Jim Rathmann

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.

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.

Driving career

Championship Car career

Rathmann drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series in the 1949–1950 and 1952–1963 seasons with 38 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 during each of those seasons. He had two victories in addition to his Indianapolis 500 win, including the USAC Daytona 100.

Rathmann also participated in the two runnings of the Race of Two Worlds at Monza, Italy, winning the 1958 race, a non-championship event.

1960 Indianapolis 500 victory

Starting in the middle of the first row, Rathmann ran in the front the entire race. From the midway point on, Rathmann and fellow driver Rodger Ward were locked in a neck and neck duel for first. Tire wear became an issue as the race wore on and Rathmann was able to keep his wheels fresh long enough to outrace Ward to the finish. The race featured the most recorded lead changes in Indianapolis 500 history, and has often been considered the greatest Indianapolis 500 ever run. Alan Bean recalls Corvettes lined up in the parking lot outside the astronaut offices at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, and friendly races between Shepard and Grissom along the Florida beach roads.

After retiring from the car business, Rathmann lived with his wife, Mary Kay, in Indialantic, Florida.

Death

During the decades after his victory, Rathmann was a regular visitor to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during May each year. He drove the pace car several times. However, he missed the 100th-anniversary celebration in 2011 due to failing health.

Rathmann died on November 23, 2011. He had reportedly suffered a seizure at his home days earlier and died at a hospice center in Melbourne, Florida.

Awards and honors

Rathmann has been inducted into the following halls of fame: Florida Sports Hall of Fame (1978) Auto Racing Hall of Fame (1993) Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (2007)

Motorsports career results

AAA/USAC Championship Car results

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos Points 1949 ARL INDY11 MIL TRE SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR DET SPR LAN SAC DMRDNQ 39th 100 1950 INDY24 MIL LAN SPR MIL PIK SYR DET SPR SAC PHX BAY DAR-0 1952 INDY2 MIL10 RAL4 SPRDNQ MILDNQ DET DUQ18 PIK SYR18 DNCDNQ SJS PHX 6th 1,070 1953 INDY7 MIL SPR DET SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX 26th 169.5 1954 INDY28 MIL LANDAR27 SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX LVG - 0 1955 INDY14 MIL20 LAN SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR ISF SACPHX-0 1956 INDY20 MIL19 LAN DAR11 ATL4 SPRDNQ MIL15 DUQ3 SYRDNQ ISF15 SAC PHX 23rd 300 1957 INDY2 LAN MIL5 DET ATL SPR MIL1 DUQ SYR ISF TRE6 SAC12 PHX6 2nd 1,470 1958 TRE INDY5 MIL7 LAN ATL SPR MIL23 DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX 14th 560 1959 DAY1 TRE4 INDY2 MILDNQ LAN SPR MIL4 DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX 4th 1,154.8 1960 TRE INDY1 MILDNQ LAN SPR MIL18 DUQ SYR ISF TRE21 SAC PHX 4th 1,000 1961 TREDNQ INDY30 MILDNQ LAN MIL SPR DUQ SYRDNQ ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0 1962 TRE INDY9 MIL LAN TRE SPR MIL LAN SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX 19th 200 1963 TRE INDY24 MIL LAN TRE SPR MIL DUQ ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0

Indianapolis 500 results

FIA World Drivers' Championship results

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)