Don Branson : biography
Don Branson (June 2, 1920 – November 12, 1966) was an American racecar driver.
Born in Rantoul, Illinois, Branson was killed in a racing crash at Ascot Park in Gardena, California along with fellow sprint car driver Dick Atkins. He drove in the USAC Championship Car series and also in sprint cars, racing champ cars in the 1956–1966 seasons with 129 starts, including the 1959–1966 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 85 times, with 7 victories.
Branson was also the 1959 and 1965 USAC Sprint Car Series Champion.
He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994.
Indy 500 results
Year | Car | Start | Qual | Rank | Finish | Laps | Led | Retired |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | 9 | 10 | 143.312 | 12 | 24 | 112 | 0 | Torsion bar |
1960 | 7 | 8 | 144.753 | 11 | 4 | 200 | 0 | Running |
1961 | 3 | 2 | 146.843 | 3 | 33 | 2 | 0 | Bent Valves |
1962 | 14 | 11 | 147.312 | 11 | 12 | 200 | 0 | Running |
1963 | 4 | 3 | 150.188 | 4 | 5 | 200 | 0 | Running |
1964 | 5 | 9 | 152.672 | 12 | 12 | 187 | 0 | Clutch |
1965 | 4 | 18 | 155.501 | 16 | 8 | 197 | 0 | Flagged |
1966 | 4 | 9 | 160.385 | 12 | 23 | 0 | 0 | Crash FS |
Totals | 1098 | 0 |
Starts | 8 |
---|---|
Poles | 0 |
Front Row | 2 |
Wins | 0 |
Top 5 | 2 |
Top 10 | 3 |
Retired | 4 |
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | WDC | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1959 | Bob Estes | Phillips | Offenhauser L4 | MON | 500 | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | POR | ITA | USA | NC | 0 | |
1960 | Bob Estes | Phillips | Offenhauser L4 | ARG | MON | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | POR | ITA | USA | 21st | 3 |
Category:1920 births Category:1966 deaths Category:American racing drivers Category:Indianapolis 500 drivers Category:National Sprint Car Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Champaign County, Illinois Category:Racing drivers from Illinois Category:Racing drivers killed while racing Category:Sports deaths in California