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

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]

Schedule and results

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 Jerry Hoyt United States Bob Sweikert
2 June 5 United States Rex Mays Classic Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Paved United States Bob Sweikert United States Johnny Thomson
3 June 19 United States Langhorne 100 Langhorne Speedway Langhorne, Pennsylvania Dirt United States Don Freeland United States Jimmy Bryan
NC July 31 United States Indianapolis Sweepstakes Williams Grove Speedway Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Dirt United States Ed Elisian United States Jimmy Bryan
4 August 20 United States Springfield 100 Illinois State Fairgrounds Springfield, Illinois Dirt United States Andy Linden United States Jimmy Bryan
5 August 28 United States Milwaukee 250 Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway West Allis, Wisconsin Paved United States Ed Elisian United States Pat Flaherty
6 September 5 United States Ted Horn Memorial 100 DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Du Quoin, Illinois Dirt United States Eddie Russo United States Jimmy Bryan
7 September 5 United States Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak, Colorado Hill United States Shelby HillB United States Bob Finney
8 September 10 United States Syracuse 100 New York State Fairgrounds Syracuse, New York Dirt United States Bob Sweikert United States Bob Sweikert
9 September 17 United States Hoosier Hundred Indiana State Fairgrounds Indianapolis, Indiana Dirt United States Bob Sweikert United States Jimmy Bryan
10 October 16 United States Golden State 100 California State Fairgrounds Sacramento, California Dirt United States Bob Sweikert United States Jimmy Bryan
11 November 6 United States Bobby Ball Memorial Arizona State Fairgrounds Phoenix, Arizona Dirt United States Jimmy Reece United States 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

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

  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

See also

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