American open-wheel car racing is the highest form of professional formula racing for open-wheel single-seater cars in North America. [1] The sport was administered by the American Automobile Association (AAA) in 1905 until 1955 when the United States Auto Club (USAC) ran open-wheel racing starting from 1956 after the AAA dissolved its Contest Board in the wake of the 1955 Le Mans disaster and the fatal accident of driver Bill Vukovich. [2] [3] USAC remained the sole governing body until 1979 when a group of disenchanted race team owners established the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) series. [4] A disagreement between CART and Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George resulted in the establishment of the Indy Racing League (IRL) in 1996 and the series rivalled CART before the latter went bankrupt in 2003 and was renamed the Champ Car World Series (CCWS) in 2004. [5] [6] The CCWS and the IRL merged in February 2008 to unify American open-wheel car racing and the merged body has run the sport under the IndyCar Series name since then. [7] [8]
The season consists of a series of races held variously on permanent road courses, closed city streets and oval tracks, usually in the United States and in a few cases abroad. [5] [9] The Drivers' Championship is presented to the most successful open-wheel driver over the course of the season through a points system based on individual race results. [5] [10] The Drivers' Championship is won when it is no longer mathematically possible for another competitor to overtake their points total regardless of the outcome of the remaining races, although is not officially awarded until the Victory Lap Celebration banquet that takes place after the season has ended. [11] The winning driver and team owner are presented with a replica of the sterling silver Astor Cup and the driver's name is laser-etched into three black granite bases that support the permanent trophy on display in the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum. [12]
As of 2023 [update] , 67 drivers from 11 different countries have won a national American open-wheel championship. [lower-alpha 1] [15] The first national American open-wheel champion was Barney Oldfield in the 1905 AAA Championship Car season, and the current national title holder is Álex Palou in the 2023 IndyCar Series. A. J. Foyt holds the record for the most Drivers' Championships, having won the title on seven occasions. Scott Dixon is second with six titles, and Mario Andretti, Sébastien Bourdais, and Dario Franchitti are joint third with four titles each. [15] Bourdais also holds the record for the most consecutive Drivers' Championships with four CCWS championships won between the 2004 and 2007 seasons, [16] which is also the record for the most overall CART/CCWS titles. [17] Louis Meyer and Ted Horn hold the record for the most AAA titles, having won the sanctioning body's championship three times. Foyt was the most successful competitor of the USAC era with seven series titles. [18] Dixon is the most successful driver in the IndyCar Series with six series championships. [19]
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† | Indicates driver won the USAC Gold Crown Championship |
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Drivers in bold are entered in the 2023 IndyCar Series.
Country | Total | Drivers |
---|---|---|
United States | 83 | 48 |
United Kingdom | 7 | 4 |
France | 5 | 2 |
New Zealand | 6 | 1 |
Brazil | 5 | 4 |
Spain | 3 | 1 |
Italy | 2 | 1 |
Canada | 2 | 2 |
Australia | 2 | 1 |
Sweden | 1 | 1 |
Colombia | 1 | 1 |
15 drivers have won consecutive National Championships. Only A. J. Foyt has achieved the feat on two separate occasions. [3]
Row wins | Driver | Seasons | Sanctioning body |
---|---|---|---|
4 | Sébastien Bourdais | 2004–2007 | CCWS |
3 | Ted Horn | 1946–1948 | AAA |
Dario Franchitti | 2009–2011 | IRL (2), INDY (1) | |
2 | Louis Meyer | 1928–1929 | AAA |
Rex Mays | 1940–1941 | AAA | |
Jimmy Bryan | 1956–1957 | USAC | |
A. J. Foyt | 1960–1961 | USAC | |
A. J. Foyt | 1963–1964 | USAC | |
Mario Andretti | 1965–1966 | USAC | |
Joe Leonard | 1971–1972 | USAC | |
Tom Sneva | 1977–1978 | USAC | |
Rick Mears | 1981–1982 | CART | |
Bobby Rahal | 1986–1987 | CART | |
Alex Zanardi | 1997–1998 | CART | |
Gil de Ferran | 2000–2001 | CART | |
Sam Hornish Jr. | 2001–2002 | IRL |
Drivers in bold were entered in the 2022 IndyCar Series.
Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) was a sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing that operated from 1979 until dissolving after the 2003 season. CART was founded in 1979 by United States Auto Club (USAC) Championship Division team owners who disagreed with the direction and leadership of USAC, with the then-novel idea of team owners sanctioning and promoting their own series collectively instead of relying on a neutral body to do so. Through the 1980s, CART's Indy Car World Series became the pre-eminent open-wheel auto racing series in North America, featuring street circuits, road courses, and oval track racing. CART teams continued to compete at the USAC-sanctioned Indianapolis 500, which was effectively integrated into the series schedule.
Scott Ronald Dixon is a New Zealand racing driver who races the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR) Dallara DW12-Honda car in the IndyCar Series. He is a six-time drivers' champion of the IndyCar Series, having claimed the title in 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018 and 2020 and he won the 2008 Indianapolis 500 with CGR. Dixon has three 24 Hours of Daytona victories, with CGR in 2006 and 2015 and in 2020 with Wayne Taylor Racing.
The United States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies of auto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned the United States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned the Indianapolis 500. USAC serves as the sanctioning body for a number of racing series, including the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Cars, National Midgets, Speed2 Midget Series, .25 Midget Series, Stadium Super Trucks, and Pirelli World Challenge. Seven-time USAC champion Levi Jones is USAC's Competition Director.
Michael Mario Andretti is an American former racing driver, and current team owner. Statistically one of the most successful drivers in the history of American open-wheel car racing, Andretti won the 1991 CART championship, and amassed 42 race victories, the most in the CART era and fifth-most all time. Since his retirement, Andretti has owned Andretti Autosport, which has won four IndyCar Series championships and five Indianapolis 500 races. He is the son of Mario Andretti, a multi-time champion, and is the father of IndyCar Series driver Marco Andretti.
George Dario Marino Franchitti is a British motorsport commentator and retired motor racing driver from Scotland. Franchitti won the IndyCar Series Drivers' Championship in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011; the Indianapolis 500 in 2007, 2010 and 2012; and the 2008 24 Hours of Daytona driving for Andretti Green Racing (AGR) and later Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR).
James "Jimmy" Vasser Jr. is an American former racing driver who competed primarily in the CART series and Champ Car. Vasser won ten CART series races and won the 1996 CART championship with Chip Ganassi Racing. Vasser was the last American to win the CART title. Vasser won the 1996 U.S. 500, and had a best finish of 4th at the Indianapolis 500 twice.
American open-wheel car racing, generally known as Indy car racing, or more formally Indianapolis car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2024, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar. Competitive events for professional-level, open-wheel race cars have been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies, tracing its roots as far back as 1902. A season-long, points-based, National Championship of drivers has been officially recognized in 1905, 1916, and each year since 1920. As such, for many years, the category of racing was known as Championship car racing. That name has fallen from use, and the term Indy car racing has become the preferred moniker.
The Milwaukee Mile is a 1.015 mi (1.633 km) oval race track in the central United States, located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin, a suburb west of Milwaukee. Its grandstand and bleachers seats approximately 37,000 spectators. Opened in 1903 as a dirt track, it was paved in 1954. In addition to the oval, there is a 1.8 mi (2.9 km) road circuit located in the infield.
Chip Ganassi Racing, LLC (CGR), also sometimes branded as Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, is an American auto racing organization with teams competing in the NTT IndyCar Series, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship. They have formerly competed in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, Global Rallycross Championship, Extreme E and the Rolex Sports Car Series. It was founded in 1990 by businessman and former racecar driver Chip Ganassi from the assets of Patrick Racing to compete in the CART IndyCar World Series.
The 1999 FedEx Championship Series season was the twenty-first in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) era of American open-wheel car racing. It consisted of 20 races, beginning in Homestead, Florida on March 21 and concluding in Fontana, California on October 31. The season was marred by the fatal accidents of Gonzalo Rodríguez during practice for the Laguna Seca round and Greg Moore at the final round, in addition to various injuries that took several drivers out of championship contention.
The Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil Indy 300 was an IndyCar Series race held at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois, United States.
The Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wisconsin has hosted American open-wheel car racing events dating back to 1937. The AAA Contest Board, USAC, CART, Champ Car World Series, and the IndyCar Series have all sanctioned races at the facility. The Milwaukee Mile has a long history of Championship/Indy car racing, and for many years, traditionally held a race the weekend after the Indianapolis 500.
The Jimmy Bryan Memorial was an IndyCar Series race held at the Phoenix Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, United States. USAC moved the fall race and added a spring race to the newly built Phoenix International Raceway in 1964. The race became a CART event in 1979, and joined the Indy Racing League in 1996. It was held continuously through 2005.
Trenton Speedway was a racing facility located near Trenton, New Jersey at the New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Races for the United States' premier open-wheel and full-bodied racing series of the times were held at Trenton Speedway.
The 1999 Marlboro 500 Presented by Toyota was held on October 31, 1999, at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California as the final showdown of the 1999 CART World Series season. The race was marred by an accident in the early stages of the race which killed Forsythe Racing driver Greg Moore.
The AAA Contest Board was the motorsports arm of the American Automobile Association. The contest board sanctioned automobile races from 1904 until 1955, establishing American Championship car racing. Modern-day Indy car racing traces its roots directly to these AAA events.
IndyCar, LLC, is an auto racing sanctioning body for American open-wheel car racing headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. The organization sanctions two racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with the Indianapolis 500 as its centerpiece, and the developmental series Indy NXT. IndyCar is recognized as a member organization of the FIA through the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States.
The IndyCar Rookie of the Year Award is presented to the first-year driver that has the best season in a IndyCar Series season.