Jimmy Bryan
Three-time National Champion and 1958 Indianapolis 500 winner.
James Ernest Bryan, born January 28, 1926, in Phoenix, Arizona, was an American racing driver known for racing with an unlit cigar. He won the Indianapolis 500 in 1958 and was a three-time National Champion, taking the 1954 AAA and 1956 and 1957 USAC National Championships. In Europe, he won the inaugural 1957 Race of Two Worlds at Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Bryan died after a crash at Langhorne Speedway on June 19, 1960.
Quick Facts
- Birth name
- James Ernest Bryan
- Born
- 28 January 1926
- Birthplace
- Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
- Died
- 19 June 1960
- Place of death
- Langhorne, Pennsylvania, U.S.
- Titles
- AAA
- USAC Championship Car (1954, 1956, 1957)
- Major victories
- Race of Two Worlds (1957)
- Indianapolis 500 (1958)
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- Bryan's 1958 Indianapolis 500 winning car was later repainted to look as it did when Sam Hanks drove it to victory in 1957.
- Bryan was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001.
Driving career
Bryan competed in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series from 1952 through 1960, making 72 starts. He achieved 23 victories and 54 top-ten finishes. During his 1957 championship season, he also won the inaugural Race of Two Worlds at Autodromo Nazionale Monza. The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 to 1960, and Bryan participated in nine such races, winning once and earning 18 championship points.
Death and legacy
Bryan died following a crash in a Championship car race at Langhorne Speedway in 1960. That same day, two drivers were killed in the Belgian Grand Prix, marking one of racing's most tragic days. For many years, one of the two Championship races at Phoenix International Raceway was called the Jimmy Bryan Memorial. He was also memorialized in a song by Harry Weger titled "The Ballad of Jimmy Bryan" and is buried in Phoenix's Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Jimmy Bryan born?
Jimmy Bryan was born on 28 January 1926 in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
When did Jimmy Bryan die?
Jimmy Bryan died on 19 June 1960 in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, U.S.
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