Jim Rathmann (racing driver) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Rathmann |
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| Born | Royal Richard Rathmann July 16, 1928 Alhambra, California, U.S. |
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| Died | November 23, 2011 (aged 83) Melbourne, Florida, U.S. |
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| Championship titles | |||||||
| Major victories Race of Two Worlds (1958) Indianapolis 500 (1960) |
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| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 38 races run over 14 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (1957) | ||||||
| First race | 1949 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 1963 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| First win | 1957 Milwaukee 200 (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| Last win | 1960 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 3 races run over 3 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 89th (1950) | ||||||
| First race | 1949 Race 4 (Langhorne) | ||||||
| Last race | 1951 Motor City 250 (Detroit) | ||||||
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| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Active years | 1950, 1952 – 1960 | ||||||
| Teams | Wetteroth, Kurtis Kraft, Moore, Epperly, Watson | ||||||
| Entries | 10 | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 1 | ||||||
| Podiums | 4 | ||||||
| Career points | 29 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 2 | ||||||
| First entry | 1950 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| First win | 1960 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last win | 1960 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last entry | 1960 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
Jim Rathmann (born July 16, 1928, died November 23, 2011) was a famous American race car driver. He is most famous for winning the Indianapolis 500 race in 1960. Many people even think his win was the best Indy 500 race ever! He also won the Race of Two Worlds in Italy in 1958.
When Jim was a teenager, he wanted to start racing. He was only 16 years old. To enter races, he used his older brother's ID. His brother's name was Dick Rathmann. So, Jim started racing under the name "Jim Rathmann." This name stuck with him for the rest of his life.
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Racing Career
Driving Championship Cars
Jim Rathmann raced in the top American open-wheel series. These were called Championship Cars. He raced from 1949 to 1963. He started in 38 races, including the Indianapolis 500 every year.
Besides his big win at the Indy 500, he won two other races. One of these was the USAC Daytona 100. Jim also raced twice in the Race of Two Worlds in Monza, Italy. He won this special race in 1958.
Winning the 1960 Indianapolis 500
In the 1960 Indianapolis 500, Jim Rathmann started near the very front. He stayed in the lead for almost the whole race. For a long time, he was in a close battle with another driver, Rodger Ward. They kept swapping the lead back and forth!
As the race went on, tires started to wear out. Jim was able to keep his tires in good shape. This helped him beat Ward to the finish line. This race had the most lead changes in Indy 500 history. Many people still call it the greatest Indy 500 race ever.
Racing Stock Cars
Jim Rathmann also raced in three NASCAR races. He raced one time each year from 1949 to 1951. His first NASCAR race was in 1949 at Langhorne Speedway. He had to stop early because of car problems.
In 1950, he raced at the famous Daytona Beach Road Course. He started 17th and finished 12th. His last NASCAR race was in 1951 in Detroit. He started 9th but again had to stop early due to mechanical issues.
Racing in Formula One
The Indianapolis 500 race was part of the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 to 1960. This meant that drivers who raced at Indy during those years also got points for the Formula One championship.
Jim Rathmann raced in ten World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He won one of these races. He also finished in the top three four times. He even had the fastest lap twice. He earned 29 points in total for the World Drivers' Championship. Jim earned the most points of any driver who only raced in the Indianapolis 500 for the F1 championship.
After Racing
After he stopped racing, Jim Rathmann owned a car dealership. It sold Chevrolet and Cadillac cars in Melbourne, Florida. There, he became friends with famous astronauts like Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, and Gordon Cooper.
Jim helped set up a special program. This program gave each astronaut two new cars every year. Most astronauts chose a family car for their wives and a Corvette for themselves. Astronaut Alan Bean remembered seeing many Corvettes. They were parked outside the astronaut offices in Houston. He also remembered friendly races between Shepard and Grissom on the Florida beach roads.
After selling his car business, Jim Rathmann lived with his wife, Mary Kay. They lived in Indialantic, Florida.
Later Life and Death
For many years after his big win, Jim Rathmann visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every May. He even drove the pace car several times. However, he was too sick to attend the 100th anniversary celebration in 2011.
Jim Rathmann passed away on November 23, 2011. He had a seizure at his home a few days before. He died at a hospice center in Melbourne, Florida.
Awards and Honors
Jim Rathmann has been recognized for his amazing career. He was inducted into several halls of fame:
- Florida Sports Hall of Fame (1978)
- Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1993)
- Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2007)
Images for kids
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Rathmann's Watson-Offenhauser car, which he used to win the Race of Two Worlds in Monza, Italy.
