Pat O'Connor (racing driver)

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For other people with the same name, see Pat O'Connor (disambiguation).
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
TeamsDiedt, 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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

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

Legacy[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Complete Formula One World Championship results[edit]

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points
1953 Slick Racers Diedt 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[edit]

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[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Pat O'Connor". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  2. ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Pat O'Connor". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Driver Pat O'Connor Career Statistics". www.racing-reference.info. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c "USAC Joe James/PatO'Conner Memorial". USAC Silvercrown. August 15, 2020. Event occurs at 20:47. FloRacing.

External links[edit]

Preceded by Formula One fatal accidents
July 6, 1958 		Succeeded by
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