Pat Flaherty (racing driver) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pat Flaherty |
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Image.jpg) |
|||||||
| Born | George Francis Flaherty January 6, 1926 Glendale, California, U.S. |
||||||
| Died | April 9, 2002 (aged 76) Oxnard, California, U.S. |
||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1956) |
|||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 18 races run over 9 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 2nd (1956) | ||||||
| First race | 1950 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| Last race | 1963 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| First win | 1955 Milwaukee 250 (Milwaukee) | ||||||
| Last win | 1956 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 1 race run over 1 year | |||||||
| First race | 1951 Motor City 250 (Detroit) | ||||||
|
|||||||
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Active years | 1950, 1953 – 1956, 1959 | ||||||
| Teams | Kurtis Kraft, Watson | ||||||
| Entries | 7 (5 starts) | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 1 | ||||||
| Podiums | 1 | ||||||
| Career points | 8 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 1 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||
| First entry | 1950 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| First win | 1956 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last win | 1956 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last entry | 1959 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
George Francis "Pat" Flaherty (born January 6, 1926 – died April 9, 2002) was an American race car driver. He is most famous for winning the exciting Indianapolis 500 race in 1956. Pat was a skilled driver who loved speed and competition. He was born in Glendale, California, and passed away in Oxnard, California.
Contents
Pat Flaherty's Racing Career
Championship Car Racing
Pat Flaherty competed in the top American race car series. These were run by the AAA and later the USAC. He raced in many seasons, including 1950, 1953–1956, 1958–1959, and 1963.
He started 19 races in total. This included the famous Indianapolis 500 five times. Pat finished in the top ten nine times. He won races in 1955 and 1956 at Milwaukee. His biggest win was the 1956 Indianapolis 500.
Formula One World Championship
From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 race was also part of the FIA World Drivers' Championship. This meant drivers at Indy could earn points for the Formula One title.
Pat Flaherty raced in five of these World Championship races at Indianapolis. He started from the very front, called "the pole," one time. He won one of these races, which was the 1956 Indianapolis 500. Overall, he earned eight World Drivers' Championship points.
Injury and Later Life
After his big win at the 1956 Indianapolis 500, Pat Flaherty had a serious crash. This happened less than three months later. The injury was so bad that he could not race in the 1957 Indianapolis 500.
After he stopped racing cars, Pat found a new hobby. He successfully raced pigeons for over twenty years! He also built a special portable go-kart track. He would travel with it and race against anyone who wanted to challenge him.
Awards and Honors
Pat Flaherty's achievements in racing have been recognized. He has been honored by being inducted into a special hall of fame:
- Auto Racing Hall of Fame (2006)
