# 1956 USAC Championship Car season

The 1956 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana, on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 12. There were also three non-championship events. The USAC National Champion was Jimmy Bryan and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Pat Flaherty. Pat was unable to race after the Springfield race as he was severely injured in a crash during the race which essentiallyended his full time racing career. This was the first year that the National Championship was sanctioned by the USAC, after the withdrawal of the AAA from all forms of racing after the 1955 season.
The defending series champion Bob Sweikert was killed on June 17th during a Sprint Car race at Salem Speedway that was not part of the national championship.

## 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 Flaherty | Pat Flaherty |
| 2 | June 10 | Rex Mays Classic | Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Johnny Boyd | Pat Flaherty |
| 3 | June 24 | Langhorne 100 | Langhorne Speedway | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | Dirt | Billy Garrett | George Amick |
| 4 | July 4 | Pee Dee 200 | Darlington Raceway | Darlington, South Carolina | Paved | Andy Linden | Pat O'Connor |
| NC | July 4 | Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb | Pikes Peak Highway | Pikes Peak, Colorado | Hill | Slim Roberts | Bobby Unser |
| 5 | July 14 | Atlanta 100 | Lakewood Speedway | Atlanta, Georgia | Dirt | Bob Veith | Eddie Sachs |
| NC | July 22 | Indianapolis Sweepstakes | Williams Grove Speedway | Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania | Dirt | Ed Elisian | Jimmy Bryan |
| NC | August 12 | Dayton 25 | Dayton Speedway | Dayton, Ohio | Paved | Pat O'Connor | Ed Elisian |
| 6 | August 19 | Springfield 100 | Illinois State Fairgrounds | Springfield, Illinois | Dirt | Rex Easton | Jimmy Bryan |
| 7 | August 26 | Milwaukee 250 | Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway | West Allis, Wisconsin | Paved | Johnny Boyd | Jimmy Bryan |
| 8 | September 3 | Ted Horn Memorial 100 | DuQuoin State Fairgrounds | Du Quoin, Illinois | Dirt | Johnny Thomson | Jimmy Bryan |
| 9 | September 8 | Syracuse 100 | New York State Fairgrounds | Syracuse, New York | Dirt | Earl Motter | Tony Bettenhausen |
| 10 | September 15 | Hoosier Hundred | Indiana State Fairgrounds | Indianapolis, Indiana | Dirt | Jud Larson | Jimmy Bryan |
| 11 | October 21 | Golden State 100 | California State Fairgrounds | Sacramento, California | Dirt | Jud Larson | Jud Larson |
| 12 | November 12 | Bobby Ball Memorial | Arizona State Fairgrounds | Phoenix, Arizona | Dirt | George Amick | George Amick |
    ^A Indianapolis 500 was USAC-sanctioned and counted towards the 1956 FIA World Championship of Drivers title.
    ^B 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 | MIL1 | LAN | DAR | ATL | SPR | MIL2 | DQSF | SYR | ISF | SAC | PHX | Pts |
| 1 | Jimmy Bryan | 19 | 4 | 6 | 8 | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1860 |
| 2 | Pat Flaherty | 1 | 1 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 18 | | | | | | | 1500 |
| 3 | Don Freeland | 3 | 6 | 7 | 10 | | 2 | 24 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 13 | 1280 |
| 4 | George Amick | DNP | DNQ | 1 | 4 | 13 | DNQ | 6 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 13 | 1 | 1050 |
| 5 | Jimmy Reece | 9 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 7 | | 2 | 9 | DNQ | DNQ | 6 | 3 | 1040 |
| 6 | Johnny Boyd | 30 | 5 | | 3 | | 7 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 980 |
| 7 | Bob Veith | 7 | 10 | 10 | DNS | 6 | 15 | 8 | 4 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 903 |
| 8 | Rodger Ward | 8 | DNP | DNS | 19 | 16 | 6 | 3 | DNQ | 10 | 3 | 16 | 19 | 862 |
| 9 | Sam Hanks | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | 800 |
| 10 | Johnny Thomson | 32 | 2 | 18 | 9 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 16 | DNP | | 710 |
| 11 | Pat O'Connor | 18 | 11 | DNQ | 1 | 17 | 5 | 21 | DNQ | 13 | 2 | 15 | DNQ | 680 |
| 12 | Eddie Sachs | DNQ | | | 21 | 1 | 3 | 4 | DNQ | 12 | DNQ | | DNQ | 650 |
| 13 | Johnnie Parsons | 4 | 17 | | | | | 11 | DNQ | DNP | | DNQ | | 650 |
| 14 | Al Keller | 14 | 9 | 3 | DNS | 2 | 4 | 12 | | 16 | 5 | | | 585 |
| 15 | Bob Sweikert | 6 | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | 540 |
| 16 | Dick Rathmann | 5 | 21 | 15 | 15 | | DNQ | 25 | | DNQ | DNQ | 9 | DNQ | 540 |
| 17 | Jack Turner | 25 | 13 | 11 | 2 | 20 | 17 | 7 | 12 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | | 500 |
| 18 | Ed Elisian | 23 | DNQ | 4 | 6 | 18 | DNQ | 22 | 13 | 6 | DNQ | 7 | 16 | 420 |
| 19 | Gene Hartley | 11 | 8 | 2 | 22 | 11 | | 16 | DNQ | DNP | 6 | | | 410 |
| 20 | Elmer George | | 18 | 8 | 7 | 19 | DNQ | 20 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 410 |
| 21 | Andy Linden | 27 | DNQ | 12 | 13 | 8 | 8 | 23 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 400 |
| 22 | Jud Larson RY | | | | | | | | | | 4 | 1 | DNQ | 320 |
| 23 | Jim Rathmann | 20 | 19 | | 11 | 4 | DNQ | 15 | 3 | DNQ | 15 | | | 300 |
| 24 | Tony Bettenhausen | 22 | | | | | DNS | DNS | 8 | 1 | 18 | 14 | 9 | 290 |
| 25 | Johnny Tolan | 21 | DNQ | | | | | 10 | DNQ | | | 10 | 5 | 205 |
| 26 | Earl Motter | DNQ | | | 17 | 9 | DNQ | 9 | 14 | 7 | 13 | | | 200 |
| 27 | Cliff Griffith | 10 | DNQ | | | | | 13 | | | | | | 150 |
| 28 | Mike Magill | DNQ | | 5 | | | DNQ | | | | 10 | | | 130 |
| 29 | Billy Garrett R | 16 | 14 | 13 | 23 | 10 | 12 | 17 | DNQ | 8 | DNQ | DNQ | | 90 |
| 30 | Jim McWithey R | DNQ | DNQ | 16 | | 15 | 9 | DNQ | DNQ | | DNQ | DNQ | 11 | 60 |
| 31 | Don Branson R | | | | | | 11 | 26 | 10 | 15 | DNQ | | | 50 |
| 32 | Fred Agabashian | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | 50 |
| 33 | Art Bisch R | | | | | | | | | | | 17 | 10 | 30 |
| 34 | Bill Cheesbourg R | DNQ | | DNQ | 14 | | 16 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 12 | 14 | 10 |
| 35 | Keith Andrews | 26 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | 10 |
| 36 | Dempsey Wilson R | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 12 | 10 |
| 37 | Bob Carpenter R | | | | | 12 | | | | | | | | 10 |
| - | Rex Easton | | 15 | | | | 13 | | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Christie R | 13 | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Daywalt | 24 | | | | | DNQ | | 15 | 14 | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Eddie Russo | DNS | | 17 | 18 | 14 | | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Roy Graham R | | | | | | 14 | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Eddie Johnson | 15 | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Mel McGaughy | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 15 | 0 |
| - | Shorty Templeman | DNQ | 16 | | | | | 19 | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ken Gottschalk R | | DNQ | DNQ | 16 | | DNQ | | | DNP | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Charles Musselman | | | DNQ | | | | | 16 | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Tommy Hinnershitz | | | | | | | | | DNQ | 17 | | 17 | 0 |
| - | Duke Dinsmore | 17 | | | DNQ | | | 18 | | DNP | | | | 0 |
| - | Van Johnson R | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNP | | 18 | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Davies | DNQ | | | | | | | 18 | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Len Sutton | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 18 | | 0 |
| - | Troy Ruttman | 31 | 20 | | DNS | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Gene Force | | | | 20 | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Danny Kladis | | 22 | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Al Herman | 28 | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | DNS | | | | 0 |
| - | Ray Crawford | 29 | | | | | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Paul Russo | 33 | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Chuck Weyant | DNQ | | | | | DNQ | DNQ | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Johnny Kay | DNQ | DNQ | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | Leroy Warriner | DNQ | | | | | | DNQ | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Marvin Pifer | DNQ | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | 0 |
| - | Bud Randall | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | DNQ | 0 |
| - | Jay Abney | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Johnny Baldwin | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tony Bonadies | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Buddy Cagle | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Len Duncan | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Edgar Elder | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Giuseppe Farina | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ernie McCoy | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Roy Newman | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Cal Niday | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dickie Reese | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Gig Stephens | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Marshall Teague | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dick Fraizer | | | DNQ | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Paul Howe | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Chuck Rodee | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | | 0 |
| - | Speed McFee | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | | | 0 |
| - | Roger McCluskey | | | | | | | | | | | DNQ | | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | INDY | MIL1 | LAN | DAR | ATL | SPR | MIL2 | DQSF | SYR | ISF | 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 ||