Jim Rathmann (racing driver)
Royal Richard "Jim" Rathmann (July 16, 1928 – November 23, 2011), was an American racing driver who competed primarily in Championship Cars. Rathmann is best known for winning the Indianapolis 500 in 1960, emerging victorious after a race-long duel with Rodger Ward - as recently as 2023, a panel of fans and historians voted Rathmann's victory as the greatest '500' of all time. In Europe he is well-known for winning the 1958 Race of Two Worlds.
| Jim Rathmann | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | Royal Richard Rathmann July 16, 1928 Alhambra, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | November 23, 2011 (aged 83) Melbourne, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Championship titles | |||||||
| Major victories Race of Two Worlds (1958) Indianapolis 500 (1960) | |||||||
| 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 | ||||||
Rathmann and his older brother swapped names while teenagers. As a 16-year-old going by the name of Dick Rathmann, he wanted to start racing. To enter races, he borrowed his older brother's I.D. and assumed the identity of "Jim Rathmann." The name change stuck for life in public circles.
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