Jim Rathmann

Class of: 1978

Sport: Auto Racing

Jim Rathmann (born Richard Rathmann) was born on July 16, 1928 in Alhambra, CA. During his career as a racecar driver, he drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series in the 1949-1950 and 1952-1963 seasons. He accumulated 42 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 in each of those seasons. Rathmann also raced in the two runnings of the Race of Two Worlds at the Autodromo Nazional Monza, Italy. He won the 1958 event. In addition to his Indy 500 win in 1960, he had six victories. Between 1949 and 1951, Rathmann drove in three races in the NASCAR series. Since his retirement, he has owned Chevrolet dealerships in Palm Bay and Melbourne, FL. On August 15, 2007, Rathmann was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.