1955 AAA Championship Car season

The 1955 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 11 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 6. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The AAA National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Bob Sweikert. Manny Ayulo was killed at Indianapolis while practicing for the 1955 Indianapolis 500,[1][2] and Bill Vukovich, the two-time defending winner, was killed in the race itself.[3] Jack McGrath, the two-time champion (1952, 1953), was killed in the final race at Phoenix on lap 85.[4] This was the last year of the AAA National Championship;[5] USAC sanctioned the series starting the next year.[6]

1955 AAA Championship Car season
AAA National Championship Trail
Season
Races11
Start dateMay 30
End dateNovember 6
Awards
National championUnited States Bob Sweikert
Indianapolis 500 winnerUnited States Bob Sweikert
← 1954
1956 (USAC) →

Schedule and results

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Rnd Date Race Name Track Location Type Pole Position Winning Driver
1 May 30   International 500 Mile SweepstakesA Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana Paved   Jerry Hoyt   Bob Sweikert
2 June 5   Rex Mays Classic Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Paved   Bob Sweikert   Johnny Thomson
3 June 19   Langhorne 100 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Dirt   Don Freeland   Jimmy Bryan
NC July 31   Indianapolis Sweepstakes Williams Grove Speedway Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Dirt   Ed Elisian   Jimmy Bryan
4 August 20   Springfield 100 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt   Andy Linden   Jimmy Bryan
5 August 28   Milwaukee 250 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Paved   Ed Elisian   Pat Flaherty
6 September 5   Ted Horn Memorial 100 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt   Eddie Russo   Jimmy Bryan
7 September 5   Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill   Shelby HillB   Bob Finney
8 September 10   Syracuse 100 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse, New York Dirt   Bob Sweikert   Bob Sweikert
9 September 17   Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt   Bob Sweikert   Jimmy Bryan
10 October 16   Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt   Bob Sweikert   Jimmy Bryan
11 November 6   Bobby Ball Memorial Arizona State Fairgrounds Phoenix, Arizona Dirt   Jimmy Reece   Jimmy Bryan
  Paved/Dirt Oval
  Road Course/Hill Climb
  Non-championship race
^A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1955 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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Note: The points became the car, when not only one driver led the car, the relieved driver became small part of the points. Points for driver method: (the points for the finish place) / (number the lap when completed the car) * (number the lap when completed the driver)

Pos Driver INDY
 
MIL1
 
LAN
 
SPR
 
MIL2
 
DQSF
 
PIK
 
SYR
 
ISF
 
SAC
 
PHX
 
Pts
1   Bob Sweikert 1 2 2 2 3 4 1 17 3 18 2290
2   Jimmy Bryan 24 4 1 1 23 1 2 1 1 1 1480
3   Johnny Thomson 4 1 15 5 2 2 2 1380
4   Tony Bettenhausen 2 DNQ DNQ 2 DNQ Wth 4 9 1060
5   Andy Linden 6 6 DNQ 3 7 6 DNS 9 4 4 1047.8
6   Jimmy Davies 3 5 DNQ 9 13 14 8 DNQ DNQ DNQ 890
7   Pat O'Connor 8 18 5 DNQ 26 9 4 5 5 5 800
8   Pat Flaherty 10 3 1 DNQ 790
9   George Amick  RY  7 18 4 20 3 3 3 12 3 750
10   Walt Faulkner 5 21 16 DNQ DNS DNS 447.5
11   Al Herman  R  7 10 8 DNQ 22 380
12   Bob Veith  R  DNQ 8 5 6 13 8 355
13   Johnny Boyd 29 DNQ 5 8 16 DNQ 8 350
14   Don Freeland 15 12 3 12 18 13 6 6 16 315.2
15   Art Cross 17 4 300
16   Paul Russo DNS 300
17   Rodger Ward 28 DNQ 9 DNQ 24 DNQ 9 14 6 252.2
18   Jack McGrath 26 8 10 21 2 17 15 18 13 240
19   Jimmy Daywalt 9 14 18 13 11 DNQ DNS 226.4
20   Mike Magill  R  13 4 7 10 18 16 210
21   Bob Finney 1 200
22   Tony Bonadies  R  DNQ DNQ DNQ 6 DNQ 200
23   Jimmy Reece 33 9 14 8 14 DNQ 10 8 16 12 180
24   Eddie Russo 22 DNQ 7 13 10 12 DNQ 11 165
25   Slim Roberts 2 160
26   Ed Elisian 30 DNQ 6 18 25 DNQ DNQ 7 11 160
27   Louis J. Unser  R  3 140
28   Jerry Unser  R  4 DNQ DNQ DNQ 120
29   Duane Carter 11 DNQ 10 14 DNQ 112.9
30   Johnny Tolan Wth DNQ DNQ 11 19 DNQ DNQ DNQ 10 7 110
31   Jiggs Peters DNQ 16 DNQ 5 DNS DNS DNQ 100
32   Bobby Unser  R  5 100
33   Tommy Hinnershitz 11 6 DNQ DNS 100
34   Johnny Kay  R  DNQ DNQ 16 DNQ 7 10 90
35   Keith Andrews 20 6 15 DNQ 80
36   Edgar Elder DNQ 12 DNQ 7 12 DNQ 13 15 80
37   Elmer George  R  DNQ 7 DNQ 60
38   Charles Louderman 7 60
39   Johnnie Parsons 21 9 DNQ DNQ 53.2
40   Bill Homeier DNS DNQ DNQ 17 DNS DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 52.5
41   Pete Woods 8 50
42   Shorty Templeman 18 11 DNQ DNQ 17 15 DNQ DNQ 10 50
43   Gene Hartley DNQ 19 DNQ DNQ 11 DNQ DNQ 50
44   Chuck Weyant 12 DNP DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 50
45   Eddie Sachs DNS DNQ DNQ 46.8
46   Mel McGaughy  R  9 DNQ 40
47   Paul Kleinschmidt 9 40
48   Jack Turner  R  DNQ 13 DNQ DNS DNQ DNQ DNQ 11 33.4
49   George Hammond 10 30
50   Buddy Cagle  R  11 DNQ DNQ 14 20
51   Louis Unser 11 20
52   Len Duncan DNQ DNQ DNS 17.1
53   Eddie Johnson 13 15 DNQ 16 14 12 10
54   Charles Musselman  R  12 DNQ 10
55   E. T. Cox  R  12 10
-   Foster Campbell  R  13 DNQ DNQ 0
-   Earl Motter  R  DNQ 15 18 14 DNQ 0
-   Jim Rathmann 14 20 0
-   Art Hillis 14 0
-   Al Keller 27 15 17 0
-   Rex Easton 17 DNQ 15 DNQ DNQ 0
-   Shelby Hill 15 0
-   Jerry Hoyt 31 22 16 0
-   Cal Niday 16 0
-   Jimmy Good 16 0
-   Len Sutton  R  17 17 0
-   Bob Carroll 17 DNQ DNQ 0
-   Ted Foltz 17 0
-   Wayne Sankey 18 0
-   Sam Hanks 19 DNQ 0
-   Jack Hahn  R  19 0
-   Dan Morgan  R  20 0
-   Ray Crawford 23 DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
-   Bill Vukovich 25 0
-   Fred Agabashian 32 0
-   Potsy Goacher DNS DNQ 0
-   Joe Sostilio DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
-   Russ Klar DNQ DNQ DNQ 0
-   Ernie McCoy DNQ DNQ 0
-   Leroy Warriner DNQ DNQ 0
-   George Tichenor DNQ DNP 0
-   Manny Ayulo DNQ 0
-   Bob Christie DNQ 0
-   Danny Kladis DNQ 0
-   George Lynch DNQ 0
-   Troy Ruttman DNQ 0
-   Spider Webb DNQ 0
-   Howard Kelley DNQ 0
-   Colby Scroggin DNQ 0
-   Malcolm Brazier DNQ 0
-   Joe Garson DNQ 0
-   L. J. Green DNQ 0
-   Berton Groves DNQ 0
-   Gordon Herring DNQ 0
-   Johnny Mauro DNQ 0
-   T. E. Russell DNQ 0
-   Phil Shafer DNQ 0
-   Tom Topping DNQ 0
-   Chuck Fink DNQ 0
Pos Driver INDY
 
MIL1
 
LAN
 
SPR
 
MIL2
 
DQSF
 
PIK
 
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)
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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  1. ^ "Ayulo critically injured when car runs into wall". The Spartanburg Herald. Associated Press. May 17, 1955.
  2. ^ "Crash injuries fatal to Indianapolis racer". The Pittsburgh Press. United Press. May 17, 1955.
  3. ^ Burgess, Dale (May 31, 1955). "Bob Sweikert winner; Bill Vukovich is dead". The Florence Times. Associated Press.
  4. ^ "Veteran race driver dies". The Victoria Advocate. United Press. November 7, 1955.
  5. ^ "AAA cuts ties with U.S. auto racing". The Michigan Daily. Ann Arbor, Michigan. Associated Press. August 4, 1955.
  6. ^ "USAC takes over AAA's place". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. Associated Press. March 8, 1956.

General references

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See also

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