American Championship Car Racing

This article provides a general outline of the major American Open-Wheel motor racing championship, for specific information on the current Champ Car World Series and the Indy Racing League see Champcar and IRL.

National Champions

Retroactively Awarded AAA Titles

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 1902 - Harry Harkness
• 1903 - Barney Oldfield
• 1904 - George Heath
• 1905 - Victor Hemery
• 1906 - Joe Tracy
• 1907 - Eddie Bald
• 1908 - Louis Strang
• 1909 - Bert Dingley Revised to George Robertson in 1951.
• 1910 - Ray Harroun
• 1911 - Ralph Mulford
• 1912 - Ralph DePalma
• 1913 - Earl Cooper
• 1914 - Ralph DePalma
• 1915 - Earl Cooper
• 1917 - Earl Cooper
• 1918 - Ralph Mulford
• 1919 - Howard Wilcox

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

AAA National Championship

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 1916 - Dario Resta
• 1920 - Gaston Chevrolet Revised to Tommy Milton in 1951
• 1921 - Tommy Milton
• 1922 - Jimmy Murphy
• 1923 - Eddie Hearne
• 1924 - Jimmy Murphy
• 1925 - Peter DePaolo
• 1926 - Harry Hartz
• 1927 - Peter DePaolo
• 1928 - Louie Meyer
• 1929 - Louie Meyer
• 1930 - Billy Arnold
• 1931 - Louis Schneider
• 1932 - Bob Carey
• 1933 - Louie Meyer
• 1934 - Bill Cummings
• 1935 - Kelly Petillo
• 1936 - Mauri Rose
• 1937 - Wilbur Shaw
• 1938 - Floyd Roberts
• 1939 - Wilbur Shaw
• 1940 - Rex Mays
• 1941 - Rex Mays
• 1946 - Ted Horn
• 1947 - Ted Horn
• 1948 - Ted Horn
• 1949 - Johnnie Parsons
• 1950 - Henry Banks
• 1951 - Tony Bettenhausen
• 1952 - Chuck Stevenson
• 1953 - Sam Hanks
• 1954 - Jimmy Bryan
• 1955 - Bob Sweikert

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

USAC National Championship

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 1956 - Jimmy Bryan
• 1957 - Jimmy Bryan
• 1958 - Tony Bettenhausen
• 1959 - Rodger Ward
• 1960 - A.J. Foyt
• 1961 - A.J. Foyt
• 1962 - Rodger Ward
• 1963 - A.J. Foyt
• 1964 - A.J. Foyt
• 1965 - Mario Andretti
• 1966 - Mario Andretti
• 1967 - A.J. Foyt
• 1968 - Bobby Unser
• 1969 - Mario Andretti
• 1970 - Al Unser
• 1971 - Joe Leonard
• 1972 - Joe Leonard
• 1973 - Roger McCluskey
• 1974 - Bobby Unser
• 1975 - A.J. Foyt
• 1976 - Gordon Johncock
• 1977 - Tom Sneva
• 1978 - Tom Sneva

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CART & USAC National Championships

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 1979 CART - Rick Mears
• 1979 USAC - A.J. Foyt

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CART National Championship

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 1980 - Johnny Rutherford
• 1981 - Rick Mears
• 1982 - Rick Mears
• 1983 - Al Unser
• 1984 - Mario Andretti
• 1985 - Al Unser
• 1986 - Bobby Rahal
• 1987 - Bobby Rahal
• 1988 - Danny Sullivan
• 1989 - Emerson Fittipaldi
• 1990 - Al Unser Jr.
• 1991 - Michael Andretti
• 1992 - Bobby Rahal
• 1993 - Nigel Mansell
• 1994 - Al Unser Jr.
• 1995 - Jacques Villeneuve

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CART & IRL Championships

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 1996 CART - Jimmy Vasser
• 1996 IRL - Scott Sharp; Buzz Calkins (tied)
• 1997 CART - Alex Zanardi
• 1997 IRL - Tony Stewart
• 1998 CART - Alex Zanardi
• 1998 IRL - Kenny Brack
• 1999 CART - Juan Pablo Montoya
• 1999 IRL - Greg Ray
• 2000 CART - Gil de Ferran
• 2000 IRL - Buddy Lazier
• 2001 CART - Gil de Ferran
• 2001 IRL - Sam Hornish, Jr.
• 2002 CART - Cristiano da Matta
• 2002 IRL - Sam Hornish, Jr.
• 2003 CART - Paul Tracy
• 2003 IRL - Scott Dixon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

CCWS & IRL Championships

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• 2004 CCWS - Sebastien Bourdais
• 2004 IRL - Tony Kanaan
• 2005 CCWS -
• 2005 IRL - Dan Wheldon