Donald L. Branson (June 2, 1920 – November 12, 1966) was an American racecar driver.
Career
Born in Rantoul, Illinois, Branson drove in the USAC Championship Car series and also in sprint cars, racing champ cars in the 1956–1966 seasons with 128 starts, including the 1959–1966 Indianapolis 500 races. He finished in the top-ten 85 times, with seven victories.
Branson was also the 1959 and 1964 USAC Sprint Car Series Champion.
Branson was killed in 1966 in a crash at a sprint car race at Ascot Park in Gardena, California, which also claimed the life of fellow driver Dick Atkins. The fatal wreck occurred with only a few races left in the season for the USAC series.
Awards
He was inducted in the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 1994 and the National Midget Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2012.
Complete USAC Championship Car results
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! 17
! 18
! Pos
! Points
|-
! rowspan=1| 1956
| INDY<br>
| MIL<br>
| LAN<br>
| DAR<br>
| ATL<br>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SPR<br><small>11</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL<br><small>26</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| DUQ<br><small>10</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SYR<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| ISF<br><small>DNQ</small>
| SAC<br>
| PHX<br>
|colspan=6|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 31st
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 50
|-
! rowspan=1| 1957
| INDY<br>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| LAN<br><small>9</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL<br><small>21</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| DET<br><small>10</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| ATL<br><small>8</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SPR<br><small>11</small>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| MIL<br><small>DNQ</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| DUQ<br><small>9</small>
| SYR<br><small>DNS</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ISF<br><small>5</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| TRE<br><small>19</small>
| SAC<br>
| PHX<br>
|colspan=5|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 19th
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 280
|-
! rowspan=1| 1958
| TRE
| INDY<br>
|style="background:#FFCFCF;" | MIL<br><small>DNQ</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| LAN<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ATL<br><small>5</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| SPR<br><small>7</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| MIL<br><small>12</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| DUQ<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| SYR<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ISF<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| TRE<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SAC<br><small>12</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| PHX<br><small>7</small>
|colspan=5|
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 9th
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 790
|-
! rowspan=1| 1959
|style="background:#cfcfff;| DAY<br><small>11</small>
|style="background:#efcfff;| TRE<br><small>13</small>
|style="background:#efcfff;| INDY<br><small>24</small>
|style="background:#cfeaff;| MIL<br><small>9</small>
| style="background:#cfeaff;| LAN<br><small>9</small>
|style="background:#dfdfdf;| SPR<br><small>2</small>
| MIL<br>
|style="background:#dfdfdf;| DUQ<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#dfdfdf;| SYR<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#efcfff;| ISF<br><small>17</small>
|style="background:#dfffdf;| TRE<br><small>5</small>
|style="background:#dfffdf;| SAC<br><small>5</small>
|style="background:#efcfff;| PHX<br><small>15</small>
|colspan=5|
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 7th
!style="background:#CFEAFF;"| 780
|-
! 1960
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | TRE<br><small>22</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | INDY<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>22</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | LAN<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | SPR<br><small>7</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>19</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | DUQ<br><small>8</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;" | SYR<br><small>12</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | ISF<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | TRE<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;" | SAC<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | PHX<br><small>4</small>
|colspan=6|
!style="background:#FFDF9F;" | 3rd
!style="background:#FFDF9F;" | 1.220
|-
! 1961
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | TRE<br><small>16</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| INDY<br><small>33</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| MIL<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LAN<br><small>14</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL<br><small>24</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SPR<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| DUQ<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SYR<br><small>17</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| ISF<br><small>8</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| TRE<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| SAC<br><small>7</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| PHX<br><small>3</small>
|colspan=6|
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 12th
!style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 530
|-
! 1962
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| TRE<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| INDY<br><small>12</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL<br><small>17</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| LAN<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| TRE<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SPR<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MIL<br><small>25</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| LAN<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;"| SYR<br><small>7</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ISF<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| TRE<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SAC <br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | PHX<br><small>8</small>
|colspan=5|
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4th
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 1,700
|-
! 1963
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | TRE<br><small>17</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | INDY<br><small>5</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>17</small>
| LAN<br><small>DNS</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;" | TRE<br><small>12</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;" | SPR<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | MIL<br><small>10</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | DUQ<br><small>5</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;" | ISF<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | TRE<br><small>5</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | SAC<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | PHX<br><small>7</small>
|colspan=6|
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 5th
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 1,352
|-
! 1964
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | PHX<br><small>4</small>
| TRE<br>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | INDY<br><small>12</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;" | LAN<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;" | TRE<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;" | SPR<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>13</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;" | DUQ<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;" | ISF<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| TRE<br><small>2</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;" | SAC<br><small>3</small>
|style="background:#FFDF9F;" | PHX<br><small>3</small>
|colspan=5|
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4th
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 1,700
|-
! 1965
|style="background:#FFFFBF;" | PHX<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | TRE<br><small>13</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | INDY<br><small>8</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>20</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | LAN<br><small>15</small>
| PIP
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | TRE<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | IRP<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | ATL<br><small>8</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | LAN<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | MIL<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | SPR<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>25</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;" | DUQ<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | ISF<br><small>13</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | TRE<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;" | SAC<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | PHX<br><small>5</small>
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 4th
!style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 1,875
|-
! 1966
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | PHX<br><small>16</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | TRE<br><small>10</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | INDY<br><small>23</small>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>15</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | LAN<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | ATL<br><small>6</small>
| PIP<br>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | IRP<br><small>9</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | LAN<br><small>5</small>
|style="background:#FFFFBF;" | SPR<br><small>1</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | MIL<br><small>23</small>
|style="background:#CFEAFF;" | DUQ<br><small>6</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | ISF<br><small>4</small>
|style="background:#EFCFFF;" | TRE<br><small>23</small>
|style="background:#DFFFDF;" | SAC<br><small>4</small>
| PHX<br>
|colspan=2|
!style="background:#CFEAFF;" | 7th
!style="background:#CFEAFF;" | 1.135
|}
Indianapolis 500 results
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Year
!Car
!Start
!Qual
!Rank
!Finish
!Laps
!Led
!Retired
|-
!1959
|9
|10
|143.312
|12
|24
|112
|0
|Torsion bar
|-
!1960
|7
|8
|144.753
|11
|4
|200
|0
|Running
|-
!1961
|3
|2
|146.843
|3
|33
|2
|0
|Bent Valves
|-
!1962
|14
|11
|147.312
|11
|12
|200
|0
|Running
|-
!1963
|4
|3
|150.188
|4
|5
|200
|0
|Running
|-
!1964
|5
|9
|152.672
|12
|12
|187
|0
|Clutch
|-
!1965
|4
|18
|155.501
|16
|8
|197
|0
|Flagged
|-
!1966
|4
|9
|160.385
|12
|23
|0
|0
|Crash FS
|-
|colspan=6|Totals
|1098
|0
|
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Starts
|8
|-
!Poles
|0
|-
!Front Row
|2
|-
!Wins
|0
|-
!Top 5
|2
|-
!Top 10
|3
|-
!Retired
|4
|}
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! WDC
! Points
|-
| 1959
! Bob Estes
! Phillips
! Offenhauser L4
| MON<br />
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| 500<br />
| NED<br />
| FRA<br />
| GBR<br />
| GER<br />
| POR<br />
| ITA<br />
| USA<br />
|
! NC
! 0
|-
| 1960
! Bob Estes
! Phillips
! Offenhauser L4
| ARG<br />
| MON<br />
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| 500<br />
| NED<br />
| BEL<br>
| FRA<br />
| GBR<br />
| POR<br />
| ITA<br />
| USA<br />
! 21st
! 3
|}