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| Dick Rathmann | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Rathmann, circa 1957 | |||||||
| Born | James Merwin Rathmann January 6, 1926 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||
| Died | February 1, 2000 (aged 74) Melbourne, Florida, U.S. | ||||||
| Champ Car career | |||||||
| 41 races run over 11 years | |||||||
| Years active | 1949–1950, 1956–1964 | ||||||
| Best finish | 10th – 1961 | ||||||
| First race | 1949 Golden State 100 (Sacramento) | ||||||
| Last race | 1964 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis) | ||||||
| |||||||
| NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
| 129 races run over 5 years | |||||||
| Best finish | 3rd (1953) | ||||||
| First race | 1951 Race 4 (Carrell) | ||||||
| Last race | 1955 Race 37 (Langhorne) | ||||||
| First win | 1952 Race 5 (Martinsville) | ||||||
| Last win | 1954 Race 24 (Santa Fe) | ||||||
| |||||||
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||
| Active years | 1950, 1956–1960 | ||||||
| Teams | Watson, Kurtis Kraft, Lesovsky | ||||||
| Entries | 6 (5 starts) | ||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||
| Podiums | 0 | ||||||
| Career points | 2 | ||||||
| Pole positions | 1 | ||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||
| First entry | 1950 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
| Last entry | 1960 Indianapolis 500 | ||||||
James Merwin "Dick" Rathmann (January 6, 1926[1] – February 1, 2000) was an American racing driver.
Rathmann and his younger brother swapped names while teenagers. He was an 18-year-old going by the name of Jim Rathmann, when his brother wanted to start racing. To help him enter races, he traded I.D.s with him, and assumed the identity of "Dick Rathmann."[2] The name change stuck for life in public circles.
He drove in the AAA Championship Car series in the 1949 and 1950 seasons with 4 starts, including the 1950 Indianapolis 500. He finished in the top ten once, in 6th position at Milwaukee in 1950.
In 1951, he moved to NASCAR, where he was a very successful Grand National driver through 1955.
In 1956, he returned to the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1956–1964 seasons with an additional 41 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1956 and 1958–1964. He finished in the top ten 21 more times, with his best finish in 2nd position in 1959 at Daytona.
Rathmann sat on the pole for the 1958 Indianapolis 500. On the first lap, he and fellow front-row starter Ed Elisian raced into turn 3 and started a chain-reaction accident which involved 15 cars and claimed the life of Pat O'Connor. With that accident, Rathmann became the first Indy pole-sitter to complete no laps. This feat has been repeated only twice in Indy history, first by Roberto Guerrero and then by Scott Sharp.
Rathmann was the elder brother of 1960 Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Rathmann. The two switched names in 1946 so his younger brother could enter a race while underage. For what was supposed to be a short time, he adopted the name "Dick" and his brother adopted the name "Jim". The change stuck for life.
In 2009, Rathmann was inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame.[3]
- ^ "Dick Rathman". racing-reference.info. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
- ^ "The Talk of Gasoline Alley - May 11, 2011
- ^ "West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame". West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. Retrieved 16 March 2012.