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1956 USAC Championship Car season

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Sports season

1956 USAC Championship Car season
USAC National Championship Trail
Season
Races	12
Start date	May 30
End date	November 12
Awards
National champion	Jimmy Bryan
Indianapolis 500 winner	Pat Flaherty
← 1955 (AAA) 1957 →

The1956 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning inSpeedway, Indiana, on May 30 and concluding inPhoenix, Arizona, on November 12. There were also three non-championship events. TheUSAC National Champion wasJimmy Bryan and theIndianapolis 500 winner wasPat Flaherty. Pat was unable to race after the Springfield race as he was severely injured in a crash during the race which essentiallyended his full time racing career. This was the first year that the National Championship was sanctioned by the USAC,^[1] after the withdrawal of theAAA from all forms of racing after the 1955 season.^[2]

The defending series champion Bob Sweikert was killed on June 17th during aSprint Car race atSalem Speedway that was not part of the national championship.

Schedule and results

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

Paved/Dirt Oval

Road Course/Hill Climb

Non-championship race

^A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the1956 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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Further information:List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems

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

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^"USAC takes over AAA's place".Daytona Beach Morning Journal.Associated Press. March 8, 1956.
^"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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Åberg, Andreas."USAC National Championship 1956". Driver Database.Archived from the original on September 8, 2012. RetrievedMay 12, 2009.
"1956 USAC National Championship Trail". ChampCarStats.com.Archived from the original on October 10, 2008. RetrievedMay 12, 2009.
Harms, Phil."1956 Championship Driver Summary"(PDF).Motorsport.com. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on August 10, 2012. RetrievedApril 14, 2011.
http://media.indycar.com/pdf/2011/IICS_2011_Historical_Record_Book_INT6.pdf Archived 2016-03-04 at theWayback Machine (p. 282-283)

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 initalics 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