Rodger Ward Superstar of American Racing's Golden Age

He built a car from parts scavenged from his father's junkyard business, then dropped out of high school so he could take it street racing at night. If nothing else, this typifies the determination that defined Rodger Ward. But there was far more to the man than sheer determination, like the twinkle in his eye and the smile that endeared him to a generation of race fans. Ward's success put him into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, but even his defeats were of note. Looking back on his 1964 Indy 500 loss to A. J. Foyt, he said, in typical Rodger Ward fashion, "But I made Foyt famous, so what the hell." Told for the first time, this is the story of a true motorsport legend. "In addition to his '59 Indy 500 triumph, Ward finished second in '60 (recognized as one of the best 500 races in history), third in '61, first in '62, fourth in '63 and second in '64. For decades historians recalled that record as the most successful six-year finishing record in Indy history." Tim Kennedy, Racing Scene "The Indy record is remarkable by any standard but I have felt for many decades that he was every bit the equal, if not superior, to both Bryan and A.J. on the 1-mile dirt tracks. He was always on the gas and never fell out of the seat. In particular after hooking up with Watson, if the car was functioning correctly he was just about unbeatable." Jim Chini, MSPA Hall of Fame racing photographer "At Lime Rock, Connecticut on July 25, '59 on the 1.5 mile road course, Rodger whupped up on several of the sporty car crowd's best in a Formula Libre race, which means 'run what you brung'. Such names as Pedro Rodriguez, in a 3-liter Maserati, Lance Reventlow in a Formula II Cooper, John Cooper in a Cooper Monaco and Jokko Maggiacomo driving 4.9-liter Ferrari --- among others. Oh yeah, I forgot: Rodger was driving a little ole 110 Offy midget with an in-and-out gear box and [the engine] offset to the left." Dick Ralston, Legendary motorsports editor "Rodger was more than a successful car racer and two-time Indy 500 winner. He was literally the hub of any gathering around which the other racers and auto racing community and fans congregated." Richard N. Parks, Racing writerO'Leary, Mike is the author of 'Rodger Ward Superstar of American Racing's Golden Age' with ISBN 9780760321775 and ISBN 0760321779.