Pat O'Connor
BornPatrick James O'Connor
(1928-10-09)October 9, 1928
North Vernon, Indiana, U.S.
DiedMay 30, 1958(1958-05-30) (aged 29)
Speedway, Indiana, U.S.
Champ Car career
36 races run over 7 years
Years active1952–1958
Best finish4th – 1957
First race1953 Hoosier Hundred
(Indiana State Fairgrounds)
Last race1958 Indianapolis 500
(Indianapolis Motor Speedway)
First win1956 Pee Dee 200 (Darlington)
Last win1957 Trenton 100 (Trenton)
Wins Podiums Poles
2 6 1
Formula One World Championship career
Active years1953–1958
TeamsDeidt, Kurtis Kraft, Schroeder
Entries6 (5 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions1
Fastest laps0
First entry1953 Indianapolis 500
Last entry1958 Indianapolis 500

Patrick James O'Connor[1] (October 9, 1928 – May 30, 1958)[2] was an American racecar driver. He was killed in a 15-car pileup, after sustaining a fatal head injury after rolling his car and catching fire on the first lap of the 1958 Indianapolis 500.

Champ Car

O'Connor competed in 36 races in his champ car career.[3] He took his first win in 1956 at Darlington Raceway.[3] In 1957, he won the pole position for the Indianapolis 500 and he finished eighth.[3] Later in the year, he won at Trenton Speedway.[3]

He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in May 1958 (one week before the race),[4] adding to the legend of the Sports Illustrated Cover Jinx.

Death

For the 1958 Indianapolis 500, Dick Rathmann and Ed Elisian started the race on the front row, with Jimmy Reece on the outside of the front row. Elisian spun in turn 3 of the first lap and collided with Rathmann's car, sending them both into the wall, and starting a 15-car pileup.[4]

According to A. J. Foyt, O'Connor's car hit Reece's car, sailed fifty feet in the air, landed upside down, and burst into flames. Although O'Connor was incinerated in the accident, medical officials said that he was probably killed instantly from a fractured skull.[5][4] In an interview after the race, winner Jimmy Bryan was quoted for saying "It was a nightmare. I lived with it for 200 laps."[4]

Widely blamed for the accident, Elisian was suspended by USAC for the accident (reinstated a few days later), and was shunned by many in the racing community.

Following the accident, race officials announced that they would change the starting procedure, abandoning the single-file trip down pit lane that was used in 1957 and 1958. Also, for the 1959 Indy 500, metal roll bars welded to the frame behind the driver's head were mandated, and helmets were required to pass safety certification by Speedway medical officials.[6]

Awards

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1995.[7]

Legacy

Salem Speedway honored him along with Joe James with an annual title event.[7] The 2020 event was part of the USAC Silvercrown series.[7]

Complete AAA/USAC Championship Car results

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos Points
1952 INDY
 MIL
 RAL
 SPR
 MIL
 DET
 DUQ
DNQ		 PIK
 SYR
 DNC
 SJS
 PHX
 - 0
1953 INDY
DNQ		 MIL
DNQ		 SPR
 DET
 SPR
 MIL
 DUQ
DNQ		 PIK
 SYR
 ISF
7		 SAC
 PHX
8		 32nd 110
1954 INDY
21		 MIL
5		 LAN
DNQ		 DAR
10		 SPR
DNQ		 MIL
19		 DUQ
DNQ		 PIK
 SYR
DNQ		 ISF
DNQ		 SAC
DNQ		 PHX
DNQ		 LVG
9		 25th 200
1955 INDY
8		 MIL
18		 LAN
5		 SPR
DNQ		 MIL
26		 DUQ
9		 PIK
 SYR
4		 ISF
5		 SAC
5		 PHX
5		 7th 800
1956 INDY
18		 MIL
11		 LAN
DNQ		 DAR
1		 ATL
17		 SPR
5		 MIL
21		 DUQ
DNQ		 SYR
13		 ISF
2		 SAC
15		 PHX
DNQ		 11th 680
1957 INDY
8		 LAN
DNQ		 MIL
4		 DET
 ATL
 SPR
DNQ		 MIL
3		 DUQ
8		 SYR
2		 ISF
10		 TRE
1		 SAC
15		 PHX
2		 4th 1,250
1958 TRE
13		 INDY
29		 MIL
 LAN ATL SPR MIL DUQ SYR
 ISF
 TRE SAC PHX - 0

Indianapolis 500 results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points
1953 Slick Racers Deidt Offenhauser L4 ARG 500
DNQ		 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA NC 0
Engle-Stanko Kurtis Kraft 4000 500
DNQ
Brown Motors Schroeder 500
DNQ
1954 Hopkins / Motor Racers Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser L4 ARG 500
21		 BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP NC 0
1955 Ansted Rotary Kurtis Kraft 500D Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
8		 BEL NED GBR ITA NC 0
1956 Ansted Rotary Kurtis Kraft 500D Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
18		 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA NC 0
1957 Ansted Rotary Kurtis Kraft 500G Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
30		 FRA GBR GER PES ITA NC 0
1958 Sumar / Chapman Root Kurtis Kraft 500G Offenhauser L4 ARG MON NED 500
29		 BEL FRA GBR GER POR ITA MOR NC 0

World Championship career summary

The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Pat O'Connor participated in 5 World Championship races. He started on the pole once but scored no World Championship points, as his best finish was eighth (twice).

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Pat O'Connor". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  2. ↑ "Motorsport Memorial - Pat O'Connor". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Driver Pat O'Connor Career Statistics". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Ayello, Jim (May 21, 2018). "A.J. Foyt: Scar never healed after seeing friend die in horrific crash at 1958 Indy 500". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  5. ↑ Indy 500 deadly accidents, 1958 Archived 2013-11-10 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ we feel the blues when we lose Archived 2007-02-02 at the Wayback Machine
  7. 1 2 3 "USAC Joe James/PatO'Conner Memorial". USAC Silvercrown. August 15, 2020. Event occurs at 20:47. FloRacing.
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