Robert Charles "Bob" Cortner (born April 16, 1927 in Redlands, San Bernardino County, California, USA – died May 19, 1959 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway, Indiana, USA) was a United States automobile racing driver. He was killed while attempting to qualify for his first Formula One race.
Career[]
Before Formula One[]
Cortner had a successful ten-year career in midget car racing. He was also the 1957 Bay Cities Racing Association outdoor champion.
1958[]
Cortner entered the Indianapolis 500, but failed the rookie orientation test and was not allowed to attempt to qualify.
1959[]
In 1959, Cortner passed the rookie test for the Indianapolis 500, giving him the chance to take part in the 1959 Indianapolis 500.
Death[]
The track was windy during Cortner's qualifying attempt for the Indianapolis 500. On his attempt, Cortner's car was caught in a crosswind which sent the car to the infield. The car then shot across the track, plunging into the outer wall. Cortner struck his head off of the steering wheel and was transported to the hospital, where he later died of head injuries.
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Record[]
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | McKay Bulldog | Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser | 0 | NC |
| 1959 | Cornis Engineering | Cornis-Offenhauser | 0 | NC |
Career Statistics[]
| Entries | 2 |
| Starts | 0 |
| Pole Positions | 0 |
| Race Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Fastest Laps | 0 |
| Points | 0 |
| Laps Raced | 0 |
| Distance Raced | 0 km (0 mi) |
Career Results[]
| Complete Formula One Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Pts | Pos | ||||||||||||
| 1958 | 
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0 | NC | ||||||||||||
| DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1959 |
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0 | NC | ||||||||||||||
| DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Key | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Meaning | Symbol | Meaning | ||
| 1st | Winner | Ret | Retired | ||
| 2nd | Podium finish | DSQ | Disqualified | ||
| 3rd | DNQ | Did not qualify | |||
| 5th | Points finish | DNPQ | Did not pre-qualify | ||
| 14th | Non-points finish | TD | Test driver | ||
| Italics | Fastest Lap | DNS | Did not start | ||
| 18th† | Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance) | NC | Non-classified finish (<90% race distance) | ||
| 4thP | Qualified for pole position | [+] More Symbols | |||
Notes[]