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1958 United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars facts for kids

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Riverside International Raceway 1980 and 1967
Riverside International Raceway

The 1958 United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars was an exciting car race. It happened at the Riverside International Raceway on October 12, 1958. This race was a big deal for several reasons. It was the last race of the 1958 USAC Road Racing Championship season. It was also the second time the Riverside Grand Prix was held. Plus, it was the first time the United States Grand Prix happened after World War II.

The race covered 62 laps around Riverside's 3.3-mile (5.3 km) track. This added up to a total of 203.1 miles (326.8 km). Chuck Daigh won the race. He was driving a Scarab-Chevrolet car made by Lance Reventlow. Another important moment was when Dan Gurney, a local driver, finished second. His strong performance helped him get a test drive in a factory Ferrari Formula 1 car. This event really kicked off his amazing racing career.

The weather on race day was very hot. Even for a desert area, it was unusually warm. The temperature reached 95°F (35°C). Winds also blew at about 9.9 mph (15.9 km/h). This was a very hot day for October, even compared to temperatures decades later.

Race Cars and Classes

The race was open to different types of sports cars. These cars were grouped into classes from B Modified to G Modified. Even though they were called "modified," most cars in classes C through G were special racing cars built by factories. Many racers came because there was a large prize of $14,500. That was a lot of money back then!

Here are the different classes and the size of their engines:

  • B Modified: Engines from 5000 to 8000 cubic centimeters (cc).
  • C Modified: Engines from 3000 to 5000 cc.
  • D Modified: Engines from 2000 to 3000 cc.
  • E Modified: Engines from 1500 to 2000 cc.
  • F Modified: Engines from 1100 to 1500 cc.
  • G Modified: Engines from 750 to 1100 cc.

Qualifying Highlights

Before the main race, drivers did qualifying laps. This determined their starting position. The fastest driver in each class earned "pole position."

  • Chuck Daigh was the fastest overall. He drove a Scarab Mk II-Chevrolet and had a lap time of 2 minutes, 4.0 seconds. He started in pole position.
  • Phil Hill was the fastest in the C Modified class. He drove a Ferrari 412 S.
  • Roy Salvadori set the best time for the D Modified class in an Aston Martin DBR1.
  • Jean Behra was the quickest in the F Modified class with a Porsche 718 RSK.
  • Ken Miles led the E Modified class in a Porsche 550 RS Spyder.
  • Pete Lovely was the fastest in the G Modified class, driving a Lotus Eleven.

Many famous drivers took part in qualifying. These included Lance Reventlow, Dan Gurney, Carroll Shelby, and Bobby Unser.

Race Results

The main race was 62 laps long. Here are the top finishers and class winners:

  • 1st Place (Overall and B Modified Winner): Chuck Daigh from the USA, driving a Scarab Mk II with a Chevrolet engine. He completed 62 laps.
  • 2nd Place (C Modified Winner): Dan Gurney from the USA, driving a Ferrari 375 Plus. He also completed 62 laps. This result was very important for his career.
  • 3rd Place: Bill Krause from the USA, driving a Jaguar D-Type. He finished 62 laps.
  • 4th Place (F Modified Winner): Jean Behra from France, driving a Porsche 718 RSK. He completed 61 laps.
  • 5th Place (D Modified Winner): Richie Ginther from the USA, driving a Ferrari 250 TR. He also completed 61 laps.
  • 9th Place (E Modified Winner): Ken Miles from Great Britain, driving a Porsche 550 RS. He completed 60 laps.
  • 18th Place (G Modified Winner): Skip Conklin from the USA, driving a Lotus Eleven. He completed 55 laps.

The race lasted 2 hours, 17 minutes, and 15 seconds. The average speed was about 88.87 mph (143.02 km/h).

Other Races

Two smaller races were held on the same day:

  • A race for production cars was won by Skip Hudson in a Chevrolet Corvette.
  • A race for cars with engines smaller than 1400cc was won by Jock Ross in a Cooper-Climax.
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