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1956 USAC Championship Car season

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1956 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races12
Start dateMay 30
End dateNovember 12
Awards
National championUnited States Jimmy Bryan
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited States Pat Flaherty
← 1955 (AAA)
1957 →

The 1956 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana, on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 12. There were also three non-championship events. The USAC National Champion was Jimmy Bryan and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Pat Flaherty. This was the first year that the National Championship was sanctioned by the USAC,[1] after the withdrawal of the AAA from all forms of racing after the 1955 season.[2]

Schedule and results

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Rnd Date Race Name Track Location Type Pole Position Winning Driver
1 May 30 United States International 500 Mile SweepstakesA Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Paved United States Pat Flaherty United States Pat Flaherty
2 June 10 United States Rex Mays Classic Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Paved United States Johnny Boyd United States Pat Flaherty
3 June 24 United States Langhorne 100 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Dirt United States Billy Garrett United States George Amick
4 July 4 United States Pee Dee 200 Darlington Raceway Darlington, South Carolina Paved United States Andy Linden United States Pat O'Connor
NC July 4 United States Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill United States Slim RobertsB United States Bobby Unser
5 July 14 United States Atlanta 100 Lakewood Speedway Atlanta, Georgia Dirt United States Bob Veith United States Eddie Sachs
NC July 22 United States Indianapolis Sweepstakes Williams Grove Speedway Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Dirt United States Ed Elisian United States Jimmy Bryan
NC August 12 United States Dayton 25 Dayton Speedway Dayton, Ohio Paved United States Pat O'Connor United States Ed Elisian
6 August 19 United States Springfield 100 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt United States Rex Easton United States Jimmy Bryan
7 August 26 United States Milwaukee 250 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Paved United States Johnny Boyd United States Jimmy Bryan
8 September 3 United States Ted Horn Memorial 100 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt United States Johnny Thomson United States Jimmy Bryan
9 September 8 United States Syracuse 100 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse, New York Dirt United States Earl Motter United States Tony Bettenhausen
10 September 15 United States Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt United States Jud Larson United States Jimmy Bryan
11 October 21 United States Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt United States Jud Larson United States Jud Larson
12 November 12 United States Bobby Ball Memorial Arizona State Fairgrounds Phoenix, Arizona Dirt United States George Amick United States George Amick
  Paved/Dirt Oval
  Road Course/Hill Climb
  Non-championship race
^A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1956 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

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Pos Driver INDY
United States
MIL1
United States
LAN
United States
DAR
United States
ATL
United States
SPR
United States
MIL2
United States
DQSF
United States
SYR
United States
ISF
United States
SAC
United States
PHX
United States
Pts
1 United States Jimmy Bryan 19 4 6 8 1 1 1 2 1 3 2 1860
2 United States Pat Flaherty 1 1 14 5 5 18 1500
3 United States Don Freeland 3 6 7 10 2 24 17 11 9 2 13 1280
4 United States George Amick DNP DNQ 1 4 13 DNQ 6 5 5 12 13 1 1050
5 United States Jimmy Reece 9 7 9 12 7 2 9 DNQ DNQ 6 3 1040
6 United States Johnny Boyd 30 5 3 7 5 11 4 11 8 6 980
7 United States Bob Veith 7 10 10 DNS 6 15 8 4 17 7 4 8 903
8 United States Rodger Ward 8 DNP DNS 19 16 6 3 DNQ 10 3 16 19 862
9 United States Sam Hanks 2 800
10 United States Johnny Thomson 32 2 18 9 3 10 14 2 3 16 DNP 710
11 United States Pat O'Connor 18 11 DNQ 1 17 5 21 DNQ 13 2 15 DNQ 680
12 United States Eddie Sachs DNQ 21 1 3 4 DNQ 12 DNQ DNQ 650
13 United States Johnnie Parsons 4 17 11 DNQ DNP DNQ 650
14 United States Al Keller 14 9 3 DNS 2 4 12 16 5 585
15 United States Bob Sweikert 6 3 540
16 United States Dick Rathmann 5 21 15 15 DNQ 25 DNQ DNQ 9 DNQ 540
17 United States Jack Turner 25 13 11 2 20 17 7 12 DNQ DNQ DNQ 500
18 United States Ed Elisian 23 DNQ 4 6 18 DNQ 22 13 6 DNQ 7 16 420
19 United States Gene Hartley 11 8 2 22 11 16 DNQ DNP 6 410
20 United States Elmer George 18 8 7 19 DNQ 20 6 18 14 5 7 410
21 United States Andy Linden 27 DNQ 12 13 8 8 23 7 9 8 11 4 400
22 United States Jud Larson  RY  4 1 DNQ 320
23 United States Jim Rathmann 20 19 11 4 DNQ 15 3 DNQ 15 300
24 United States Tony Bettenhausen 22 DNS DNS 8 1 18 14 9 290
25 United States Johnny Tolan 21 DNQ 10 DNQ 10 5 205
26 United States Earl Motter DNQ 17 9 DNQ 9 14 7 13 200
27 United States Cliff Griffith 10 DNQ 13 150
28 United States Mike Magill DNQ 5 DNQ 10 130
29 United States Billy Garrett  R  16 14 13 23 10 12 17 DNQ 8 DNQ DNQ 90
30 United States Jim McWithey  R  DNQ DNQ 16 15 9 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 11 60
31 United States Don Branson  R  11 26 10 15 DNQ 50
32 United States Fred Agabashian 12 50
33 United States Art Bisch  R  17 10 30
34 United States Bill Cheesbourg  R  DNQ DNQ 14 16 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 12 14 10
35 United States Keith Andrews 26 12 10
36 United States Dempsey Wilson  R  DNQ DNQ 12 10
37 United States Bob Carpenter  R  12 10
- United States Rex Easton 15 13 DNQ 0
- United States Bob Christie  R  13 0
- United States Jimmy Daywalt 24 DNQ 15 14 DNQ 0
- United States Eddie Russo DNS 17 18 14 DNQ 0
- United States Roy Graham  R  14 DNQ 0
- United States Eddie Johnson 15 DNQ 0
- United States Mel McGaughy DNQ 15 0
- United States Shorty Templeman DNQ 16 19 DNQ 0
- United States Ken Gottschalk  R  DNQ DNQ 16 DNQ DNP DNQ 0
- United States Charles Musselman DNQ 16 DNQ 0
- United States Tommy Hinnershitz DNQ 17 17 0
- United States Duke Dinsmore 17 DNQ 18 DNP 0
- United States Van Johnson  R  DNQ DNQ DNP 18 0
- United States Jimmy Davies DNQ 18 DNQ 0
- United States Len Sutton DNQ 18 0
- United States Troy Ruttman 31 20 DNS 0
- United States Gene Force 20 0
- United States Danny Kladis 22 0
- United States Al Herman 28 DNQ DNQ DNS 0
- United States Ray Crawford 29 DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Paul Russo 33 0
United States Chuck Weyant DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Johnny Kay DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Leroy Warriner DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Marvin Pifer DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Bud Randall DNQ DNQ 0
- United States Jay Abney DNQ 0
- United States Johnny Baldwin DNQ 0
- United States Tony Bonadies DNQ 0
- United States Buddy Cagle DNQ 0
- United States Len Duncan DNQ 0
- United States Edgar Elder DNQ 0
- Italy Giuseppe Farina DNQ 0
- United States Ernie McCoy DNQ 0
- United States Roy Newman DNQ 0
- United States Cal Niday DNQ 0
- United States Dickie Reese DNQ 0
- United States Gig Stephens DNQ 0
- United States Marshall Teague DNQ 0
- United States Dick Fraizer DNQ 0
- United States Paul Howe DNQ 0
- United States Chuck Rodee DNQ 0
- United States Speed McFee DNQ 0
- United States Roger McCluskey DNQ 0
Pos Driver INDY
United States
MIL1
United States
LAN
United States
DAR
United States
ATL
United States
SPR
United States
MIL2
United States
DQSF
United States
SYR
United States
ISF
United States
SAC
United States
PHX
United States
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)
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

[edit]
  1. ^ "USAC takes over AAA's place". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. March 8, 1956.
  2. ^ "AAA cuts ties with U.S. auto racing". The Michigan Daily. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Associated Press. August 4, 1955.

General references

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See also

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