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Pat Flaherty
Born	George Francis Flaherty (1926-01-06)January 6, 1926 Glendale, California, U.S.
Died	April 9, 2002(2002-04-09) (aged 76) Oxnard, California, U.S.
Championship titles
Major victories Indianapolis 500 (1956)
Champ Car career
18 races run over 9 years
Best finish	2nd (1956)
First race	1950 Indianapolis 500 (Indianapolis)
Last race	1963 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee)
First win	1955 Milwaukee 250 (Milwaukee)
Last win	1956 Rex Mays Classic (Milwaukee)
Wins Podiums Poles 3 4 1
NASCAR driver
NASCAR Cup Series career
1 race run over 1 year
First race	1951 Motor City 250 (Detroit)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 0 0
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1950, 1953 – 1956, 1959
Teams	Kurtis Kraft, Watson
Entries	7 (5 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podiums	1
Career points	8
Pole positions	1
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1950 Indianapolis 500
First win	1956 Indianapolis 500
Last entry	1959 Indianapolis 500

George Francis "Pat" Flaherty (January 6, 1926 – April 9, 2002) was an American racing driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1956.

Driving career

Championship car career

Flaherty drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950, 1953–1956, 1958–1959, and 1963 seasons with 19 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1959. He finished in the top ten 9 times, with victories in 1955 and 1956 at Milwaukee as well as the 1956 Indianapolis 500. Born in Glendale, California, Flaherty died in Oxnard, California.

World Drivers' Championship career

The AAA/USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500 was included in the FIA World Drivers' Championship from 1950 through 1960. Drivers competing at Indianapolis during those years were credited with World Drivers' Championship points and participation in addition to those which they received towards the AAA/USAC National Championship.

Flaherty participated in five World Drivers' Championship races at Indianapolis. He started on the pole once, won once, and accumulated eight World Drivers' Championship points.

Injury and later life

After winning the 1956 Indianapolis 500, Flaherty was severely injured in a race car crash less than three months later, which prevented him from racing at the 1957 500. Flaherty successfully raced pigeons for over twenty years after he retired from auto racing. He also built and publicised a portable go-kart track where he would race against all-comers.

Awards and honors

Flaherty has been inducted into the following halls of fame:

• Auto Racing Hall of Fame (2006)

Motorsports career results

AAA/USAC Championship Car results

Indianapolis 500 results

* Shared drive with Jim Rathmann

References

1. Cyprus Riots, 1956/05/31 (1956). Universal Newsreel. 1956. Retrieved February 22, 2012.
2. ^ Brown, Allen. "Pat Flaherty". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
3. "The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 21 August 2018.
4. Among the toasts made at the wedding reception Saturday..., chicagotribune.com; accessed May 13, 2014.
5. "Pat Flaherty". IMS Museum. Retrieved 2023-10-08.

External links

• Pat Flaherty - ChampCarStats.com
• Pat Flaherty at Find a Grave
• Pat Flaherty driver statistics at Racing-Reference

• 1926 births
• 2002 deaths
• Indianapolis 500 drivers
• Indianapolis 500 polesitters
• Indianapolis 500 winners
• Sportspeople from Glendale, California
• Racing drivers from California
• AAA Championship Car drivers
• Formula One race winners
• USAC Stock Car drivers