Rodger Ward facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rodger Ward |
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Ward, circa 1950
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| Born | Rodger Morris Ward January 10, 1921 Beloit, Kansas, U.S. |
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| Died | July 5, 2004 (aged 83) Anaheim, California, U.S. |
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| Championship titles | |||||||
| AAA Stock Car (1951) USAC Championship Car (1959, 1962) Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1959, 1962) |
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| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 150 races run over 17 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 1st (1959, 1962) | ||||||
| First race | 1950 Phoenix 100 (Phoenix) | ||||||
| Last race | 1966 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| First win | 1953 Springfield 100 (Springfield) | ||||||
| Last win | 1966 Trenton 150 (Trenton) | ||||||
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| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 3 races run over 2 years | |||||||
| First race | 1963 Daytona Qualifier #2 (Daytona) | ||||||
| Last race | 1964 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside) | ||||||
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| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Nationality |  American |
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| Active years | 1951 – 1960, 1963 | ||||||
| Teams | Bromme, Kurtis Kraft, Pawl, Kuzma, Lesovsky, Watson, Lotus | ||||||
| Entries | 12 | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 1 | ||||||
| Podiums | 2 | ||||||
| Career points | 14 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||
| First entry | 1951 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| First win | 1959 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last win | 1959 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last entry | 1963 United States Grand Prix | ||||||
Rodger Morris Ward (born January 10, 1921 – died July 5, 2004) was a famous American racing driver. He was known for his amazing career in open-wheel cars. Many people think he was one of the best drivers of his time. He won two big championships and the famous Indianapolis 500 race twice, in 1959 and 1962. He also won the AAA National Stock Car Championship in 1951.
Contents
Early Life and First Steps in Racing
Rodger Ward was born in Beloit, Kansas. His family later moved to California. His father owned a business that took apart old cars in Los Angeles. When Rodger was only 14, he built his own Ford hot rod car.
During World War II, he was a P-38 Lightning fighter pilot. He loved flying so much that he thought about becoming a pilot for his job. He was very good at flying large B-17 Flying Fortress planes and even became an instructor. After the war, he was stationed in Texas when a dirt track was built nearby. This is where his racing journey began.
Rodger Ward's Racing Career
Midget Car Racing
Rodger started racing small, fast cars called midget cars in 1946 after leaving the Army. At first, he didn't do very well. But he got much better in 1947. By 1948, he won the San Diego Grand Prix. In 1949, he raced an Offenhauser car and won several races.
In 1950, Rodger surprised everyone in midget car racing. He used a special Ford 60 "shaker" engine built by Vic Edelbrock to beat the powerful Offenhauser motors. This engine was one of the first to use nitromethane as fuel. Rodger and Edelbrock won races two nights in a row with this new engine.
On July 25, 1959, Rodger drove a midget car to win a special race at Lime Rock Park. He beat much bigger and more expensive sports cars. Before this, midget cars were usually only thought to be good for oval tracks. Later that year, he tried to race his midget car in a Formula One race, but it wasn't fast enough for those types of tracks. He had to stop racing in that event because of a problem with his car.
Stock Car Racing
Rodger also raced in the Stock Car divisions. He raced in over 66 events, winning seven of them. He finished in the top five almost 30 times. In 1951, he won the AAA National Stock Car title.
Championship Car Racing
Winning the AAA Stock Car championship gave Rodger a chance to try out for the 1951 Indianapolis 500. He passed the test and got to race! In his first few Indy 500 races, he had some bad luck with his car. But in 1956, he finished the whole race for the first time, coming in eighth place.
In 1959, Rodger joined the Leader Card Racers team. With owner Bob Wilke and mechanic A. J. Watson, they became known as the "3 W's." That year, Rodger won his first Indianapolis 500! He also won the USAC National Championship by winning races at Milwaukee, DuQuoin, and the Indy Fairgrounds.
In the 1960 Indianapolis 500, Rodger had an amazing battle with Jim Rathmann. They swapped the lead 14 times! Rodger had to slow down near the end because his tire was wearing out, and Rathmann won. It's still remembered as one of the most exciting finishes in Indy 500 history.
Rodger took the lead in the 1962 Indianapolis 500 on lap 126 and stayed in front for the rest of the race, winning his second Indy 500. He also won the season championship that year.
In 1964, a new type of car with the engine in the back (rear-engine) started to become popular. Rodger and his mechanic A.J. Watson built one of these new cars. However, they made a mistake with the fuel choice, which meant Rodger had to stop for fuel more often. Even though his car was fast, this mistake likely cost him the race.
A very sad accident happened during the 1964 Indianapolis 500, where two of his friends, Dave MacDonald and Eddie Sachs, were involved in a fiery crash. This event deeply affected Rodger Ward.
In 1965, Rodger had a tough time and didn't even qualify for the Indy 500. He later joined a new team. In 1966, he won a race at Trenton.
For his last Indianapolis 500 race in 1966, Rodger drove the same car but had to stop early due to handling problems. After the race, Rodger made a sad announcement. He said, "I always said I'd quit racing when it stopped being fun. Today it wasn't fun anymore." He had 26 wins in 150 races between 1950 and 1966. He finished in the top ten in more than half of his races!
Formula One World Championship
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.
Rodger raced in ten World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He also raced in the 1959 United States Grand Prix and the 1963 United States Grand Prix. During his time in the World Drivers' Championship, Rodger won one race and finished in the top three twice.
After Racing
After he stopped racing, Rodger Ward became a commentator for ABC's Wide World of Sports from 1965 to 1970, covering NASCAR and IndyCar races. From 1980 to 1985, he worked as a driver expert for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.
Rodger also helped design the Pocono Raceway in Pennsylvania. He designed the track to have a unique triangle shape, using ideas from three tracks he liked to race at: Trenton, Indianapolis, and Milwaukee. This track is still popular today.
Later in his life, he worked in public relations for the Ontario Motor Speedway and managed a hydroplane racing team. Rodger Ward passed away on July 5, 2004, at the age of 83.
Awards and Honors
Rodger Ward was honored by being inducted into several halls of fame:
- Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1981)
- International Motorsports Hall of Fame (1992)
- Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1995)
- National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1995)
- West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame (2003)
Images for kids
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Ward (24) battles George Constantine at Lime Rock Park
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Ward's winning car from the 1959 Indianapolis 500
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Ward's winning car from the 1962 Indianapolis 500
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The Lola-Offenhauser that Ward drove in his final Championship Car race, the 1966 Indianapolis 500
See also
In Spanish: Rodger Ward para niños
