1951 AAA Championship Car seasonRaces 15 Start date May 30 End date November 11 National champion Tony Bettenhausen Indianapolis 500 winner Lee Wallard
The 1951 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 15 races, beginning in Speedway , Indiana on May 30 and concluding in San Mateo , California on November 11. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg , Pennsylvania . The AAA National Champion was Tony Bettenhausen , and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Lee Wallard .
Schedule and results [ ]
Rnd
Date
Race Name
Track
Location
Type
Pole Position
Winning Driver
1
May 30
International 500 Mile Sweepstakes A
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Speedway , Indiana
Paved
Duke Nalon
Lee Wallard
2
June 10
Rex Mays Classic
Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway
West Allis , Wisconsin
Dirt
Jack McGrath
Tony Bettenhausen
3
June 24
Langhorne 100
Langhorne Speedway
Langhorne , Pennsylvania
Dirt
Jack McGrath
Tony Bettenhausen
4
July 4
Darlington 250
Darlington Raceway
Darlington , South Carolina
Paved
Johnny McDowell
Walt Faulkner
NC
July 29
Indianapolis Sweepstakes
Williams Grove Speedway
Mechanicsburg , Pennsylvania
Dirt
Troy Ruttman
Troy Ruttman
5
August 18
Springfield 100
Illinois State Fairgrounds
Springfield , Illinois
Dirt
Paul Russo
Tony Bettenhausen
6
August 26
Milwaukee 200
Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway
West Allis , Wisconsin
Dirt
Johnny McDowell
Walt Faulkner
7
September 1
Ted Horn Memorial
DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
Du Quoin , Illinois
Dirt
Johnny Parsons
Tony Bettenhausen
8
September 3
Du Quoin 150B
DuQuoin State Fairgrounds
Du Quoin , Illinois
Dirt
Tony Bettenhausen
Tony Bettenhausen
9
September 3
Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb
Pikes Peak Highway
Pikes Peak , Colorado
Hill
Louis Unser C
Al Rogers
10
September 8
Syracuse 100D
New York State Fairgrounds
Syracuse , New York
Dirt
Tony Bettenhausen
Tony Bettenhausen
11
September 9
Detroit 100
Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway
Detroit , Michigan
Dirt
Johnny McDowell
Paul Russo
12
September 23
Denver 100
Centennial Park
Littleton , Colorado
Dirt
Tony Bettenhausen
Tony Bettenhausen
13
October 21
San Jose 100
San Jose Speedway
San Jose , California
Dirt
Tony Bettenhausen
Tony Bettenhausen
14
November 4
Phoenix 100
Arizona State Fairgrounds
Phoenix , Arizona
Dirt
Henry Banks
Johnny Parsons
15
November 11
Bay Meadows 150
Bay Meadows Race Track
San Mateo , California
Dirt
Jack McGrath
Johnny Parsons
Paved/Dirt Oval
Road Course/Hill Climb
Non-championship race
^A Indianapolis 500 was AAA-sanctioned and counted towards the 1951 FIA World Championship of Drivers title.
^B Race stopped after 101 laps due to rain.
^C No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb.
^D Race stopped after 67 laps due to wreck.
Final points standings [ ]
Note1: The points became the car, when not only one driver led the car, the relieved driver became small part of the points. Points for driver method: (the points for the finish place) / (number the lap when completed the car) * (number the lap when completed the driver)
Further information: List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems
Note2: There were scoring omissions in the AAA records regarding laps completed for eight drivers in the Darlington and Milwaukee races in 1951. The statistics shown include the most accurate representation of those races that is available.
Pos
Driver
INDY
MIL1
LAN
DAR
SPR
MIL2
DUQ1
DUQ2
PIK
SYR
DET
DNC
SJS
PHX
BAY
Pts
1
Tony Bettenhausen
9
1
1
2
1
10
1
1
1
4
1
1
13
2
2556
2
Henry Banks
6
11
10
7
4
5
6
5
6
9
2
3
2
3
1856.6
3
Walt Faulkner
15
1
DNQ
1
4
2
2
2
18
DNQ
6
DNS
1513.6
4
Jack McGrath
3
18
7
5
2
2
16
11
7
3
4
14
18
1460.4
5
Mike Nazaruk RY
2
8
9
8
16
18
3
15
16
18
15
1143
6
Johnny Parsons
21
DNQ
DNS
23
3
2
16
17
14
7
1
1
1012
7
Lee Wallard
1
1000
8
Manuel Ayulo
DNS
10
4
6
17
17
6
12
6
7
DNQ
9
11
997.5
9
Andy Linden
4
15
8
12
DNQ
22
9
7
11
DNQ
5
911
10
Paul Russo
DNQ
4
13
14
9
3
15
1
13
2
DNQ
16
700
11
Bill Schindler
13
16
2
21
3
4
12
8
DNP
8
9
693.5
12
Cecil Green
22
2
3
3
650
13
Bobby Ball
5
DNQ
5
11
15
13
620
14
Chuck Stevenson
20
DNQ
9
5
6
10
4
9
DNP
538
15
Duane Carter
8
3
15
DNS
11
17
13
8
10
505
16
Sam Hanks
12
5
3
DNQ
5
10
DNQ
421.4
17
Jimmy Davies
16
14
24
18
13
13
17
5
3
8
315
18
Gene Force R
11
7
15
13
19
10
18
DNQ
DNQ
6
310.3
19
Cliff Griffith
28
9
11
11
7
8
9
DNQ
308.4
20
DNQ
18
20
16
DNQ
13
14
4
4
300
21
Bill Mackey
19
13
4
300
22
Carl Forberg R
7
DNQ
300
23
Bill Vukovich R
29
DNQ
14
26
15
21
7
DNQ
3
7
11
18
DNQ
291.8
24
Joe James
33
17
12
28
12
15
DNQ
14
16
15
4
8
5
DNQ
283
25
Fred Agabashian
17
DNS
6
DNQ
6
6
17
12
278.2
26
Jim Rigsby R
DNS
10
11
14
12
DNS
12
10
11
7
233.1
27
Johnny McDowell
32
16
16
9
8
15
15
17
9
9
12
DNP
230
28
R
DNQ
6
17
17
7
20
18
13
DNQ
14
16
13
7
14
204
29
Al Rogers
1
200
30
Rodger Ward
27
5
13
DNS
DNQ
8
17
10
17
192
31
Johnny Mauro
2
160
32
Duke Nalon
10
150
33
Louis Unser
3
140
34
Pete Woods
4
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
120
35
R
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
8
5
DNQ
117.5
36
Eddie Johnson
4
11
100.4
37
DNQ
DNQ
5
22
100
38
5
100
39
Troy Ruttman
23
6
15
80
40
6
80
41
R
8
DNQ
11
18
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
70
42
Bob Finney
7
60
43
8
50
44
Mack Hellings
31
DNQ
9
DNQ
40
45
Johnny Tolan
DNQ
12
DNS
DNQ
14
DNQ
DNQ
10
DNQ
40
46
10
30
47
Roy Sherman
DNQ
DNS
DNS
28
48
Buzz Barton
10
20.1
49
11
20
50
George Connor
30
DNQ
DNS
25
DNQ
12
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
20
51
Walt Brown
26
DNQ
10
17
52
Frank Armi R
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
17
12
16
DNQ
10
53
12
10
-
DNS
12
0
-
13
0
-
DNQ
14
0
-
Tommy Hinnershitz
DNQ
14
0
-
Mauri Rose
14
0
-
14
0
-
R
15
0
-
Jimmy Jackson
16
0
-
16
0
-
Wayne England
17
0
-
Duke Dinsmore
24
DNQ
18
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
Carl Scarborough R
18
DNQ
DNQ
27
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
18
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
R
18
0
-
R
DNQ
19
DNQ
0
-
R
19
0
-
R
20
0
-
21
DNS
0
-
Phil Shafer
21
0
-
22
0
-
23
0
-
R
24
0
-
Chet Miller
25
0
-
George Hammond
25
0
-
26
0
-
27
DNP
0
-
R
28
0
-
Joel Thorne
DNQ
DNS
0
-
DNS
0
-
DNS
0
-
Jim Hammond
DNS
0
-
Red Lawrence
DNS
0
-
Billy Ryan
DNS
0
-
DNS
0
-
DNS
0
-
DNS
0
-
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
Joe Barzda
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
Bob Scott
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
Myron Fohr
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
George Lynch
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
Jud Larson
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
Joe Sostilio
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
DNQ
0
-
Jimmy Bryan
DNQ
0
-
Bill Cantrell
DNQ
0
-
Jimmy Daywalt
DNQ
0
-
George Fonder
DNQ
0
-
Jackie Holmes
DNQ
0
-
Norm Houser
DNQ
0
-
Jerry Hoyt
DNQ
0
-
Bill Johnson
DNQ
0
-
Danny Kladis
DNQ
0
-
Bayliss Levrett
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
0
-
Mike Salay
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
0
-
Bob Sweikert
DNQ
0
-
Leroy Warriner
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
0
-
Eddie Sachs
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
0
-
DNQ
0
-
Dempsey Wilson
DNQ
0
-
Jean Achard
DNP
0
Pos
Driver
INDY
MIL1
LAN
DAR
SPR
MIL2
DUQ1
DUQ2
PIK
SYR
DET
DNC
SJS
PHX
BAY
Pts
Color
Result
Gold
Winner
Silver
2nd place
Bronze
3rd place
Green
4th & 5th place
Light Blue
6th-10th place
Dark Blue
Finished (Outside Top 10)
Purple
Did not finish (Ret)
Red
Did not qualify (DNQ)
Brown
Withdrawn (Wth)
Black
Disqualified (DSQ)
White
Did not start (DNS)
Blank
Did not participate (DNP)
Not competing
In-line notation
Bold
Pole position
Italics
Ran fastest race lap
*
Led most race laps
RY Rookie of the Year
R Rookie
References [ ]
See also [ ]
American Championship car racing (Indy car) seasons
AAA USAC CART CCWS IRL INDYCAR
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
Years marked in italics are not official championship years or upcoming seasons.
AAA Championship Cars (1905–1955)
Seasons Indianapolis 500s National Champions AAA Contest Board Years marked in italics are not official championship years.