1956 Indianapolis 500: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Pat Flaherty won the 1956 Indianapolis 500 after a rain-disrupted month and a race repeatedly interrupted by cautions. His Watson roadster finished ahead of Sam Hanks and Don Freeland, delivering the first Indianapolis victory for the Watson design.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Pat Flaherty	Watson
Pole speed	145.596 mph (234.314 km/h)
Fastest lap	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft
Fastest-lap time	1:02.320 on lap 19
First	Pat Flaherty	Watson
Second	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft
Third	Don Freeland	Phillips

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
May 1956; individual session dates vary	May practice	Start time unconfirmed
19 May 1956	Pole Day time trials	Start time unconfirmed
20 May 1956	Second-day time trials	Start time unconfirmed
26 May 1956	Third-day time trials — cancelled	Start time unconfirmed
27 May 1956	Final scheduled time trials	Start time unconfirmed
28 May 1956	Additional time trials — cancelled	Start time unconfirmed
29 May 1956	Carburetion Day practice	Start time unconfirmed
30 May 1956	Race	Start time unconfirmed

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Jean Behra arrived at round 3 leading the 1956 F1 World Championship on 10 points, with Juan Manuel Fangio on 9.

Race entries

USAC took over sanctioning the event after AAA’s withdrawal from racing. Much of the remaining brick surface had been covered with asphalt, raising expectations of faster qualifying speeds. Farina entered a Ferrari-powered car but could not get it competitive enough to make a qualifying attempt. The race remained a round of the World Drivers’ Championship under its separate American regulations.

May practice

The newly paved surface changed the challenge for teams preparing their cars, with qualifying records expected to fall. Farina’s attempted return remained unsuccessful as his car lacked the required speed. Wet weather later disrupted the month and eventually threatened access to the circuit itself, making preparation as much a logistical challenge as a mechanical one.

Pole Day time trials

Flaherty set new one-lap and four-lap records, the latter at 145.596 mph, to claim pole. Ten drivers bettered the previous qualifying record. Christie and Turner survived spins and eventually qualified, while Elisian needed his third attempt to secure a place. Seventeen cars had qualified by the end of the day.

Second-day time trials

Thomson was the day’s fastest at 145.549 mph, almost matching Flaherty’s pole average. Qualifying-day priority kept him behind the first day’s successful runners despite that speed. Twelve more cars completed runs, leaving only four vacant places for the closing weekend.

Third-day time trials — cancelled

Rain washed out the entire scheduled session. Entrants still without a place faced a final-day scramble, with limited room left in the field and the weather showing little sign of improving.

Final scheduled time trials

Only fifty-seven minutes of running were possible. Five cars completed attempts, filling the field and bumping Sachs, while Eddie Johnson finished his run in rain. Officials promised an additional period the following morning to make up the guaranteed qualifying time, but many entrants were still waiting for their opportunity.

Additional time trials — cancelled

The planned sixty-three-minute extension was abandoned after torrential overnight rain flooded the Speedway. No further qualifying was possible, so the existing thirty-three-car field stood. The decision left several entrants unable to attempt a run.

Qualifying Classification

Four-lap speed trials and qualifying-day priority determined the grid. Both the washed-out third day and the cancelled extra Monday period are retained in the schedule; the race points are World Championship points, not USAC points.

Grid	No.	Driver	Car	Four-lap average (mph)
1	8	Pat Flaherty	Watson	145.59
2	24	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft	145.12
3	7	Pat O'Connor	Kurtis Kraft	144.98
4	73	Dick Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft	144.47
5	99	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft	144.60
6	98	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft	144.14
7	42	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft	144.06
8	29	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft	143.54
9	5	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft	143.05
10	1	Bob Sweikert	Kuzma	143.03
11	53	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft	142.48
12	15	Johnny Boyd	Kurtis Kraft	142.33
13	4	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft	142.05
14	10	Ed Elisian	Kurtis Kraft	141.38
15	19	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft	141.17
16	48	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft	140.97
17	49	Ray Crawford	Kurtis Kraft	140.88
18	88	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma	145.54
19	2	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma	143.74
20	89	Keith Andrews	Kurtis Kraft	142.97
21	26	Jimmy Reece	Lesovsky	142.88
22	82	Gene Hartley	Kuzma	142.84
23	14	Bob Veith	Kurtis Kraft	142.53
24	54	Jack Turner	Kurtis Kraft	142.39
25	57	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft	142.23
26	16	Don Freeland	Phillips	141.69
27	12	Al Herman	Kurtis Kraft	141.61
28	55	Al Keller	Kurtis Kraft	141.19
29	41	Billy Garrett	Kuzma	140.55
30	27	Cliff Griffith	Stevens	141.47
31	34	Johnnie Tolan	Kurtis Kraft	140.06
32	81	Eddie Johnson	Kuzma	139.09
33	64	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft	138.53

Non-qualifying entries and alternates

This list includes unsuccessful entries, withdrawals and alternates; some drivers later qualified another car or drove relief. R denotes a rookie and W a previous Indianapolis winner.

Entry and recorded outcome
First alternate: Eddie Sachs R (#58)
Marshall Teague (#3, #47)
Eddie Russo (#10, #27, #33)
Mike Magill R (#74)
Shorty Templeman (#46)
Tony Bonadies R (#25)
Len Duncan (#51)
Earl Motter R (#9, #41)
Johnny Kay R (#35)
Danny Kladis (#91)
Jim McWithey R (#77)
Bill Cheesbourg R (#84, #87)

Carburetion Day practice

The rain finally stopped long enough for forty-five minutes of practice. Meanwhile, Clarence Cagle and the track crew worked to pump out flooded areas and restore access around the facility. Their extensive clean-up allowed the race to proceed on schedule the following morning.

What happened in the 1956 Indianapolis 500?

Jim Rathmann, O’Connor and Paul Russo all led early. Russo set the fastest lap before a tyre failure sent his Novi into the wall. Further accidents and tyre problems produced repeated cautions, disrupting the contest and removing several contenders.

Flaherty took the lead for good on lap 76 and kept control through the interruptions. Hanks mounted a late challenge, but the repeated yellow periods limited his opportunities to close. Flaherty completed 127 laps in the lead and won by just over twenty seconds.

Hanks finished second, Freeland third and Parsons fourth. Dick Rathmann took fifth before crashing on his slowing-down lap; the completed result stood. Russo retained the fastest-lap point despite his early retirement. The successful running of the race owed much to the crews who had restored the flooded venue.

After the race, Jean Behra headed the drivers’ standings with 10 points, followed by Juan Manuel Fangio on 9.

1956 Indianapolis 500 race results

The 1956 Indianapolis 500 was held on 30 May 1956.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	8	Pat Flaherty	Watson	200	3:53:28.84	8
2	4	Sam Hanks	Kurtis Kraft	200	+20.45	6
3	16	Don Freeland	Phillips	200	+1:30.23	4
4	98	Johnnie Parsons	Kurtis Kraft	200	+3:25.69	3
5	73	Dick Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft	200	+4:21.81	2
6	1	Bob Sweikert	Kuzma	200	+5:35.05	0
7	14	Bob Veith	Kurtis Kraft	200	+6:25.63	0
8	19	Rodger Ward	Kurtis Kraft	200	+6:32.31	0
9	26	Jimmy Reece	Lesovsky	200	+6:38.31	0
10	27	Cliff Griffith	Stevens	199	-1 Lap	0
11	82	Gene Hartley	Kuzma	196	-4 Laps	0
12	42	Fred Agabashian	Kurtis Kraft	196	-4 Laps	0
13	57	Bob Christie	Kurtis Kraft	196	-4 Laps	0
14	55	Al Keller	Kurtis Kraft	195	-5 Laps	0
15	81	Eddie Johnson	Kuzma	195	-5 Laps	0
16	41	Billy Garrett	Kuzma	194	-6 Laps	0
17	64	Duke Dinsmore	Kurtis Kraft	191	-9 Laps	0
18	7	Pat O'Connor	Kurtis Kraft	187	Magneto	0
19	2	Jimmy Bryan	Kuzma	185	-15 Laps	0
20	24	Jim Rathmann	Kurtis Kraft	175	Engine	0
21	34	Johnnie Tolan	Kurtis Kraft	173	Engine	0
22	99	Tony Bettenhausen	Kurtis Kraft	160	Accident	0
23	10	Ed Elisian / Eddie Russo	Kurtis Kraft	160	Brakes	0
24	48	Jimmy Daywalt	Kurtis Kraft	134	Accident	0
25	54	Jack Turner	Kurtis Kraft	131	Engine	0
26	89	Keith Andrews	Kurtis Kraft	94	Transmission	0
27	5	Andy Linden	Kurtis Kraft	90	Oil Leak	0
28	12	Al Herman	Kurtis Kraft	74	Accident	0
29	49	Ray Crawford	Kurtis Kraft	49	Accident	0
30	15	Johnny Boyd	Kurtis Kraft	35	Oil Leak	0
31	53	Troy Ruttman	Kurtis Kraft	22	Spun Off	0
32	88	Johnny Thomson	Kuzma	22	Spun Off	0
33	29	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft	21	Accident	1

1956 Indianapolis 500 Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	29	Paul Russo	Kurtis Kraft	19	1:02.320

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. One championship point was awarded for fastest lap, divided equally when shared.

1956 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1956 Indianapolis 500.

1956 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Jean Behra	French	Maserati	10
2	Juan Manuel Fangio	Argentine	Ferrari	9
3	Stirling Moss	British	Maserati	8
4	Pat Flaherty	American	Watson	8
5	Sam Hanks	American	Kurtis Kraft	6
6	Luigi Musso	Italian	Ferrari	4
7	Mike Hawthorn	British	Maserati / BRM	4
8	Don Freeland	American	Phillips	4
9	Peter Collins	British	Ferrari	3
10	Johnnie Parsons	American	Kurtis Kraft	3
11	Olivier Gendebien	Belgian	Ferrari	2
12	Hermano da Silva Ramos	Brazilian	Gordini	2
13	Dick Rathmann	American	Kurtis Kraft	2
14	Eugenio Castellotti	Italian	Ferrari	1.5
15	Gerino Gerini	Italian	Maserati	1.5
16	Chico Landi	Brazilian	Maserati	1.5
17	Paul Russo	American	Kurtis Kraft	1
—	Óscar González	Uruguayan	Maserati	0
—	Alberto Uria	Uruguayan	Maserati	0
—	Élie Bayol	French	Gordini	0
—	André Pilette	Belgian	Gordini	0
—	Bob Sweikert	American	Kuzma	0
—	Cesare Perdisa	Italian	Maserati	0
—	Bob Veith	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Horace Gould	British	Maserati	0
—	Rodger Ward	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Jimmy Reece	American	Lesovsky	0
—	Cliff Griffith	American	Stevens	0
—	Gene Hartley	American	Kuzma	0
—	Fred Agabashian	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Bob Christie	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Al Keller	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Eddie Johnson	American	Kuzma	0
—	Billy Garrett	American	Kuzma	0
—	Duke Dinsmore	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Pat O'Connor	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Jimmy Bryan	American	Kuzma	0
—	Luigi Piotti	Italian	Maserati	0
—	Robert Manzon	French	Gordini	0
—	Carlos Menditeguy	Argentine	Maserati	0
—	Louis Rosier	French	Maserati	0
—	José Froilán González	Argentine	Maserati	0
—	Maurice Trintignant	French	Vanwall	0
—	Harry Schell	American	Vanwall	0
—	Tony Brooks	British	BRM	0
—	Louis Chiron	Monegasque	Maserati	0
—	Jim Rathmann	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Johnnie Tolan	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Tony Bettenhausen	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Ed Elisian	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Eddie Russo	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Jimmy Daywalt	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Jack Turner	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Keith Andrews	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Andy Linden	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Al Herman	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Ray Crawford	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Johnny Boyd	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Troy Ruttman	American	Kurtis Kraft	0
—	Johnny Thomson	American	Kuzma	0

There was no constructors’ championship in this season; the manufacturers’ competition began in 1958.

Drivers counted their best 5 results. The first five places earned 8–6–4–3–2 points, with one further point for fastest lap, shared equally when necessary. Points from shared drives were divided between the eligible drivers; individual allocations are shown in driver order.

1956 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1956 Argentine Grand Prix	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires	22 January
2	1956 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	13 May
3	1956 Indianapolis 500	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Indiana	30 May
4	1956 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	3 June
5	1956 French Grand Prix	Reims-Gueux, Reims	1 July
6	1956 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	14 July
7	1956 German Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	5 August
8	1956 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	2 September