The 1916 Grand Prix season saw Grand Prix motor racing continue in the United States. Racing was suspended in Europe due to the World War I engulfing the continent. Once again European cars dominated Indianapolis with victory going to Briton Dario Resta in a Peugeot. With the organisers wanting to appeal to the spectators, this was the only year that the race was scheduled for a shorter length – to run only 300 miles. The Vanderbilt Cup and the American Grand Prize returned to Santa Monica, California, at the end of the year. Resta repeated his victory from the year before, winning the Vanderbilt Cup. Then when he retired in the Grand Prize it was Howdy Wilcox and Johnny Aitken who won in another of the dominant Peugeots. Oval courses now dominated the AAA Championship with these two events being the only road-course races this year. It proved to be the final time these two formative American races were held in this format; while racing in America continued throughout the First World War, public interest had shifted away from road racing.
With five victories across the season, the AAA national championship was won by Dario Resta.
| Date | Name | Circuit | Race Regulations | Race Distance | Winner’s Time | Winning driver | Winning constructor | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 May |  VI Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | Indianapolis | 300 miles | 3h 34m |  Dario Resta | Peugeot EX-5 | Report |
| 16 Nov | XI Vanderbilt Cup | Santa Monica | AAA | 300 miles | 3h 23m | Dario Resta | Peugeot EX-5 | Report |
| 18 Nov | VII American Grand Prize | ACA | 400 miles | 7h 08m | Howdy Wilcox | Peugeot EX-5 | Report |
As the Great War rolled inexorably through its second devastating year across Europe, the only motor-racing of note was the AAA National Championship. Even so, austerity measures limited the American season – with only fifteen events contributing to the championship down from the 27 of the previous year, although there were a number of unofficial events. Organisers of the International Sweepstakes at Indianapolis reduced it to 300 miles for the first and only time in its history, nominally to encourage more entries and incite greater crowd-appeal than the previous 5-6 hour marathons. [5]
This year, for the first time since the 1905 season, the AAA instituted a points-system for its championship races. Points were awarded to the top ten cars still running at the end, with more points awarded to longer races in a sliding scale. Drivers only got points for a car they started a race in and if they were relieved during the race, they would score a percentage of points based on the percentage of laps they were in their car.
The Grand Prize was sanctioned by the American Automobile Association (AAA) Contest Board, and was featured as points-paying event on the AAA Championship Car calendar. The engine regulations were left unchanged from 1915 – with the Grand Prize and Vanderbilt Cup running to a limit of 450 cu in (7.38 litres) and Indianapolis at 300 cu in (4.92 litres). [6]
see also 1916 AAA Championship Car season
Only 24 entries arrived for the Indianapolis race and 21 cars took the start (the smallest in the race’s history). The Peugeot Auto Racing team had prepared new cars for Dario Resta, Ralph Mulford, Johnny Aitken and veteran Charlie Merz. Shortly after the end of the 1914 French Grand Prix, Carl Fisher had purchased two of the Peugeot EX-5s and gave them to Premier for three replicas to be made. [7] These were ready for the race and the team hired former Stutz drivers Howdy Wilcox and Norwegian-American Gil Anderson, as well as Tom Rooney. The cars looked identical to the Peugeots but were noticeably slower. [5] The Premiers and the American Peugeot drivers were all entered by the Indianapolis Speedway Team to bolster the entry numbers.
Duesenberg had cars for Eddie O'Donnell and Wilbur D'Alene although only the latter qualified. Duesenberg also provided the engines for the new Crawford chassis. Eddie Rickenbacker was team leader for Maxwell along with Canadian Pete Henderson. Along with several specials, a new entry were the Frontenacs of the three Chevrolet brothers, Louis and Arthur. Gaston’s car did not qualify for the race. French manufacturer Delage arranged for cars for Jules Devigne as well as Barney Oldfield and Jack LeCain. The international field was rounded out with Belgian Josef Christiaens running a British Sunbeam and Aldo Franchi in a Peugeot with a Sunbeam engine.
A significant absentee was Ralph DePalma, the 1915 race-winner. He was to run with the new Hudson team but they had submitted their team entries too late [8] while DePalma was haggling with the organisers to get paid appearance money. It was also without Bob Burman, as he and his mechanic had been killed in April when his Peugeot lost a wheel and crashed while leading a non-championship event at Corona, Los Angeles. [9]
Fastest car in qualifying was Johnny Aitken’s Peugeot, with the front row filled out with Rickenbacker and Andersen. From the start it was Rickenbacker who took the lead, holding it for the first nine laps until his steering gave out. Aitken then took the lead for eight laps until he was passed by Resta. From there on the Briton stayed in the front with a trouble-free run after Aitken retired, winning by two minutes from d’Alene’s Duesenberg with Mulford’s Peugeot in third. [10] The race was marred by a serious accident on lap 61 to Jack LeCain that left him critically injured. He had not qualified but was driving as relief for de Vigne when the Delage crashed. His mechanic and a spectator also suffered lesser injuries. [11] [12]
DePalma was present a fortnight later, in his Mercedes GP, at the next event at Maywood oval, Chicago. In a tight wheel-to-wheel battle he duelled with Resta for almost three hours until a sparkplug failed on his engine, giving Resta the win by two minutes. [5] DePalma won the next two rounds with Resta not racing though the British driver then won at the Omaha speedway in an event overshadowed by the death of Aldo Franchi's riding mechanic. [5] Johnnie Aitken then won four of the next six races to leap into title contention. [13]
This year the Vanderbilt Cup and Grand Prize were held in November, back at Santa Monica where they had been held previously in 1914. They were the only road-races in the championship. Going into the weekend, Aitken (3440 pts) had a 240-point lead over Resta (3200 pts), with Rickenbacker a distant third with 2210 pts. Resta, Aitken and their Peugeots were entered, along with Rickenbacker in William Weightman’s Duesenberg but not DePalma. Ira Vail led a trio of Hudsons, Earl Cooper was in his Stutz and Lewis Jackson in a Marmon. Practice was marred by a fatal accident to Harry Horstman, an unofficial entry, on the track without permission. [14] Mike Moosie was fastest in practice in a Duesenberg with Jackson second.
Rickenbacker retired early with a ruined gearbox, while Aitken was out just after the halfway mark with engine problems. This left Resta to win the race comfortably by eight minutes, repeating his victory from the year before. [15] After 200 gruelling miles he was content to drink a pint of milk to celebrate. [16] Second was Earl Cooper’s Stutz with Weightman third and the three Hudsons the only other finishers.
Two days later, most of the same drivers met again for the Grand Prize. Howdy Wilcox was also entered in another Peugeot EX5 along with Cliff Durant in a Stutz (entered by the Chevrolet Motor Company). The 900 points Resta had got for his Vanderbilt Cup victory now put him in front of the points-table, ahead of Aitken who had scored none.
Once again, Mike Moosie was on pole position, and in a sensation Aitken retired after only one lap with a broken piston. On lap 13, there was a tragic accident. Lew Jackson lost control of his Marmon after the bend on the fast back straight. He veered off the road, hitting a palm tree then ploughed into an ice-cream stand. Jackson and three of the public were killed outright, while his mechanic and two other spectators were injured. [17] [5] Six laps later, Resta’s car also broke down when its ignition failed. Then Aitken joined Howdy Wilcox, leading the race, as a relief driver. Unaware of the rule that only the starting driver would score any points (a precedent set with Rickenbacker at the Indianapolis race earlier in the year) Resta was alarmed that he would now lose the championship. He approached Earl Cooper, running second, offering to buy and drive his Stutz “at any price”. But Cooper refused and carried on to finish second behind the Wilcox/Aitken Peugeot. When the officials confirmed that Aitken would not score any points, Resta was relieved. [5]
The final event of the season was held at the end of November. The Ascot Derby was a short 150-mile race held at Ascot, Los Angeles, and with only 700 points for the winner, neither Resta nor Aitken showed up. It was won by Rickenbacker who cemented third place in the points’ standings ahead of DePalma.
While auto racing continued in the United States after their entry into the First World War, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was turned over to the government to use. [18] The 1917 AAA Championship Car season would not be run with a points-awarding championship, with such a format not returning until the 1920 season. Eddie Rickenbacker would go on to become the United States’ top-scoring flying ace of the war. Johnny Aitken died in 1918, a victim of the influenza epidemic. [18] The Vanderbilt Cup and the American Grand Prize were allowed to lapse during the war, with American racing shifting towards ovals. Road-racing faded into obscurity in the United States for nearly twenty years.
Dario Raoul Resta, was a British racing driver. He is best remembered for his successes racing Indy cars in the United States. The 1916 American National Champion, Resta was the winner of the 1916 Indianapolis 500, as well as the Vanderbilt Cup in 1915 and 1916.
The Astor Cup Race was an American auto racing event, first run in 1915 at the Sheepshead Bay Speedway at Sheepshead Bay, New York. The winner's trophy was donated by Vincent Astor, whose name and connections ensured the attendance of members of New York City's fashionable and wealthy elite.
The 1925 Grand Prix season was a watershed year in motor racing. It was the first year for the new AIACR World Manufacturers' Championship season. The championship was won by Alfa Romeo, with its P2 model.
The 1927 Grand Prix season was the third AIACR World Manufacturers' Championship season and the second run to a 1.5-litre engine limit. In a dominant display, the championship was won by Delage, with team driver Robert Benoist winning four of the five Grand Prix.
The 1910 Grand Prix season was the fifth Grand Prix racing season. Because of the ongoing international economic recession, there were no Grandes Épreuves held. The American Grand Prize was held in Savannah.
The 1911 Grand Prix season consisted of Grand Prix races in the United States and Europe. It was a significant year as European racing gradually came out of the doldrums. A Grand Prix was held in France again. The first Indianapolis 500 was held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, joining the American Grand Prize as a leading race.
The 1912 Grand Prix season saw Grand Prix motor racing in Europe and the United States. The growing economic confidence and interest from car manufacturers saw bigger fields and more races in the season. The French Grand Prix was held for the first time since 1908 and staged at Dieppe. The American Grand Prize was held in Milwaukee, moving from its previous home in Savannah.
The 1914 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Lyon on 4 July 1914. Hailed as one of the greatest races of the twentieth century, it was a contest between the French Peugeots and the German Mercedes. For the first time, the Grand Prix was run to an engine limitation – of 4.5L maximum capacity. It was won by the Mercedes of Christian Lautenschlager who won at an average speed of 105.7 km/h (65.7 mph) after a tense seven-hour contest with the Peugeot of Georges Boillot.
The 1913 Grand Prix season consisted of Grand Prix races in Europe and the United States. Once again, the Peugeot works cars were the team to beat, continuing their success. This year the French Grand Prix was held in Amiens. The ACF introduced a fuel-economy formula for the race to discourage bigger-engined cars. Peugeot drivers Georges Boillot and Jules Goux claimed a 1-2 victory for the company after Zuccarelli had been killed in practice.
The 1914 Grand Prix season consisted of Grand Prix races across Europe and the United States until abbreviated by the outbreak of World War I.
The 1915 Grand Prix season saw Grand Prix motor racing continue in the United States. Racing was suspended in Europe due to the outbreak of World War I. The American Grand Prize was held in San Francisco for the first time, in conjunction with the Panama–Pacific International Exposition. Several of the latest European cars had been imported to the USA before the war started. Briton Dario Resta had a Peugeot and Ralph DePalma raced one of the Mercedes GPs. While Resta won both races at San Francisco and DePalma won the Indianapolis 500, just ahead of Resta it was Earl Cooper, running a Stutz, whose consistency gave him the unofficial AAA national championship.
The 1921 Grand Prix season saw motor racing in Europe blossom again. The French Grand Prix was held for the first time since 1914, at La Sarthe, Le Mans. and the inaugural Italian Grand Prix was held in Montichiari, near Brescia. The 3-litre formula of the AIACR, already in use at Indianapolis, was adopted by those Grand Prix meaning manufacturers could design on a common formula.
The 1922 Grand Prix season had several notable events during the year. The AIACR governing body brought in a 2-litre formula for Grand Prix. French companies brought out straight-8 engines for their cars but it was FIAT's 6-cylinder engine that took the trophies. Veteran Felice Nazzaro won the French Grand Prix, held near Strasbourg. It was a tainted victory though, as Nazzaro's nephew was killed when his FIAT's suspension broke in the latter stages of the race. An almost identical accident also happened to team-mate Pietro Bordino, though he was only slightly injured. Pierre de Vizcaya's Bugatti finished second, nearly an hour behind.
The 1923 Grand Prix season was part of a watershed year for motor racing that saw significant advances in motor-racing engineering, design and events. Fiat's chief designer, Guido Fornaca, developed the 805, the first supercharged car to win a Grand Prix. Benz appeared with the first mid-engined racer and, along with Bugatti and Voisin, produced some of the first efforts at aerodynamics on racing cars. With the United States also adopting the 2-litre formula, Harry Miller could use the smaller engine size to design the first single-seater race-car, ideally suited to American oval racing.
The 1924 Grand Prix season saw Grand Prix motor racing spread further across Europe and North America. In Italy a number of new open-road events were held. In France two new circuits were opened – at Montlhéry near Paris and Miramas near Marseille.
The Harvest Auto Racing Classic was a series of three automobile races held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Saturday September 9, 1916. The meet, held four months after the 1916 Indianapolis 500, featured a 20-mile race, a 50-mile race, and a 100-mile race. The main event, a 100-mile Championship Car race, paid points towards the 1916 AAA National Championship. Johnny Aitken won all three races, two of which had a margin of victory of less than a car length.
The 1919 Grand Prix season was the first season following the armistice that ended World War I in November 1918. European economies were struggling, and many automotive firms had to recover and retool from military production. So, there was very little racing activity as it took time for the companies and populations to recover. As the world rebuilt there were only two major races held in the year – the Indianapolis 500 and the Targa Florio.
The 1920 Grand Prix season saw further activity in motor-racing gradually increase. Europe was still recovering from the end of the war and the terrible pandemic that swept the continent. Automotive companies were gradually re-establishing themselves after re-tooling from a wartime footing and getting production lines rolling again.
The 1909 Grand Prix season was the fourth Grand Prix racing season. There were no Grandes Épreuves that year, as the economic recession of the previous year continued on. Renault had withdrawn from motor-racing and a number of French manufacturers, falling behind the success of their German and Italian rivals, followed suit. The French Grand Prix was cancelled, leaving the Targa Florio in Italy and Vanderbilt Cup in the United States as the only major races this season. With so little competition and financial incentive, technological advances ground to a halt. Emphasis shifted from racing to setting speed and endurance records. Benz & Cie built a new 12.4-litre racing-engine, and its 200 bhp derivative was put into the Blitzen Benz. This 21.5-litre monster held the Land speed record from 1909 to 1922, with various drivers starting with Victor Hémery in November, 1909 at Brooklands.
The 1916 American Grand Prize was a Grand Prix auto race that took place at Santa Monica, California, on November 18, 1916.
