Dick Rathmann
Dick Rathmann was born as James "Jim" Rathmann ( born January 6, 1924 in Los Angeles, California, † February 1, 2000 in Melbourne, Florida) was an American NASCAR and Champ Car racing, in particular in the 1950s - years in the United States and was popular throughout his career 13 NASCAR-R won Ennen.
The pseudonym
The somewhat superfluous and confusing pseudonym had the following origin: When his younger brother Richard (1928-2011) - Dick is in the English vernacular short for Richard - wanted to start a career in motorsport, he simply used the birth certificate of his older brother, to under to be able to start its name. When given the success of the younger man finally wanted to start the " real" Jim in car racing, he used his hand the papers of the " original " Richards to now deny race as "Dick" Rathmann.
The NASCAR star
Dick Rath 's actual domain in motorsport were the NASCAR race that still had at that time a larger series close as today and enjoyed great popularity with the public. He sat in all his races 1951-1958 always on the Hudson brand, where he won 13 races with a Hudson Hornet with 128 race starts and achieve as many pole positions. In the years 1952/53, he won five races, but without being champion. Following the race, he was able to claim as their First Place for itself: Martinsville 100, Langhorne Speedway, Darlington 100, Dayton 100 or 150, Central City 150, International 200, Morristown 200, Lincoln City 200, Langhorne 250, Oakland 250, Wilkes County 160 and Santa Fe 200
Starts in the Champ Car series
Like many other American racing driver he also tried his hand at single-seater racing, where as an additional incentive matters further, there was his brother quite successful. So Dick Rathmann denied 1950-1958 a couple of races in the Champ Car series, where he in 1950, 1956 and 1958 to 1960 five times in the race at Indianapolis, known as Indianapolis 500 took part. Since this race was considered a Grand Prix as part of the Formula 1 World Championship, appeared his name on in the Formula 1 statistics, which do not consider that Dick Rathmann very well had a reputation that went beyond an occasional starter.
In his first start he wrestled an inferior technical material and had to retire prematurely. During the 1956 Formula 1 season, he could make his race pace on this course already proven in qualifying with the fourth. In the end he finished in fifth place, which entitled him two championship points were credited. In the 1958 Formula 1 season he had on May 30, 1958 during the Indy 500 best conditions for a win, because he had learned the pole position in qualifying with his McNamara Special. But already in the third corner he was without fault with torn from the driving behind him Ed Elisian who lost control of his car into the wall of the brick yards. The following Jimmy Reece came then skidded and collided with his hand, his pursuers Bob Veith and Pat O'Connor. In the rollover of the latter of these suffered as the only basis of the ignited propellant of the pilots involved in the pile- life-threatening injuries. A total of 15 race cars were more or less in those collisions, considered from now on as the most severe in the early stages of a Indyrennens since 1909/11, involved. After the obligatory reboot Jimmy Bryan was on a Belond AP Special win unchallenged. Dick Rathmann tried his luck in the next two years again, but his "Speed" was not to be compared with the previous days, so he gave up racing and moved to Florida to there in the business of his brother, a big Chevrolet sales representative to work just as successful.
In the all-time best list of NASCAR - professionals, it ranks with its 13 victories after all, number 46 - and before some of the modern NASCAR drivers like Matt Kenseth or Sterling Marlin, although his career was relatively short in the NASCAR series. Some top drivers such as Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty drove out to about the age of 45.
Dick Rathmann died on 1 February 2000 at the age of 74 years due to heart failure.