James Ernest Bryan (January 28, 1926 – June 19, 1960) was an American racecar driver who won the 1958 Indianapolis 500. Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Bryan died as a result of injuries sustained in a champ car race at Langhorne Speedway.

Career

He drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1952–1960 seasons with 72 starts, including each year's Indianapolis 500 race. He finished in the top ten 54 times, with 23 victories.

Bryan won the 1958 Indianapolis 500 and the 1954 AAA and 1956 and 1957 USAC National Championship. During his 1957 championship season, Bryan also won the inaugural running of the Race of Two Worlds at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy.

Death and legacy

Bryan died after a crash in a Champ car race at Langhorne Speedway in 1960, on the same day that two drivers were killed in the Belgian Grand Prix, making the day one of the most tragic in racing history. For many years one of the two championship races at the Phoenix International Raceway was a memorial race dedicated to Bryan. He was also memorialized in a song by Harry Weger titled "The Ballad of Jimmy Bryan". Bryan is buried in Phoenix's Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery.

Awards

He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994.

He was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1999.

He was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001.

Complete Open Wheel Championship Car results

AAA National Championship Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Pos Points 1951 INDY
DNQ MIL LAN DAR SPR MIL DUQ DUQ PIK SYR DET DNC SJS PHX BAY - 0 1952 INDY
6 MIL RAL SPR
DNQ MIL DET DUQ PIK SYR DNC SJS
9 PHX
14 15th 440 1953 INDY
14 MIL
2 SPR
8 DET
3 SPR
15 MIL
10 DUQ
7 PIK SYR
17 ISF
11 SAC
1 PHX
15 9th 621,4 1954 INDY
2 MIL
DNS LAN
1 DAR
3 SPR
12 MIL
3 DUQ
3 PIK SYR
4 ISF
1 SAC
1 PHX
1 LVG
1 1st 2.630 1955 INDY
24 MIL
4 LAN
1 SPR
1 MIL
23 DUQ
1 PIK SYR
2 ISF
1 SAC
1 PHX
1 2nd 1.480 USAC National Championship Trail 1956 INDY
19 MIL
4 LAN
6 DAR
8 ATL SPR
1 MIL
1 DUQ
1 SYR
2 ISF
1 SAC
3 PHX
2 1st 1.860 1957 INDY
3 LAN
DNQ MIL
19 DET
1 ATL
13 SPR
7 MIL
22 DUQ
18 SYR
4 ISF
2 TRE
8 SAC
2 PHX
1 1st 1.650 1958 TRE INDY
1 MIL LAN ATL SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX 6th 1.000 1959 DAY TRE INDY
33 MIL LAN SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0 1960 TRE INDY
19 MIL
DNQ LAN
18 SPR MIL DUQ SYR ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0

Indianapolis 500 results

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points 1951 Viking Trailer Lesovsky Offenhauser L4 SUI 500
DNQ BEL FRA GBR GER ITA ESP NC 0 1952 Peter Schmidt Kurtis Kraft 3000 Offenhauser L4 SUI 500
6 BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA NC 0 1953 Blakely Oil Schroeder Offenhauser L4 ARG 500
14 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA NC 0 1954 Dean Van Lines Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG 500
2 BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA ESP 10th 6 1955 Dean Van Lines Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
24 BEL NED GBR ITA NC 0 1956 Dean Van Lines Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
19 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA NC 0 1957 Dean Van Lines Kuzma Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG MON 500
3 FRA GBR GER PES ITA 16th 4 1958 Belond AP / George Salih Epperly Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG MON NED 500
1 BEL FRA GBR GER POR ITA MOR 13th 8 1959 Belond AP / George Salih Epperly Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 MON 500
33 NED FRA GBR GER POR ITA USA NC 0 1960 Metal-Cal Epperly Indy Roadster Offenhauser L4 ARG
MON
500
19 NED
BEL
FRA
GBR
POR
ITA
USA
NC 0