1958 United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars


The 1958 United States Grand Prix for Sports Cars was a sports car race held at Riverside International Raceway on October 12, 1958. It was the fourth and final round of the 1958 USAC Road Racing Championship season, the seventeenth round of the Sports Car Club of America's Pacific Coast Championship, the second running of the Riverside Grand Prix, and the first post-World War II running of the United States Grand Prix. The race was held over 62 laps of Riverside's circuit, for a total of. Chuck Daigh won the race overall, driving one of Lance Reventlow's Scarab-Chevrolets. The race is also noteworthy in the annals of international racing, as the strong second-place finish by a local driver named Dan Gurney earned him a test drive in a factory Ferrari Formula 1 car, effectively launching the Californian's legendary racing career.
The weather at this event was very warm, even for a desert climate that routinely saw daytime temperatures of 100F plus during the summer. On race day the temperature reached an extraordinary high for the era ; with winds gusting up to on race day. Even with the global warming that emerged decades after the late 1950s, the maximum temperature of Riverside, California never exceeded for the month of October 2013.

Entry

The race was open to cars meeting the Sports Car Club of America's B Modified through G Modified classes. Although named "modified", most of the cars in classes C through G were factory-built sports racing cars. The field was unusually large for an American sports car race, attracted in large part by a large purse consisting of $14,500.

Qualifying

winners in each class are marked in bold.
PosClassCarDriverLap Time
1BM#5 Scarab Mk II-ChevroletChuck Daigh02:04.0
2CM#2 Ferrari 412 SPhil Hill02:06.0
3BM#3 Scarab Mk II-ChevroletLance Reventlow02:08.1
4CM#59 Aston Martin DBR2Bob Oker02:09.7
5CM#69 Ferrari 375 PlusDan Gurney02:10.2
6CM#11 Ferrari 335 SJohn von Neumann02:10.8
7BM#70 Ol' Yaller Mk.I-BuickMax Balchowsky02:11.1
8DM#159 Aston Martin DBR1Roy Salvadori02:11.6
9DM#211 Ferrari 250 TRRichie Ginther02:12.3
10BM#172 Kurtis 500X-CadillacJerry Unser02:12.4
11CM#27 Jaguar D-TypeBill Krause02:13.6
12BM#111 Devin-Chevrolet SpecialAk Miller02:13.7
13FM#7 Porsche 718 RSKJean Behra02:14.3
14BM#14 Lister-CorvetteBill Pollack02:15.5
15CM#88 Ferrari 410 SMasten Gregory02:15.6
16CM#78 Maserati 450SCarroll Shelby02:15.6
17BM#229 Chevrolet SpecialClem Proctor02:17.6
18BM#264 Huffaker Special-ChryslerFred Knoop02:17.7
19EM#50 Porsche 550 RS SpyderKen Miles02:18.0
20FM#126 Lotus ElevenPat Pigott02:18.6
21EM#155 Ferrari 500 TRSam Weiss02:18.8
22BM#149 Zidar Special Ray Crawford02:19.8
23GM#125 Lotus ElevenPete Lovely02:21.8
24BM#98 Maserati 450S-PontiacJim Rathmann02:22.9
25GM#127 Lotus Eleven-ClimaxSkip Conklin02:23.4
26EM#9 Meyer-Drake Special-OffenhauserBill Cantrell02:24.0
27FM#49 Cooper-ClimaxBob Drake02:24.3
28FM#117 Osca TNHarry Hanford02:24.4
29FM#4 Lotus ElevenLew Florence02:24.6
30EM#135 Ferrari 500 TRAlan Markelson02:24.9
31CM#129 HWM-ChevroletRalph Ormsbee02:25.3
32BM#96 Kurtis-FordMarvin Porter02:25.4
33BM#110 Caballo de Hiero Mk II-OldsmobileBobby Unser02:26.3
34EM#121 Ferrari 500 TRCFrank Becker02:26.3
35BM#93 Buick SpecialFloyd Burt02:27.6
36FM#122 Cooper-PorscheTom Meehan02:28.2
37FM#124 Porsche 550 RS SpyderGeorge Keck02:28.3
38DM#259 Aston Martin DB3SWilliam de Creeft02:28.8
39EM#35 Osca 2000Pearce Woods02:29.0
40BM#140 Kurtis-BuickBill Cheesbourg02:30.1
41EM#23 Lotus Mark XJohn Timanus02:30.4
42DM#118 Porsche 356 Carrera GT CoupeJean Pierre Kunstle02:34.2
43DM#138 Duncan SpecialBill Love02:35.3
44EM#26 Ferrari 500 TRGordon Glyer02:36.5
45BM#6 Kurtis-BuickTroy Ruttmanno time
46BM#181 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL-CorvetteJohnny Parsonsno time
DNQFM#8 Maserati 150SDusty Miller
DNQBM#16 Scarab Mk I-ChevroletLance Reventlow
DNQBM#52 Kurtis-CorvetteBert Ruttman
DNQCM#77 Ferrari 735 LMRodger Ward
DNQEM#114 Sebring 2000SSHank Tubman

Race result

Class winners marked in bold.
PosClassNoTeamDriversCarLaps
1BM5Reventlow Automobile Incorporated Chuck DaighScarab Mk II62
1BM5Reventlow Automobile Incorporated Chuck DaighChevrolet Corvette 5.5L V862
2CM69Frank Arciero Dan GurneyFerrari 375 Plus62
2CM69Frank Arciero Dan GurneyFerrari 5.0L V1262
3CM27Frank Millard Bill KrauseJaguar D-Type62
3CM27Frank Millard Bill KrauseJaguar XK 3.9L I662
4FM7Porsche AG Jean BehraPorsche 718 RSK61
4FM7Porsche AG Jean BehraPorsche 1.5L Flat-461
5DM211Ferrari Representatives of California Richie GintherFerrari 250 TR61
5DM211Ferrari Representatives of California Richie GintherFerrari Tipo 128 3.0L V1261
6DM159David Brown Roy SalvadoriAston Martin DBR161
6DM159David Brown Roy SalvadoriAston Martin 2.9L I661
7BM70Motor Trend Magazine Max BalchowskyOl'Yaller Mk.160
7BM70Motor Trend Magazine Max BalchowskyBuick 5.3L V860
8BM14Dean Van Lines Bill PollackLister60
8BM14Dean Van Lines Bill PollackChevrolet Corvette 5.8L V860
9EM50Precision Motor Cars Ken MilesPorsche 550 RS60
9EM50Precision Motor Cars Ken MilesPorsche 1.6L Flat-460
10FM49Top Equipment Co. Bob DrakeCooper58
10FM49Top Equipment Co. Bob DrakeCoventry Climax 1.5L I458
11CM88John Edgar Masten GregoryFerrari 410 S57
11CM88John Edgar Masten GregoryFerrari 5.0L V1257
12EM26Gordon Glyer Gordon GlyerFerrari 500 TR57
12EM26Gordon Glyer Gordon GlyerFerrari Tipo 131 2.0L I457
13CM129Team Empire Ralph OrmsbeeHWM57
13CM129Team Empire Ralph OrmsbeeChevrolet 5.0L V857
14FM117Tim Considine Harry HanfordOsca TN57
14FM117Tim Considine Harry HanfordOsca 1.5L I457
15EM135Alan Markelson Alan MarkelsonFerrari 500 TR56
15EM135Alan Markelson Alan MarkelsonFerrari Tipo 131 2.0L I456
16EM9Mar-Chris Co. Bill CantrellMeyer-Drake Special56
16EM9Mar-Chris Co. Bill CantrellOffenhauser 1.7L56
17EM121Team Empire Frank BeckerFerrari 500 TRC55
17EM121Team Empire Frank BeckerFerrari 2.0L I455
18GM127Skip Conklin Skip ConklinLotus Eleven55
18GM127Skip Conklin Skip ConklinClimax 1.1L I455
19FM124Team Empire George KeckPorsche 550 RS54
19FM124Team Empire George KeckPorsche 1.5L Flat-454
20DM118Jean Pierre Kunstle Jean Pierre KunstlePorsche 356 Carrera GT54
20DM118Jean Pierre Kunstle Jean Pierre KunstlePorsche 1.5L Flat-454
21DM259William de Creeft William de CreeftAston Martin DB3S52
21DM259William de Creeft William de CreeftAston Martin 2.9L I652
22EM35C. Vernon Pearce WoodsOsca 200047
22EM35C. Vernon Pearce WoodsOsca 2.0L47
23DM138West Coast Racing Bill LoveDuncan Special44
23DM138West Coast Racing Bill LoveTriumph TR2 2.2L44
24EM23John Timanus John TimanusLotus Mark X39
24EM23John Timanus John Timanus1.4L I439
25
DNF
CM2Ferrari Representatives of California Phil HillFerrari 412 S55
25
DNF
CM2Ferrari Representatives of California Phil HillFerrari 4.0L V12 DOHC55
26
DNF
GM125Team Empire Pete LovelyLotus Eleven54
26
DNF
GM125Team Empire Pete LovelyCoventry Climax FWA 1.1L I454
27
DNF
FM126Team Empire Pat PigottLotus Eleven46
27
DNF
FM126Team Empire Pat PigottCoventry Climax 1.5L I446
28
DNF
FM4Team Empire Lew FlorenceLotus Eleven25
28
DNF
FM4Team Empire Lew FlorenceCoventry Climax 1.5L I425
29
DNF
BM93Floyd Burt Floyd BurtBuick Special23
29
DNF
BM93Floyd Burt Floyd BurtBuick23
30
DNF
BM149Ray Crawford Ray Crawford"Zidar Special" Kurtis20
30
DNF
BM149Ray Crawford Ray CrawfordChevrolet Corvette 5.5L V820
31
DNF
BM181Chuck Porter Johnnie ParsonsMercedes-Benz 300 SL Special16
31
DNF
BM181Chuck Porter Johnnie ParsonsChevrolet Corvette 5.0L V816
32
DNF
BM264Fred Knoop Fred KnoopHuffaker-Chrysler Special13
32
DNF
BM264Fred Knoop Fred KnoopChrysler 5.2L V813
33
DNF
BM3Reventlow Automobile Incorporated Lance ReventlowScarab Mk II-Chevrolet9
33
DNF
BM3Reventlow Automobile Incorporated Lance ReventlowChevrolet Corvette 5.5L V89
34
DNF
BM140Alex Budurin Bill CheesbourgKurtis Kraft8
34
DNF
BM140Alex Budurin Bill CheesbourgBuick8
35
DNF
BM172Mickey Thompson Jerry UnserKurtis 500 X27
35
DNF
BM172Mickey Thompson Jerry UnserCadillac 5.6L V87
36
DNF
BM6Bill Murphy's Buick Troy RuttmanKurtis Kraft7
36
DNF
BM6Bill Murphy's Buick Troy RuttmanBuick 5.1L V87
37
DNF
FM122Team Empire Tom MeehanCooper6
37
DNF
FM122Team Empire Tom MeehanPorsche 1.5L Flat-46
38
DNF
CM78Temple Buell Carroll ShelbyMaserati 450S4
38
DNF
CM78Temple Buell Carroll ShelbyMaserati 4.7L V8 DOHC4
39
DNF
BM96 Marvin PorterKurtis Kraft4
39
DNF
BM96 Marvin PorterFord4
40
DNF
BM110Ak Miller Bobby UnserCaballo de Hiero Mk II3
40
DNF
BM110Ak Miller Bobby UnserOldsmobile 6.2L V83
41
DNF
EM155Sam Weiss Sam WeissFerrari 500 TR1
41
DNF
EM155Sam Weiss Sam WeissFerrari Tipo 131 2.0L I41
42
DNF
CM11Ferrari Representatives of California John von NeumannFerrari 335 S0
42
DNF
CM11Ferrari Representatives of California John von NeumannFerrari 4.0L V12 DOHC0
43
DNF
BM111Ak Miller Ak MillerDevin Special0
43
DNF
BM111Ak Miller Ak MillerChevrolet 5.6L V80
DNSCM59David Brown Bob OkerAston Martin DBR2
DNSCM59David Brown Bob OkerAston Martin 3.9L I6
DNSBM98John Engar Jim RathmannMaserati 450S
DNSBM98John Engar Jim RathmannPontiac 6.3L V8
DNSBM229Clem Proctor Clem ProctorChevrolet Special
DNSBM229Clem Proctor Clem ProctorChevrolet 4.6L V8
DNQFM8Dusty Miller Dusty MillerMaserati 150S
DNQFM8Dusty Miller Dusty MillerMaserati 1.5L I4
DNQBM16Reventlow Automobile Incorporated Lance ReventlowScarab Mk I-Chevrolet
DNQBM16Reventlow Automobile Incorporated Lance ReventlowChevrolet Corvette 5.5L V8
DNQBM52Engine Masters Bert RuttmanKurtis Kraft
DNQBM52Engine Masters Bert RuttmanChevrolet Corvette V8
DNQCM77Italia Motors Rodger WardFerrari 735 LM
DNQCM77Italia Motors Rodger WardFerrari 4.4L I6
DNQEM114Dean Van Lines Hank TubmanSebring 2000 SS
DNQEM114Dean Van Lines Hank Tubman2.0L

Two support races were held: a production car race won by Skip Hudson in a Chevrolet Corvette, and an under-1400cc race won by Jock Ross in a Cooper-Climax.