1959 Indianapolis 500

Race result

Pos		Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time	Points
1	+5	Rodger Ward	Watson-Offenhauser	200	3hr 40m 49.200s	8
2	+1	Jim Rathmann	Watson-Offenhauser	200	+23.277s	6
3	-2	Johnny Thomson	Lesovsky-Offenhauser	200		5 FL
4	+11	Tony Bettenhausen	Epperly-Offenhauser	200		3
5	+11	Paul Goldsmith	Epperly-Offenhauser	200		2
6	+5	Johnny Boyd	Epperly-Offenhauser	200
7	+5	Duane Carter	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200
8		Eddie Johnson	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200
9	+18	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200
10	+7	AJ Foyt	Kuzma-Offenhauser	200
11	-2	Gene Hartley	Kuzma-Offenhauser	200
12	-5	Bob Veith	Moore-Offenhauser	200
13	+10	Al Herman	Dunn-Offenhauser	200
14	-1	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200
15	+6	Chuck Arnold	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200
16	+17	Jim McWithey	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	200
17	-15	Eddie Sachs	Kuzma-Offenhauser	182	DNF
18	+10	Al Keller	Kuzma-Offenhauser	163	DNF
19	-1	Pat Flaherty	Watson-Offenhauser	162	DNF
20	-16	Dick Rathmann	Watson-Offenhauser	150	DNF
21	+9	Bill Cheesbourg	Kuzma-Offenhauser	147	DNF
22	+3	Don Freeland	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	136	DNF
23	+9	Ray Crawford	Elder-Offenhauser	115	DNF
24	-14	Don Branson	Phillips-Offenhauser	112	DNF
25	-1	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	109	DNF
26	-21	Bobby Grim	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	85	DNF
27	-13	Jack Turner	Christensen-Offenhauser	47	DNF
28	+1	Chuck Weyant	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	45	DNF
29	-10	Jud Larson	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	45	DNF
30	+1	Mike Magill	Sutton-Offenhauser	45	DNF
31	-5	Red Amick	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	45	DNF
32	-10	Len Sutton	Lesovsky-Offenhauser	34	DNF
33	-13	Jimmy Bryan	Epperly-Offenhauser	1	DNF

Championship standings

How the championship standings stood post-1959 Indianapolis 500.

Driver

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Jack Brabham	9
2	Rodger Ward	8
3	Tony Brooks	6
=	Jim Rathmann	6
5	Johnny Thomson	5
6	Maurice Trintignant	4
7	Phil Hill	3
=	Tony Bettenhausen	3
9	Bruce McLaren	2
=	Paul Goldsmith	2

Constructor

Pos	Constructor	Points
1	Cooper-Climax	8
2	Ferrari	6

Statistics & milestones

Race debut

Red Amick, Chuck Arnold (only start), Don Branson, Bobby Grim, Jim McWithey

Christensen, Elder (only start), Sutton (only start)

Last start

Bill Cheesbourg, Ray Crawford, Jimmy Daywalt, Pat Flaherty, Al Keller, Jud Larson, Mike Magill, Paul Russo, Jack Turner, Chuck Weyant

Dunn, Moore

Wins

1st and only for Rodger Ward (22nd different winner, 9th American driver)

2nd for Watson (first since 1956)

Race 1-2

1st for Watson (7th different constructor to finish 1-2)

Podiums

3rd for Jim Rathmann (first for Watson), 1st for Rodger Ward (62nd different podium finisher, 26th American driver), 1st and only for Johnny Thomson (63rd different podium finisher, 27th American driver)

2nd & 3rd for Watson (first since 1956)

1st and only for Lesovsky (18th different podium finisher)

Poles

1st and only for Johnny Thomson (19th different polesitter, 10th American driver)

1st and only for Lesovsky (11th different polesitter)

Fastest laps

1st and only for Johnny Thomson (25th different fastest lap setter, 9th American driver)

1st and only for Lesovsky (11th different fastest lap setter)

Front row starts

2nd for Eddie Sachs (last for Kuzma), 2nd for Jim Rathmann (first for Watson), 1st and only for Johnny Thomson (45th different front row starter, 22nd American driver)

Points finishes

4th and last for Tony Bettenhausen, 1st for Rodger Ward & Paul Goldsmith (99th & 100th different point scorers, 35th & 36th American drivers)

See also

• Indianapolis 500
• Indianapolis circuit
• 1959 World Championship season