Eugene Wesley "Jud" Larson[1] (January 21, 1923 Grand Prairie, Texas – June 11, 1966 Reading, Pennsylvania) was an American racecar driver.

Jud Larson
BornEugene Wesley Larson
(1923-01-21)January 21, 1923
Grand Prairie, Texas, U.S.
DiedJune 11, 1966(1966-06-11) (aged 43)
Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Champ Car career
51 races run over 10 years
Years active1951–1953, 1956–1959, 1964–1966
Best finish4th – 1958
First race1956 Hoosier Hundred (ISF)
Last race1965 Bobby Ball Memorial (Phoenix)
First win1956 Golden State 100 (Sacramento)
Last win1958 Bobby Ball Memorial (ASF)
Wins Podiums Poles
5 12 9
Formula One World Championship career
Active years19521953, 19571959
TeamsMeyer, Kurtis Kraft, Snowberger, Watson
Entries5 (2 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1952 Indianapolis 500
Last entry1959 Indianapolis 500

Career

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Larson drove in the USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1956-1959 and 1964-1965 seasons with 53 starts, including the 1958 and 1959 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top ten 38 times, with 7 victories.

Less than two weeks before his death, he pulled ahead of pole-sitter Greg Weld during the second lap of a feature USAC sprint race in Winchester, and held onto his lead to win the thirty-lap race.[2]

Accident, death and interment

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Larson died on June 11, 1966, as a result of injuries sustained in a sprint car crash at the Reading Fairgrounds Speedway in Berks County, Pennsylvania that also claimed the life of Red Riegel. According to The Kansas City Star, "Authorities said the accident occurred when the wheels of their cars locked during the second lap of the featured event." Both cars then "went up a short embankment around the first turn near the grandstand and tumbled back onto the track two times in succession," pinning both men inside their respective cars. A crowd of roughly six thousand witnessed the accident.[3] Larson was buried at the Cook-Walden Capital Parks Cemetery and Mausoleum in Pflugerville, Texas. Mario Andretti was among those who later paid tribute to him.[4]

Complete AAA/USAC Championship Car results

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Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos Points
1951 INDY
MIL
DNQ
LAN
DNQ
DAR SPR MIL DUQ DUQ PIK SYR DET DNC SJS PHX BAY - 0
1952 INDY
DNS
MIL
DNQ
RAL
SPR
MIL
DET
DUQ
PIK
SYR
DNC
SJS
PHX
- 0
1953 INDY
DNQ
MIL
SPR
DET
SPR
MIL
DUQ
PIK
SYR
ISF
SAC
PHX
- 0
1956 INDY
MIL
LAN
DAR
ATL
SPR
MIL
DUQ
SYR
ISF
4
SAC
1
PHX
DNQ
22nd 320
1957 INDY
DNQ
LAN
16
MIL
DET
4
ATL
2
SPR
2
MIL
8
DUQ
1
SYR
6
ISF
1
TRE
22
SAC
3
PHX
12
5th 1,170
1958 TRE
5
INDY
8
MIL
9
LAN
3
ATL
1
SPR
13
MIL
DUQ
7
SYR
5
ISF
17
TRE
22
SAC
2
PHX
1
4th 1,250
1959 DAY
16
TRE
INDY
29
MIL
4
LAN
2
SPR
DNS
MIL
DUQ
SYR
ISF
TRE
DNP
SAC
PHX
20th 280
1964 PHX
TRE
DNQ
INDY
DNQ
MIL
DNQ
LAN
10
TRE
15
SPR
11
MIL
17
DUQ
6
ISF
4
TRE
SAC
6
PHX
6
13th 490
1965 PHX
12
TRE
5
INDY
DNQ
MIL
LAN
DNQ
PIP TRE
6
IRP
19
ATL
16
LAN
12
MIL
7
SPR
8
MIL
9
DUQ
4
ISF
3
TRE
8
SAC
5
PHX
8
9th 1,028
1966 PHX TRE
DNQ
INDY
DNP
MIL LAN ATL PIP IRP LAN SPR MIL DUQ ISF TRE SAC PHX - 0

Indianapolis 500 results

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Year[5] Car Start Qual Rank Finish Laps Led Retired
1958 44 19 143.512 11 8 200 0 Running
1959 7 19 142.298 23 29 45 0 Crash T3
Totals 245 0
Starts 2
Poles 0
Front Row 0
Wins 0
Top 5 0
Top 10 1
Retired 1

World Championship career summary

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The Indianapolis 500 was part of the FIA World Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indy during those years were credited with World Championship points and participation. Jud Larson participated in 2 World Championship races but scored no World Championship points.

Awards

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He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1992.

References

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  1. ^ "Jud Larson". www.champcarstats.com. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
  2. ^ "Jud Larson Annexes Winchester Feature." Muncie, Indiana: The Star Press, May 30, 1966, p. 9 (subscription required).
  3. ^ "Crash Is Fatal to Jud Larson." Kansas City, Missouri: The Kansas City Star, June 12, 1966, Sports section, front page (subscription required).
  4. ^ "Mourns Loss of Jud Larson—Andretti in LeMans Classic." Shreveport, Louisiana: The Shreveport Journal, June 17, 1966, p. 14 (subscription required).
  5. ^ Jud Larson Indy 500 Race Stats Archived 2007-10-16 at the Wayback Machine
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