Pat Flaherty

George Francis "Pat" Flaherty (6 January 1926 - 9 April 2002) was an American racing driver who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1956 and became one of the stars of American open-wheel racing during the 1950s. Born in the United States, Flaherty began racing track roadsters in 1946, immediately following World War II. In 1948, he relocated to the Midwest to compete in Andy Granatelli's Hurricane Hot Rod Association, beginning a long association with some of American racing's most colorful promoters and team owners. Flaherty drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950, 1953-1956, 1958-1959, and 1963 seasons with 19 total starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in 1950, 1953, 1955, 1956, and 1959.

His breakthrough came in 1956 when he won the pole position for the Indianapolis 500, breaking the one-lap and four-lap qualifying records with marks of 146.056 miles per hour for one lap and 145.596 miles per hour for four laps. Starting from pole position driving for the John Zink team, Flaherty dominated the race, leading a total of 127 laps en route to victory and taking the lead for good on lap 76.

His winning average speed was 128.490 miles per hour. Flaherty became the second driver after World War II to win the Indianapolis 500 from the pole starting position, and notably notched the first Indy 500 victory for the famous Watson roadster, a chassis design that would dominate Indianapolis racing for years to come. This combination of pole position, race victory, and historical significance made Flaherty's 1956 triumph one of the most complete performances in Indianapolis 500 history.

Beyond Indianapolis, Flaherty finished in the top ten nine times in championship races and achieved victories in 1955 and 1956 at Milwaukee, establishing himself as a consistent competitor on the championship trail. However, Flaherty's racing career was dramatically altered less than three months after his Indianapolis 500 victory when he suffered a severe arm injury in an accident on the dirt track at Springfield, Illinois, in August 1956. The crash was career-threatening and prevented him from competing in the 1957 Indianapolis 500 while he underwent rehabilitation. After two years of recovery and rehabilitation, Flaherty attempted a comeback, winning his first race upon return with a 200-mile United States Auto Club stock car race at the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in 1958.

He competed in the 1959 Indianapolis 500, showing flashes of his former speed by leading for eleven laps before spinning out of control while running fourth on lap 164. Although he continued to compete sporadically, his career declined following the injury, and he retired from racing in June 1963 after completing a 150-mile race at Milwaukee. Following his retirement from racing, Flaherty pursued an unusual hobby, successfully racing pigeons for over twenty years, demonstrating his competitive spirit in a completely different arena. He also built and publicized a portable go-kart track where he would race against all comers, maintaining his connection to motorsport and introducing new generations to racing.

Pat Flaherty passed away on 9 April 2002 at the age of 76, remembered as the 1956 Indianapolis 500 champion and as a driver whose career exemplified both the triumph and tragedy of 1950s American racing.