INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 – Jim Rathmann, winner of both the 1960 Indianapolis 500 and the international 500-mile “Race of Two Worlds” in 1958 at Monza, Italy, died Wednesday, Nov. 23.

Rathmann passed away in a hospice in Melbourne, Fla., nine days after suffering a seizure at his home. He was 83.

Rathmann, who was inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1993 and the Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2007, already was a three-time runner-up in the “500″ (1952, 1957 and 1959) when he scored his greatest victory. And if the 1960 race, with its record 29 lead changes, was not the finest “500″ ever held, there can be no question that Rathmann’s epic two-hour duel with defending winner Rodger Ward continues to stand out as the Speedway’s greatest sustained two-man battle of all time.

For the entire second half of that never-to-be-forgotten classic, Rathmann and Ward were rarely any more than a few feet from each other, exchanging the lead 14 times between them. That number could have been considerably more had not tire wear played into the equation. Long before the days of computer-generated race strategies, two-way radio communication, spotters, and Pace Car-led pack-ups during caution periods, these two wily veterans pretty much had to figure it out for themselves, aided only by a pit board message flashed to them every minute or so.

Ward, an early leader, had stalled on his first of three planned stops, losing at least a half-minute. He raced hard to regain lost ground and caught up with Rathmann just before the halfway mark, fully cognizant that in the process he had placed undue stress on his tires. They swapped the lead several times before Ward decided to run behind Rathmann for a while and let him dictate the pace, both aware that third-placed Johnny Thomson was running a comfortable margin behind them. That was until the pit board signs began advising them that the advantage was shrinking. When it fell to only 10 seconds, they determined it was time to go.

The lead changed hands six more times in the final 30 laps until Ward happen to notice tell-tale discoloration appearing in the center of his right front tire, indicating that the cords were about to show through. He led as late as Lap 197 before reluctantly slowing down to salvage second as a greatly relieved Rathmann nursed his ailing tiresto the finish and won at a record average speed of 138.767 mph.

Had Ward prevailed, Rathmann, who led exactly half of the 200 laps that day, would have held the dubious distinction of being history’s only four-time runner-up at Indianapolis.

As an illustration of just how different things were in those days, the winning Ken-Paul Special was a brand new Offenhauser-powered car Rathmann had commissioned from his old friend A. J. Watson on behalf of Rathmann’s partners, Kenny Rich and Paul Lacy. Rathmann and his chief mechanic, Chickie Hirashima, drove a station wagon out to Watson’s shop in Glendale, Calif., to pick up the car whereupon they loaded it on to an open trailer and then towed it back to the Midwest themselves. More than rewarded by the eventual first-place prize money checks totaling a record $110,000, Rathmann later estimated the entire investment at only $35,000.

Born in Los Angeles on July 16, 1928, Rathmann started life as Royal Richard Rathmann, becoming “Jim” in the immediate post World War II years when he began racing hot rods as an underage teenager. He borrowed the identity of his two-and-half-year older brother, James, who later raced extensively and won the 1958 “500″ pole position as “Dick” Rathmann. Although they were later to modify their dates of birth from time to time, they thankfully avoided further confusion by never professionally using their given names as they appeared on their driver’s licenses and so forth, Richard Rathmann known for the remainder of his life as Jim, and James as Dick.

A contemporary, since his earliest racing days, of Troy Ruttman, Jack McGrath, Pat Flaherty, Don Freeland, Andy Linden and numerous other “500″ stars of the future, Jim Rathmann moved to Chicago in 1948 to race hot rods with Andy Granatelli’s Chicago-based Hurricane Hot Rod Association.

In 1949, Rathmann, Ruttman and Flaherty all made their Indianapolis debuts, Flaherty (who missed the show) being, at 23, the only one legally over 21. Rathmann, claiming to be 24, but really only 20, took his “rookie” test in a car he owned himself, but sponsored by Grancor Corporation, the hot rod business belonging to and operated by the Granatelli brothers. Rathmann ended up qualifying the Pioneer Auto Repair Special for John “The Popper” Lorenz and finishing 11th.

In 1952, driving for the Granatelli brothers, Rathmann finished second in the “500,” beaten only by Troy Ruttman, his boyhood friend and fellow hotrod club member.

Rathmann, who was also runner-up to Sam Hanks in 1957 and to Ward in 1959, drove in a total of 14 Indianapolis 500 Mile Races between 1949 and 1963, leading at some stage during six of them for a total of 153 laps. At the time of his retirement in May 1964, he had completed 2,295 laps in competition and was within less than a full race of claiming the all-time record, only Cliff Bergere (2,452 laps) and Mauri Rose (2,420 laps) having completed a greater number.

Having travelled to Monza for the invitational 500-miler in 1957 merely as a potential relief driver since his regular car owner, Lindsey Hopkins had chosen not to send a car, Rathmann brokered a deal for the 1958 contest.

Underwritten by Bob Wilke of Leader Cards, sponsor of his recent fifth-place effort with Hopkins at Indianapolis, Rathmann leased a car from John Zink, retaining Zink’s chief mechanic, Watson, another of Rathmann’s hot rod cronies from the late 1940s. The 500-mile race at the steeply-banked and bone-jarring 2.64-mile concrete bowl was divided into three legs, with intervals between each. Rathmann won all three and was the undisputed overall winner at the incredible average speed of 166.722 mph.

That association led to Wilke forming the Leader Card Racing Team, with Watson leaving Zink to head up the operation and build new cars. At one point, Leader Card intended running a two-driver team, with Rathmann joining Ward. Then Hopkins made an arrangement to purchase the second brand-new “Watson” for Rathmann, Ward going on to win, with Rathmann recording his third runner-up finish.

By the time the 1959 “500″ was held, Rathmann had further demonstrated his great skill and bravery by winning a 100-mile USAC National Championship race April 4 at the brand-new Daytona International Speedway. Far better suited to the NASCAR stock cars, which had ushered in the Daytona 500 in February with Lee Petty winning the caution-free inaugural at 135.521 mph, Rathmann ripped off the 100 miles in the astonishing time of only 35 minutes. Scrunched down in the cockpit of his fish-tailing front-engined Offenhauser-powered Watson “roadster” and wearing a short-sleeved polo shirt with only an open-faced Cromwell-type helmet for protection, he averaged a breathtaking 170.261 mph.

Three-times the Midwest hot rod champion (1948, 1950 and 1951) and third-ranking AAA stock car driver of 1955, the diversified Rathmann was one of the first oval track specialists to dabble in sports car racing, taking part in the Sebring 12 Hours three times (sharing the 12th place-finishing and class-winning Corvette with Dick Doane in 1958) and racing several times at Nassau. He was even down to drive the Tec-Mec Maserati at the inaugural Formula One Grand Prix of the United States at Sebring in 1959 although he ended up not competing. He twice ran in the Carrera Panamericana, sharing an Oldsmobile in 1952 with Frank “Rebel” Mundy, and he even took part in the Miami-Nassau powerboat race one year, sustaining a broken foot along the way while trying to fix a mechanical problem.

An entrepreneur from his earliest days, Rathmann graduated from a paper route to running a hot rod shop while still in his teens. A muffler shop in Chicago was followed by a speed shop in Miami, a used car business and eventually a huge Cadillac and Chevrolet dealership in Melbourne, Fla., the latter being contingent upon his retirement, an agreement upon which he “fudged” for at least two more years.

There was also a very successful go-kart business which produced the highly sought-after Rathmann Xterminator and even an adventuresome episode of his life in which he held the rights toretrieving centuries-old treasure chests, firearms and cannons from sunken pirate ships off the coast of Florida.

Close friends with all of the early astronauts, Rathmann actually pulled off a most unlikely coup by having one of them discreetly affix a Rathmann car dealership decal to the famous golf cart which was driven on the surface of the moon! Yet another venture was the G.C.R. Corporation team which contested the USAC championship series in 1966 and 1967, the “G” being for Gus Grissom, the “C” for Gordon Cooper and “R” for Rathmann.

One of the fascinating character traits of Rathmann was that he always seemed so nonchalant in the winner’s circle, even at Indianapolis and Monza where he’d be poker-faced and stoic, standing up in the cockpit with loosened helmet straps dangling around his neck and barely smiling as he waved one hand at just above waist level.

It was a misleading illusion.

In fact, this very down-to-earth and unpretentious individual happened to be a fun-loving, chronic practical joker who seemed up for just about any mischievous adventure. A very modest man, he was most gracious to the fans, benched-raced with the best of them and told stories laced with a most infectious giggle. Questions about his own career were usually passed off with brief and rather evasive responses as he preferred instead to tell stories about his colleagues, tears of mirth rolling his cheeks as he relayed the details of yet another prank.

But Rathmann was a serious racer, and he loved the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. To him, the month of May at the track was “everything,” the other 11 months always being filled with plenty of activities, but with the focus clearly on the next migration to IMS. In spite of his deep competitive spirit, he was a great sportsman who was close with many of his contemporaries, photographs taken in the aftermath of the 1957 and 1959 Indianapolis races indicating that he obviously had great affection for both Hanks and Ward, who had narrowly defeated him.

Ill health in recent years had prevented Rathmann from making his annual pilgrimage to his beloved Speedway where, for many years he had matched his golfing skills with Ward, Lloyd Ruby, Parnelli Jones, James Garner and others. Six times the Pace Car driver for the “500,” Rathmann’s final appearance in the city of Indianapolis came at the Convention Center in February 2009 for the Speedway’s Centennial Era Gala, where he was the oldest and earliest of the 19 Indianapolis 500 winners on hand.

Rathmann is survived by wife Kay, sons Jimmy and Jay, stepsons Zack and Tosh Pence, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

In place of flowers the family requests that donations be made to:

William Childs Hospice House

381 Medplex Parkway

Palm Bay, FL 32907

Andretti Autosport™ and Chevrolet announced today that the famed auto manufacturer will provide the Andretti Autosport™ entries with its new Chevy IndyCar V-6 racing engine. The announcement marks the reunion of two of racing’s most famous brands for the 2012 IZOD IndyCar Series.

Andretti Autosport™, led by team owner and CEO Michael Andretti, has recorded 39 victories in the IZOD IndyCar Series dating back to the team’s entry into IndyCar in 2003. In addition, Andretti Autosport™ has captured three driver championships and two Indianapolis 500 victories.

Chevrolet, a leader in motorsports for 100 years, has totaled 104 Indy car wins, including six series crowns and seven Indy 500 championships. The 2012 Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 will have an aluminum block and cylinder heads, direct injection and twin-turbochargers. The engine will also be a fully stressed chassis member supporting the gearbox and rear suspension.

The Andretti and Chevrolet brands were synonymous for many years in IndyCar racing with Michael and Mario collectively scoring the most wins (20) for Chevrolet from 1987 to 1991. In addition, Michael recorded the most Chevrolet wins in a season when he scored eight victories on the way to winning the 1991 CART/PPG IndyCar World Series championship. Mario earned Chevrolet’s first IndyCar victory at Long Beach, California, in 1987.

INDIANAPOLIS (Sept. 26, 2011) – In an all-out attempt to win the Go Daddy INDYCAR Challenge, team owner Sam Schmidt, driver Alex Tagliani and sponsor Bowers & Wilkins have agreed to put two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon behind the wheel of the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins at Magnolia Dallara/Honda/Firestone car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports (SSM) in the Oct. 2 Kentucky Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Schmidt announced today.

Wheldon will step into the car that Alex Tagliani has driven in 15 IZOD IndyCar Series events in 2011. It was announced on Sept. 13 that Wheldon would also drive in the IZOD INDYCAR World Championships on Oct. 16 in Las Vegas in a car jointly entered by SSM and Bryan Herta Autosport (BHA). Wheldon will now drive the No. 77 car for SSM at Kentucky in preparation for his attempt to win the $5 million Go Daddy INDYCAR Challenge.

“I can’t thank Alex enough for letting me drive his car in Kentucky and to work with the team in preparation for Las Vegas,” Wheldon said. “I know when I step into the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins at Magnolia Honda, I’ll be stepping into a fast racecar that’s capable of winning. As a driver, that’s all you can ask for. I’m really excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with everyone at Sam’s team. They were a large part of our winning effort in May, and I’ll do my best to get back to victory lane.”

In May, the Emberton, England native, who now lives in St. Petersburg, Fla., won his second Indianapolis 500 in a car entered by BHA but owned by Schmidt. The car was prepped by SSM before the month of May, and the SSM and BHA engineering staffs worked together as one team throughout the month with the teams’ two garages situated side-by-side in Gasoline Alley.

“I am incredibly excited to have Dan Wheldon driving the No. 77 Bowers & Wilkins at Magnolia car at Kentucky,” Schmidt said. “Clearly, this is an amazing opportunity for our team and sponsors. We are putting as much energy and resources into winning the Go Daddy INDYCAR Challenge as we did for the Indy 500 with the intent of making one lucky fan an instant millionaire and capping off a great rookie season for SSM. I also appreciate Tag’s support of this program. Being a racecar driver myself, it would be extremely difficult to step out of a car I helped develop, but Alex is a true professional and team player in our pursuit to win this prize.”

Tagliani has three top-five and six top-10 finishes this season to go along with two Peak Performance Pole Awards he’s won, including the prestigious Indianapolis 500 pole.

“I’m obviously not happy about sitting out Kentucky, but this is a very exciting opportunity,” Tagliani said. “Dan and I are good friends, and I’m very jealous that he gets to run for the $5 million. But, I fully support what INDYCAR has done to generate fan interest and will do everything I can to help the SSM team run Dan in Kentucky and prepare for the Go Daddy Challenge. I’m out to win the Vegas race, as well, and won’t back off one bit, so Dan will be on his own when the green flag drops.”

As the reigning Indianapolis 500 winner, Wheldon is the only driver eligible to compete for the Go Daddy INDYCAR Challenge. If he wins the Las Vegas race after starting at the back of the field, he will win $2.5 million for himself and $2.5 million for a lucky fan.

Wheldon has 16 IZOD IndyCar Series wins, including his two Indy 500 victories. His first “500″ win came in 2005, which was also the same year he won the IndyCar championship. At Kentucky, Wheldon has five top-five finishes in seven starts, including three third-place results. He also started on the front row at Kentucky in 2005.

“We are very excited to support Sam and Bryan Herta as well as INDYCAR in making the season-ending race memorable for the fans and all the sponsors,” said Bowers & Wilkins Chairman Joe Atkins. “I am hopeful that the good chemistry between Alex and Dan and the respective crews, which delivered the Indy 500 pole and the Indy 500 win, will come through again.”

The Kentucky Indy 300 begins at 3 p.m. EDT on Oct. 2 with live coverage provided by Versus beginning with a pre-race show at 2 p.m.

Indianapolis, IN (September 23, 2011) – Dreyer & Reinbold Racing announced today that American driver, Townsend Bell, will drive at the IZOD IndyCar Series events in Kentucky and Las Vegas. Bell will replace the injured Justin Wilson for the final two races of the season and will pilot the team’s No. 22 Valspar entry for Kentucky and the No. 22 Dad’s Root Beer machine in Las Vegas.

“We are excited about having Townsend back with us and being able to put him in our car at Kentucky and Las Vegas. We’ve both grown significantly since we worked together in 2008 and we feel Townsend will represent DRR and our partners very well to close out the 2011 IZOD IndyCar Series season. We will be testing him at Kentucky on Friday and we are excited to get him acclimated to the car again,” commented Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Co-Owner, Dennis Reinbold.

Bell will make his return to Dreyer & Reinbold Racing when he gets behind the wheel of the No. 22 machine today. Not only will the California native compete in the last two events of the season, he will also have the opportunity to test the car at Kentucky Speedway. Bell drove for DRR for seven races in 2008. He was the perfect choice for the Indianapolis-based squad as he brings vast experience to the table.

He got his start in go-karts before working his way up to the Barber Dodge Pro Series and then onto the Indy Lights championship where he earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2000 and the Indy Lights championship in 2001. From Indy Lights he went onto compete in the CART series for nine races and the in FIA Formula 3000 in 2003, earning tests with BAR-Honda and Jaguar Formula One teams in the same year. Bell would then graduate to the IndyCar Series competing for various teams. In 2009, the veteran driver finished 4th in Indianapolis 500.

“First off, I want to thank Justin for letting me borrow his racecar for these two events and I hope that he is recovering well. It’s great to be back with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing and Dennis and Robbie again. I’m looking forward to the opportunity. I’m really impressed with the technical commitment that the team has made since Indianapolis to give themselves the best chance for success on the mile and a half ovals, so it will be fun to see that put into action,” commented Bell.

Dreyer & Reinbold Racing will test Ana Beatriz and Townsend Bell this Friday at Kentucky Motor Speedway in preparation for next week’s race. Stay tuned for more details and please visit www.dreyerreinboldracing.com for more information.