1956 Indianapolis 500

Fact File

Date:	Wednesday, 30 May 1956
Winner:	Pat Flaherty Watson-Offenhauser
Pole position:	Pat Flaherty Watson-Offenhauser
Fastest lap:	Paul Russo Kurtis Kraft-Novi
Circuit:	Indianapolis, 200 laps
Round:	3 of 8

Race Result

Pos		Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time	Points
1		Pat Flaherty	Watson-Offenhauser	200	3hr 53m 28.840s	8
2	+11	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200	+20.450s	6
3	+23	Don Freeland	Phillips-Offenhauser	200		4
4	+2	Johnnie Parsons	Kuzma-Offenhauser	200		3
5	-1	Dick Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200		2
6	+4	Bob Sweikert	Kuzma-Offenhauser	200
7	+16	Bob Veith	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200
8	+7	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200
9	+12	Jimmy Reece	Lesovsky-Offenhauser	200
10	+20	Cliff Griffith	Stevens-Offenhauser	199	+1 lap
11	+11	Gene Hartley	Kuzma-Offenhauser	196	+4 laps
12	-5	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	196	+4 laps
13	+12	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	196	+4 laps
14	+14	Al Keller	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	195	+5 laps
15	+17	Eddie Johnson	Kuzma-Offenhauser	195	+5 laps
16	+13	Billy Garrett	Kuzma-Offenhauser	194	+6 laps
17	+16	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	191	+9 laps
18	-15	Pat O’Connor	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	187	+13 laps
19		Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma-Offenhauser	185	+15 laps
20	-18	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	175	DNF
21	+10	Johnnie Tolan	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	173	DNF
22	-17	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	160	DNF
23	-9	Ed Elisian & Eddie Russo	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	160	DNF
24	-8	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	134	DNF
25	-1	Jack Turner	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	131	DNF
26	-6	Keith Andrews	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	94	DNF
27	-18	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	90	DNF
28	-1	Al Herman	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	74	DNF
29	-12	Ray Crawford	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	49	DNF
30	-18	Johnny Boyd	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	35	DNF
31	-20	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	22	DNF
32	-32	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma-Offenhauser	22	DNF
33	-25	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft-Novi	21	DNF	1 FL

Championship Standings

How the championship standings stood post-race.

Driver

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Jean Behra	10
2	Juan Manuel Fangio	9
3	Stirling Moss	8
=	Pat Flaherty	8
5	Sam Hanks	6
6	Luigi Musso	4
7	Mike Hawthorn	4
=	Don Freeland	4
9	Peter Collins	3
10	Johnnie Parsons	3
11	Olivier Gendebien	2
=	Hermano da Silva Ramos	2
=	Dick Rathmann	2
14	Gerino Gerini	1.5
=	Chico Landi	1.5
=	Eugenio Castellotti	1.5
17	Paul Russo	1

Statistics & Milestones

Race debut

Driver: Bob Christie, Billy Garrett, Johnnie Tolan, Jack Turner, Bob Veith

Last start

Driver: Keith Andrews, Duke Dinsmore, Cliff Griffith, Bob Sweikert

Constructor: Stevens

Wins

Driver: 1st and only for Pat Flaherty (16th different winner, 6th American driver)

Constructor: 1st for Watson (7th different winner)

Podiums

Driver: 3rd for Sam Hanks, 1st and only for Pat Flaherty (46th different podium finisher, 19th American driver), 1st and only for Don Freeland (47th different podium finisher, 20th American driver)

Constructor: 15th for Kurtis Kraft, 1st for Watson (12th different podium finisher), 1st and only for Phillips (13th different podium finisher)

Poles

Driver: 1st and only for Pat Flaherty (13th different polesitter, 7th American driver)

Constructor: 1st for Watson (8th different polesitter)

Fastest laps

Driver: 1st and only for Paul Russo (18th different fastest lap setter, 5th American driver)

Constructor: 7th and last for Kurtis Kraft

Front row starts

Driver: 1st and only for Pat Flaherty (32nd different front row starter, 14th American driver), 1st for Jim Rathmann & Pat O’Connor (33rd & 34th different front row starters, 15th & 16th American drivers)

Points finishes

Driver: 2nd and last for Johnnie Parsons, 1st and only for Pat Flaherty, Don Freeland & Dick Rathmann (77th-79th different point scorers, 27th-29th American drivers)

Pole & win

Driver: 1st and only for Pat Flaherty (7th different driver to win from pole, 2nd American driver)

See also

• Indianapolis 500
• Indianapolis Circuit
• 1956 World Championship season