USAC Daytona 100

USAC Daytona 100

Jim Rathmann (1)
Most wins (constructors)	Watson (1)
Circuit length	4.023 km (2.5 miles)
Race length	160.934 km (100.000 miles)
Laps	40
Last race (1959)
Pole position
Dick Rathmann Chapman Root 173.210 mph
Podium
1. Jim Rathmann 170.261 mph 2. Rodger Ward 169.755 mph 3. Bob Christie (–1 lap)
Fastest lap

The Daytona 100 was a

The Daytona 100 was the first race of the 1959 USAC Championship Trail, and the first Championship race held in the state of Florida since a board track race at Fulford–Miami Speedway in 1926. There would not be another Indy car race held in Florida until the Miami Grand Prix in 1985.

In 2006 and again in 2007, the IndyCar Series held a compatibility test on the Daytona International Speedway motorcycle road course (which skips the west banking), the first time Indy type cars had driven on the track in over 45 years. The test was to evaluate the facility as a possible warm-weather testing venue (and perhaps a future racing venue). However, a race was never scheduled, and the series never returned.

Background

Construction on the

Henry Banks was named the new competition director at USAC for 1959.^[12] Banks toured Daytona with Tom Binford and others, inspecting the safety features and named Harlan Fengler as the chief steward for the race.^[12]

Death of Marshall Teague

Upon completion of the Daytona International Speedway, Bill France wanted some USAC Championship Car teams to conduct exhibition speed runs during Speedweeks as a way to promote the new facility.^[13] USAC declined to conduct a full-field exhibition,^[12] but permitted teams the option to participate in a series of unofficial "familiarization runs" during Speedweeks.^[14] Car owner Chapman S. Root of nearby Ormond Beach was the first to express interest in participating.^[9][15] Three other teams were expected to test as well.^[16]

Root arrived at the track with the Sumar Streamliner, a modified Indy roadster with streamlined body and a canopy top.

On Tuesday February 10, the crew changed the gearing in the transmission,[22] and dropped the car's ride height to lower its center of gravity and prepared to make another speed run.^[23] Teague ran about 10 to 15 laps in the 170 mph range, before being called in by the crew due to gusty winds. His fastest lap had been 170.06 mph, slightly below his mark set the day before. In addition, tire technicians observed something wrong with the left rear tire, and wanted him to return to the pits immediately.^[24] The crew discovered a cut tire, presumably from running over a piece of debris, and a protruding innertube, and called off practice for the day.^[25]

On Wednesday February 11, Marshall Teague returned to the track in the Sumar Streamliner to make another speed record attempt. Shortly after 12:00 p.m., Teague completed three laps around the track, and was gradually working his car up to speed. After laps timed at 128.42 mph, and 160.25 mph, Teague entered turns one and two on his fifth lap. The rear end of the car drifted out, and the nose of the car dipped and dug down into the pavement. The car started flipping wildly down the track, gouging chunks of asphalt, and littering debris. The plastic canopy top was broken off, and the seat was thrown from the car with Teague still buckled in the harness. Teague was killed instantly of a fractured skull.^[26][27][28] Less than two weeks after the track opened, Teague became the first driver to be killed in a crash at Daytona.

Testing

Despite the fatal crash of Marshall Teague, USAC officials decided it was not necessary to call off the April Championship Car races.

Saturday would feature a doubleheader of 100-mile (40-lap) races. The Championship Car race was scheduled for 2:00 p.m., and the Formula Libre race was scheduled afterwards at 3:30 p.m. The sports car endurance race was scheduled for 1000 kilometers (164 laps) around the 3.81-mile combined road course.^[35] The endurance race would start Sunday at 12:30 p.m., and was expected to race well into the evening.

WNDB covered the Championship Car and Formula Libre races live on radio with anchor Ted Webbe. Hal Hambrick and Val Meloy served as booth analysts, with Ben Taylor the roving reporter covering the pit area and victory lane. The broadcast was picked up by numerous radio stations in the eastern United States.^[36]

Practice and qualifying

Practice began on Wednesday March 25. Pole qualifying was scheduled for Saturday March 28. Qualifiers on the second day of qualifying would line up behind the first day qualifiers, and so on, mimicking the format used at Indianapolis. Each qualifying attempt consisted of one warm-up lap, and two timed laps, with the best single lap recorded as the car's qualifying speed.

After testing and practice, participants generally praised the course. However, there was an underlying concern around the paddock about the incredible speeds. Cars were routinely turning laps at an average speed of more than 30 mph faster than laps turned at Indianapolis. Another point of concern was the abrupt transition from the steep 31° banking in the turns to the nearly flat apron. Drivers were worried that a spinning car may come down the banking and hit the apron, resulting in a serious crash.^[37]

Wednesday March 25

Practice and testing for the Championship Cars began on Wednesday March 25. A total of 27 cars were officially entered and many were already arriving in the garage area. In order to allow drivers to familiarize themselves to the course, USAC chief steward Harlan Fengler imposed a 150 mph speed limit for each driver during their first ten laps. The next ten laps could be run at 160 mph. The speed limit was put in place as a safety precaution.

High winds kept the speeds down until late in the afternoon. Dick Rathmann turned the fastest lap at 173.01 mph, the fastest lap of the week thus far. Coming into the pits, Rathmann spun around three times, but did not make any contact. A total of five cars took the track, the others included Rodger Ward, Eddie Sachs, Don Branson, and Bill Cheesbourg.^[40][41]

Saturday March 28

The first day of qualifying was held on Saturday March 28. A total of eight cars completed qualifying attempts, with

Three other cars took to the track for practice, but did not attempt to qualify. The only reported incident of the day involved Tony Bettenhausen. During a practice run, a radiator hose blew, enveloping the car in steam.^[43]

At the beginning of qualifying, the entry list was finalized at 26 Champ Cars (one car was withdrawn). No additional cars were entered for the Formula Libre race, therefore the same qualifying results and starting lineup for the Champ Car race would be used for the Formula Libre race.^[42] Carroll Shelby had intended to enter a 4.5-liter Maserati sports car in the Formula Libre race, but after a lack of adequate practice time, he decided to race in the endurance race on Sunday only.^[44]

Sunday March 29

The second day of qualifying was scheduled for Sunday March 29, which was

Pat Flaherty took his first laps around the track on Tuesday March 31, driving for John Zink. Flaherty was quickly up to speed, turning in laps of over 160 mph. Pole position winner Dick Rathmann took his Sumar Special out for a practice ran, and turned a lap at almost 171 mph before deciding to come in. Rathmann had been instructed by chief mechanic Johnny Blouch to "take it easy."^[37]

Tony Bettenhausen, who qualified the Racing Associates Special on Monday, announced that he did so with a "sick" engine. Smokey Yunick announced that the engine was being torn down and rebuilt in time for Saturday's race.^[37]

Wednesday April 1

Rain washed out a significant amount of the track activity on Wednesday April 1. Some Championship Car drivers took practice laps, including Pat Flaherty, who ran at over 156 mph. Johnny Thomson's car was expected to arrive from the west coast, and he was expected to make a qualifying attempt on Thursday.^[50]

All time trials for the sports car race were postponed until Thursday due to rain.^[50]

Thursday April 2

The third day of qualifying was scheduled for Thursday April 2. Rain in the morning and most of the afternoon, however, washed out time trials for the Championship Cars. The remainder of qualifying was postponed until Friday. Late in the afternoon, the track dried sufficiently enough to allow a one-hour practice session for the sports car race.^[51] A total of fifteen cars took to the track, led by Carroll Shelby. Dick Rathmann, driving a Pontiac-Maserati brushed the guardrail coming out of turns one & two. The car suffered only minor damage, and Rathmann was uninjured.^[52]

Friday April 3

The final day of practice and time trials was scheduled for Friday April 3.^[53] After several days of rain and windy conditions, the weather on Friday was ideal for track activity. A total of seven drivers qualified, filling the field to twenty cars, but the attention of the day focused on two crashes involving Jerry Unser and Al Keller, respectively.^[54]

During a practice run, Jerry Unser lost control in turns three–four. At a speed of about 155 mph, the car hit a bump in the pavement, and the back end came around, sending the car down to the apron. The car hit the apron, got airborne briefly, then shot upwards across the track tail-first.^[54][55] The car slid and hit the outside guardrail with the left side. The car came to rest in the infield grass losing the hood in the process. Unser was taken to the hospital with minor back injures. The car was badly damaged and withdrawn. Earlier in the day, Al Keller spun in the tri-oval segment of the track, near the start/finish line. After completing a lap at over 165 mph, Keller claims to have hit a rise in the pavement, and lost control. Observers say the car was running a very high line on the track. The car slid for 1,250 feet, and looped around at least four times in the infield grass, splashing puddles of water and mud.^[55] The car remained upright, and Keller was not injured.^[54]

The final round of time trials saw A. J. Foyt as the fastest qualifier of the day. Foyt ran two identical laps of 168.919 mph, which placed him in the inside of row seven. Pat Flaherty ran a purported first lap of over 172 mph, but the electric eye was not turned on properly. His second lap was cut short by a broken fuel line. Later in the day Flaherty made a second attempt, but with the engine running on only three cylinders, could only manage a lap of 145.773 mph. Only 19 cars completed attempts, with Jimmy Davies unable to go out due to mechanical problems. Officials announced that Davies would be permitted to start the race in the 20th starting position provided the crew was able to make repairs.^[54]

Despite the good weather, due to the two crashes and other minor delays, time ran out to hold time trials for the sports car endurance race. Instead, officials decided to line the cars up in order of engine size, with the largest machines at the front.^[55][56]

Starting grid — Championship Car race

Failed to qualify

• Jerry Unser (#52) — Practice crash; injured
• Bob Veith (#52) — Practice crash; injured
• Mike Magill (#77) — Did not qualify
• Chuck Arnold (#71) — Did not qualify
• Paul Russo (#75) — Car driven by Tony Bettenhausen
• Bob Said (#95) — Car driven by Bill Randall
• Tony Bettenhausen (#1) — Did not appear; withdrawn

Race summary — Championship Car race

The weather forecast for Saturday was partly cloudy skies and a high of 80 °F. Winds were gusting at 15-25 mph. A mediocre crowd estimated at only 7,000-10,000 spectators arrived. The race was scheduled for 40 laps (100 miles), and paid points towards the

Start

At the start,

On lap 28, Dempsey Wilson crashed in turn two. He went too low in the turn, and the back end slid out. He tagged the guardrail, skidded and looped around. Wilson was not injured, but his car was damaged and would have to be withdrawn from the Formula Libre race afterwards.

On the final lap,

Coming out of turn two, Bob Christie and George Amick were battling for 3rd-4th on their 40th and final lap. Amick's car was caught by a gust of wind, and begin to slide, striking the outside guardrail at the start of the backstretch. The car ripped out a 50-foot section of guardrail, shearing eight of the wooden support posts, and flipped airborne. The car sailed in the air for 75 feet, hit the ground, flipped again, and sailed another 60 feet. The car then barrel-rolled about ten times down the backstretch, coming to rest upright in the grass over 500 feet down the track. The magnesium wheels scraping along the pavement showered sparks and flames of "rainbow colors," and debris rained all over the course. The fuel tank, however, remained intact.

Dick Rathmann was trailing about 50 feet behind Amick when the crash occurred. Rathmann veered low and avoided the crashing car, and escaped unscathed. Jim Packard also skirted by the scene. Bill Cheesbourg was running behind Amick, and spun his car to the infield grass to avoid the crash. Cheesbourg slid about 700 feet, but did not make contact. He ran to Amick's aid, but when he arrived at the mangled car, he walked away, realizing that Amick had been killed instantly.

Amick's mangled car came to rest upright, with Amick still strapped in the seat. The front end of the machine was wadded and twisted, and part of it was severed off. Both front wheels were sheared off, and debris littered the course. Amick suffered multiple fractures of the spine column, internal injuries, and the entire left side of his body was torn due to the multiple flips and scraping along the asphalt. The attending physician concluded that Amick was killed instantly.

The red flag was put out immediately, with Jim Rathmann the race winner and Rodger Ward finishing second. Those were the only two cars credited with completing the 40 laps. Rathmann's margin of victory was just over six seconds. All other cars were flagged off the track, and scoring reverted to the previous lap for the rest of the field. Bob Christie was credited with third, and Amick was scored fourth. Rathmann's blistering average speed of 170.261 mph was a new record for a Championship Car race, and also set a world closed-course record for 100 miles.

• Sources: The Indianapolis Star,^[57][58][59] Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal,^[60] The Talk of Gasoline Alley^[61][62]

Box score — Championship Car race

Race statistics

• Time of race — 35:14.40
• Average speed — 170.261 mph
• Lead changes — 2 between two drivers

Starting grid — Formula Libre race

The same qualifying lineup from the Championship Car race was used for the Formula Libre race. A total of six cars from the first race did not join the field for the second race. Len Sutton and Eddie Sachs had suffered mechanical problems, while the car of Dempsey Wilson was wrecked. As George Amick was fatally injured in the first race, his car was also withdrawn. A. J. Foyt and Jud Larson also withdrew from the second race.

Dempsey Wilson who had crashed out in the first race, took over the cockpit for Tony Bettenhausen in the #75 Racing Associates machine. The car had dropped out of the first race with an oil leak, but was repaired in time to start the second race. Bettenhausen refused to drive in the Formula Libre race, vowing never to race again at Daytona due to safety concerns. Lastly, after spinning out in the first race, Bill Cheesbourg rejoined the field for the second race. Cheesbourg's car was not damaged after he spun to avoid the crashing car of George Amick on the backstretch.

Despite the race rules and specifications allowing other cars, including cars from the sports car division, no other cars besides the Champ Cars attempted to qualify for the Formula Libre race.

Did not participate

• George Amick (#2) — Car withdrawn; fatally injured in crash in Champ Car race
• Eddie Sachs (#44) — Car withdrawn; engine suffered ignition failure in Champ Car race
• Len Sutton (#8) — Car withdrawn; engine suffered broken piston in Champ Car race
• Tony Bettenhausen (#75) — Driver withdrew; replaced in the car by Dempsey Wilson
• A. J. Foyt (#10) — Withdrew after first race
• Jud Larson (#4) — Withdrew after first race

Race summary — Formula Libre race

After the fatal crash in the first race, a lengthy cleanup was needed, which delayed the start of the Formula Libre race by about an hour. Officials shortened the Formula Libre race to 50 miles (20 laps), in part due to high winds, safety concerns, and due to lateness. USAC officials were also concerned about driver fatigue after the grueling pace of the first race.

Al Keller (piston) and Bill Randall (oil leak) dropped out after only ten laps. Dempsey Wilson (driving in substitution for Tony Bettenhausen) turned the machine over to Mike Magill on lap 11.

The green flag came back out on lap 10 with

• Source: The Indianapolis Star,[57]^[58][59] Daytona Beach Sunday News-Journal^[60]

Box score — Formula Libre race

Race statistics

• Time of race — 18:40.14
• Average speed — 160.694 mph
• Lead changes — 2 between two drivers

Sports car race

Jerry Unser

, who had recovered from the crash he had earlier in the week. A small crowd of only about 6,000 spectators arrived on a sunny, windy afternoon.

Carroll Shelby and Lloyd Ruby, both in E.B. Rose entries, led the race in the early going, building up a large lead over the rest of the field. Shelby, however, lost ground after a bad pit stop, and eventually the car dropped out with engine failure. Ruby's car also dropped out with a failed oil line. A. J. Foyt ran as high as second, but dropped out with a broken differential.

Due to darkness, the race was shortened from 1000 kilometers to six hours. A total of 14 cars were running at the finish, and no serious incidents were reported. The leaders completed 147 laps (560.07 miles) of the scheduled distance. The Porsche 718 driven by Count Antonio von Döry and Roberto Mieres was declared the winner. The lap total even included a one-lap penalty assessed due to running out of fuel on the track during the course of the race.^[64]

Top Three Finishers
Finish	No	Name	Chassis/Engine	Laps	Status
1	86	Roberto Mieres Antonio von Döry	Porsche 718 RSK 004	147	93.345 mph
2	72	Bob Said Art Bunker	Porsche 718 RSK	146	Running
3	7	Paul O'Shea Augie Pabst	Jaguar D-Type	146	Running

Aftermath

Immediately after the race, USAC officials, participants, and media, almost unanimously came to the conclusion that the Daytona International Speedway oval was unsuitable for the USAC Championship Cars. The banking was too steep, putting stress on the equipment,^[65] the pavement transitions were too abrupt, and above all, the speeds were much too fast. In addition, the fast speeds and steep banking were difficult physically on the drivers, causing fatigue.^[66] The tragic circumstances came in the midst of one of the deadliest stretches in the sport of Indy car competition.^[67] Teague and Amick were among ten drivers who perished in a two-season stretch from 1958 to 1959.

Along with the overwhelming safety concerns, the attendance for both the Champ Car races and the sports car race were well below expectation. Within days, USAC president

Firecracker 250 for the NASCAR stock cars.^[69]

Indy type cars would never again hold a race at Daytona.

Despite a tiny crowd for the first sports car race, endurance racing would soon find a home at Daytona on the combined road course. The 24 Hours of Daytona soon became one of the most prestigious endurance races in the world.

Subsequent open wheel racing at Daytona

After the events of 1959, open wheel racing cars rarely took to the track at Daytona, with the exception of some special test sessions and amateur-level club racing, which takes place exclusively on the combined road course. In 1974, A. J. Foyt tested an Indy car at Talladega Superspeedway, which is steeper, wider, and longer (2.66 miles) than Daytona. Foyt set a new record of 217.854 mph.^[70][71] In 1980, USAC tentatively scheduled a race at Talladega,^[72][73] but it was cancelled before it could be run.^[74]

On March 12, 2009, eight restored vintage Indy roadsters took exhibition parade laps around the Daytona International Speedway oval, celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the 100-mile USAC race. The parade laps, led by

Jim Rathmann was in attendance. The exhibition was a prelude to the Concours d'Elegance being held in Jacksonville.^[75]

In 1984, and in 2006–2007, respectively, there have been three

Kimi Raikkonen took demonstration laps around the course in Scuderia Ferrari Formula One machines.^[76]

1961 Mad Dog IV test

After the USAC race was discontinued, Bill France put up a $10,000 cash prize for the first driver to complete a lap at over 180 mph at Daytona. Car builder Bob Osiecki took a 1958 Kurtis Kraft Indy roadster and installed a supercharged 460 cu. in. Chrysler V8 engine. The highly modified Indy roadster was fitted with aircraft-style wings on the sides and on the tail, and was given the nickname the "Mad Dog IV."^[77] Several drivers reportedly tested the car in the spring and summer, and Osiecki eventually settled on driver Art Malone to attempt to break the 180 mph barrier, and set a new closed-course speed record in the process.^[78]

In July 1961, Malone began taking laps on the Daytona oval in the Mad Dog IV. His initial test laps (sans airfoils) were in the 161 mph range. The machine had been plagued by oil pressure issues due to the high speeds pushing the oil away from the oil pump. The crew was able to solve the problem by moving the oil pump to the rear of the oil pan, and adjusted the amount of oil in the crankcase. In addition, the team was using old tires left over from the Monza race, all of which wearing out after only a couple laps at speed.^[79] On August 5, 1961, Malone turned a lap at 177.479 mph, a new track record, and a new world closed-course competitive track record. It broke the mark set by Tony Bettenhausen (177.038 mph) at Monza in 1957.^[80] One day later, on August 6, Malone went out for another attempt, but suffered a seized transmission. The car broke into a spin, slid 600 feet, but made no contact. The crew took the car back to Charlotte, North Carolina for an overhaul, and planned to return later in the month.^[81]

On August 21, Art Malone and the team returned for another attempt. He upped his record to 178.253 mph. On August 27, he turned a lap of 178.571 mph, just four tenths of a second shy of the elusive 180 mph barrier.^[82] On Monday August 28, with about 350 spectators in attendance, Malone finally succeeded, officially breaking the 180 mph barrier, the first driver ever to do so at Daytona International Speedway. At approximately 4:00 p.m., Malone made two slow warm up laps, then turned a fast lap of 175.079 mph. His fourth lap was clocked at 49.59 seconds, for an average speed of 181.561 mph. It was a new world competitive closed course record, and a new track record that would stand for seven years.^[83] Malone's trap speed on the straightaway was estimated at over 220 mph. Malone nearly crashed after he crossed the finish line, as the car began to fishtail back and forth. He was able to safely bring the car under control, and returned to the pits where he received accolades from the spectators and press, and was later presented with the $10,000 check.^[84]

Jim Hurtubise 1968 test

On July 5, 1968, one day after the Firecracker 400, Indy driver Jim Hurtubise drove a front-engine roadster for a test-run at Daytona. His lap of 191.938 mph was a new track record and a closed-course speed record. He was the first driver to complete a lap Daytona with an average speed of over 190 mph.^[85]

1984 Formula One test

In January 1984, a secret Formula One Goodyear tire test was held on the Daytona International Speedway combined road course. Lotus and Williams were on hand to test out new F1 radial tires.^{[86][87][88][89]} Nigel Mansell was one of the drivers that participated.

2006 IndyCar Series test

On September 26–27, 2006, the

IRL IndyCar Series held a compatibility test on the Daytona International Speedway combined road course. It was the first time Indy cars had driven at the track since 1959. The test was used to evaluate the track as a possible warm-weather testing venue (and perhaps a future racing venue), and also to test new engines for 2007.^[90] The test utilized a 10-turn, 2.73-mile (4.39 km) road course layout, which was a modified version of the motorcycle short course. The series avoided the full 3.56-mile 24 Hours

course due to concerns about speeds, and the abrupt transition out of turn two onto the backstretch.

Vítor Meira was the first driver on the track.^[91] The other drivers that participated were Sam Hornish Jr., Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, and Dan Wheldon.^[92]

No incidents were reported on the first day. On the second day, Sam Hornish Jr. spun in the chicane and backed into a tire barrier. Later in the day, Vítor Meira hit the SAFER Barrier at the exit of the chicane. Both drivers were uninjured.^[93]

On the second day of the test, the drivers briefly experimented with a 12-turn 2.95-mile (4.75 km) layout, which slightly reworked part of the infield segment.^[93] The teams, drivers, and officials were pleased with the successful results of the test, and were openly considering adding the track as a venue for open testing, and possibly a race in the future.^[94]

2007 IndyCar Series test

On January 31-February 1, 2007, the

IRL IndyCar Series returned for a second off-season compatibility test on the Daytona International Speedway combined road course. This test was held on the 10-turn, 2.73-mile (4.39 km) road course layout used the previous September, and featured seventeen drivers from nine different teams.^[95]

On the first day, Scott Sharp was the first driver on the track. Hélio Castroneves led the practice speeds during the morning session (1:13.3254). Tony Kanaan set the fastest lap of the day, and of the test, during the afternoon session. Several drivers had off-track skids, but no major incidents were reported.^[96]

On the second day, Hélio Castroneves set the fastest lap (1:12.6128) but did not eclipse the best lap from the day before. Scott Sharp was involved in the lone incident of the day. Exiting the chicane at the end of the backstretch, Sharp spun into a tire barrier, damaging the rear wing. Rain started falling at about 3:00 p.m., and all teams decided to park their machines for the rest of the day.^[97]

The 17 drivers completed nearly 1,700 laps without major incident.^[98] Tony Kanaan topped the session with the fastest single lap.^[99] After the test, speculation began to grow about a possible IndyCar race in the future.^[100] However, no official announcements were made.

Pos	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Speed
1	11	Tony Kanaan	Andretti Green	1:12.239	135.549
2	3	Hélio Castroneves	Team Penske	1:12.354	135.335
3	10	Dan Wheldon	Target Chip Ganassi	1:12.412	135.226
4	27	Dario Franchitti	Andretti Green	1:12.461	135.134
5	6	Sam Hornish Jr.	Team Penske	1:12.503	135.056
6	9	Scott Dixon	Target Chip Ganassi	1:12.837	134.438
7	4	Vítor Meira	Panther Racing	1:12.993	134.149
8	26	Marco Andretti	Andretti Green	1:13.136	133.887
9	8	Scott Sharp	Rahal Letterman	1:13.373	133.456
10	17	Jeff Simmons	Rahal Letterman	1:13.481	133.260
11	55	Kosuke Matsuura	Panther Racing	1:13.621	133.006
12	22	A. J. Foyt IV	Vision Racing	1:13.723	132.821
13	2	Tomas Scheckter	Vision Racing	1:13.811	132.663
14	14	Darren Manning	A. J. Foyt Racing	1:14.112	132.124
15	15	Buddy Rice	Dreyer & Reinbold Racing	1:14.314	131.766
16	7	Danica Patrick	Andretti Green	1:14.382	131.645
17	20	Ed Carpenter	Vision Racing	1:14.838	130.843

Since the 2007 test, the IndyCar Series to-date has not returned for another test at Daytona. Though the track was completely resurfaced in 2010, and numerous other safety improvements have been made in the years since, the series has not publicly expressed interest in returning.

Footnotes

See also

• 1959 USAC Championship Car season
• 1959 USAC Road Racing Championship season

Works cited

• 1959 Daytona 100 at ChampCarStats.com
• 1959 Daytona 100 at RacingReference.info
• 1959 Daytona Championship Car race at Ultimate Racing History
• 1959 Daytona Formula Libre race at Ultimate Racing History
• 1959 1000km Daytona Endurance race at Ultimate Racing History

References

1. ^ "Predicts A Crowd Of 30,000 For Weekend Races". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. April 2, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
2. ^
   National Speed Sport News
   . Retrieved July 22, 2016.
3. ^
   Newspapers.com.
4. ^ Aumann, Mark. "How Daytona International Speedway was created". Nascar.com.
5. ISBN 978-1-58261-530-1
   . Retrieved September 28, 2009.
6. ^
   Newspapers.com.
7. Newspapers.com.
8. Newspapers.com.
9. ^
   Newspapers.com.
10. ^
    Newspapers.com.
11. Newspapers.com.
12. ^
    Newspapers.com.
13. Newspapers.com.
14. ^ "USAC Drivers Get OK to Make Practice Runs on Daytona Speedway". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. February 4, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 25, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
15. ^ "Teague To Drive Root Car Here". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. February 4, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 25, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
16. ^ "USAC Runs Begin This Morning". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. February 9, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
17. Newspapers.com.
18. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. July 24, 2013. WFNI.
19. ^ "Just 'Playing Around' At 171 MPH-Teague". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. February 10, 1959. p. 10. Retrieved July 25, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
20. Newspapers.com.
21. Newspapers.com.
22. Newspapers.com.
23. ^ "Teague Dies In Daytona Wreck". The Spartanburg Herald. February 12, 1959. p. 15. Retrieved July 25, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
24. ^ Kahn, Bernard (February 11, 1959). "Teague Had Close Call And Didn't Know It!". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 25, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
25. ^ Foster, Jim (February 12, 1959). "Pit Chatter - Death Strikes Early". The Spartanburg Herald. p. 15. Retrieved July 25, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
26. ^ "Experts Divided on Wreck Cause". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. February 12, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 25, 2016 – via Google News.
27. Newspapers.com.
28. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 17, 2016. WFNI.
29. Newspapers.com.
30. ^ "Yunick Built Car Set For Record Try Today". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. February 13, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
31. ^ Kahn, Bernard (April 1, 1959). "Rathmann Hits 170.07 Plans Try For New Record Next Week". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
32. ^ "Rathmanns Seek Mark Today". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. February 19, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
33. ^ "Try At Teague Record Fails". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. February 20, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 27, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
34. Newspapers.com.
35. ^ "Ferrari Factory Enters Car In Sunday's Race". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. April 1, 1959. p. 4. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
36. ^ "WNDB Team To Flash Action From Speedway". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. April 3, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
37. ^
    Newspapers.com.
38. ^ Kahn, Bernard (March 26, 1959). "Rathmann Sets Unofficial Speedway Lap Record". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
39. ^ Kahn, Bernard (March 27, 1959). "Predicts 177 MPH To Top Qualifier". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
40. Newspapers.com.
41. ^ Kahn, Bernard (March 28, 1959). "Dick Rathmann Tops Record Then Spins Out At Speedway". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 2. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
42. ^ ^{a b} Kahn, Bernard (March 29, 1959). "Brothers To Start 1-2 In Twin Saturday Races". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
43. Newspapers.com.
44. ^ "Ferrari Factory Enters Car in Sunday's Race". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. April 1, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
45. Newspapers.com.
46. ^ Kahn, Bernard (March 30, 1959). "Racing Driver Hurt Slightly In Crackup". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
47. ^ "Starter Shaft, Left in Car, Caused Crackup". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. March 31, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
48. Newspapers.com.
49. ^ Kahn, Bernard (March 31, 1959). "Amick Sets American Record". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
50. ^
    Newspapers.com.
51. ^ Kahn, Bernard (April 3, 1959). "Time Trials Slated All Day Today". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
52. Newspapers.com.
53. ^ Kahn, Bernard (April 3, 1959). "Time Trials Slated All Day Today". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 21, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
54. ^
    Newspapers.com.
55. ^
    Newspapers.com.
56. ^ Desiderio, Bob (March 27, 1959). "Qualifying Runs For Sports Cars Scrubbed As Time Runs Out". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 28, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
57. ^
    Newspapers.com.
58. ^
    Newspapers.com.
59. ^
    Newspapers.com.
60. ^ ^{a b} Kahn, Bernard (April 5, 1959). "Racer Amick Dies As Jim Rathmann Sets World Mark". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. p. 1. Retrieved July 29, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
61. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 13, 2013. WFNI.
62. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 10, 2013. WFNI.
63. ^ "Sports Cars Ready For Go At 1,000 Kilometer Grind Today". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. April 5, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved July 29, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
64. Newspapers.com.
65. ^ Scanlan, Dan. "Banking on Fond Memories; USAC's Star Drivers Relive Daytona 100". the Florida Times Union. Archived from the original on 2016-08-20.
66. Newspapers.com.
67. Newspapers.com.
68. Newspapers.com.
69. Newspapers.com.
70. Newspapers.com.
71. Newspapers.com.
72. Newspapers.com.
73. Newspapers.com.
74. Newspapers.com.
75. ^ "50 years Later, Indy Roasters Return To Daytona". Daytona International Speedway. March 12, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
76. ^ "50 years Later, Indy Roasters Return To Daytona". Daytona International Speedway. March 12, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
77. ^ "The 10 greatest Indy Roadsters In History". Mac's Motor City Garage. February 18, 2014. Archived from the original on September 21, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
78. ^ Litwin, Matthew. "2.5 Miles - Flat out; Quarter-mile maestro tames the Mad Dog". Hemmings. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
79. ^ Gates, Bob (September 18, 2014). "The Mad Dog's Daytona Speed Test". National Speed Sport News. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
80. Newspapers.com.
81. ^ "Mad Dog Busts Down On Run". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. August 7, 1961. p. 8. Retrieved August 9, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
82. ^ "Malone Breaks Record Again But Fails To Pass 180 MPH". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. August 28, 1961. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
83. ^ "Mad Dog IV Averages 181.561". Daytona Beach Morning Journal. August 29, 1961. p. 1. Retrieved August 9, 2016 – via news.Google.com. {{cite news}}: External link in |via= (help)
84. Newspapers.com.
85. Newspapers.com.
86. ^ "News Testing". Daytona International Speedway. Retrieved August 3, 2016.
87. ^ "RacingOne Archive 2010". Retrieved August 3, 2016.
88. ^ "Secret Goodyear F1 test at Daytona in 1984 with Williams. Maybe Mansell driving". Retrieved August 3, 2016.
89. ^ The Talk of Gasoline Alley. May 11, 2010. WFNI.
90. ^ Just say when, archived from the original on October 17, 2006, retrieved August 4, 2016
91. ^ "IRL: Panther Racing test notes". Indycar. Motorsport.com. September 26, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
92. ^ "IRL: IndyCars roar to life at Daytona". Indycar. Motorsport.com. September 26, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
93. ^ ^{a b} "IRL: Daytona test 2006-09-27". Indycar. Motorsport.com. September 27, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
94. ^ "IRL: Daytona test notes 2006-09-26". Indycar. Motorsport.com. September 26, 2006. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
95. ^ "IRL: Corn Syrup and Blue Skies open Daytona test day". Indycar. Motorsport.com. January 31, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
96. ^ "IRL: Daytona Open Test, day 1 report". Indycar. Motorsport.com. January 31, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
97. ^ "IRL: Daytona Open Test, day two report". Indycar. Motorsport.com. February 1, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
98. ^ "IRL: Honda Daytona test wrap-up". Indycar. Motorsport.com. February 1, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
99. ^ "IRL: Daytona Open Test combined times". Indycar. Motorsport.com. February 1, 2007. Retrieved August 4, 2016.
100. Newspapers.com.