|| *Comments on the 1958 Indianapolis 500:* View the most recent comment <#17> | Post a comment <#post> Tweet 1. RaceFanX posted: 08.29.2010 - 11:29 pm Rate this comment: (1) (0) A.J. Foyt competes in the Indy 500 for the first time. He was 16th in this one but he'd go on to win the race four times. Pat O'Connor, the previous year's Indy 500 polesitter, was killed in the big first-lap accident. O'Connor had appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated days before the race and his death is often cited when people list examples of the "SI Cover Jinx." 2. Schroeder51 posted: 05.24.2011 - 12:02 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jerry Unser went flying out of the track in the first lap crash. 3. Patrick posted: 05.30.2011 - 1:22 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) the first of AJ Foyt's 35 consecutive Indy 500 starts. 4. RaceFanX posted: 05.17.2012 - 11:36 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Two-time and reigning USAC Champ Car champion Jimmy Bryan scores his only Indy 500 win. It was his seventh and final victory in the USAC era of Champ Car. 5. TaterRacing posted: 03.18.2013 - 11:19 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Incorrect DNQ on the list. Juan Manuel Fangio attempted this race, not Juan Fangio, who was not even two years old when this race took place. 6. Schroeder51 posted: 03.14.2015 - 3:34 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First Indy 500 starts for Jud Larson, Dempsey Wilson, A. J. Foyt, Paul Goldsmith, and Len Sutton. Only Indy 500 starts for George Amick, Jerry Unser, and Art Bisch. Last Indy 500 starts for Jimmy Reece, Johnnie Parsons, Johnnie Tolan, Billy Garrett, Ed Elisian, and Pat O'Connor. 7. Schroeder51 posted: 03.14.2015 - 8:57 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Add to DNQs: Pat Flaherty, #5 John Zink (Entry declined, failed physical) Elmer George, #10 Hoover Motor Express (Did not qualify) Fred Agabashian, #14 Bowes Seal Fast (Driven by Bob Veith) Carroll Shelby, #17 Ansted Rotary (Did not begin rookie test) Pat O'Connor, #28 Ansted Rotary (Did not qualify) Eddie Sachs, #28 Ansted Rotary (Did not qualify) Dick Rathman, #43 Chapman (Did not qualify) Jimmy Daywalt, #57 Helse (Did not qualify) Tony Bonadies, #58 Ray Brady Chiropractic (Did not qualify) Bud Clemons, #59 Sorenson (Did not qualify) Earl Motter, #61 Bryant Heating (Passed rookie test) Dutch Schaefer, #61 Bryant Heating & Cooling (Entry declined, lack of experience) Tom Pistone, #66 Federal Engineering (Entry declined, lack of experience) Al Herman, #68 Jim Robbins (Did not qualify) Don Edmunds, #92 McKay Bulldog (Wrecked practice) 8. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 02.04.2016 - 5:05 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Withdrew: Pat Flaherty-#5 John Zink Flaherty was the original intended driver of the car Ed Elisian raced, but he failed a physical exam and could not participate. Carroll Shelby-#17 Ansted Rotary Shelby was on the entry list, but never even completed his rookie test and did not make a qualifying attempt. Dutch Schaefer-#61 Bryant Heating & Cooling Tom Pistone-#66 Federal Engineering Their entries were both declined due to their lack of experience. 9. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 03.21.2017 - 11:41 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) First alternate: Gene Hartley 10. RaceFanX posted: 12.23.2017 - 3:18 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Paul Goldsmith, best known as a NASCAR racer at the time, makes his USAC Champ Car debut at the wheel of an open-wheel racer from the shops of legendary stock car mechanic Smokey Yunick. Their #31 was among the many cars taken out in the horrible crash on the opening lap. Goldsmith would go on to be a regular Indy competitor in the late 1950s-early 1960s before shifting his attention back full time to the stock cars. 11. Jolly Mean Giant posted: 06.03.2018 - 10:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Qualifying speeds: 1. Dick Rathmann, 145.97 MPH 2. Ed Elisian, 145.92 MPH 3. Jimmy Reece, 145.51 MPH 4. Bob Veith, 144.88 MPH 5. Pat O'Connor, 144.82 MPH 6. Johnnie Parsons, 144.68 MPH 7. Eddie Sachs, 144.66 MPH 8. Jimmy Bryan, 144.18 MPH 9. Johnny Boyd, 144.02 MPH 10. Tony Bettenhausen, 143.91 MPH 11. Jud Larson, 143.51 MPH 12. Jack Turner, 143.43 MPH 13. Dempsey Wilson, 143.27 MPH 14. Rodger Ward, 143.26 MPH 15. Jim Rathmann, 143.14 MPH 16. A. J. Foyt, 143.13 MPH 17. Don Freeland, 143.03 MPH 18. Paul Russo, 142.95 MPH 19. Al Keller, 142.93 MPH 20. Johnny Thomson, 142.90 MPH 21. Shorty Templeman, 142.81 MPH 22. Billy Garrett, 142.77 MPH 23. Jerry Unser, 142.75 MPH 24. Paul Goldsmith, 142.74 MPH 25. George Amick, 142.71 MPH 26. Eddie Johnson, 142.67 MPH 27. Len Sutton, 142.65 MPH 28. Art Bisch, 142.63 MPH 29. Chuck Weyant, 142.60 MPH 30. Bill Cheesbourg, 142.54 MPH 31. Johnnie Tolan, 142.30 MPH 32. Mike Magill, 142.27 MPH 33. Bob Christie, 142.25 MPH 12. RaceFanX posted: 04.09.2019 - 1:58 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Jimmy Bryan won this race at the wheel of the exact same Salih / Offy car that Sam Hanks had won the 1957 Indianapolis 500 driving. 13. possum posted: 10.26.2019 - 4:52 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) @5 - it's not strictly correct to say Fangio attempted the race. He took practice laps in the Novi, but due to contractual commitments (who'd have thought that existed in 1958) he wasn't able to try to qualify it. 14. RaceFanX posted: 04.25.2020 - 12:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) Sponsor: #26 Don Freeland- Bob Estes Special 15. MSportRev posted: 04.25.2020 - 1:17 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) DNQ updates: Jimmy Daywalt also failed to qualify in the #57. Don Edmunds #92 owned by Roy McKay. 16. Corey posted: 09.24.2020 - 10:35 pm Rate this comment: (0) (0) With the passing of Don Edmunds in August, this race is now the oldest Indy 500 with living participants. The two still with us are AJ Foyt and Paul Goldsmith. 17. JollyMeanGiant posted: 03.03.2021 - 1:21 am Rate this comment: (0) (0) 40 cars completed full runs during qualifying. Art Bisch in the #17, Freddie Agabashian in the #56, Agabashian in the #75, Ray Crawford in the #49, Rex Easton in the #10, Gene Hartley in the #24 and Dempsey Wilson in the #71 were not fast enough to make the field. (Not sure of the exact order they qualified in but Hartley was the first alternate so he was 34th fastest) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Post a comment:* Your comment may not appear immediately - all comments must be approved by the moderator. Name: Comment: