What Happened On This Day May 30 In F1 History?

What happened on this day, May 30 in Formula 1 history? Find out interesting facts and stories about Formula 1 on this day.

Indianapolis 500 Highlights and Tragic Moments

The Indianapolis 500, first held in 1911, was included in the Formula One World Championship from 1950 to 1960. This event has seen numerous highlights and tragic incidents. Here are a few notable ones:

1911

The inaugural Indianapolis 500 was held on a Tuesday, May 30, 1911, and drew an international crowd. Forty-six cars entered, with 40 qualifying by recording a 75 mph lap. Ray Harroun won the race using a rear-view mirror instead of a riding mechanic. However, his victory was marred by controversy as Ralph Mulford, who finished second, protested that Harroun had completed one lap too few. The protest was rejected, but the debate lingered for years. Harroun retired after winning the $10,000 prize, never to race again. Unfortunately, the event also saw its first fatality when mechanic Sam Dickson died after Arthur Greiner’s car hit a wall.

1939

Defending champion Floyd Roberts died from head injuries after his car was clipped and crashed into a tree.

1950

The 1950 Indianapolis 500 was the 34th running of the race. It was significant as it was the first time the Indy 500 was included in the FIA Formula One World Championship. Johnnie Parsons won the race in an Offenhauser-powered Kurtis Kraft. Bill Holland took second place with Mauri Rose in third. The race was stopped after 138 laps (345 miles) due to rain, making it one of the shortest completed Indy 500s. As part of the 1950 Formula One season, this race awarded World Championship points, though most Formula One teams did not participate.

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	138	2:46:55.970	9
2	3	Bill Holland	Deidt Offenhauser	137	+1 lap	6
3	31	Mauri Rose	Deidt Offenhauser	137	+1 lap	4
4	54	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	137	+1 lap	3
5	17	Joie Chitwood	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	1
5	17	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	136	+2 laps	1
6	8	Lee Wallard	Moore Offenhauser	136	+2 laps	0
7	98	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	135	+3 laps	0
8	5	George Connor	Lesovsky Offenhauser	135	+3 laps	0
9	7	Paul Russo	Nichels Offenhauser	135	+3 laps	0
10	59	Pat Flaherty	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	135	+3 laps	0
11	2	Myron Fohr	Marchese Offenhauser	133	+5 laps	0
12	18	Duane Carter	Stevens Offenhauser	133	+5 laps	0
13	15	Mack Hellings	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	132	+6 laps	0
14	49	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	131	DNF	0
15	55	Troy Ruttman	Lesovsky Offenhauser	130	+8 laps	0
16	75	Gene Hartley	Langley Offenhauser	128	+10 laps	0
17	22	Jimmy Davies	Ewing Offenhauser	128	+10 laps	0
18	62	Johnny McDowell	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	128	+10 laps	0
19	4	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	127	+11 laps	0
20	21	Spider Webb	Maserati Offenhauser	126	+12 laps	0
21	81	Jerry Hoyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	125	+13 laps	0
22	27	Walt Ader	Rae Offenhauser	123	+15 laps	0
23	77	Jackie Holmes	Olson Offenhauser	123	DNF	0
24	76	Jim Rathmann	Wetteroth Offerhauser	122	+16 laps	0
25	12	Henry Banks	Maserati Offenhauser		SHC	0
25	12	Fred Agabashian	Maserati Offenhauser	112	DNF	0
26	67	Bill Schindler	Snowberger Offenhauser	111	DNF	0
27	24	Bayliss Levrett	Adams Offenhauser		SHC	0
27	24	Bill Cantrell	Adams Offenhauser	108	DNF	0
28	28	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	64	DNF	0
29	61	Jimmy Jackson	Kurtis Kraft Cummins	52	DNF	0
30	23	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	42	DNF	0
31	14	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt Offenhauser	30	DNF	0
32	45	Dick Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	25	DNF	0
33	69	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	10	DNF	0

1951

The 1951 Indianapolis 500 was the second round of the eight-race World Championship season. However, as it took place just three days after the Swiss Grand Prix, it failed to attract any regular Grand Prix competitors, participation was logistically impractical.

Lee Wallard emerged as the race winner, earning 9 points towards the World Championship—8 for victory and 1 for setting the fastest lap. Despite not competing in any other World Championship rounds that season, he finished seventh in the final standings.

Mike Nazaruk secured second place, while third was shared between Jack McGrath, who led the first 100 laps, and Manny Ayulo, who took over for the second half of the race.

1951 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	99	Lee Wallard	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	3:57:38.050	9
2	83	Mike Nazaruk	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	+107.243s	6
3	9	Manny Ayulo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
3	9	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	2
4	57	Andy Linden	Sherman Offenhauser	200		3
5	52	Bobby Ball	Schroeder Offenhauser	200		2
6	1	Henry Banks	Moore Offenhauser	200		0
7	68	Carl Forberg	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	193	+7 laps	0
8	27	Duane Carter	Deidt Offenhauser	180	+20 laps	0
9	5	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt Offenhauser	178	DNF	0
10	18	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	151	DNF	0
11	69	Gene Force	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	142	DNF	0
12	25	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	135	DNF	0
13	10	Bill Schindler	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	129	DNF	0
14	16	Mauri Rose	Deidt Offenhauser	126	DNF	0
15	2	Walt Faulkner	Kuzma Offenhauser	123	DNF	0
16	76	Jimmy Davies	Pawl Offenhauser	110	DNF	0
17	59	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	109	DNF	0
18	73	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	100	DNF	0
19	71	Bill Mackey	Hall Offenhauser	97	DNF	0
20	8	Chuck Stevenson	Marchese Offenhauser	93	DNF	0
21	3	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	87	DNF	0
22	4	Cecil Green	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	80	DNF	0
23	98	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	78	DNF	0
24	6	Duke Dinsmore	Schroeder Offenhauser	73	DNF	0
25	32	Chet Miller	Kurtis Kraft Novi	56	DNF	0
26	44	Walt Brown	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	55	DNF	0
27	48	Rodger Ward	Bromme Offenhauser	34	DNF	0
28	23	Cliff Griffith	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	30	DNF	0
29	81	Bill Vukovich	Trevis Offenhauser	29	DNF	0
30	22	George Connor	Lesovsky Offenhauser	29	DNF	0
31	19	Mack Hellings	Deidt Offenhauser	18	DNF	0
32	12	Johnny McDowell	Maserati-Offenhauser	15	DNF	0
33	26	Joe James	Watson Offenhauser	8	DNF	0

1952

The 1952 Indianapolis 500 was the second round of the eight-race 1952 World Championship season. Unlike previous years, the race featured a notable entry from a European-based driver competing for the title—Alberto Ascari, driving for Ferrari. He became the first serious World Championship contender to attempt the Indy 500, opting to skip the Swiss Grand Prix to participate. However, his race ended early, and he finished 31st without scoring any points.

Despite this setback, Ascari went on to dominate the remainder of the season, winning all seven of the remaining races and securing the 1952 World Championship.

Troy Ruttman claimed victory at Indianapolis, earning 8 points toward the championship, which placed him seventh in the final standings. Jim Rathmann finished second, while Sam Hanks secured third place.

1952 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	98	Troy Ruttman	Kuzma Offenhauser	200	3:52:41.880	8
2	59	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	+242.329s	6
3	18	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		4
4	1	Duane Carter	Lesovsky Offenhauser	200		3
5	33	Art Cross	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
6	77	Jimmy Bryan	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
7	37	Jimmy Reece	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
8	54	George Connor	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
9	22	Cliff Griffith	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
10	5	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
11	4	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
12	29	Jim Rigsby	Watson Offenhauser	200		0
13	14	Joe James	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
14	7	Bill Schindler	Stevens Offenhauser	200		0
15	65	George Fonder	Sherman Offenhauser	197	+3 laps	0
16	81	Eddie Johnson	Trevis Offenhauser	193	+7 laps	0
17	26	Bill Vukovich	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	191	DNF	1
18	16	Chuck Stevenson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	187	+13 laps	0
19	2	Henry Banks	Lesovsky Offenhauser	184	+16 laps	0
20	8	Manny Ayulo	Lesovsky Offenhauser	184	+16 laps	0
21	31	Johnny McDowell	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	182	+18 laps	0
22	48	Spider Webb	Bromme Offenhauser	162	DNF	0
23	34	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	130	DNF	0
24	27	Tony Bettenhausen	Deidt Offenhauser	93	DNF	0
25	36	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	84	DNF	0
26	73	Bob Sweikert	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	77	DNF	0
27	28	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Cummins	71	DNF	0
28	67	Gene Hartley	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	65	DNF	0
29	93	Bob Scott	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	49	DNF	0
30	21	Chet Miller	Kurtis Kraft Novi	41	DNF	0
31	12	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	40	DNF	0
32	55	Bobby Ball	Stevens Offenhauser	34	DNF	0
33	9	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	20	DNF	0

1953

The 1953 Indianapolis 500 was the second round of the nine-race 1953 World Championship season. However, as in previous years, the event failed to attract any regular Grand Prix competitors.

Bill Vukovich dominated the race, securing victory and earning 9 points toward the World Championship—8 for the win and 1 for setting the fastest lap. Despite not participating in any other World Championship rounds, his victory was enough to place him seventh in the final season standings.

Art Cross finished second, while third place was shared between Sam Hanks and Duane Carter, with Carter taking over driving duties for the final 48 laps of the race.

Carl Scarborough, 39, collapsed from heat exhaustion after the Indy 500, highlighting the extreme conditions drivers face.

1953 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	14	Bill Vukovich	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	3:53:01.690	9
2	16	Art Cross	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	+210.872s	6
3	3	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	2
3	3	Duane Carter	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
4	59	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	1.5
4	59	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		1.5
5	5	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
6	48	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
7	2	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
7	2	Eddie Johnson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
8	12	Ernie McCoy	Stevens Offenhauser	200		0
9	98	Tony Bettenhausen	Kuzma Offenhauser		SHC	0
9	98	Chuck Stevenson	Kuzma Offenhauser		SHC	0
9	98	Gene Hartley	Kuzma Offenhauser	196	DNF	0
10	53	Jimmy Davies	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	193	+7 laps	0
11	9	Duke Nalon	Kurtis Kraft Novi	191	DNF	0
12	73	Carl Scarborough	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
12	73	Bob Scott	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	190	+10 laps	0
13	88	Manny Ayulo	Kuzma Offenhauser	184	DNF	0
14	8	Jimmy Bryan	Schroeder Offenhauser	183	+17 laps	0
15	49	Bill Holland	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
15	49	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	177	DNF	0
16	92	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	177	DNF	0
16	92	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
16	92	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
17	23	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
17	23	Johnny Mantz	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	176	+24 laps	0
18	22	Marshall Teague	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	169	DNF	0
19	62	Spider Webb	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
19	62	Johnny Thomson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
19	62	Jackie Holmes	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	166	DNF	0
20	51	Bob Sweikert	Kuzma Offenhauser	151	DNF	0
21	83	Mike Nazaruk	Turner Offenhauser	146	DNF	0
22	77	Pat Flaherty	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	115	DNF	0
23	55	Jerry Hoyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
23	55	Chuck Stevenson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
23	55	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	107	DNF	0
24	4	Duane Carter	Lesovsky Offenhauser	94	DNF	0
25	7	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	89	DNF	0
26	21	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	86	DNF	0
27	38	Don Freeland	Watson Offenhauser	76	DNF	0
28	41	Gene Hartley	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	53	DNF	0
29	97	Chuck Stevenson	Kuzma Offenhauser	42	DNF	0
30	99	Cal Niday	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	30	DNF	0
31	29	Bob Scott	Bromme Offenhauser	14	DNF	0
32	56	Johnny Thomson	Del Roy Offenhauser	6	DNF	0
33	32	Andy Linden	Stevens Offenhauser	3	DNF	0

1955

Bill Vukovich, a two-time Indy 500 winner, died at the 1955 Indianapolis 500 when his car became airborne and crashed after being hit. His death marked the first fatality in a FIA World Championship event. Bob Sweikert won the race ahead of Tony Bettenhausen and Paul Russo in second as a shared drive, with Jimmy Davies taking third place.

1955 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	6	Bob Sweikert	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	3:53:59.530	8
2	10	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	+163.560s	3
2	10	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	3
3	15	Jimmy Davies	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	OK	4
4	44	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma Offenhauser	200	OK	3
5	77	Walt Faulkner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	OK	1
5	77	Bill Homeier	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	1
6	19	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	OK	0
7	71	Al Herman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	OK	0
8	29	Pat O’Connor	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	OK	0
9	48	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	OK	0
10	89	Pat Flaherty	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	OK	0
11	98	Duane Carter	Kuzma Offenhauser	197	+3 laps	0
12	41	Chuck Weyant	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	196	+4 laps	0
13	83	Eddie Johnson	Trevis Offenhauser	196	+4 laps	0
14	33	Jim Rathmann	Epperly Offenhauser	191	+9 laps	0
15	12	Don Freeland	Phillips Offenhauser	178	DNF	0
16	22	Cal Niday	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	170	DNF	0
17	99	Art Cross	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	168	DNF	0
18	81	Shorty Templeman	Trevis Offenhauser	142	DNF	0
19	8	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	134	DNF	0
20	31	Keith Andrews	Schroeder Offenhauser	120	DNF	0
21	16	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	119	DNF	0
22	37	Eddie Russo	Pawl Offenhauser	112	DNF	0
23	49	Ray Crawford	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	111	DNF	0
24	1	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma Offenhauser	90	DNF	0
25	4	Bill Vukovich	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	56	DNF	1
26	3	Jack McGrath	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	54	DNF	0
27	42	Al Keller	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	54	DNF	0
28	27	Rodger Ward	Kuzma Offenhauser	53	DNF	0
29	39	Johnny Boyd	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	53	DNF	0
30	68	Ed Elisian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	53	DNF	0
31	23	Jerry Hoyt	Stevens Offenhauser	40	DNF	0
32	14	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	39	DNF	0
33	5	Jimmy Reece	Pankratz Offenhauser	10	DNF	0

1956

The 1956 Indianapolis 500 served as the third round of the eight-race World Championship season. However, the event failed to attract participation from the regular Grand Prix competitors. Former World Champion Giuseppe Farina attempted to enter but struggled to bring his car up to speed and was ultimately unable to make a qualifying attempt.

Pat Flaherty claimed victory in the race, earning eight points towards the World Championship. Despite not competing in any other rounds that season, he finished fifth in the final standings—the highest-ever championship placement for an Indianapolis 500 winner during the race’s 11-year tenure on the World Championship calendar. Sam Hanks finished second, with Don Freeland securing third place.

1956 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	8	Pat Flaherty	Watson Offenhauser	200	3:53:28.840	8
2	4	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200	+20.450s	6
3	16	Don Freeland	Phillips Offenhauser	200		4
4	98	Johnnie Parsons	Kuzma Offenhauser	200		3
5	73	Dick Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
6	1	Bob Sweikert	Kuzma Offenhauser	200		0
7	14	Bob Veith	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
8	19	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
9	26	Jimmy Reece	Lesovsky Offenhauser	200		0
10	27	Cliff Griffith	Stevens Offenhauser	199	+1 lap	0
11	82	Gene Hartley	Kuzma Offenhauser	196	+4 laps	0
12	42	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	196	+4 laps	0
13	57	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	196	+4 laps	0
14	55	Al Keller	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	195	+5 laps	0
15	81	Eddie Johnson	Kuzma Offenhauser	195	+5 laps	0
16	41	Billy Garrett	Kuzma Offenhauser	194	+6 laps	0
17	64	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	191	+9 laps	0
18	7	Pat O’Connor	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	187	+13 laps	0
19	2	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma Offenhauser	185	+15 laps	0
20	24	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	175	DNF	0
21	34	Johnnie Tolan	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	173	DNF	0
22	99	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	160	DNF	0
23	10	Ed Elisian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser		SHC	0
23	10	Eddie Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	160	DNF	0
24	48	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	134	DNF	0
25	54	Jack Turner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	131	DNF	0
26	89	Keith Andrews	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	94	DNF	0
27	5	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	90	DNF	0
28	12	Al Herman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	74	DNF	0
29	49	Ray Crawford	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	49	DNF	0
30	15	Johnny Boyd	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	35	DNF	0
31	53	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	22	DNF	0
32	88	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma Offenhauser	22	DNF	0
33	29	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Novi	21	DNF	1

1957

For the second year in a row, former World Champion Giuseppe Farina entered, but again struggled to get his car up to speed. He eventually withdrew after his teammate Keith Andrews was killed in a crash testing the car. Race winner Sam Hanks earned 8 points towards the World Championship. Despite not competing in any of the other World Championship events, Hanks finished eighth in the final season standings. Jim Rathmann secured second while Jimmy Bryan took third place.

1957 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	9	Sam Hanks	Epperly Offenhauser	200	3:41:14.250	8
2	26	Jim Rathmann	Epperly Offenhauser	200	+21.461s	7
3	1	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma Offenhauser	200		4
4	54	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Novi	200		3
5	73	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		2
6	6	Johnny Boyd	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
7	48	Marshall Teague	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
8	12	Pat O’Connor	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
9	7	Bob Veith	Phillips Offenhauser	200		0
10	22	Gene Hartley	Lesovsky Offenhauser	200		0
11	19	Jack Turner	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
12	10	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma Offenhauser	199	+1 lap	0
13	95	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	197	+3 laps	0
14	82	Chuck Weyant	Kuzma Offenhauser	196	+4 laps	0
15	27	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft Novi	195	+5 laps	0
16	18	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	195	+5 laps	0
17	3	Don Freeland	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	192	+8 laps	0
18	5	Jimmy Reece	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	182	DNF	0
19	92	Don Edmunds	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	170	DNF	0
20	28	Johnnie Tolan	Kuzma Offenhauser	138	DNF	0
21	89	Al Herman	Dunn Offenhauser	111	DNF	0
22	14	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	107	DNF	0
23	88	Eddie Sachs	Kuzma Offenhauser	105	DNF	0
24	77	Mike Magill	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	101	DNF	0
25	43	Eddie Johnson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	93	DNF	0
26	31	Bill Cheesbourg	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	81	DNF	0
27	16	Al Keller	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	75	DNF	0
28	57	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	53	DNF	0
29	83	Ed Elisian	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	51	DNF	0
30	8	Rodger Ward	Lesovsky Offenhauser	27	DNF	0
31	52	Troy Ruttman	Watson Offenhauser	13	DNF	0
32	55	Eddie Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	0	DNF	0
33	23	Elmer George	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	0	DNF	0

1958

A 15-car pile-up on the opening lap of the Indy 500 resulted in Pat O’Connor’s death. His car flew 50 feet through the air and burst into flames. Although he died from a broken neck, the incident led to safety changes at the track. Ed Elisian, who tried to save Vukovich three years earlier, was blamed for the crash and ostracised. He died in a crash the following year.

1958 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Jimmy Bryan	Epperly Offenhauser	200	3:44:13.800	8
2	99	George Amick	Epperly Offenhauser	200	+27.629s	6
3	9	Johnny Boyd	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		4
4	33	Tony Bettenhausen	Epperly Offenhauser	200		4
5	2	Jim Rathmann	Epperly Offenhauser	200		2
6	16	Jimmy Reece	Watson Offenhauser	200		0
7	26	Don Freeland	Phillips Offenhauser	200		0
8	44	Jud Larson	Watson Offenhauser	200		0
9	61	Eddie Johnson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
10	54	Bill Cheesbourg	Kurtis Kraft Novi	200		0
11	52	Al Keller	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
12	45	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
13	19	Johnnie Tolan	Kuzma Offenhauser	200		0
14	65	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	189	DNF	0
15	59	Dempsey Wilson	Kuzma Offenhauser	151	DNF	0
16	29	Anthony Joseph Foyt	Kuzma Offenhauser	148	DNF	0
17	77	Mike Magill	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	136	DSQ	0
18	15	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Novi	122	DNF	0
19	83	Shorty Templeman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	116	DNF	0
20	8	Rodger Ward	Lesovsky Offenhauser	93	DNF	0
21	43	Billy Garrett	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	80	DNF	0
22	88	Eddie Sachs	Kuzma Offenhauser	68	DNF	0
23	7	Johnny Thomson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	52	DNF	0
24	89	Chuck Weyant	Dunn Offenhauser	38	DNF	0
25	25	Jack Turner	Lesovsky Offenhauser	21	DNF	0
26	14	Bob Veith	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	1	DNF	0
27	97	Dick Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	0	DNF	0
28	5	Ed Elisian	Watson Offenhauser	0	DNF	0
29	4	Pat O’Connor	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	0	DNF	0
30	31	Paul Goldsmith	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	0	DNF	0
31	92	Jerry Unser	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	0	DNF	0
32	68	Len Sutton	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	0	DNF	0
33	57	Art Bisch	Kuzma Offenhauser	0	DNF	0

1959

The 1959 Indianapolis 500 served as the second round of the nine-race 1959 World Championship. However, the event failed to draw interest from regular Grand Prix drivers, largely due to its scheduling just one day before the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix. Rodger Ward emerged victorious, earning eight points toward the World Championship. He also competed in the U.S. Grand Prix at Sebring and ultimately finished tenth in the season standings. Jim Rathmann secured second place, while Johnny Thomson claimed third.

1959 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	5	Rodger Ward	Watson Offenhauser	200	3:40:49.200	8
2	16	Jim Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	200	+23.277s	6
3	3	Johnny Thomson	Lesovsky Offenhauser	200		5
4	1	Tony Bettenhausen	Epperly Offenhauser	200		3
5	99	Paul Goldsmith	Epperly Offenhauser	200		2
6	33	Johnny Boyd	Epperly Offenhauser	200		0
7	37	Duane Carter	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
8	19	Eddie Johnson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
9	45	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
10	10	Anthony Joseph Foyt	Kuzma Offenhauser	200		0
11	88	Gene Hartley	Kuzma Offenhauser	200		0
12	74	Bob Veith	Moore Offenhauser	200		0
13	89	Al Herman	Dunn Offenhauser	200		0
14	66	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
15	71	Chuck Arnold	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
16	58	Jim McWithey	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
17	44	Eddie Sachs	Kuzma Offenhauser	182	DNF	0
18	57	Al Keller	Kuzma Offenhauser	163	DNF	0
19	64	Pat Flaherty	Watson Offenhauser	162	DNF	0
20	73	Dick Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	150	DNF	0
21	53	Bill Cheesbourg	Kuzma Offenhauser	147	DNF	0
22	15	Don Freeland	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	136	DNF	0
23	49	Ray Crawford	Elder Offenhauser	115	DNF	0
24	9	Don Branson	Phillips Offenhauser	112	DNF	0
25	65	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	109	DNF	0
26	48	Bobby Grim	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	85	DNF	0
27	24	Jack Turner	Christensen Offenhauser	47	DNF	0
28	47	Chuck Weyant	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	45	DNF	0
29	7	Jud Larson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	45	DNF	0
30	77	Mike Magill	Sutton Offenhauser	45	DNF	0
31	87	Red Amick	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	45	DNF	0
32	8	Len Sutton	Lesovsky Offenhauser	34	DNF	0
33	6	Jimmy Bryan	Epperly Offenhauser	1	DNF	0

1960

The final year the Indy 500 counted towards the F1 championship featured an all-American entry, highlighting the initiative’s failure to attract European drivers. Held the day after the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix, the race saw Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward locked in a fierce battle, with Rathmann winning due to better tyre management. This race had the most recorded lead changes in Indy 500 history at the time, with 29.

1960 Indianapolis 500 Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	4	Jim Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	200	3:36:11.360	8
2	1	Rodger Ward	Watson Offenhauser	200	+12.749s	6
3	99	Paul Goldsmith	Epperly Offenhauser	200		4
4	7	Don Branson	Phillips Offenhauser	200		3
5	3	Johnny Thomson	Lesovsky Offenhauser	200		2
6	22	Eddie Johnson	Trevis Offenhauser	200		1
7	98	Lloyd Ruby	Watson Offenhauser	200		0
8	44	Bob Veith	Meskowski Offenhauser	200		0
9	18	Bud Tingelstad	Trevis Offenhauser	200		0
10	38	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	200		0
11	27	Red Amick	Epperly Offenhauser	200		0
12	17	Duane Carter	Kuzma Offenhauser	200		0
13	39	Bill Homeier	Kuzma Offenhauser	200		0
14	48	Gene Hartley	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	196	+4 laps	0
15	65	Chuck Stevenson	Watson Offenhauser	196	+4 laps	0
16	14	Bobby Grim	Meskowski Offenhauser	194	+6 laps	0
17	26	Shorty Templeman	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	191	+9 laps	0
18	56	Jim Hurtubise	Christensen Offenhauser	185	DNF	0
19	10	Jimmy Bryan	Epperly Offenhauser	152	DNF	0
20	28	Troy Ruttman	Watson Offenhauser	134	DNF	0
21	6	Eddie Sachs	Ewing Offenhauser	132	DNF	0
22	73	Don Freeland	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	129	DNF	0
23	2	Tony Bettenhausen	Watson Offenhauser	125	DNF	0
24	32	Wayne Weiler	Epperly Offenhauser	103	DNF	0
25	5	Anthony Joseph Foyt	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	90	DNF	0
26	46	Eddie Russo	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	84	DNF	0
27	8	Johnny Boyd	Epperly Offenhauser	77	DNF	0
28	37	Gene Force	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	74	DNF	0
29	16	Jim McWithey	Epperly Offenhauser	60	DNF	0
30	9	Len Sutton	Watson Offenhauser	47	DNF	0
31	97	Dick Rathmann	Watson Offenhauser	42	DNF	0
32	76	Al Herman	Ewing Offenhauser	34	DNF	0
33	23	Dempsey Wilson	Kurtis Kraft Offenhauser	11	DNF	0

1964

Eddie Sachs and rookie Dave MacDonald died in a seven-car crash on the second lap of the Indy 500. Sachs’ flame-proof suit could not save him from fatal injuries, and MacDonald succumbed to inhaling burning fuel. This incident prompted the switch from petrol to methanol fuel.

1965

At the 1965 Monaco Grand Prix BRM driver Graham Hill, at 36, won his third race in Monte Carlo, closely followed by Lorenzo Bandini, who finished second for the Ferrari team, and Hill’s teammate Jackie Stewart came in third. Defending champion John Surtees, whose Ferrari ran out of fuel at the end was on course for a second place finish.

The race saw various absences, with Jim Clark, Dan Gurney, and Mike Spence of Team Lotus not competing in the Grand Prix, as the team opted to race in the 1965 Indy 500 instead, which took place the following day and was won by Clark. New Zealand driver and future World Champion Denny Hulme made his Formula One World Championship debut in this Grand Prix, finishing eighth.

Paul Hawkins made headlines by driving into the harbour, becoming only the second person to do so. He safely swam to shore after his Lotus crashed through the barriers. The first time was Alberto Ascari during the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix.

1965 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	3	Graham Hill	BRM	100	2:37:39.600	9
2	17	Lorenzo Bandini	Ferrari	100	+64.000s	6
3	4	Jackie Stewart	BRM	100	+101.900s	4
4	18	John Surtees	Ferrari	99	DNF	3
5	7	Bruce McLaren	Cooper Climax	98	+2 laps	2
6	14	Jo Siffert	Brabham BRM	98	+2 laps	1
7	12	Jo Bonnier	Brabham Climax	97	+3 laps	0
8	2	Denny Hulme	Brabham Climax	92	+8 laps	0
9	9	Bob Anderson	Brabham Climax	85	+15 laps	0
10	10	Paul Hawkins	Lotus Climax	79	DNF	0
NC	1	Jack Brabham	Brabham Climax	43	DNF	0
NC	15	Richard Attwood	Lotus BRM	43	DNF	0
NC	19	Ronnie Bucknum	Honda	33	DNF	0
NC	11	Frank Gardner	Brabham BRM	29	DNF	0
NC	16	Mike Hailwood	Lotus BRM	11	DNF	0
NC	20	Richie Ginther	Honda	1	DNF	0

1976

Niki Lauda dominated the 1976 Monaco Grand Prix in his Ferrari, extending his lead in the 1976 Drivers’ Championship with his fourth win in six races. The race began with yellow flags to prevent crashes at the opening corner. Jody Scheckter driving the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34, whilst Scheckter’s teammate, Patrick Depailler, completed the podium in third.

1976 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Niki Lauda	Ferrari	78	1:59:51.470	9
2	3	Jody Scheckter	Tyrrell Ford	78	+11.130s	6
3	4	Patrick Depailler	Tyrrell Ford	78	+64.840s	4
4	34	Hans-Joachim Stuck	March Ford	77	+1 lap	3
5	12	Jochen Mass	McLaren Ford	77	+1 lap	2
6	30	Emerson Fittipaldi	Fittipaldi Ford	77	+1 lap	1
7	16	Tom Pryce	Shadow Ford	77	+1 lap	0
8	17	Jean-Pierre Jarier	Shadow Ford	76	+2 laps	0
9	8	Carlos Pace	Brabham Alfa Romeo	76	+2 laps	0
10	28	John Watson	Penske Ford	76	+2 laps	0
11	21	Michel Leclere	Wolf-Williams	76	+2 laps	0
12	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier Matra	75	DNF	0
13	22	Chris Amon	Ensign Ford	74	+4 laps	0
14	2	Clay Regazzoni	Ferrari	73	DNF	0
NC	6	Gunnar Nilsson	Lotus Ford	39	DNF	0
NC	10	Ronnie Peterson	March Ford	26	DNF	0
NC	11	James Hunt	McLaren Ford	24	DNF	0
NC	9	Vittorio Brambilla	March Ford	9	DNF	0
NC	19	Alan Jones	Surtees Ford	1	DNF	0
NC	7	Carlos Reutemann	Brabham Alfa Romeo	0	DNF	0

1999

Mika Häkkinen won the 1999 Spanish Grand Prix, his second in a row, helping him close the gap on Michael Schumacher for the drivers’ title. McLaren secured a 1-2 finish despite David Coulthard overshooting his pit crew. Jacques Villeneuve‘s day ended in frustration after overtaking the Ferraris at the start, only to retire due to a pit stop mishap and gearbox failure. Schumacher finished third for Ferrari.

1999 Spanish Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	1	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren Mercedes	65	1:34:13.665	10
2	2	David Coulthard	McLaren Mercedes	65	+6.238s	6
3	3	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	65	+10.845s	4
4	4	Eddie Irvine	Ferrari	65	+30.182s	3
5	6	Ralf Schumacher	Williams Supertec	65	+87.208s	2
6	19	Jarno Trulli	Prost Peugeot	64	+1 lap	1
7	7	Damon Hill	Jordan Mugen Honda	64	+1 lap	0
8	23	Mika Salo	BAR Supertec	64	+1 lap	0
9	9	Giancarlo Fisichella	Benetton Playlife	64	+1 lap	0
10	10	Alexander Wurz	Benetton Playlife	64	+1 lap	0
11	14	Pedro de la Rosa	Arrows	63	+2 laps	0
12	15	Toranosuke Takagi	Arrows	62	+3 laps	0
NC	20	Luca Badoer	Minardi Ford	50	DNF	0
NC	22	Jacques Villeneuve	BAR Supertec	40	DNF	0
NC	12	Pedro Diniz	Sauber Petronas	40	DNF	0
NC	17	Johnny Herbert	Stewart Ford	40	DNF	0
NC	8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Jordan Mugen Honda	35	DNF	0
NC	11	Jean Alesi	Sauber Petronas	27	DNF	0
NC	5	Alessandro Zanardi	Williams Supertec	24	DNF	0
NC	18	Olivier Panis	Prost Peugeot	24	DNF	0
NC	21	Marc Gene	Minardi Ford	0	DNF	0

2010

The Red Bull of Mark Webber secured pole for the 2010 Turkish Grand Prix; however, on lap 40, Webber and teammate Sebastian Vettel collided while battling for the lead. Vettel retired, and Webber dropped to third after an emergency pit stop. The incident allowed McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button to inherit the top two positions.

In the closing stages, Button briefly overtook Hamilton on lap 48, but Hamilton regained the lead on the following lap. Hamilton maintained his position to claim his first victory of the season, with Button finishing second and Webber securing third.

2010 Turkish Grand Prix Race Results

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/retired	Pts
1	2	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren Mercedes	58	1:28:47.620	25
2	1	Jenson Button	McLaren Mercedes	58	+2.645s	18
3	6	Mark Webber	RBR Renault	58	+24.285s	15
4	3	Michael Schumacher	Mercedes	58	+31.110s	12
5	4	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes	58	+32.266s	10
6	11	Robert Kubica	Renault	58	+32.824s	8
7	7	Felipe Massa	Ferrari	58	+36.635s	6
8	8	Fernando Alonso	Ferrari	58	+46.544s	4
9	14	Adrian Sutil	Force India Mercedes	58	+49.029s	2
10	23	Kamui Kobayashi	Sauber Ferrari	58	+65.650s	1
11	22	Pedro de la Rosa	Sauber Ferrari	58	+65.944s	0
12	17	Jaime Alguersuari	STR Ferrari	58	+67.800s	0
13	15	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Force India Mercedes	57	+1 lap	0
14	9	Rubens Barrichello	Williams Cosworth	57	+1 lap	0
15	12	Vitaly Petrov	Renault	57	+1 lap	0
16	16	Sebastien Buemi	STR Ferrari	57	+1 lap	0
17	10	Nico Hulkenberg	Williams Cosworth	57	+1 lap	0
18	24	Timo Glock	Virgin Cosworth	55	+3 laps	0
19	25	Lucas di Grassi	Virgin Cosworth	55	+3 laps	0
20	20	Karun Chandhok	HRT Cosworth	52	DNF	0
NC	21	Bruno Senna	HRT Cosworth	46	DNF	0
NC	5	Sebastian Vettel	RBR Renault	39	DNF	0
NC	19	Heikki Kovalainen	Lotus Cosworth	33	DNF	0
NC	18	Jarno Trulli	Lotus Cosworth	32	DNF	0

F1 Driver Birthdays 30 May

Birthday	F1 Driver
30 May 1926	Chuck Arnold (d. 1997)
30 May 1939	Dieter Quester
30 May 1964	Andrea Montermini
30 May 1981	Gianmaria Bruni
30 May 1999	Zhou Guanyu

F1 Driver Deaths 30 May

Death	F1 Driver
30 May 1953	Carl Scarborough (b. 1914)
30 May 1955	Bill Vukovich (b. 1918)
30 May 1957	Piero Carini (b. 1921)
30 May 1958	Pat O’Connor (b. 1928)
30 May 1964	Eddie Sachs (b. 1927)

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Ben is a staff writer specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.