Dick Rathmann
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Birthplace: | Los Angeles | |
| Born: | January 6, 1924 | |
| Died: | February 1, 2000 | |
| Cause of Death: | ||
| Awards: | ||
| NASCAR Cup statistics | ||
| 128 races run over 5 years. | ||
| Best Cup Position: | 3rd - 1953 (Grand National) | |
| First Race: | 1951 Carrell Speedway race | |
| Last Race: | 1955 Langhorne Speedway race | |
| First Win: | 1952 Martinsville Speedway race | |
| Last Win: | 1954 Santa Fe Speedway race | |
| Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
| 13 | 79 | 13 |
Dick Rathmann (January 6, 1924 - February 1, 2000) was an American racecar driver.
Born James Rathmann in Los Angeles, California, he died in Melbourne, Florida.
He drove in the AAA Championship Car series in the 1949 and 1950 seasons with 4 starts, including the 1950 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten once, in 6th position at Milwaukee in 1950.
In 1951, he moved to NASCAR, where he was a very successful Grand National driver through 1955.
In 1956, he returned to the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1956-1964 seasons with an additional 41 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1956 and 1958-1964. He finished in the top ten 21 more times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1959 at Daytona.
As the Indy 500 was a Formula One race from 1950-1960, he is credited with participating in 5 grands prix with 2 championship points.
Dick was the elder brother of 1960 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Rathmann. Jim and Dick switched names in 1946 so that his younger brother could enter a race while underage. For what was supposed to be a short time, he adopted the name "Dick" and his brother adopted the name "Jim." The name change stuck for life.
[edit] Formula One Indy 500 results
| Season | Driver# | Team | Grid | Classification | Points | Note | Race Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 45 | Watson-Offenhauser | 18 | Ret | Retirement | Report | |
| 1956 | 73 | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 4 | 5 | 2 | Report | |
| 1958 | 97 | Watson-Offenhauser | 1 *POLE* | Ret | Accident | Report | |
| 1959 | 73 | Watson-Offenhauser | 4 | Ret | Fire | Report | |
| 1960 | 97 | Watson-Offenhauser | 4 | Ret | Brakes | Report |
