The 1960 Indianapolis 500 set a then-record 29 lead changes and is regarded as the greatest two-man duel in race history.
Key Facts
- Race edition
- 44th International 500-Mile Sweepstakes
- Date
- May 30, 1960
- Lead changes
- 29 (then-record, stood until 2012)
- Winner
- Jim Rathmann
- Margin of victory
- 12.75 seconds (2nd-closest at the time)
- Championship status
- Last Indy 500 to award F1 World Championship points
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The 1960 Indianapolis 500 was held as the 44th running of the race, counting as the second round of the USAC National Championship and the third round of the 1960 Formula One World Championship. Both Jim Rathmann and Rodger Ward arrived as competitive frontrunners capable of sustaining a prolonged battle.
Held on May 30, 1960, the race produced a then-record 29 lead changes as Rathmann and Ward exchanged the front position throughout the second half. On lap 197, Ward was forced to reduce speed due to a worn tire, allowing Rathmann to assume the lead and hold it to the finish, winning by 12.75 seconds.
Rathmann's victory secured him the race win in one of the most celebrated battles in Indianapolis 500 history. The event also marked the final occasion on which Formula One World Championship points were awarded at Indianapolis, ending a chapter in the race's relationship with grand prix motorsport.