# 1957 USAC Championship Car season

The 1957 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11. There were also five non-championship events. The USAC National Champion was Jimmy Bryan and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Sam Hanks. Hanks would retire from IndyCar racing following his Indy victory but still raced USAC Stock Cars until the end of this year. Keith Andrews was killed in crash while practicing for the Indianapolis 500; he was 36 years old.

## Schedule and results

| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Type | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
| 1 | May 30 | International 500 Mile Sweepstakes | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Paved | Pat O'Connor | Sam Hanks |
| 2 | June 2 | Langhorne 100 | Langhorne Speedway | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | Dirt | Johnny Thomson | Johnny Thomson |
| 3 | June 9 | Rex Mays Classic | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Jimmy Bryan | Rodger Ward |
| 4 | June 23 | Detroit 100 | Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway | Detroit, Michigan | Dirt | George Amick | Jimmy Bryan |
| NC | June 29 | 500 Miglia di Monza | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | Monza, Italy | Paved | Heat 1: Tony Bettenhausen | Heat 1: Jimmy Bryan |
| Heat 2: Jimmy Bryan | June 29 | 500 Miglia di Monza | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | Monza, Italy | Paved | Heat 2: Jimmy Bryan |
| Heat 3: Jimmy Bryan | June 29 | 500 Miglia di Monza | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza | Monza, Italy | Paved | Heat 3: Troy Ruttman |
| 5 | July 4 | Atlanta 100 | Lakewood Speedway | Atlanta, Georgia | Dirt | Jimmy Bryan | George Amick |
| NC | July 4 | Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb | Pikes Peak Highway | Pikes Peak, Colorado | Hill | Bill McConnell | Bob Finney |
| NC | July 20 | Indianapolis Sweepstakes | Williams Grove Speedway | Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania | Dirt | Jud Larson | Jud Larson |
| 6 | August 17 | Springfield 100 | Illinois State Fairgrounds | Springfield, Illinois | Dirt | George Amick | Rodger Ward |
| 7 | August 25 | Milwaukee 200 | Milwaukee Mile | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Andy Linden | Jim Rathmann |
| 8 | September 2 | Ted Horn Memorial | DuQuoin State Fairgrounds | Du Quoin, Illinois | Dirt | Jud Larson | Jud Larson |
| 9 | September 7 | Syracuse 100 | New York State Fairgrounds | Syracuse, New York | Dirt | Elmer George | Elmer George |
| 10 | September 14 | Hoosier Hundred | Indiana State Fairgrounds | Indianapolis, Indiana | Dirt | Jud Larson | Jud Larson |
| 11 | September 29 | Trenton 100 | Trenton International Speedway | Trenton, New Jersey | Paved | Johnny Thomson | Pat O'Connor |
| 12 | October 20 | Golden State 100 | California State Fairgrounds | Sacramento, California | Dirt | Rodger Ward | Rodger Ward |
| 13 | November 11 | Bobby Ball Memorial | Arizona State Fairgrounds | Phoenix, Arizona | Dirt | Rodger Ward | Jimmy Bryan |
    ^A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1957 FIA World Championship of Drivers title.
    ^B Run in three heats of 166 miles (267 km).
    ^C No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb.

## Final points standings

| Pos | Driver | INDY | LAN | MIL1 | DET | ATL | SPR | MIL2 | DQSF | SYR | ISF | TRE | SAC | PHX | Pts |
| 1 | Jimmy Bryan | 3 | DNQ | 19 | 1 | 13 | 7 | 22 | 18 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1650 |
| 2 | Jim Rathmann | 2 | | 5 | | | | 1 | | | | 6 | 12 | 6 | 1470 |
| 3 | George Amick | DNQ | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 1400 |
| 4 | Pat O'Connor | 8 | DNQ | 4 | | | DNQ | 3 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 15 | 2 | 1250 |
| 5 | Jud Larson | DNQ | 16 | | 4 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 22 | 3 | 12 | 1170 |
| 6 | Andy Linden | 5 | 6 | 18 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 10 | DNQ | 7 | 18 | 13 | 8 | | 1130 |
| 7 | Johnny Thomson | 12 | 1 | 2 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 2 | 14 | | 1110 |
| 8 | Johnny Boyd | 6 | | 3 | | | 4 | 24 | 6 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 1040 |
| 9 | Sam Hanks | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1000 |
| 10 | Elmer George | 33 | 17 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 10 | 16 | 830 |
| 11 | Rodger Ward | 30 | DNQ | 1 | 16 | 16 | 1 | 18 | 3 | 18 | 13 | 20 | 1 | 13 | 740 |
| 12 | Bob Veith | 9 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 4 | 18 | 13 | 5 | DNQ | DNQ | 15 | 7 | 10 | 650 |
| 13 | Paul Russo | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 600 |
| 14 | Jimmy Reece | 18 | 14 | 12 | 9 | | | 2 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 13 | | 550 |
| 15 | Ed Elisian | 29 | 4 | DNQ | 13 | 5 | 15 | 20 | 10 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 17 | | 340 |
| 16 | Len Sutton | | | | | | DNQ | 19 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 4 | DNQ | 17 | 300 |
| 17 | Billy Garrett | DNQ | 8 | DNQ | 7 | | DNQ | 9 | 12 | | DNQ | DNQ | 5 | 18 | 300 |
| 18 | Marshall Teague | 7 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 300 |
| 19 | Don Branson | | 9 | 21 | 10 | 8 | 11 | DNQ | 9 | DNS | 5 | 19 | | | 280 |
| 20 | Art Bisch | | 3 | 20 | | | | DNQ | | | | | DNQ | 4 | 260 |
| 21 | Gene Hartley | 10 | | 15 | 15 | 7 | | | | | DNP | | | | 210 |
| 22 | Jack Turner | 11 | DNQ | 22 | | | DNQ | 11 | 11 | DNP | 9 | | Wth | | 200 |
| 23 | Johnny Tolan | 20 | DNQ | 8 | | | | 12 | DNQ | 11 | DNQ | | 16 | 5 | 190 |
| 24 | Don Freeland | 17 | 13 | DNQ | 8 | 6 | 8 | 15 | | 12 | 16 | | DNQ | 14 | 190 |
| 25 | Eddie Sachs | 23 | 2 | 16 | | | | | | | | | | | 160 |
| 26 | A. J. Foyt RY | | | | | | 9 | 23 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 11 | 9 | 7 | 160 |
| 27 | Johnnie Parsons | 16 | | | | | | 7 | | | | | | | 120 |
| 28 | Ralph Liguori R | | 11 | DNQ | | | 10 | DNQ | 17 | 8 | 12 | DNQ | | | 110 |
| 29 | Tony Bettenhausen | 15 | | DNQ | | | | 21 | 15 | DNQ | 11 | 7 | 18 | | 80 |
| 30 | Bud Randall R | | 18 | | 14 | 10 | DNQ | 26 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 8 | 80 |
| 31 | Bill Cheesbourg | 26 | | 11 | 12 | 9 | | DNQ | | DNP | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | 70 |
| 32 | Jim McWithey | DNQ | | 9 | | | | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | | 40 |
| 33 | Earl Motter | | | | | | | | | | | | | 9 | 40 |
| 34 | Don Edmunds R | 19 | 15 | | 17 | 11 | 17 | DNQ | 13 | 14 | DNQ | DNQ | 11 | DNQ | 40 |
| 35 | Van Johnson | | 10 | | DNQ | | 16 | DNQ | | 15 | DNQ | DNQ | | | 30 |
| 36 | Troy Ruttman | 31 | | 10 | | | | 25 | | | | | | | 30 |
| 37 | Chuck Weyant | 14 | | | 11 | | | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | | | | 20 |
| 38 | Al Herman | 21 | DNQ | | | | | 14 | | DNQ | DNQ | 12 | | | 10 |
| 39 | Dick Rathmann | DNQ | | | | | 12 | 16 | | DNP | DNQ | 16 | | DNQ | 10 |
| 40 | Al Keller | 27 | DNQ | | | 12 | | | | | | | | | 10 |
| 41 | Ken Gottschalk | | 12 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 10 |
| - | Jimmy Daywalt | 28 | | 13 | | | | | | | | 14 | | | 0 |
| - | Mike Magill | 24 | DNQ | | | | 13 | DNQ | | 16 | DNQ | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Christie | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jim Hemmings R | | | DNQ | | 14 | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Rex Easton | | | | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | 15 | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Bud Clemons R | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 15 | 0 |
| - | Shorty Templeman | | | | | | | 17 | | | DNQ | 17 | | | 0 |
| - | Fred Agabashian | 22 | | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Charles Musselman | | DNQ | | | 18 | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Rodee R | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | 18 | | | 0 |
| - | Eddie Johnson | 25 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Eddie Russo | 32 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Tattersall | | DNS | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Gene Force | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Danny Kladis | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ray Crawford | DNQ | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Don Evans | | | | | | DNQ | | DNQ | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Luther Baughman | | | | | | DNQ | | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Homeier | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Ernie Koch | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Don Whittington | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Keith Andrews | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Johnny Baldwin | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tony Bonadies | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Davies | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Giuseppe Farina | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Johnny Fedricks | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Andy Furci | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Cliff Griffith | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Cal Niday | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Leroy Warriner | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dempsey Wilson | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Arnold | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Del Fanning | | | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | INDY | LAN | MIL1 | DET | ATL | SPR | MIL2 | DQSF | SYR | ISF | TRE | SAC | PHX | Pts |
| Color | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | 4th & 5th place |
| Light Blue | 6th-10th place |
| Dark Blue | Finished (Outside Top 10) |
| Purple | Did not finish (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Brown | Withdrawn (Wth) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| Blank | Did not participate (DNP) |
| Blank | Not competing |
In-line notation :
| Bold | Pole position |
| Italics | Ran fastest race lap |
| * | Led most race laps |
| RY Rookie of the Year ||
| R Rookie ||