Kurtis Kraft

American · raced 1950–1960

12Races

5Wins

16Podiums

58Top 10s

9.93Avg Position

15.96Avg Grid Pos

Kurtis Kraft was the American builder of Indianapolis 500 cars founded by Frank Kurtis, and its cars won the race five times when it counted towards the Formula 1 World Championship, with Johnnie Parsons in 1950, Lee Wallard in 1951, Bill Vukovich in 1953 and 1954, and Bob Sweikert in 1955. They took 16 podiums in total, and were the leading Indianapolis car of the early 1950s. The cars started 12 championship races.

Top Drivers

Driver	Wins	Pod.Podiums	PtsPoints (as awarded)	Races
Bill Vukovich	2	2	19	4
Sam Hanks	0	3	12	6
Johnnie Parsons	1	1	12	8
Jack McGrath	0	2	9	6
Lee Wallard	1	1	9	1
Mike Nazaruk	0	1	8	2
Art Cross	0	1	8	4
Bob Sweikert	1	1	8	3
Paul Russo	0	1	7.5	6
Jim Rathmann	0	1	6	3

Top Circuits

Circuit	Wins	Avg ptsAvg Points (as awarded)	Races
Indianapolis Motor Speedway	5	11.73	11

Points are Grand Prix points as awarded at the time (sprints excluded); average points are per race started.

Notable drivers

Most wins for the team, then most races.

B. Vukovich1952–1955 · 2 wins
J. Parsons1950–1958 · 1 win
B. Sweikert1952–1955 · 1 win
L. Wallard1951 · 1 win
F. Agabashian1950–1957 · 0 wins
S. Hanks1951–1956 · 0 wins

Season by season

Kurtis Kraft season-by-season championship record
Season	Constructors' position	Wins	Points
1960	—	0	0
1959	—	0	0
1958	7	0	4
1957	—	0	5
1956	—	0	11
1955	—	1	21
1954	—	1	18
1953	—	1	24
1952	—	0	13
1951	—	1	19
1950	—	1	14

Drivers who raced for Kurtis Kraft

Drivers who have raced for Kurtis Kraft
Driver	Seasons	Races	Wins
J. Parsons	1950–1958	8	1
F. Agabashian	1950–1957	7	0
P. Russo	1953–1959	6	0
S. Hanks	1951–1956	6	0
J. McGrath	1950–1955	6	0
B. Christie	1956–1960	5	0
J. Daywalt	1953–1959	5	0
A. Linden	1953–1957	5	0
T. Bettenhausen	1950–1957	5	0
E. Johnson	1953–1959	4	0
R. Ward	1952–1959	4	0
A. Keller	1955–1958	4	0
P. O'Connor	1955–1958	4	0
A. Cross	1952–1955	4	0
B. Vukovich	1952–1955	4	2
D. Freeland	1957–1960	3	0
D. Carter	1953–1959	3	0
M. Teague	1953–1957	3	0
J. Rathmann	1952–1956	3	0
B. Sweikert	1952–1955	3	1
J. Davies	1953–1955	3	0
W. Faulkner	1950–1955	3	0
D. Nalon	1951–1953	3	0
E. Russo	1956–1960	2	0
G. Force	1951–1960	2	0
G. Hartley	1952–1960	2	0
S. Templeman	1958–1960	2	0
C. Weyant	1955–1959	2	0
B. Cheesbourg	1957–1958	2	0
B. Veith	1956–1958	2	0
J. Boyd	1957–1958	2	0
J. Thomson	1953–1958	2	0
M. Magill	1957–1958	2	0
E. Elisian	1956–1957	2	0
J. Reece	1952–1957	2	0
J. Tolan	1956–1957	2	0
J. Turner	1956–1957	2	0
A. Herman	1955–1956	2	0
D. Dinsmore	1953–1956	2	0
R. Crawford	1955–1956	2	0
P. Flaherty	1950–1955	2	0
J. Hoyt	1950–1954	2	0
M. Nazaruk	1951–1954	2	0
T. Ruttman	1951–1954	2	0
B. Scott	1952–1953	2	0
C. Scarborough	1951–1953	2	0
C. Griffith	1951–1952	2	0
C. Miller	1951–1952	2	0
J. McDowell	1950–1952	2	0
C. Green	1950–1951	2	0
W. Brown	1950–1951	2	0
A. Foyt	1960	1	0
B. Grim	1959	1	0
C. Arnold	1959	1	0
J. Larson	1959	1	0
J. McWithey	1959	1	0
B. Garrett	1958	1	0
P. Goldsmith	1958	1	0
D. Edmunds	1957	1	0
D. Rathmann	1956	1	0
K. Andrews	1956	1	0
B. Homeier	1955	1	0
C. Niday	1955	1	0
E. McCoy	1954	1	0
F. Armi	1954	1	0
J. Jackson	1954	1	0
L. Crockett	1954	1	0
B. Holland	1953	1	0
J. Holmes	1953	1	0
J. Mantz	1953	1	0
C. Stevenson	1952	1	0
G. Connor	1952	1	0
J. Bryan	1952	1	0
J. James	1952	1	0
B. Schindler	1951	1	0
C. Forberg	1951	1	0
L. Wallard	1951	1	1
M. Ayulo	1951	1	0
J. Chitwood	1950	1	0
M. Hellings	1950	1	0

Race results

How Kurtis Kraft did in every Grand Prix it started: the best grid slot and finish of its cars, the points it scored and each car’s result. Races in which no car took the start are left out unless the team scored sprint points.

19601 race▾

Drivers: A. Foyt, B. Christie, D. Freeland, E. Russo, G. Force, G. Hartley, S. Templeman

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1960
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts	Standing
3	3Indianapolis 500	11	P10	Christie 10 · Hartley 14 · Templeman 17 · Freeland 22+3 more	0	—(0)

Earlier seasons1950–1959 (10 seasons)▾

19592 races▾

Drivers: B. Christie, B. Grim, C. Arnold, C. Weyant, D. Carter, D. Freeland, E. Johnson, J. Daywalt, J. Larson, J. McWithey, P. Russo, R. Ward

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1959
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts	Standing
9	9United States Grand Prix	19	DNF	Ward DNF	0	—(0)
2	2Indianapolis 500	5	P7	Carter 7 · Johnson 8 · Russo 9 · Daywalt 14+7 more	0	—(0)

19581 race, 1 podiumConstructors’ P7 · 4 pts▾

Drivers: A. Keller, B. Cheesbourg, B. Christie, B. Garrett, B. Veith, E. Johnson, J. Boyd, J. Parsons, J. Thomson, M. Magill, P. Goldsmith, P. O'Connor, P. Russo, S. Templeman

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1958
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts	Standing
4	4Indianapolis 500	4	P3	Boyd 3 · Johnson 9 · Cheesbourg 10 · Keller 11+10 more	4	7(4)

19571 race, 1 pole▾

Drivers: A. Keller, A. Linden, B. Cheesbourg, B. Christie, D. Edmunds, D. Freeland, E. Elisian, E. Johnson, F. Agabashian, J. Boyd, J. Daywalt, J. Parsons, J. Reece, J. Tolan, J. Turner, M. Magill, M. Teague, P. O'Connor, P. Russo, T. Bettenhausen

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1957
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts
3	3Indianapolis 500	1★	P4★	Russo 4 · Linden 5 · Boyd 6 · Teague 7+16 more	5

19561 race, 1 podium▾

Drivers: A. Herman, A. Keller, A. Linden, B. Christie, B. Veith, D. Dinsmore, D. Rathmann, E. Elisian, E. Russo, F. Agabashian, J. Daywalt, J. Parsons, J. Rathmann, J. Tolan, J. Turner, K. Andrews, P. O'Connor, R. Crawford, R. Ward, S. Hanks, T. Bettenhausen

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1956
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts
3	3Indianapolis 500	2	P2	Hanks 2 · Parsons 4 · Rathmann 5 · Veith 7+17 more	11

19551 race, 1 win, 3 podiums▾

Drivers: A. Cross, A. Herman, A. Keller, A. Linden, B. Homeier, B. Sweikert, B. Vukovich, C. Niday, C. Weyant, J. Davies, J. Daywalt, J. McGrath, J. Parsons, P. Flaherty, P. O'Connor, P. Russo, R. Crawford, S. Hanks, T. Bettenhausen, W. Faulkner

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1955
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts
3	3Indianapolis 500	2	P1	Sweikert 1 · Russo 2 · Bettenhausen 2 · Davies 3+16 more	21

19541 race, 1 win, 2 podiums, 1 pole▾

Drivers: A. Cross, A. Linden, B. Sweikert, B. Vukovich, D. Carter, E. McCoy, F. Agabashian, F. Armi, J. Davies, J. Hoyt, J. Jackson, J. McGrath, J. Parsons, L. Crockett, M. Nazaruk, M. Teague, P. Russo, S. Hanks, T. Bettenhausen, T. Ruttman

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1954
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts
2	2Indianapolis 500	1★	P1★	Vukovich 1 · McGrath 3 · Ruttman 4 · Carter 4+16 more	18

19531 race, 1 win, 3 podiums, 1 pole▾

Drivers: A. Cross, A. Linden, B. Holland, B. Scott, B. Vukovich, C. Scarborough, D. Carter, D. Dinsmore, D. Nalon, E. Johnson, F. Agabashian, J. Davies, J. Daywalt, J. Holmes, J. Mantz, J. McGrath, J. Rathmann, J. Thomson, M. Teague, P. Russo, R. Ward, S. Hanks, W. Faulkner

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1953
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts
2	2Indianapolis 500	1★	P1★	Vukovich 1 · Cross 2 · Carter 3 · Hanks 3+19 more	24

19521 race, 2 podiums, 1 pole▾

Drivers: A. Cross, B. Scott, B. Sweikert, B. Vukovich, C. Griffith, C. Miller, C. Stevenson, D. Nalon, F. Agabashian, G. Connor, G. Hartley, J. Bryan, J. James, J. McDowell, J. McGrath, J. Parsons, J. Rathmann, J. Reece, R. Ward, S. Hanks

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1952
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts
2	2Indianapolis 500	1★	P2★	Rathmann 2 · Hanks 3 · Cross 5 · Bryan 6+16 more	13

19511 race, 1 win, 3 podiums, 1 pole▾

Drivers: B. Schindler, C. Forberg, C. Green, C. Griffith, C. Miller, C. Scarborough, D. Nalon, F. Agabashian, G. Force, J. McGrath, J. Parsons, L. Wallard, M. Ayulo, M. Nazaruk, S. Hanks, T. Ruttman, W. Brown

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1951
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts
2	2Indianapolis 500	1★	P1★	Wallard 1 · Nazaruk 2 · McGrath 3 · Ayulo 3+13 more	19

19501 race, 1 win, 1 podium, 1 pole▾

Drivers: C. Green, F. Agabashian, J. Chitwood, J. Hoyt, J. McDowell, J. McGrath, J. Parsons, M. Hellings, P. Flaherty, T. Bettenhausen, W. Brown, W. Faulkner

Kurtis Kraft race results in 1950
R	Grand Prix	Grid	Result	Cars	Pts
3	3Indianapolis 500	1★	P1★	Parsons 1 · Green 4 · Bettenhausen 5 · Chitwood 5+8 more	14