	8	Lesovsky · Offenhauser	22	34	Accident
33	Jimmy Bryan	6	Epperly · Offenhauser	20	1	Engine

A number in the first column means classified. DNF, DNQ and DNS stand for retirement, did not qualify and did not start. ‘shared’ marks a car that two drivers shared between them – permitted in the 1950s, and both were classified.

Qualifying

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap
1	Johnny Thomson	Lesovsky	4:06.730
2	Eddie Sachs	Kuzma	4:07.550	+0.820
3	Jim Rathmann	Watson	4:09.250	+2.520
4	Dick Rathmann	Watson	4:09.570	+2.840
5	Bobby Grim	Kurtis Kraft	4:09.610	+2.880
6	Rodger Ward	Watson	4:09.940	+3.210
7	Bob Veith	Moore	4:09.960	+3.230
8	Eddie Johnson	Kurtis Kraft	4:10.000	+3.270
9	Gene Hartley	Kuzma	4:10.740	+4.010
10	Don Branson	Phillips	4:11.200	+4.470
11	Johnny Boyd	Epperly	4:12.080	+5.350
12	Duane Carter	Kurtis Kraft	4:12.110	+5.380
13	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft	4:08.820	+2.090
14	Jack Turner	Christensen	4:10.910	+4.180
15	Tony Bettenhausen	Epperly	4:12.240	+5.510
16	Paul Goldsmith	Epperly	4:12.330	+5.600
17	Anthony Joseph Foyt	Kuzma	4:12.370	+5.640
18	Pat Flaherty	Watson	4:12.810	+6.080
19	Jud Larson	Kurtis Kraft	4:12.990	+6.260
20	Jimmy Bryan	Epperly	4:13.310	+6.580
21	Chuck Arnold	Kurtis Kraft	4:13.310	+6.580
22	Len Sutton	Lesovsky	4:13.330	+6.600
23	Al Herman	Dunn	4:13.630	+6.900
24	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft	4:11.320	+4.590
25	Don Freeland	Kurtis Kraft	4:11.650	+4.920
26	Red Amick	Kurtis Kraft	4:11.880	+5.150
27	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft	4:12.840	+6.110
28	Al Keller	Kuzma	4:13.420	+6.690
29	Chuck Weyant	Kurtis Kraft	4:13.610	+6.880
30	Bill Cheesbourg	Kuzma	4:13.900	+7.170
31	Mike Magill	Sutton	4:14.450	+7.720
32	Ray Crawford	Elder	4:14.690	+7.960
33	Jim McWithey	Kurtis Kraft	4:14.930	+8.200

Fastest laps

Each driver's quickest lap of the race.

Pos	Driver	Lap	Time	Gap
1	Johnny Thomson	64	1:01.890

Championship after this race

The official standings after round 2. Arrows show the change against the round before.

The whole season

Drivers' championship after round 2
Pos	Driver	Points	Change
1	Jack Brabham	9
2	Rodger Ward	8
3	Jim Rathmann	6
3	Tony Brooks	6	▼1
5	Johnny Thomson	5
6	Maurice Trintignant	4	▼3
7	Phil Hill	3	▼3
7	Tony Bettenhausen	3
9	Bruce McLaren	2	▼4
9	Paul Goldsmith	2

Constructors' championship after round 2
Pos	Team	Points	Change
1	Cooper	8
2	Ferrari	6