GridpediaRodger Ward
Rodger Ward is an American Formula 1 driver with 12 race starts from 1951 to 1963, 1 win, 0 pole positions, 2 podiums and 14 championship points.
Ward's first start was the 1951 Indianapolis 500 for Bromme, from 25th on the grid, ending in a retirement. The first win came at the 1959 Indianapolis 500 for Watson, in the 9th start, from 6th on the grid. The best season was 1959: 10th in the championship with 8 points, 1 win and 1 podium, for Watson and Kurtis Kraft. The longest team-mate pairing was with Jim Rathmann, 6 races: Ward finished ahead 2 times to 4 when both were classified, and out-qualified Rathmann 2 times to 4. 8 of the 12 starts ended in a retirement (67%).
- Nationality
- American
- Born
- 10 Jan 1921
- Active
- 1951 to 1963, 11 seasons
- Teams
- Bromme, Kurtis Kraft, Pawl, Kuzma, Lesovsky, Watson, Lotus-BRM
| Starts | Wins | Poles | Podiums | Fastest laps | Laps led | Points | DNFs | Best finish | Best championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | 0 | 2 | n/a | n/a | 14 | 8 | 1st | 10th |
First win: 1959 Indianapolis 500. Win rate 8.3% of starts.
Compare with team-mates: Jim Rathmann. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Lotus-BRM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39th |
| 1960 | Watson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 14th |
| 1959 | Watson, Kurtis Kraft | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 10th |
| 1958 | Lesovsky | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66th |
| 1957 | Lesovsky | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73rd |
| 1956 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36th |
| 1955 | Kuzma | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 79th |
| 1954 | Pawl | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85th |
| 1953 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 68th |
| 1952 | Kurtis Kraft | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 89th |
| 1951 | Bromme | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 78th |
By team
| Team | Years | Starts | Wins | Poles | Podiums | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromme | 1951 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kurtis Kraft | 1952–1959 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pawl | 1954 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kuzma | 1955 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lesovsky | 1957–1958 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Watson | 1959–1960 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 |
| Lotus-BRM | 1963 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All 1 wins
| # | Race | Circuit | Team | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1959 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Watson | 6 |
Every race
| Race | Team | Grid | Finish | Status | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 United States Grand Prix | Lotus-BRM | 17 | R | Gearbox | 0 |
| 1960 Indianapolis 500 | Watson | 3 | 2 | Finished | 6 |
| 1959 United States Grand Prix | Kurtis Kraft | 19 | R | Clutch | 0 |
| 1959 Indianapolis 500 | Watson | 6 | 1 | Finished | 8 |
| 1958 Indianapolis 500 | Lesovsky | 11 | R | Magneto | 0 |
| 1957 Indianapolis 500 | Lesovsky | 24 | R | Turbo | 0 |
| 1956 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 15 | 8 | Finished | 0 |
| 1955 Indianapolis 500 | Kuzma | 30 | R | Accident | 0 |
| 1954 Indianapolis 500 | Pawl | 16 | R | Retired | 0 |
| 1953 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 10 | 16 | Axle | 0 |
| 1952 Indianapolis 500 | Kurtis Kraft | 22 | R | Oil pressure | 0 |
| 1951 Indianapolis 500 | Bromme | 25 | R | Oil pipe | 0 |