A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | CH | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
| Daytona International Speedway | |
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| Race information | |
|---|---|
| Most wins (drivers) | Jim Rathmann (1) |
| Most wins (constructors) | Watson (1) |
| Circuit length | 4.023 km (2.5 miles) |
| Race length | 160.934 km (100.000 miles) |
| Laps | 40 |
| Last race (1959) | |
| Pole position | |
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| Podium | |
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| Fastest lap | |
The Daytona 100 was a USAC Championship Car race held at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida on Saturday April 4, 1959. It was the first and only Indy car race held on the high banks of Daytona, and saw incredible speeds turned in by the front-engined "roadsters." The race was part of a triple-header weekend featuring races for the USAC Championship Cars, Formula Libre, and a USAC-FIA sports car endurance race.
Both the Champ Car and Formula Libre races were won by Jim Rathmann. However, the weekend was marred by the tragic death of George Amick, who was killed in a crash on the final lap of the Champ Car race. Amick's death came less than two months after Marshall Teague was also killed testing a highly modified Indy roadster at the track. Despite a predicted crowd of over 30,000 spectators for the weekend,[1] turnout was disappointing. With estimates as low as 7,000 to 10,000 in attendance for Saturday,[2] the event was also seen as unsuccessful and a money-loser.[3] In the wake of the tragic circumstances, the blindingly fast speeds were deemed too dangerous for the track, and the Indy cars would never again race on the Daytona International Speedway oval.[2] The sports cars, however, would return and the Daytona Continental later became an annual event, now known as the 24 Hours of Daytona.
The Daytona 100 was the first race of the 1959 USAC Championship Trail, and the first Championship race held in the state of Florida since a board track race at Fulford–Miami Speedway in 1926. There would not be another Indy car race held in Florida until the Miami Grand Prix in 1985.
In 2006 and again in 2007, the IndyCar Series held a compatibility test on the Daytona International Speedway motorcycle road course (which skips the west banking), the first time Indy type cars had driven on the track in over 45 years. The test was to evaluate the facility as a possible warm-weather testing venue (and perhaps a future racing venue). However, a race was never scheduled, and the series never returned.
Background
Construction on the Daytona International Speedway broke ground on November 25, 1957.[4] NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. constructed the facility as a replacement for the Daytona Beach Road Course.[5] He envisioned the track as having the steepest banking possible to allow the cars to reach high speeds and to give spectators the best view of the cars on track. The inaugural Daytona 500 was scheduled for February 22, 1959, and the race was to become the most prestigious stock car race in the county. The track was intended to not only be a showcase for stock cars, but was designed to host Championship Cars, sports cars, motorcycles, and closed-course speed record runs.
During track construction over the summer of 1958, Duane Carter, then-competition director of USAC, began negotiations with Bill France about hosting a Championship Car race at Daytona.[6] A 250-mile[6] or 300-mile[3] race on July 4 was the focus of the discussions. On November 17, 1958, USAC announced that a 100-mile Championship Car race would be held on the high banked 21⁄2 mile Daytona International Speedway oval on Saturday April 4, 1959. It would serve as the season opener for the 1959 season.[7] The race would be paired with a 1000-kilometer sports car race to be held on the combined road course.[8][9] USAC decided to first hold a shorter 100-mile race at Daytona to allow teams to acclimate themselves to the new facility, and to serve as a tune-up for a bigger race tentatively scheduled for July 4.[9][10] A second 100-mile race for Formula Libre machines was also added to the weekend.[11] The field for the Formula Libre race would be open to unlimited engine displacements. Officials hoped the Formula Libre race would attract the Champ Cars, specially modified Champ Cars, and selected sports cars.
Track evaluation
USAC officials visited the Daytona International Speedway while it was still under construction.[10] The officials were impressed by the facility, and expected very high speeds.[12] Immediately, comparisons were being made to the Race of Two Worlds which was held at Monza in 1957 and 1958. The one-lap record in a Championship Car was set on the Monza oval by Tony Bettenhausen at a speed of 177.045 mph. Speeds at Daytona were expected to rival those seen at Monza.[10] The qualifying track record at the Indianapolis 500 was held by Dick Rathmann (145.974 mph) from 1958, meaning speeds at Daytona were predicted to be over 30 mph faster than Indy.
Henry Banks was named the new competition director at USAC for 1959.[12] Banks toured Daytona with Tom Binford and others, inspecting the safety features and named Harlan Fengler as the chief steward for the race.[12]
Death of Marshall Teague
Upon completion of the Daytona International Speedway, Bill France wanted some USAC Championship Car teams to conduct exhibition speed runs during Speedweeks as a way to promote the new facility.[13] USAC declined to conduct a full-field exhibition,[12] but permitted teams the option to participate in a series of unofficial "familiarization runs" during Speedweeks.[14] Car owner Chapman S. Root of nearby Ormond Beach was the first to express interest in participating.[9][15] Three other teams were expected to test as well.[16]
Root arrived at the track with the Sumar Streamliner, a modified Indy roadster with streamlined body and a canopy top.[17] The driver was to be Marshall Teague, a former NASCAR and AAA/USAC Stock Car driver turned Champ Car driver.[18] On Monday February 9, Teague made his first practice laps, turning a total of nine laps.[19] His best lap was 171.821 mph. It was the fastest single lap ever run on a closed circuit in the United States.[20][21]
On Tuesday February 10, the crew changed the gearing in the transmission,[22] and dropped the car's ride height to lower its center of gravity and prepared to make another speed run.[23] Teague ran about 10 to 15 laps in the 170 mph range, before being called in by the crew due to gusty winds. His fastest lap had been 170.06 mph, slightly below his mark set the day before. In addition, tire technicians observed something wrong with the left rear tire, and wanted him to return to the pits immediately.[24] The crew discovered a cut tire, presumably from running over a piece of debris, and a protruding innertube, and called off practice for the day.[25]
On Wednesday February 11, Marshall Teague returned to the track in the Sumar Streamliner to make another speed record attempt. Shortly after 12:00 p.m., Teague completed three laps around the track, and was gradually working his car up to speed. After laps timed at 128.42 mph, and 160.25 mph, Teague entered turns one and two on his fifth lap. The rear end of the car drifted out, and the nose of the car dipped and dug down into the pavement. The car started flipping wildly down the track, gouging chunks of asphalt, and littering debris. The plastic canopy top was broken off, and the seat was thrown from the car with Teague still buckled in the harness. Teague was killed instantly of a fractured skull.[26][27][28] Less than two weeks after the track opened, Teague became the first driver to be killed in a crash at Daytona.
Testing
Despite the fatal crash of Marshall Teague, USAC officials decided it was not necessary to call off the April Championship Car races.[29] The test session resumed on Thursday February 12. Two cars were at the track being prepared, but neither took any laps on Thursday. Car owner Art Lathrope had a Smokey Yunick-prepared Kuzma/Offenhauser roadster with driver Jim Rathmann. The other car was a Nisonger/Chevrolet sports car owned by Bill Sadler, with driver Bob Said. USAC did not permit Said to drive on Thursday, pending a safety inspection.[30]
On Friday February 13, Jim Rathmann took to the track, turning a lap of 170.06 mph. Rathmann compared the track to Monza, where he had been victorious in the Race of Two Worlds. Champ Car testing was put on hold for a week, in order to allow NASCAR exclusive use of the track for the next several days. Rathmann planned to return for one last attempt at a record.[31] Meanwhile, Lee Petty would go on to win the Inaugural Daytona 500.
The final day of Champ Car testing was held on Thursday February 19. Brothers Jim and Dick Rathmann were on hand, planning to take turns in the Kuzma//Offenhauser. Both were aiming at Marshall Teague's track record from the previous week, and likewise hoping to set a closed-course speed record.[32] Both drivers took hot laps, but neither were fast enough to eclipse Teague's lap time, hampered largely due to strong, gusty winds. Car owner Art Lathrope, in fact, instructed his drivers not to go all out, not wanting anyone to risk getting injured. He was confident that when they returned in March, with more preparation, speeds would be up another 10 mph. Dick Rathmann was the fastest of the day at 170.65 mph, and Jim Rathmann had a best lap of 166.11 mph.[33]
In early March, two-time National Champion Tony Bettenhausen headlined the list of entries received for the race. As many as thirty entries were expected.[34]
Race schedule
Practice and qualifying was scheduled for the ten days leading up to the race. Pole qualifying for the Champ Car race was scheduled for Saturday March 28. The second day of qualifying was scheduled for Sunday March 29, with a third day scheduled for mid-week. Practice and qualifying for the sports car endurance race would be held in the latter parts of the week.
Saturday would feature a doubleheader of 100-mile (40-lap) races. The Championship Car race was scheduled for 2:00 p.m., and the Formula Libre race was scheduled afterwards at 3:30 p.m. The sports car endurance race was scheduled for 1000 kilometers (164 laps) around the 3.81-mile combined road course.[35] The endurance race would start Sunday at 12:30 p.m., and was expected to race well into the evening.
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WNDB covered the Championship Car and Formula Libre races live on radio with anchor Ted Webbe. Hal Hambrick and Val Meloy served as booth analysts, with Ben Taylor the roving reporter covering the pit area and victory lane. The broadcast was picked up by numerous radio stations in the eastern United States.[36]
Practice and qualifying
Practice began on Wednesday March 25. Pole qualifying was scheduled for Saturday March 28. Qualifiers on the second day of qualifying would line up behind the first day qualifiers, and so on, mimicking the format used at Indianapolis. Each qualifying attempt consisted of one warm-up lap, and two timed laps, with the best single lap recorded as the car's qualifying speed.
After testing and practice, participants generally praised the course. However, there was an underlying concern around the paddock about the incredible speeds. Cars were routinely turning laps at an average speed of more than 30 mph faster than laps turned at Indianapolis. Another point of concern was the abrupt transition from the steep 31° banking in the turns to the nearly flat apron. Drivers were worried that a spinning car may come down the banking and hit the apron, resulting in a serious crash.[37]
Wednesday March 25
Practice and testing for the Championship Cars began on Wednesday March 25. A total of 27 cars were officially entered and many were already arriving in the garage area. In order to allow drivers to familiarize themselves to the course, USAC chief steward Harlan Fengler imposed a 150 mph speed limit for each driver during their first ten laps. The next ten laps could be run at 160 mph. The speed limit was put in place as a safety precaution.
Elmer George was one of the drivers who took laps in Wednesday, turning a fast lap of 155.17 mph. Jim Rathmann took to the track in a specially-modified Kurtis-Kraft roadster prepared by Ray Nichels. The car had a 370 in³ Pontiac V8 engine. The test run was arranged by Firestone in order to test high speed tires. Rathmann clocked a fast lap of 172.80 mph, setting a new unofficial track record, eclipsing the lap turned in by Marshall Teague back in February.[38]
Thursday March 26
Dick Rathmann completed a practice lap at 170.26 mph in the Sumar Special owned by Chapman Root. Jim Rathmann took laps in the Simoniz Special owned by Lindsey Hopkins. Elmer George (167.22 mph) also was out on the track.[39]
Friday March 27
High winds kept the speeds down until late in the afternoon. Dick Rathmann turned the fastest lap at 173.01 mph, the fastest lap of the week thus far. Coming into the pits, Rathmann spun around three times, but did not make any contact. A total of five cars took the track, the others included Rodger Ward, Eddie Sachs, Don Branson, and Bill Cheesbourg.[40][41]
Saturday March 28
The first day of qualifying was held on Saturday March 28. A total of eight cars completed qualifying attempts, with Dick Rathmann (173.210 mph) winning the pole position with a new track record. His brother Jim Rathmann (172.018 mph) qualified second and would sit alongside on the front row.[42] Of the eight cars, six were roadsters, while two (Branson and Sachs) were converted dirt cars.
Three other cars took to the track for practice, but did not attempt to qualify. The only reported incident of the day involved Tony Bettenhausen. During a practice run, a radiator hose blew, enveloping the car in steam.[43]
At the beginning of qualifying, the entry list was finalized at 26 Champ Cars (one car was withdrawn). No additional cars were entered for the Formula Libre race, therefore the same qualifying results and starting lineup for the Champ Car race would be used for the Formula Libre race.[42] Carroll Shelby had intended to enter a 4.5-liter Maserati sports car in the Formula Libre race, but after a lack of adequate practice time, he decided to race in the endurance race on Sunday only.[44]
| Start | No | Name | Car | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41 | Dick Rathmann | Kurtis/Offenhauser | 173.210 |
| 2 | 16 | Jim Rathmann | Watson/Offenhauser | 172.018 |
| 3 | 5 | Rodger Ward | Watson/Offenhauser | 171.038 |
| 4 | 24 | Dempsey Wilson | Kurtis/Offenhauser | 170.068 |
| 5 | 21 | Elmer George | Kuzma//Offenhauser | 169.300 |
| 6 | 65 | Bob Christie | Kurtis/Offenhauser | 168.539 |
| 7 | 9 | Don Branson | Phillips/Offenhauser | 165.017 |
| 8 | 44 | Eddie Sachs | Kuzma//Offenhauser | 163.755 |
Sunday March 29
The second day of qualifying was scheduled for Sunday March 29, which was Easter Sunday. Rain prompted officials to cancel qualifying for the day, but the track dried sufficiently in the afternoon to allow for practice runs. Going down the backstretch, Bob Veith lost control from what he believed to be a wind gust. The car spun and skidded for about 300 yards, then hit and ran up the outside guardrail. The car flipped over, slid 200 yards upside-down, then spun to the grassy infield where it righted itself. Veith suffered shoulder abrasions, and head lacerations, and his helmet was worn from where it scraped along the asphalt pavement. Though not critically injured, Veith would spend the night in the hospital, and his wrecked car was withdrawn.[45] Veith credited the roll bar with saving his life, a new safety requirement introduced by USAC for 1959.[46] It was later determined that a mechanic neglected to remove the starter shaft from the nose of the car. The shaft went against the steering linkage, and made the car uncontrollable, resulting in the crash.[47]
Monday March 30
After losing track time on Sunday due to rain, officials announced that the second day of qualifying would be held on Monday March 30. Rain once again kept the track closed in the morning, but the track dried and was opened for qualifying by 2:00 p.m. Officials noticed the ideal conditions, and decided to take advantage of the cool temperatures and calm winds. A record-setting day saw five more cars added to the starting field. George Amick became the fastest qualifier in the field, with a new track record of 176.887 mph. As a second day qualifier, Amick would line up on the inside of the fifth row. Amick's lap was just short of breaking the all-time one lap record for a Championship Car (177 mph) set at Monza during time trials for the Race of Two Worlds.[48][49] In addition, Amick's Daytona International Speedway competition track record would stand until 1967.
| Start | No | Name | Car | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 2 | George Amick | Epperly/Offenhauser | 176.887 |
| 10 | 75 | Tony Bettenhausen | Kuzma//Offenhauser | 173.010 |
| 11 | 8 | Len Sutton | Lesovsky/Offenhauser | 170.068 |
| 12 | 25 | Bill Cheesbourg | Kurtis/Offenhauser | 166.852 |
| 13 | 4 | Jud Larson | Lesovsky/Offenhauser | 163.577 |
Tuesday March 31
Pat Flaherty took his first laps around the track on Tuesday March 31, driving for John Zink. Flaherty was quickly up to speed, turning in laps of over 160 mph. Pole position winner Dick Rathmann took his Sumar Special out for a practice ran, and turned a lap at almost 171 mph before deciding to come in. Rathmann had been instructed by chief mechanic Johnny Blouch to "take it easy."[37]
Tony Bettenhausen, who qualified the Racing Associates Special on Monday, announced that he did so with a "sick" engine. Smokey Yunick announced that the engine was being torn down and rebuilt in time for Saturday's race.[37]
Wednesday April 1
Rain washed out a significant amount of the track activity on Wednesday April 1. Some Championship Car drivers took practice laps, including Pat Flaherty, who ran at over 156 mph. Johnny Thomson's car was expected to arrive from the west coast, and he was expected to make a qualifying attempt on Thursday.[50]
All time trials for the sports car race were postponed until Thursday due to rain.[50]
Thursday April 2
The third day of qualifying was scheduled for Thursday April 2. Rain in the morning and most of the afternoon, however, washed out time trials for the Championship Cars. The remainder of qualifying was postponed until Friday. Late in the afternoon, the track dried sufficiently enough to allow a one-hour practice session for the sports car race.[51] A total of fifteen cars took to the track, led by Carroll Shelby. Dick Rathmann, driving a Pontiac-Maserati brushed the guardrail coming out of turns one & two. The car suffered only minor damage, and Rathmann was uninjured.[52]
Friday April 3
The final day of practice and time trials was scheduled for Friday April 3.[53] After several days of rain and windy conditions, the weather on Friday was ideal for track activity. A total of seven drivers qualified, filling the field to twenty cars, but the attention of the day focused on two crashes involving Jerry Unser and Al Keller, respectively.[54]
During a practice run, Jerry Unser lost control in turns three–four. At a speed of about 155 mph, the car hit a bump in the pavement, and the back end came around, sending the car down to the apron. The car hit the apron, got airborne briefly, then shot upwards across the track tail-first.[54][55] The car slid and hit the outside guardrail with the left side. The car came to rest in the infield grass losing the hood in the process. Unser was taken to the hospital with minor back injures. The car was badly damaged and withdrawn. Earlier in the day, Al Keller spun in the tri-oval segment of the track, near the start/finish line. After completing a lap at over 165 mph, Keller claims to have hit a rise in the pavement, and lost control. Observers say the car was running a very high line on the track. The car slid for 1,250 feet, and looped around at least four times in the infield grass, splashing puddles of water and mud.[55] The car remained upright, and Keller was not injured.[54]
The final round of time trials saw A. J. Foyt as the fastest qualifier of the day. Foyt ran two identical laps of 168.919 mph, which placed him in the inside of row seven. Pat Flaherty ran a purported first lap of over 172 mph, but the electric eye was not turned on properly. His second lap was cut short by a broken fuel line. Later in the day Flaherty made a second attempt, but with the engine running on only three cylinders, could only manage a lap of 145.773 mph. Only 19 cars completed attempts, with Jimmy Davies unable to go out due to mechanical problems. Officials announced that Davies would be permitted to start the race in the 20th starting position provided the crew was able to make repairs.[54]