Round 2 · 1959

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Indianapolis, USA · May 30, 1959 · Circuit History · Wikipedia

Kings of this circuit
The race, in perspective

Race debrief

What did we expect after qualifying—and who beat it?

R021959
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33 stored results 33/33 Elo snapshots 33/33 numbered grid slots 0/33 qualifying results
Elo × qualifying → race result

Did they beat the expectation?

A strong driver recovering from a poor qualifying position isn't automatically a surprise. This model estimates a finish from both inputs, then compares it with what happened.

Experimental · v1

Expected finish assumes a classified finish. DNFs stay in the full grid but receive no performance verdict. Qualifying is not the starting grid; grid differences are flagged, not silently substituted.

This race has insufficient earlier history: 0/20 races and 0/200 classified finishes with Elo and qualifying. Estimates are withheld.

0/33 entrants have an estimate. Missing Elo or qualifying stays visible below; a grid position is not used as a qualifying result.

Top 3

Beat the estimate

No comparable estimates available for this race yet.

Flop 3

Below the estimate

No comparable estimates available for this race yet.

0/33 entrants assessed. Up to three per side, ranked by expected minus actual finish. DNFs, missing estimates and gaps rounding to 0.0 are excluded. “Flop” means below the model's estimate—not poor driving. A ranked gap can still be inside the usual error range.

Full grid: pre-race Elo rank, qualifying position, estimated finish, actual result and difference from expectation. Positive differences mean finishing ahead of the estimate.
DriverPre-race EloQualifyingExpectedResultP1 ← position → P33vs expectedReading
R. WardWatson #301882 No error range P1 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. RathmannWatson #22209 No error range P2 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. ThomsonLesovsky #251945 No error range P3 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
T. BettenhausenEpperly #62134 No error range P4 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. GoldsmithEpperly #291885 No error range P5 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. BoydEpperly #52134 No error range P6 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. CarterKurtis Kraft #72087 No error range P7 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. JohnsonKurtis Kraft #122025 No error range P8 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. RussoKurtis Kraft #102066 No error range P9 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. FoytKuzma #132011 No error range P10 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
G. HartleyKuzma #92077 No error range P11 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. VeithMoore #142007 No error range P12 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. HermanDunn #271912 No error range P13 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. DaywaltKurtis Kraft #321839 No error range P14 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
C. ArnoldKurtis Kraft #172000 No error range P15 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. McWitheyKurtis Kraft #172000 No error range P16 Not assessedQualifying unavailable
E. SachsKuzma #281910 No error range DNFSpun off Not assessedQualifying unavailable
A. KellerKuzma #211973 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
P. FlahertyWatson #32200 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. RathmannWatson #241946 No error range DNFHeat shield fire Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. CheesbourgKuzma #201996 No error range DNFMagneto Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. FreelandKurtis Kraft #42141 No error range DNFMagneto Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. CrawfordElder #331817 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
D. BransonPhillips #172000 No error range DNFSuspension Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. ChristieKurtis Kraft #112066 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
B. GrimKurtis Kraft #172000 No error range DNFMagneto Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. TurnerChristensen #261942 No error range DNFFuel leak Not assessedQualifying unavailable
C. WeyantKurtis Kraft #221971 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. LarsonKurtis Kraft #82082 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
M. MagillSutton #231948 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
R. AmickKurtis Kraft #172000 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
L. SuttonLesovsky #311867 No error range DNFAccident Not assessedQualifying unavailable
J. BryanEpperly #12238 No error range DNFEngine Not assessedQualifying unavailable
How useful is the model? See the historical check

There is not enough earlier history for a rolling hold-out check yet.

The range scales the 80th percentile of earlier held-out absolute errors to this field size, rounding outward. It is an empirical error guide, not a guaranteed 80% chance for a particular driver. We require at least five checked races and 100 checked finishes before showing it.

Inputs are field-normalised Elo rank and qualifying position. The target is position among all race entries, trained only on classified finishers. Estimates are averages, not a unique predicted finishing order. Penalties, the circuit, weather, incidents and strategy aren't model inputs. Historical qualifying coverage is patchy; this is an exploratory backtest on corrected records, not proof of live forecasting accuracy.

The rating ledger

What changed in Elo?

These are actual rating changes. The expectation model above does not change Elo or fantasy scoring.

Largest Elo gain

Ward+241.7 Elo

Largest Elo loss

Bryan−282.8 Elo

Largest grid-to-finish gain

Russo+18 places

The bigger picture

Championship after this round

Top five in the stored standings. Points include sprint results where applicable.

  1. 1 Brabham 9pts 0
  2. 2 Ward 8pts
  3. 3 Brooks 6pts −1
  4. 4 Rathmann 6pts
  5. 5 Thomson 5pts

Movement since round 1. A dash means the earlier standing is unavailable.

Explore the season →
Across the garage

Teammate results

Two-driver constructor entries from this race. A result comparison, not an adjustment for strategy or reliability.

What this analysis can—and cannot—tell you

This debrief is calculated from stored results and rating snapshots. The experimental expectation model learns from earlier races only, using Elo rank and qualifying together; it never feeds back into Elo. It is not a separately reviewed race report.

Elo uses the result order, including retirements. It does not isolate driver skill from the car, reliability, penalties or strategy. Elo seed comparisons use pre-race ratings, never today's ratings. Equal ratings share the midpoint of their rank range (for example, tied first and second become seed 1.5).

Grid gains use numbered starting slots and classified finishes only. Zero or missing grid values are excluded; a position gained is not necessarily an overtake. Qualifying gaps use the latest segment both teammates have a valid time for, never Q1 against Q3.

Lap-by-lap pace, tyre stints, pit-stop execution and safety-car effects are not available in this report. Missing data is omitted, not inferred.

Read the Elo methodology →
33
Result Entries
Avg Elo
Highest Elo (Rathmann)
17
Non-finishes

Race

Qualifying

# Driver Grid +/- Points Season Pts Season # Elo Change Elo
P1 🇺🇸 R.Ward 6 +5 +8 8 P2 +241.7 2,124
P2 🇺🇸 J.Rathmann 3 +1 +6 6 P4 +78.5 2,288
P3 🇺🇸 J.Thomson 1 -2 +5 5 P5 +189.5 2,135
P4 🇺🇸 T.Bettenhausen 15 +11 +3 3 P7 +87.1 2,221
P5 🇺🇸 P.Goldsmith 16 +11 +2 2 P9 +195.2 2,080
P6 🇺🇸 J.Boyd 11 +5 0 0 P11 +64.4 2,199
P7 🇺🇸 D.Carter 12 +5 0 0 P13 +74.8 2,162
P8 🇺🇸 E.Johnson 8 0 0 P14 +93.8 2,118
P9 🇺🇸 P.Russo 27 +18 0 0 P15 +62.1 2,128
P10 🇺🇸 A.Foyt 17 +7 0 0 P16 +78.2 2,089
P11 🇺🇸 G.Hartley 9 -2 0 0 P17 +34.2 2,111
P12 🇺🇸 B.Veith 7 -5 0 0 P18 +57.2 2,064
P13 🇺🇸 A.Herman 23 +10 0 0 P19 +92.1 2,004
P14 🇺🇸 J.Daywalt 13 -1 0 0 P20 +113.0 1,952
P15 🇺🇸 C.Arnold 21 +6 0 0 P21 +26.8 2,027
P16 🇺🇸 J.McWithey 33 +17 0 0 P22 +15.5 2,016
DNF 🇺🇸 E.Sachs 2 0 0 P34 +47.7 1,958
DNF 🇺🇸 A.Keller 28 0 0 P35 +6.4 1,979
DNF 🇺🇸 P.Flaherty 18 0 0 P38 -110.2 2,090
DNF 🇺🇸 D.Rathmann 4 0 0 P40 -3.1 1,943
DNF 🇺🇸 B.Cheesbourg 30 0 0 P41 -39.1 1,957
DNF 🇺🇸 D.Freeland 25 0 0 P43 -119.7 2,021
DNF 🇺🇸 R.Crawford 32 0 0 P45 +20.2 1,837
DNF 🇺🇸 D.Branson 10 0 0 P47 -75.0 1,925
DNF 🇺🇸 B.Christie 24 0 0 P49 -118.6 1,947
DNF 🇺🇸 B.Grim 5 0 0 P50 -97.6 1,902
DNF 🇺🇸 J.Turner 14 0 0 P51 -80.6 1,862
DNF 🇺🇸 C.Weyant 29 0 0 P52 -106.0 1,865
DNF 🇺🇸 J.Larson 19 0 0 P53 -171.9 1,910
DNF 🇺🇸 M.Magill 31 0 0 P54 -117.3 1,831
DNF 🇺🇸 R.Amick 26 0 0 P55 -154.2 1,846
DNF 🇺🇸 L.Sutton 22 0 0 P56 -102.3 1,765
DNF 🇺🇸 J.Bryan 20 0 0 P57 -282.8 1,955

Qualifying results are not available for this race.

Elo Changes