Rodger Ward
| Born |
January 10, 1921 Beloit, Kansas |
|---|---|
| Died | July 5, 2004 (aged 83) Anaheim, California |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |
 American |
| Active years | 1951–1960, 1963 |
| Teams | Kurtis Kraft, Lesovsky, Watson, Bromme, Pawl, Kuzma, Lotus |
| Entries | 12 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Career points | 14 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1951 Indianapolis 500 |
| First win | 1959 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last win | 1959 Indianapolis 500 |
| Last entry | 1963 United States Grand Prix |
Rodger M. Ward (January 10, 1921 – July 5, 2004) was an American racecar driver who won the 1959 and 1962 Indianapolis 500. He also was the 1959 and 1962 USAC National Champion.
Ward was born in Beloit, Kansas, the son of Ralph and Geneva (née Banta) Ward. By 1930, the family had moved to California. He died in Anaheim, California.
Ward's father owned an auto wrecking business in Los Angeles. Roger was 14 years old when he built a Ford hot rod. He was a P-38 Lightning fighter pilot in World War II. He enjoyed flying so much he thought of making it his career. He began to fly B-17 Flying Fortress and was so good he was retained as an instructor. After the war he was stationed in Wichita Falls, Texas when a quarter mile dirt track was built.
He began racing midget cars in 1946 after he was discharged from the Army. He finished poorly. His skills improved in 1947 and by 1948 he won the San Diego Grand Prix. He raced in an Offenhauser in 1949 and won several races.
Ward shocked the midget car racing world when he broke Offenhauser motor's long winning streak by using Vic Edelbrock's Ford 60 "shaker" motor at Gilmore Stadium on August 10, 1950. The motor was one of the first to feature nitromethane for fuel. Ward and Edelbrock went to the Orange Show Stadium the following night and won again. Ward used his midget car in 1959 to beat the top expensive and exotic sports cars in a Formula Libre race at Lime Rock Park. Midget cars were normally considered competitive for oval tracks only before that time. That same year, Ward entered the United States Grand Prix for Formula One cars with the midget car, under the false belief that it was much quicker through the turns, a fact he found not true at the beginning of practice. He eventually retired from the race after twenty laps with a mechanical failure.
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