1958 Indianapolis 500

Championship standings

Stirling Moss leads the Drivers’ Championship with 17 points after his Dutch Grand Prix victory.

Previous race

At Zandvoort, Moss won from the all-Vanwall front row, while Harry Schell advanced from seventh to second for BRM and Behra completed a BRM one-two on the podium — the first podium finishes for BRM as both a manufacturer and engine supplier.

Between-race developments

The Indianapolis 500 is held on 30 May, just four days after the Dutch Grand Prix. Juan Manuel Fangio entered with much fanfare, hoping to add Indy points to his championship total, but has withdrawn after concluding that neither of his available cars — a Kurtis Kraft with a Novi engine nor an Offy-powered alternative — gave him a realistic chance of winning. Both cars qualified for the back row only, proving his point.

Entrants

The Indianapolis 500 counts towards the World Championship of Drivers but runs to USAC regulations and attracts few Formula One regulars. Dick Rathmann starts from pole. Young rookie A. J. Foyt makes his Indianapolis debut. The defending USAC champion is Jimmy Bryan, winner of the 1957 race in the Belond Exhaust Special — the same car he is entered to drive this year.