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Home / Seasons / 1956 F1 World Championship Season / 1956 Indianapolis 500

1956 Indianapolis 500

DateWednesday, 30 May 1956
Winner
  • USA flag lazyload Pat Flaherty
  • USA flag lazyload Watson-Offenhauser
Pole position
  • USA flag lazyload Pat Flaherty
  • USA flag lazyload Watson-Offenhauser
Fastest lap
  • USA flag lazyload Paul Russo
  • USA flag lazyload Kurtis Kraft-Novi
CircuitIndianapolis, 200 laps
Round3 of 8
Race numbers51st World Championship race
More 1956 season
More Indianapolis 500

Race result

PosDriverConstructorLapsTimePoints
1 USA flag lazyload Pat FlahertyWatson-Offenhauser2003hr 53m 28.840s8
2+11USA flag lazyload Sam HanksKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser200+20.450s6
3+23USA flag lazyload Don FreelandPhillips-Offenhauser200 4
4+2USA flag lazyload Johnnie ParsonsKuzma-Offenhauser200 3
5-1USA flag lazyload Dick RathmannKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser200 2
6+4USA flag lazyload Bob SweikertKuzma-Offenhauser200  
7+16USA flag lazyload Bob VeithKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser200  
8+7USA flag lazyload Rodger WardKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser200  
9+12USA flag lazyload Jimmy ReeceLesovsky-Offenhauser200  
10+20USA flag lazyload Cliff GriffithStevens-Offenhauser199+1 lap 
11+11USA flag lazyload Gene HartleyKuzma-Offenhauser196+4 laps 
12-5USA flag lazyload Fred AgabashianKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser196+4 laps 
13+12USA flag lazyload Bob ChristieKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser196+4 laps 
14+14USA flag lazyload Al KellerKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser195+5 laps 
15+17USA flag lazyload Eddie JohnsonKuzma-Offenhauser195+5 laps 
16+13USA flag lazyload Billy GarrettKuzma-Offenhauser194+6 laps 
17+16USA flag lazyload Duke DinsmoreKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser191+9 laps 
18-15USA flag lazyload Pat O’ConnorKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser187+13 laps 
19 USA flag lazyload Jimmy BryanKuzma-Offenhauser185+15 laps 
20-18USA flag lazyload Jim RathmannKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser175DNF 
21+10USA flag lazyload Johnnie TolanKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser173DNF 
22-17USA flag lazyload Tony BettenhausenKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser160DNF 
23-9
  • USA flag lazyload Ed Elisian
  • USA flag lazyload Eddie Russo
Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser160DNF 
24-8USA flag lazyload Jimmy DaywaltKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser134DNF 
25-1USA flag lazyload Jack TurnerKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser131DNF 
26-6USA flag lazyload Keith AndrewsKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser94DNF 
27-18USA flag lazyload Andy LindenKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser90DNF 
28-1USA flag lazyload Al HermanKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser74DNF 
29-12USA flag lazyload Ray CrawfordKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser49DNF 
30-18USA flag lazyload Johnny BoydKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser35DNF 
31-20USA flag lazyload Troy RuttmanKurtis Kraft-Offenhauser22DNF 
32-32USA flag lazyload Johnny ThomsonKuzma-Offenhauser22DNF 
33-25USA flag lazyload Paul RussoKurtis Kraft-Novi21DNF1 FL

Championship standings

How the championship standings stood post-1956 Indianapolis 500.

Driver

PosDriverPoints
1France flag lazyload Jean Behra10
2Argentina flag lazyload Juan Manuel Fangio9
3United Kingdom flag lazyload Stirling Moss8
=USA flag lazyload Pat Flaherty8
5USA flag lazyload Sam Hanks6
6Italy flag lazyload Luigi Musso4
7United Kingdom flag lazyload Mike Hawthorn4
=USA flag lazyload Don Freeland4
9United Kingdom flag lazyload Peter Collins3
10USA flag lazyload Johnnie Parsons3
11Belgium flag lazyload Olivier Gendebien2
=Brazil flag lazyload Hermano da Silva Ramos2
=USA flag lazyload Dick Rathmann2
14Italy flag lazyload Gerino Gerini1.5
=Brazil flag lazyload Chico Landi1.5
=Italy flag lazyload Eugenio Castellotti1.5
17USA flag lazyload Paul Russo1

Statistics & milestones

Race debut
Bob Christie, Billy Garrett, Johnnie Tolan, Jack Turner, Bob Veith
Last start
Keith Andrews, Duke Dinsmore, Cliff Griffith, Bob Sweikert
Stevens
Wins
1st and only for Pat Flaherty (16th different winner, 6th American driver)
1st for Watson (7th different winner; last until 1959)
Podiums
3rd for Sam Hanks (last for Kurtis Kraft), 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)
15th for Kurtis Kraft, 1st for Watson (12th different podium finisher, last until 1959)
1st and only for Phillips (13th different podium finisher)
Poles
1st and only for Pat Flaherty (13th different polesitter, 7th American driver)
1st for Watson (8th different polesitter)
Fastest laps
1st and only for Paul Russo (18th different fastest lap setter, 5th American driver)
7th and last for Kurtis Kraft
Front row starts
1st and only for Pat Flaherty (32nd different front row starter, 14th American driver), 1st for Jim Rathmann (only front row start for Kurtis Kraft) & Pat O’Connor (33rd & 34th different front row starters, 15th & 16th American drivers)
Points finishes
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
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

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