1960 Indianapolis 500

44th Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis 500
Sanctioning body AAA / World Championship
Date May 30, 1960
Winner Jim Rathmann
Winning Entrant Ken-Paul
Average speed 138.767 mph (223.324 km/h)
Pole position Eddie Sachs
Pole speed 146.592 mph (235.917 km/h)
Most laps led Jim Rathmann (100)
Pre-race
Pace car Oldsmobile
Pace car driver Sam Hanks
Chronology
Previous Next
1959 1961

The 44th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana on Monday, May 30, 1960. The event was part of the 1960 USAC National Championship Trail, and was included in the 1960 World Drivers Championship. It would be the final time World Championship points would be awarded at the Indy 500.

Often regarded as the greatest two-man duel in Indianapolis 500 history, the 1960 race saw a then-record 29 lead changes (a record that stood until 2012). Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward battled out nearly the entire second half. Rathmann took the lead for good on lap 197 after Ward was forced to slow down with a worn out tire.[1] Rathmann's margin of victory of 12.75 seconds was the second-closest finish in Indy history at the time.

The inaugural 500 Festival Open Invitation was held at the Speedway Golf Course in the four days leading up to the race.

Time trials

Time trials was scheduled for four days, but the third day was rained out.

After Carburetion tests, Dempsey Wilson replaced Jimmy Daywalt as the driver for the #23 entry, and the car was moved to the rear of the starting grid.[3]

Race recap

First half

The race started out with four contenders in the first half. Rodger Ward took the lead on lap 1 from the outside of the front row, but polesitter Eddie Sachs took the lead on lap 2. Two laps later, Ward was back in the lead, and the record-setting number of lead changes was already under way. Troy Ruttman and Jim Rathmann also took turns at the front. .

The first caution came out on lap 47, after Duane Carter spun in turn 3. He did not hit the wall, came to a rest in the infield grass, then continued in the race. Later, Jim McWithey came into the pits without any brakes. He brushed the inside pit wall trying to slow the car down, but continued through the pit lane and wasn't able to stop until he reached the infield grass in turn 1. Later in the race, Eddie Russo and Wayne Weiler also suffer single-car crashes.

Rodger Ward stalled his engine twice during his first pit stop, losing considerable ground. After getting back on the track, he started charging to catch up to the front of the field.[4] Shortly after the halfway point, Eddie Sachs and Troy Ruttman would both drop out of the race, ultimately leaving Rathmann and Ward to battle it out in front.

Second half

On about lap 124, Tony Bettenhausen came in for a routine pit stop. He complained of a smoking engine, but returned to the track. One lap later, he was back in the pits with a fire and a blown engine. Bettenhausen was unhurt, but hoisted himself out of the cockpit as it was coasting to stop in the pits to avoid getting burned.

In the second half, Ward had caught up to Rathmann, with Johnny Thomson close behind in third. Rathmann and Ward swapped the lead several times, but meanwhile Ward was hoping that the pace would slow down, in order to save his tires to the end. After stalling in the pits earlier, the hard charge Ward made to get back to the front was a concern, as he was afraid he had worn out his tires prematurely. Ward was aware of Rathmann's tendencies as a driver, and allowed Rathmann to pass him for the lead. Rathmann was known for charging hard to take the lead, but once he was in the lead, would often back the pace down.[4] Ward's prediction came true, but it was at the expense of losing ground to third place. Johnny Thomson was now catching up.

With Thomson closing in on the leaders, Ward and Rathmann started charging again, racing each other hard, swapping the lead between themselves. Meanwhile Thomson's engine lost power, and he slowed to a 5th place finish. Inside ten laps to go, Rodger Ward seemed to have the faster car, and took the lead on lap 194. A few laps later though, Ward saw the cords in his right front tire showing, and he let off the pace. Jim Rathmann took the lead on lap 197, and pulled away for victory. Due to Ward's experience as a tire tester, he was able to nurse his car to the finish without pitting to change the bad tire, and held on to second place.[1] Despite winning twice (1959 and 1962), Rodger Ward often considered this race his personal best.[4]

Paul Goldsmith charged from 26th starting position to finish 3rd, holding off 4th place Don Branson by about a car length.

Classification

United States  1960 Indianapolis 500
Race details
Race 3 of 10 in the 1960 Formula One season
Date 30 May 1960
Official name 44th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes
Location Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.023 km (2.500 mi)
Distance 200 laps, 804.675 km (500.000 mi)
Pole position
Driver Ewing-Offenhauser
Time 146.592 mph (235.917 km/h)
Fastest lap
Driver United States Jim Rathmann Watson-Offenhauser
Time 1:01.59
Podium
First Watson-Offenhauser
Second Watson-Offenhauser
Third Epperly-Offenhauser
Pos Grid No Driver Constructor Qual Rank Laps Led Time/Retired Points
1 2 4 United States Jim Rathmann Watson-Offenhauser 146.37 4 200 100 3:36:11.36 8
2 3 1 United States Rodger Ward (W) Watson-Offenhauser 145.56 5 200 58 + 0:12.75 6
3 26 99 United States Paul Goldsmith Epperly-Offenhauser 142.78 27 200 0 + 3:07.30 4
4 8 7 United States Don Branson Phillips-Offenhauser 144.75 11 200 0 + 3:07.98 3
5 17 3 United States Johnny Thomson Lesovsky-Offenhauser 146.44 3 200 10 + 3:11.35 2
6 7 22 United States Eddie Johnson Trevis-Offenhauser 145 10 200 0 + 4:10.61 1
7 12 98 United States Lloyd Ruby (R) Watson-Offenhauser 144.2 15 200 0 + 4:25.59  
8 25 44 United States Bob Veith Meskowski-Offenhauser 143.36 23 200 0 + 5:17.48  
9 28 18 United States Bud Tingelstad (R) Trevis-Offenhauser 142.35 29 200 0 + 8:19.91  
10 14 38 United States Bob Christie Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 143.63 19 200 0 + 8:40.28  
11 22 27 United States Red Amick Epperly-Offenhauser 143.08 26 200 0 + 11:10.58  
12 27 17 United States Duane Carter Kuzma-Offenhauser 142.63 28 200 0 + 11:17.20  
13 31 39 United States Bill Homeier Kuzma-Offenhauser 141.24 32 200 0 + 12:10.71  
14 24 48 United States Gene Hartley Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 143.89 16 196 0 + 4 Laps  
15 9 65 United States Chuck Stevenson Watson-Offenhauser 144.66 12 196 0 + 4 Laps  
16 21 14 United States Bobby Grim Meskowski-Offenhauser 143.15 25 194 0 + 6 Laps  
17 19 26 United States Shorty Templeman Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 143.85 17 191 0 Clutch  
18 23 56 United States Jim Hurtubise (R) Christensen-Offenhauser 149.05 1 185 0 Engine  
19 10 10 United States Jimmy Bryan (W) Epperly-Offenhauser 144.53 13 152 0 Fuel System  
20 6 28 United States Troy Ruttman (W) Watson-Offenhauser 145.36 8 134 11 Axle  
21 1 6 United States Eddie Sachs Ewing-Offenhauser 146.59 2 132 21 Magneto  
22 11 73 United States Don Freeland Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 144.35 14 129 0 Magneto  
23 18 2 United States Tony Bettenhausen Watson-Offenhauser 145.21 9 125 0 Engine  
24 15 32 United States Wayne Weiler (R) Epperly-Offenhauser 143.51 20 103 0 Accident  
25 16 5 United States A.J. Foyt Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 143.46 22 90 0 Clutch  
26 29 46 United States Eddie Russo Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 142.2 30 90 0 Accident  
27 13 8 United States Johnny Boyd Epperly-Offenhauser 143.77 18 77 0 Engine  
28 20 37 United States Gene Force Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 143.47 21 74 0 Brakes  
29 32 16 United States Jim McWithey Epperly-Offenhauser 140.37 33 60 0 Brakes  
30 5 9 United States Len Sutton Watson-Offenhauser 145.44 7 47 0 Engine  
31 4 97 United States Dick Rathmann Watson-Offenhauser 145.54 6 42 0 Brakes  
32 30 76 United States Al Herman Ewing-Offenhauser 141.83 31 34 0 Clutch  
33 33 23 United States Dempsey Wilson Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 143.21 24 11 0 Magneto  

Alternates

Failed to qualify

  • Chuck Arnold (#21)
  • Foster Campbell (R) (#62) – Entry declined, not enough experience
  • Bill Cheesbourg (#45)
  • Bob Cleberg (R) (#61)
  • Leon Clum (R) (#95) – Entry declined, not enough experience
  • Russ Congdon (R) (#79)
  • Jimmy Daywalt (#23) – Raced by Dempsey Wilson

Lap leaders

  • 1 Ward
  • 2–3 Sachs
  • 4–18 Ward
  • 19–24 Ruttman
  • 25–37 J. Rathmann
  • 38–41 Ward
  • 42–51 Sachs
  • 52–56 Ruttman
  • 57–61 Sachs
  • 62–69 J. Rathmann
  • 70–72 Sachs
  • 73–74 J. Rathmann
  • 75 Sachs
  • 76–85 J. Rathmann
  • 86–95 Thomson

  • 96–122 J. Rathmann
  • 123–127 Ward
  • 128–141 J. Rathmann
  • 142–146 Ward
  • 147 J. Rathmann
  • 148–151 Ward
  • 152–162 J. Rathmann
  • 163–169 Ward
  • 170 J. Rathmann
  • 171–177 Ward
  • 178–182 J. Rathmann
  • 183–189 Ward
  • 190–193 J. Rathmann
  • 194–196 Ward
  • 197–200 J. Rathmann

Race notes

Spectator fatalities

Two spectators in the infield, Fred H. Linder, 36, of Indianapolis, and William C. Craig, 37, of Zionsville, were killed, and as many as 82 were injured, when a homemade scaffolding collapsed. Approximately 125–130 patrons had paid a small fee ($5–$10) to view the race from the 30-foot tall scaffolding, erected by a private individual (Wilbur Shortridge, Jr.[10]) and not the Speedway – a practice that was allowed at the time. The structure was partially anchored to a pick-up truck, and situated in the infield of turn three. Over the years, the private scaffold platforms had become a popular fixture at the Speedway, with often many located around the massive infield. They were not sponsored by the track, and at times, the track management would attempt to curtail the practice, with safety in mind. However, enforcement was inconsistent, and they were not banned outright prior to 1960.

During the parade lap as the field drove by, the people on the platform began to lean and wave at the cars, which caused the scaffolding to become unstable. It soon tipped forward and fell to the ground, crushing people who were underneath the structure, and the 125–130 people who were on it either fell or jumped to the ground. Linder and Craig were pronounced dead of broken necks, and over 80 were injured, about 22 seriously.

After the accident, the Speedway banned "bootleg" homemade scaffolds at the track, a rule that still exists to this day. The track management was scrutinized by the state fire marshal and other officials for allowing the scaffolds to be constructed without permits, inspections, or any sort of safety rules. Other reports even criticized spectators who witnessed the tragedy and did little to offer help, whereas many in attendance were totally unaware of the accident. Johnny Rutherford, who was attending the race for the first time as a spectator, claims to have witnessed the accident.[11] In addition, his future wife Betty Hoyer, a student nurse, attended to the scene.[12]

Championship standings after the race

Formula One Drivers' Championship standings
Pos Driver Points
1 New Zealand Bruce McLaren 14
2 United Kingdom Stirling Moss 8
31 3 United States Jim Rathmann 8
1 4 United Kingdom Cliff Allison 6
29 5 United States Rodger Ward 6

Formula One Constructors' Championship standings
Pos Constructor Points
1 United Kingdom Cooper-Climax 14
2 Italy Ferrari 10
3 United Kingdom Lotus-Climax 9
4 United Kingdom Cooper-Maserati 3
5 United Kingdom BRM 2

Broadcasting

Radio

The race was carried live on the IMS Radio Network. Sid Collins served as chief announcer. Fred Agabashian served as "driver expert" for the second year. After the race, Luke Walton reported from victory lane.

For the first time, the network reached South Africa via tape-delay rebroadcasts.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network
Booth AnnouncersTurn ReportersPit/garage reporters

Chief Announcer: Sid Collins
Driver expert: Fred Agabashian
Statistician: Charlie Brockman

Turn 1: Bill Frosh
Turn 2: John Peterson
Backstretch: Bernie Herman
Turn 3: Lou Palmer
Turn 4: Jim Shelton

Greg Smith (north)
Jack Shapiro (center)
Luke Walton (south)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1960 Indianapolis 500.

References

  1. 1 2 The Talk of Gasoline Alley1070-AM WIBC, May 21, 2007
  2. Indy Record Probable
  3. "The Talk of Gasoline Alley", WIBC, May 12, 2003
  4. 1 2 3 The Talk of Gasoline Alley1070-AM WIBC, April 30, 2007
  5. The Talk of Gasoline Alley1070-AM WIBC, May 14, 2004
  6. "1960 International 500 Mile Sweepstakes". ChampCarStats. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  7. "Weather information for the "1960 Indianapolis 500"". The Old Farmers' Almanac. Retrieved 2013-06-26.
  8. "The Talk of Gasoline Alley," WIBC: May 20, 2005
  9. "The Talk of Gasoline Alley," WFNI/Network Indiana: May 21, 2009
  10. Grandstand Collapse at the 1960 Indianapolis 500
  11. The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 22, 2000. Network Indiana.
  12. Cork, Bob (1974-06-09). "Rutherford's Wife Met Tragedy, Then Him, at Indy". The Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved 2014-03-11.

External links

Previous race:
1960 Monaco Grand Prix
FIA Formula One World Championship
1960 season
Next race:
1960 Dutch Grand Prix
Previous race:
1959 Indianapolis 500
Rodger Ward
1960 Indianapolis 500
Jim Rathmann
Next race:
1961 Indianapolis 500
A. J. Foyt
Preceded by
135.875 mph
(1959 Indianapolis 500)
Record for the Indianapolis 500 fastest average speed
138.767
mph
Succeeded by
139.130 mph
(1961 Indianapolis 500)
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