GridpediaJim Rathmann
Jim Rathmann is an American Formula 1 driver with 12 race starts from 1950 to 1960, 1 win, 0 pole positions, 4 podiums and 29 championship points.
Rathmann's first start was the 1950 Indianapolis 500 for Wetteroth, from 28th on the grid, finishing 24th. The first win came at the 1960 Indianapolis 500 for Watson, in the 12th start, from 2nd on the grid. The best season was 1960: 8th in the championship with 8 points, 1 win and 1 podium, for Watson. The longest team-mate pairing was with Rodger Ward, 6 races: Rathmann finished ahead 4 times to 2 when both were classified, and out-qualified Ward 4 times to 2. 3 of the 12 starts ended in a retirement (25%).
- Nationality
- American
- Born
- 16 Jul 1928
- Active
- 1950 to 1960, 10 seasons
- Teams
- Wetteroth, Kurtis Kraft, Epperly, Watson
| Starts | Wins | Poles | Podiums | Fastest laps | Laps led | Points | DNFs | Best finish | Best championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | 0 | 4 | n/a | n/a | 29 | 3 | 1st | 8th |
First win: 1960 Indianapolis 500. Win rate 8.3% of starts.
Compare with team-mates: Rodger Ward, Sam Hanks. Or anyone else.
Season by season
Explained: how points and the championships work · how the points system changed since 1950 · the closest and most one-sided team-mate pairings.
| Season | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | Podiums | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Watson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8th |
| 1959 | Watson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11th |
| 1958 | Epperly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 21st |
| 1957 | Epperly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 10th |
| 1956 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 67th |
| 1955 | Epperly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46th |
| 1954 | Kurtis Kraft | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79th |
| 1953 | Kurtis Kraft | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28th |
| 1952 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 10th |
| 1950 | Wetteroth | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55th |
By team
| Team | Years | Starts | Wins | Poles | Podiums | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wetteroth | 1950 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kurtis Kraft | 1952–1956 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 |
| Epperly | 1955–1958 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| Watson | 1959–1960 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
All 1 wins
| # | Race | Circuit | Team | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1960 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Watson | 2 |
Every race
| Race | Team | Grid | Finish | Status | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 Indianapolis 500 | Watson | 2 | 1 | Finished | 8 |
| 1959 Indianapolis 500 | Watson | 3 | 2 | Finished | 6 |
| 1958 Indianapolis 500 | Epperly | 20 | 5 | Finished | 2 |
| 1957 Indianapolis 500 | Epperly | 32 | 2 | Finished | 7 |
| 1956 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 2 | R | Engine | 0 |
| 1955 Indianapolis 500 | Epperly | 20 | 14 | +9 Laps | 0 |
| 1954 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 28 | R | Accident | 0 |
| 1954 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 10 | R | Spun off | 0 |
| 1953 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 28 | 15 | Magneto | 0 |
| 1953 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 25 | 7 | Finished | 0 |
| 1952 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 10 | 2 | Finished | 6 |
| 1950 Indianapolis 500 | Wetteroth | 28 | 24 | +16 Laps | 0 |