The 1970 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 18 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 28 and concluding at the same location on November 21. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Al Unser. After this season, dirt courses did not reappear in the USAC Championship until 1981-82. Road courses after this season did not reappear in the USAC Championship until 1977. The Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb was the only non-championship event.
The 1956 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana, on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 12. There were also three non-championship events. The USAC National Champion was Jimmy Bryan and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Pat Flaherty. This was the first year that the National Championship was sanctioned by the USAC, after the withdrawal of the AAA from all forms of racing after the 1955 season.
The 1955 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 11 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 6. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The AAA National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Bob Sweikert. Manny Ayulo was killed at Indianapolis while practicing for the 1955 Indianapolis 500, and Bill Vukovich, the two-time defending winner, was killed in the race itself. Jack McGrath, the two-time champion, was killed in the final race at Phoenix on lap 85. This was the last year of the AAA National Championship; USAC sanctioned the series starting the next year.
The 1969 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 24 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 30 and concluding in Riverside, California on December 7. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Mario Andretti.
The 1962 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 8 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 18. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Rodger Ward. Hugh Randall was killed in the first Langhorne 100 at Langhorne Speedway; he was 29 years old.
The 1958 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on March 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11. There were also five non-championship events. The USAC National Champion was Tony Bettenhausen and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Jimmy Bryan. There were three fatalities during the season. Pat O'Connor lost his life in a first lap accident during the Indy 500. Art Bisch died of injuries suffered during the race at Lakewood Speedway. Jimmy Reece was killed in a late-race incident at the second Trenton 100.
The 1959 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Daytona Beach, Florida on April 4 and concluding in Sacramento, California on October 25. There were also three non-championship events. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Rodger Ward. In this tragic season 7 fatal accidents occurred. During the pre-season, Marshall Teague was fatally injured in a crash at Daytona. He was 37 years old. In the first race of the season at Daytona, 34-year-old George Amick was killed in an accident on the last lap. In the second race of the season at Trenton, Dick Linder was killed; he was 36 years old. The third race of the season, the Indy 500, had two fatalities. On May 2, Jerry Unser was killed in a practice accident, and on May 19 death Bob Cortner was also killed in a practice accident. On July 19 at Mechanicsburg in the Indianapolis Sweepstakes non-championship race Van Johnson was killed in an accident; he was 32 years old. On August 30, 32-year-old Ed Elisian was killed at the Milwaukee Mile. The 1959 season could be considered one of the most tragic seasons in American open-wheel car history.
The 1960 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 10 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 20. There were also two non-championship events at Langhorne, Pennsylvania, and Pikes Peak, Colorado. This was the final year that the Indianapolis 500 was a part of the Formula One World Championship. The USAC National Champion was A. J. Foyt and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Jim Rathmann. Three time USAC/AAA National Champion, and 1958 Indianapolis 500 winner Jimmy Bryan, was killed in an accident during the Langhorne 100 at Langhorne Speedway; he was 34 years old.
The 1961 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Trenton, New Jersey on April 9 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 19. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. The season was marred by the deaths of 1951 and 1958 season champion Tony Bettenhausen at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Al Keller at Phoenix.
The 1964 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 22 and concluding at the same location on November 22. There was also one non-championship event at Pikes Peak, Colorado. The USAC National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was A. J. Foyt. At Indianapolis in the 500 mile race Eddie Sachs and Dave MacDonald were killed during lap 2 of the race; Sachs was 37 years old, and MacDonald was 27. In the Tony Bettenhausen Memorial at Springfield, Bill Horstmeyer died during the race; he was 34 years old. In November, five days after the season ended, Bobby Marshman died in a testing accident at Phoenix; he was 28 years old.
The 1965 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 18 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 28 and concluding at the same location on November 21. This season was notable for the Hoosier Grand Prix, the first Championship Car event held on a road course since the 1937 Vanderbilt Cup. The USAC National Champion was Mario Andretti and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Jim Clark.
The 1966 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 16 races, beginning in Avondale, Arizona on March 20 and concluding at the same location on November 20. There was also one non-championship event at Fuji Speedway in Japan. The USAC National Champion was Mario Andretti, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Graham Hill. At Indianapolis, Chuck Rodee was killed while qualifying for the 1966 Indianapolis 500. Also of note was the end of the career of two time 500 and two time National Champion Rodger Ward as he ran the final three races of his IndyCar career at the start of the season which included the final IndyCar victory of his career at Trenton.
The 1954 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 14. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The AAA National Champion was Jimmy Bryan, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Bill Vukovich. Bob Scott was killed in the Independence Day Sweepstakes race at Darlington.
The 1953 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The AAA National Champion was Sam Hanks, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Bill Vukovich. Chet Miller died while practicing for the Indianapolis 500.
The 1952 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The AAA National Champion was Chuck Stevenson, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Troy Ruttman. Johnny McDowell was killed at the Milwaukee while qualifying for the Rex Mays Classic. Joe James died in the San José 100 race.
The 1951 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 15 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in San Mateo, California on November 11. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The AAA National Champion was Tony Bettenhausen, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Lee Wallard.
The 1950 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 13 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Darlington, South Carolina on December 10. There were also two non-championship events. The AAA National Champion was Henry Banks, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Johnnie Parsons.
The 1949 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 14 races, beginning in Arlington, Texas on April 24 and concluding in Del Mar, California on November 6. There were also two non-championship events. The AAA National Champion was Johnnie Parsons, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Bill Holland. The season was marred by George Metzler's death at Indianapolis in practice, Bill Sheffler's death at Trenton also in practice, and Rex Mays's death in the final race at Del Mar.
The 1947 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 11 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Arlington, Texas on November 2. The AAA National Champion was Ted Horn, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Mauri Rose. Shorty Cantlon died at Indianapolis in the 500 miles race.
The 1946 AAA Championship Car season was the first season of American Championship car racing following World War II. After four years without racing in the United States, the AAA Contest Board was initially concerned about having enough races, enough entrants, and suitable equipment, for a 1946 season. Even the Indianapolis 500 was in doubt, as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway was neglected during the war. Track owner Eddie Rickenbacker sold the track to Tony Hulman in November 1945, by which point it had fallen into a terrible state of disrepair. As the season progressed, it proved to be a success, and marked a successful return of the National Championship. Hulman's swift and herculean effort to renovate Indianapolis allowed for the 1946 Indianapolis 500 to be run as scheduled on May 30, and it was won by George Robson.
Ted Horn