Rodger Ward
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rodger Ward (January 10, 1921 - July 5, 2004) was an American racecar driver who won the 1959 and 1962 Indianapolis 500. He also was the 1959 and 1962 USAC Championship Car champion.
Born in Beloit, Kansas, Ward died in Anaheim, California. He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950-1966 seasons with over 150 starts, including the 1951-1964 and 1966 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten in more than half his starts, with 26 victories.
Ward was the oldest living winner of the Indy 500, and, at the time of his retirement, was the only driver to be in the top 10 of all Indianapolis 500 statistics.
Before Indy racing, Ward drove midget cars for the Edelbrock dirt track racing team. He was also the 1951 AAA Stock Car champion.
Ward also raced in the 1959 United States Grand Prix and the 1963 United States Grand Prix.
[edit] Indy 500 results
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- Ward's finishes from 1959 thru 1963 and 1960 thru 1964 rank as the best five-race finishing streaks in Indianapolis 500 history.
[edit] Awards
- In 1992, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
- He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1995.
- He was inducted in the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame.
| Preceded by: Jimmy Bryan |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 1959 |
Succeeded by: Jim Rathmann |
| Preceded by: A. J. Foyt |
Indianapolis 500 Winner 1962 |
Succeeded by: Parnelli Jones |
