1958 Indianapolis 500
| Indianapolis Motor Speedway | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis 500 | |||||
| Sanctioning body | USAC | ||||
| Date | May 30, 1958 | ||||
| Winner | Jimmy Bryan | ||||
| Winning team | George Salih | ||||
| Winning Chief Mechanic | George Salih & Howard Gilbert | ||||
| Time of race | 3:44:13.80 | ||||
| Average speed | 133.791 mph (215.316 km/h) | ||||
| Pole position | Dick Rathmann | ||||
| Pole speed | 145.974 mph (234.922 km/h) | ||||
| Most laps led | Jimmy Bryan (139) | ||||
| Pre-race ceremonies | |||||
| Pace car | Pontiac Bonneville | ||||
| Pace car driver | Sam Hanks | ||||
| Starter | Bill Vanderwater | ||||
| Honorary referee | Robert A. Stranahan, Jr. | ||||
| Estimated attendance | 175,000 | ||||
| Chronology | |||||
| |||||
The 42nd International 500-Mile Sweepstakes was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday, May 30, 1958. The event was part of the 1958 USAC National Championship Trail, and was also race 4 of 11 in the 1958 World Championship of Drivers.
The race is best known for a massive first-lap, 15-car pileup that resulted in the death of fan-favorite driver Pat O'Connor.
Jimmy Bryan was the race winner. This marked the first time that one car would carry two drivers to separate wins at the race, in back-to-back years, with Sam Hanks winning the previous year's race in the same car.
The race featured young rookie A. J. Foyt's debut at Indy. On lap 148, he spun in an oil slick, blew out the tires, and dropped out of the race.
Juan Manuel Fangio, the 46 year old five time Formula One Drivers' World Champion, had set pole and fastest lap in the first F1 race of the season, then was kidnapped in Cuba, and skipped the Monaco and Dutch Grands Prix he had already won in earlier years. He arrived at Indy under much fanfare as he attempted to qualify for the Indy 500 and score points towards the '58 World Championship. He practiced early in the month, but withdrew when he realised that neither the Kurtis Kraft #54 (with Novi engine) nor the #77 Offy-powered car gave him a chance to win. These cars were qualified by others for the last row only, proving Fangio's point. He soon retired from Formula One as his Maserati team was off pace compared to Ferrari and new British challengers.