# Don Branson

Donald L. Branson (June 2, 1920 – November 12, 1966) was an American racecar driver.

## Career

Born in Rantoul, Illinois, Branson drove in the USAC Championship Car series and also in sprint cars, racing champ cars in the 1956–1966 seasons with 128 starts, including the 1959–1966 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 85 times, with 7 victories.
Branson was also the 1959 and 1964 USAC Sprint Car Series Champion.
He was killed in 1966 in a crash at a sprint car race at Ascot Park in Gardena, California, which also claimed the life of fellow driver Dick Atkins. The fatal wreck occurred with only a few races left in the season for the USAC series.

## Awards

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994 and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2012.

## Complete USAC Championship Car results

| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Pos | Points |
| 1956 | INDY | MIL | LAN | DAR | ATL | SPR 11 | MIL 26 | DUQ 10 | SYR 15 | ISF DNQ | SAC | PHX | | | | | | | 31st | 50 |
| 1957 | INDY | LAN 9 | MIL 21 | DET 10 | ATL 8 | SPR 11 | MIL DNQ | DUQ 9 | SYR DNS | ISF 5 | TRE 19 | SAC | PHX | | | | | | 19th | 280 |
| 1958 | TRE | INDY | MIL DNQ | LAN 4 | ATL 5 | SPR 7 | MIL 12 | DUQ 3 | SYR 6 | ISF 4 | TRE 6 | SAC 12 | PHX 7 | | | | | | 9th | 790 |
| 1959 | DAY 11 | TRE 13 | INDY 24 | MIL 9 | LAN 9 | SPR 2 | MIL | DUQ 2 | SYR 2 | ISF 17 | TRE 5 | SAC 5 | PHX 15 | | | | | | 7th | 780 |
| 1960 | TRE 22 | INDY 4 | MIL 22 | LAN 15 | SPR 7 | MIL 19 | DUQ 8 | SYR 12 | ISF 4 | TRE 4 | SAC 3 | PHX 4 | | | | | | | 3rd | 1.220 |
| 1961 | TRE 16 | INDY 33 | MIL 6 | LAN 14 | MIL 24 | SPR 15 | DUQ 6 | SYR 17 | ISF 8 | TRE 4 | SAC 7 | PHX 3 | | | | | | | 12th | 530 |
| 1962 | TRE 4 | INDY 12 | MIL 17 | LAN 4 | TRE 2 | SPR 3 | MIL 25 | LAN 1 | SYR 7 | ISF 2 | TRE 1 | SAC 2 | PHX 8 | | | | | | 4th | 1,700 |
| 1963 | TRE 17 | INDY 5 | MIL 17 | LAN DNS | TRE 12 | SPR 3 | MIL 10 | DUQ 5 | ISF 2 | TRE 5 | SAC 6 | PHX 7 | | | | | | | 5th | 1,352 |
| 1964 | PHX 4 | TRE | INDY 12 | MIL 15 | LAN 2 | TRE 3 | SPR 3 | MIL 13 | DUQ 3 | ISF 3 | TRE 2 | SAC 3 | PHX 3 | | | | | | 4th | 1,700 |
| 1965 | PHX 1 | TRE 13 | INDY 8 | MIL 20 | LAN 15 | PIP | TRE 4 | IRP 6 | ATL 8 | LAN 6 | MIL 6 | SPR 6 | MIL 25 | DUQ 1 | ISF 13 | TRE 15 | SAC 1 | PHX 5 | 4th | 1,875 |
| 1966 | PHX 16 | TRE 10 | INDY 23 | MIL 15 | LAN 4 | ATL 6 | PIP | IRP 9 | LAN 5 | SPR 1 | MIL 23 | DUQ 6 | ISF 4 | TRE 23 | SAC 4 | PHX | | | 7th | 1.135 |

## Indianapolis 500 results

| Year | Car | Start | Qual | Rank | Finish | Laps | Led | Retired |
| 1959 | 9 | 10 | 143.312 | 12 | 24 | 112 | 0 | Torsion bar |
| 1960 | 7 | 8 | 144.753 | 11 | 4 | 200 | 0 | Running |
| 1961 | 3 | 2 | 146.843 | 3 | 33 | 2 | 0 | Bent Valves |
| 1962 | 14 | 11 | 147.312 | 11 | 12 | 200 | 0 | Running |
| 1963 | 4 | 3 | 150.188 | 4 | 5 | 200 | 0 | Running |
| 1964 | 5 | 9 | 152.672 | 12 | 12 | 187 | 0 | Clutch |
| 1965 | 4 | 18 | 155.501 | 16 | 8 | 197 | 0 | Flagged |
| 1966 | 4 | 9 | 160.385 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 0 | Crash FS |
| Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | 1098 | 0 | |
| Starts | 8 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Front Row | 2 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Top 5 | 2 |
| Top 10 | 3 |
| Retired | 4 |

## Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | WDC | Points |
| 1959 | Bob Estes | Phillips | Offenhauser L4 | MON | 500 24 | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | POR | ITA | USA | | NC | 0 |
| 1960 | Bob Estes | Phillips | Offenhauser L4 | ARG | MON | 500 4 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | POR | ITA | USA | 21st | 3 |