Troy Ruttman

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Troy Ruttman
Ruttman, circa 1951
BornTroy Lynn Ruttman
(1930-03-11)March 11, 1930
Mooreland, Oklahoma, U.S.
DiedMay 19, 1997(1997-05-19) (aged 67)
Lake Havasu City, Arizona, U.S.
Championship titles
AAA Midwest Big Car (1951)
Major victories
Indianapolis 500 (1952)
Champ Car career
49 races run over 15 years
Best finish2nd (1952)
First race1949 Arlington 100 (Arlington)
Last race1964 Trenton 150 (Trenton)
First win1952 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last win1952 Raleigh 200 (Raleigh)
Wins Podiums Poles
2 6 2
NASCAR Cup Series career
7 races run over 3 years
Best finish49th (1962)
First race1962 Atlanta 500 (Atlanta)
Last race1964 Motor Trend 500 (Riverside)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 5 0
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityUnited States American
Active years1950 – 1958, 1960
TeamsLesovsky, Kurtis Kraft, Kuzma, Watson, Maserati
Entries12 (8 starts)
Championships0
Wins1
Podiums1
Career points9.5
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1950 Indianapolis 500
First win1952 Indianapolis 500
Last win1952 Indianapolis 500
Last entry1960 Indianapolis 500

Troy Lynn Ruttman (March 11, 1930 – May 19, 1997) was an American racing driver. He is best known for winning the 1952 Indianapolis 500 - at the age of 22 years and 80 days, Ruttman remains the youngest ever winner of the event. Competing since the age of 15, he had a remarkably successful early career, winning several regional and AAA-sanctioned championships.

Driving career[edit]

Early career[edit]

In 1945, at age 15, Ruttman entered his family's car into a roadster race held in San Bernardino, California, winning the event.[1] He won 19 of the 21 events staged there that season.[1] By 1947 he was the California Roadster Association (CRA) roadster champion.[1] He also won his first five midget car races that season. In 1948 he repeated as the CRA roadster champion, United Racing Association Blue Circuit (Offy) championship, and 23 midget car events.[1]

Sprint car career[edit]

In May 1949, Ruttman left California for the AAA Sprint and Championship car circuits of the Midwest. He won three AAA Sprint Car championships over the next three and a half seasons.[1] He competed in 51 midget races, winning 16 and placing in the top three 28 times.[1]

Championship car career[edit]

Ruttman's winning car from the 1952 Indianapolis 500

Ruttman drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1949–1952, 1954, 1956–1957 and 1960–1964 seasons with 58 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races during 1949–1952, 1954, 1956–1957, and 1960–1964. His best championship finish was as runner-up to Chuck Stevenson for the 1952 National Championship.

His victory in the 1952 Indianapolis 500 made him the youngest winner of the event.[2]

An injury during a sprint car crash in August 1952 sidelined Ruttman for one and a half racing seasons. Ruttman returned in 1954 on a greatly reduced schedule, never attaining the same level of success. He had not been diligent during his recovery, gaining weight, and spending time partying - a competitor remarked that Ruttman was a case of "too much, too young."[3]

Stock car career[edit]

Ruttman won the 1956 USAC Short Track Stock Car division title. Ruttman also competed in seven races in the NASCAR Grand National Series from 1962 to 1964, finishing in the top ten five times. His best finish was third in the 1963 race at Riverside International Raceway, running behind Dan Gurney and A. J. Foyt.[4]

World Drivers' Championship career[edit]

The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship points and participation in addition to those which they received towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.

Ruttman participated in seven World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He was also the first of a small number of USAC/Indianapolis drivers to start an FIA-sanctioned World Drivers' Championship event during the 1950-1960 period - competing for Scuderia Centro Sud in the 1958 French Grand Prix. During his World Drivers' Championship career, Ruttman won once, and he accumulated 9.5 World Drivers' Championship points.

Ruttman's victory in the 1952 Indianapolis 500 earned him the distinction of being the youngest driver to win a round of the World Drivers' Championship, an honor he held until Fernando Alonso won the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix.

Retirement and death[edit]

After concluding his racing career at the age of 34, Ruttman relocated to Plymouth, Michigan, operating a motorcycle and snowmobile dealership.[3]

Ruttman died as a result of lung cancer on May 19, 1997, at Lake Havasu City, Arizona, just a month before the long planned "Troy Ruttman Day" in his hometown of Mooreland, Oklahoma.[3]

Awards and honors[edit]

Ruttman has been inducted into the following halls of fame:


Motorsports career results[edit]

AAA/USAC Championship Car results[edit]

Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Points
1949 ARL
8 		INDY
12 		MIL
18 		TRE
 SPR
 MIL
 DUQ
 PIK NYS
 DET
 SPR
 LAN
 SAC
3 		DMR
12 		21st 250
1950 INDY
15 		MIL
17 		LAN
10 		SPR
DNQ 		MIL
13 		PIK SYR
14 		DET
11 		SPR
 SAC
12 		PHX
17 		BAY
15 		DAR
18 		41st 46
1951 INDY
23 		MIL
 LAN
 DAR
 SPR
6 		MIL
 DUQ
 DUQ
 PIK SYR
 DET
 DNC
 SJS
15 		PHX
 BAY
 39th 80
1952 INDY
1 		MIL
DNQ 		RAL
1 		SPR
12 		MIL
 DET
 DUQ
 PIK SYR
 DNC
 SJS
 PHX
 2nd 1,410
1953 INDY
Wth 		MIL
 SPR DET SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX - 0
1954 INDY
4 		MIL
7 		LAN
 DAR
15 		SPR
 MIL
 DUQ
 PIK SYR
 ISF
 SAC
 PHX
 LVG
 15th 447
1955 INDY
DNQ 		MIL LAN SPR MIL DUQ PIK SYR ISF SAC PHX
 - 0
1956 INDY
31 		MIL
20 		LAN DAR
DNS 		ATL SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF SAC PHX - 0
1957 INDY
31 		LAN MIL
10 		DET ATL SPR MIL
25 		DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX 36th 30
1958 TRE INDY
DNQ 		MIL LAN ATL SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC
14 		PHX
DNP 		- 0
1960 TRE INDY
20 		MIL
DNQ 		LAN
 SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0
1961 TRE
3 		INDY
20 		MIL
16 		LAN MIL SPR DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX 23rd 140
1962 TRE INDY
18 		MIL
DNQ 		LAN TRE SPR MIL
13 		LAN SYR
3 		ISF
DNQ 		TRE
13 		SAC
6 		PHX
7 		15th 280
1963 TRE
5 		INDY
12 		MIL
DNQ 		LAN TRE
5 		SPR MIL
14 		DUQ ISF TRE
3 		SAC PHX 11th 580
1964 PHX
 TRE INDY
18 		MIL
4 		LAN TRE
8 		SPR MIL
Wth 		DUQ ISF TRE SAC PHX 26th 160

Indianapolis 500 results[edit]

FIA World Drivers' Championship results[edit]

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points
1950 Bowes Racing Inc. Lesovsky Offenhauser Straight-4 GBR
 MON
 500
15 		SUI
 BEL
 FRA
 ITA
 NC 0
1951 Christopher J.C. Agajanian Kurtis Kraft 2000 Offenhauser Straight-4 SUI
 500
Ret 		BEL
 FRA
 GBR
 GER
 ITA
 ESP
 NC 0
1952 Christopher J.C. Agajanian Kuzma Offenhauser Straight-4 SUI
 500
1 		BEL
 FRA
 GBR
 GER
 NED
 ITA
 7th 8
1953 Travelon Trailer Kurtis Kraft 500B Offenhauser Straight-4 ARG
 500
DNQ 		NED
 BEL
 FRA
 GBR
 GER
 SUI
 ITA
 NC 0
1954 Eugene A Casaroll Kurtis Kraft 500A Offenhauser Straight-4 ARG
 500
4† 		BEL
 FRA
 GBR
 GER
 SUI
 ITA
 ESP
 23rd= 1.5
1955 Novi Racing Kurtis Kraft Novi Straight-8s ARG
 MON
 500
DNQ 		BEL
 NED
 GBR
 ITA
 NC 0
1956 John Zink Kurtis Kraft 500C Offenhauser Straight-4 ARG
 MON
 500
Ret 		BEL
 FRA
 GBR
 GER
 ITA
 NC 0
1957 John Zink Watson Offenhauser Straight-4 ARG
 MON
 500
Ret 		FRA
 GBR
 GER
 PES
 ITA
 NC 0
1958 Christopher J.C. Agajanian Kuzma Offenhauser Straight-4 ARG
 MON
 NED
 500
DNQ 		BEL
 NC 0
Scuderia Centro Sud Maserati 250F Maserati Straight-6 FRA
10 		GBR
 GER
DNS 		POR
 ITA
 MOR
1960 John Zink Watson Offenhauser Straight-4 ARG
 MON
 500
Ret 		NED
 BEL
 FRA
 GBR
 POR
 ITA
 USA
 NC 0
  • † = Shared drive

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Biography Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine at the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame
  2. ^ "22-year-old Ruttman is youngest Indy 500 winner". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  3. ^ a b c "MotorCities - Remembering the Great Legacy of Race Car Driver Troy Ruttman | 2018 | Story of the Week". www.motorcities.org. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
  4. ^ NASCAR statistics at racing-reference.info
  5. ^ "Michigan Motor Sports Hall of Fame - Ruttman, Troy 1982 *". www.mmshof.org. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  6. ^ "Troy Ruttman". IMS Museum. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  7. ^ "Troy Ruttman". www.sprintcarhof.com. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  8. ^ "Hall of Fame – West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame". Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  9. ^ "StockcarReunion.com". www.stockcarreunion.com. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  10. ^ "Troy Ruttman". www.mshf.com. Retrieved 2023-10-07.
  11. ^ "TROY RUTTMAN - USAC HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2018 - USAC Racing". usacracing.com. Retrieved 2023-10-07.

External links[edit]

Awards
Preceded by Indianapolis 500 Winner
1952 		Succeeded by
Records
Preceded by Youngest driver to start
a Formula One race
20 years, 80 days
(1950 Indianapolis 500) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Youngest Grand Prix
race winner
22 years, 80 days
(1952 Indianapolis 500) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Youngest driver to score a
podium position in Formula One
22 years, 80 days
(1952 Indianapolis 500) 		Succeeded by
Bruce McLaren
21 years, 322 days
(1959 British GP)
Preceded by Youngest driver to score
points in Formula One
22 years, 80 days
(1952 Indianapolis 500) 		Succeeded by
Bruce McLaren
21 years, 253 days
(1959 Monaco GP)
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