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| Sport | Auto racing |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | United States |
| Abbreviation | USAC |
| Founded | 1955[1] |
| Headquarters | Speedway, Indiana, U.S. |
| President | Kevin Miller |
| Chairman | Jeff Stoops |
| Official website | |
| unitedstatesautoclub | |
TheUnited States Auto Club (USAC) is one of the sanctioning bodies ofauto racing in the United States. From 1956 to 1979, USAC sanctioned theUnited States National Championship, and from 1956 to 1997 the organization sanctioned theIndianapolis 500. USAC serves as thesanctioning body for a number of racing series, including the Silver Crown Series, NationalSprint Cars, National Midgets, Speed2 Midget Series, .25 Midget Series,Stadium Super Trucks, andGT World Challenge America. Seven-time USAC champion Levi Jones is USAC's Competition Director.[2]
When theAmerican Automobile Association (AAA) withdrew from auto racing after the 1955 season, citing theLe Mans disaster and the death ofBill Vukovich atIndianapolis as contributing factors,[3] both theSCCA andNASCAR were mentioned as its potential successor.[3][4] Ultimately, USAC was formed byIndianapolis Motor Speedway ownerTony Hulman.[5] It became the arbiter of rules, car design, and other matters for what it termedchampionship auto racing, the highest level of USAC racing. For a while there was a separate series of specifications for championship cars designed to be run on dirt, rather than paved, tracks. Today, USAC sanctionopen-wheel racing series such as the Silver Crown Series,National Sprint Car Series,National Midget Series, andQuarter Midgets.
The "triple crown" is earned in USAC racing when a driver claims all three national championships (silver crown, sprint car, and midget car). Only two drivers,Tony Stewart (1995) andJ. J. Yeley (2003), have achieved the triple crown in a single season. Six other drivers,Pancho Carter (1972–78),Dave Darland (1997–2001),Jerry Coons Jr. (2006–08),Tracy Hines (2000, 2002, 2015),Chris Windom (2016, 2017, 2020), andLogan Seavey (2023–2024) have claimed each of the three championships at least once in their careers. In 2012Mike Curb andCary Agajanian became the only car owners to win the triple crown by winning all three championships in the same year.[citation needed]
USAC awarded a national championship untilA. J. Foyt won his seventh title in 1979.[6] It resumed awarding a national championship in 2010.[6] A driver's best 25 finishes are counted toward the championship and the 2010 winner received $40,000.[6] Points are accumulated in the three national series: sprints, midgets, and silver crown.[6]Bryan Clauson ofNoblesville, Indiana claimed the inaugural championship, topping runner-up Levi Jones by 14 points.
As of 2013 it has been known as the Mike Curb "Super License" National Championship Award.
USAC national drivers champions
On April 23, 1978, returning from a race at theTrenton Speedway inNew Jersey, eight USAC officials, plus the pilot, were killed when their 10-seatPiper Navajo Chieftain crashed during a thunderstorm 25 miles southeast ofIndianapolis.[7][8]
Killed were:[9]
The incident closely followed the death of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman.[8]
The plane crash came at a time when Indy car owners and drivers were demanding changes from USAC. Aside from the Indianapolis 500, USAC events were not well attended, and the owners felt that USAC poorly negotiated television rights. The owners also wanted increases in payouts, especially at Indy.[10] Though some think the plane crash was used as an opportunistic way to force change in the sport, it was merely an unfortunate coincidence. The seed of dissent had been growing for several years before the accident,[11] and claims the crash was an immediate cause for the 1979 CART/USAC "split" are considered for the most part unfounded.
Also unpopular were the attempts of USAC to keep the agingOffenhauser engine competitive with the newer, and much more expensive,Cosworth DFX engine using boost-limiting "pop off valves" and limiting the amount of fuel that could be used.[12]
Finally, most car owners banded together to formChampionship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1978, with the first race to be run in1979. USAC tried unsuccessfully to ban all CART owners from the1979 Indianapolis 500, finally losing in court before the race began. Both the USAC and CART ran multi-race schedules in 1979.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway president John Cooper was instrumental in forming a joint body of CART and USAC with the creation of the Championship Racing League (CRL) in March 1980. However, in mid-1980, Cooper forced USAC to renounce their agreement with the CRL if they wanted to keep officiating the Indy 500.[13] After USAC's attempt at a 500-mile race atPocono Raceway – which was boycotted by the CART teams, forcing USAC to fill the field with silver crown cars – USAC and CART eventually settled into a relatively peaceful co-existence, with USAC continuing to sanction the Indianapolis 500 and no other Championship car races, and CART including the race in its schedule between other CART-sanctioned races. USAC continued to sanction the Indy 500 until 1997, when theIndy Racing League (itself product of the second American open-wheel split in 1996) terminated the sanctioning agreement followingtwo consecutiveofficiating controversies that year; subsequent Indy 500s (and IRL races, as USAC was also involved in IRL's racing-related matters up to that point) were sanctioned by the IRL itself, which was renamed the IndyCar Series in 2003.
Since 2022, the United States Auto Club has sanctioned theUSF Juniors,USF2000 Championship, andUSF Pro 2000 Championship series, which serve as a ladder series to Indy NXT, along with theRadical Sportscars North American Championships,Skip Barber Racing School, as well as continued sanctioning of theGT World Challenge America andPorsche Sprint Challenge North America under the newly formed Road Racing Division under the direction ofRandy Hembrey.
 | This sectionmay containunverified orindiscriminate information inembedded lists. Please helpclean up the lists by removing items or incorporating them into the text of the article.(October 2022) |
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| Category | Sprint car racing |
|---|---|
| Country |  United States |
| Inaugural season | 1971 |
| Drivers' champion | Logan Seavey |
| Teams' champion | Robbie Rice |
| Official website | USAC Silver Crown Series |
 Current season | |
Beginning in 1971, all dirt races were split from the National Championship. From 1971 to 1980, the series was named "National Dirt Car Championship", then renamed "Silver Crown Series" in 1981.
* As of the end of the 2022 season
| Driver | Wins[18] |
|---|---|
| Kody Swanson | 37 |
| Jack Hewitt | 23 |
| Brian Tyler | 18 |
| Dave Steele | 16 |
| J. J. Yeley | 15 |
| Dave Darland | 14 |
| Chuck Gurney | 14 |
| Jimmy Sills | 12 |
| Bobby East | 11 |
| Bobby Santos III | 11 |
| Gary Bettenhausen | 10 |
| Mike Bliss | 10 |
 | |
| Category | Sprint car racing |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 1956 |
| Tire suppliers | Hoosier Racing Tire |
| Drivers' champion | Logan Seavey |
| Teams' champion | Abascus Racing |
| Official website | AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series |
| Current season | |
From 1956 to 1960, USAC's National Sprint Car Championship was divided into two regional divisions in the Midwest and the East.
* As of the end of the 2020 season
 | |
| Category | Midget car racing |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 1956 |
| Tire suppliers | Hoosier Racing Tire |
| Drivers' champion | Buddy Kofoid |
| Teams' champion | Curb-Agajanian |
| Official website | USAC P1 Insurance National Midgets |
| Current season | |
| Category | Sprint car racing |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 2004 |
| Tire suppliers | Hoosier Racing Tire |
| Drivers' champion | Damion Gardner |
| Teams' champion | Alexander |
| Official website | AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series |
| Current season | |
The USAC/CRA AMSOIL Sprint Car Series debuted in 2004 utilizing the same cars and 410ci engines that race in USAC's AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship at dirt oval tracks across California and Arizona. The series also features combination races with the AMSOIL USAC Sprint Car National Championship.
Champions
| Season | Car No. | Driver | Team | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 3 | Rip Williams | Jory | |
| 2005 | 50 | Damion Gardner | Chaffin | |
| 2006 | 38 | Cory Kruseman | Crossno | |
| 2007 | 4 | Tony Jones | Alexander | |
| 2008 | 50 | Mike Spencer | Chaffin | |
| 2009 | 50 | Mike Spencer | Chaffin | |
| 2010 | 50 | Mike Spencer | Chaffin | |
| 2011 | 50 | Mike Spencer | Chaffin | |
| 2012 | 50 | Mike Spencer | Chaffin | |
| 2013 | 4a | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2014 | 4 | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2015 | 4 | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2016 | 4 | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2017 | 4 | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2018 | 4 | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2019 | 4 | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2020 | No champion crowned due to the COVID-19 Pandemic[33] | |||
| 2021 | 1 | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2022 | 1 | Damion Gardner | Alexander | |
| 2023 | 17R | Brody Roa | Tom and Christy Dunkel | |
Source:[34]
| Category | Midget car racing |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Inaugural season | 1982 |
| Tire suppliers | Hoosier Racing Tire |
| Official website | USAC Western States Midgets |
| Current season | |
USAC started theWestern States Midgets in 1982 utilizing the same cars & engines that race in the USAC National Midgets. The series solely races on dirt ovals across California and Arizona but in past raced on pavement ovals as well. The series does run co-sanctioned races with USAC's National Midget Series (including the historicTurkey Night Grand Prix race) and the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets.
Champions
| Season | Car No. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Jeff Haywood | ||
| 1983 | Sleepy Tripp | ||
| 1984 | Tommy White | ||
| 1985 | Sleepy Tripp | ||
| 1986 | Robby Flock | ||
| 1987 | Sleepy Tripp | ||
| 1988 | Sleepy Tripp | ||
| 1989 | Robby Flock | ||
| 1990 | Sleepy Tripp | ||
| 1991 | Sleepy Tripp | ||
| 1992 | Sleepy Tripp | ||
| 1993 | Robby Flock | ||
| 1994 | Johnny Cofer | ||
| 1995 | Billy Boat | ||
| 1996 | Jay Drake | ||
| 1997 | Ricky Shelton | ||
| 1998 | Rick Hendrix | ||
| 1999 | Marc DeBeaumont | ||
| 2000 | Wally Pankratz | ||
| 2001 | Danny Ebberts | ||
| 2002 | Robby Flock | ||
| 2003 | Steve Paden | ||
| 2004 | Johnny Rodriguez | ||
| 2005 | Jerome Rodela | ||
| 2006 | Jerome Rodela | ||
| 2007 | 87 | Johnny Rodriguez | Mitchell Motorsports |
| 2008 | 40 | Nic Faas | Western Speed |
| 2009 | 47 | Garrett Hansen | Bondio |
| 2010 | 25 | Alex Schutte | Rodela |
| 2011 | 21k | Cory Kruseman | Kruseman |
| 2012 (Overall) | 7 | Shannon McQueen | McQueen |
| 2012 (Dirt) | 15 | David Prickett | Neverlift |
| 2012 (Pavement) | 17n | Chad Nichols | Nichols |
| 2013 (Overall) | 68 | Ronnie Gardner | Six8 |
| 2013 (Dirt) | |||
| 2013 (Pavement) | 29 | Chad Nichols | Team 17/Eskesen |
| 2014 (Overall) | 68 | Ronnie Gardner | Six8 |
| 2014 (Dirt) | |||
| 2014 (Pavement) | 17 | Chad Nichols | Team17 |
| 2015 | 68 | Ronnie Gardner | Six8 |
| 2016 | 68 | Ronnie Gardner | Six8 |
| 2017 | 68 | Ronnie Gardner | Six8 |
| 2018 | 9D | Michael Faccinto | Sean Dodenhoff Motorsports |
| 2019 | 4D | Robert Dalby | Ken Dalby |
| 2020 | season championship cancelled[35] | ||
| 2021 | 9 | Blake Bower | Tony Boscacci |
| 2022 | 14J | Michael Faccinto | Graunstadt Enterprises |
| 2023 | 51 | Brody Fuson | Rusty Carlile |
| 2024 | 101 | Cade Lewis | Dean Alexander |
Source:[36]
USAC sanctions several regional 360c.i.d. non-wing sprint car series across the country. USAC's West Coast Sprint Car Series was launched in 2009 by Santa Maria Speedway promoter Chris Kearns, and joined forces with USAC in 2010. The West Coast series primarily races at tracks across California while also having special event races in Nevada. USAC's Southwest Sprint Car Series was launched in 1991 as the Arizona Sprint Car Racing Association. The series joined forces with USAC in 2012.[37] The Southwest series primarily races at tracks in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico while also having special event races in Arkansas, Kansas & Oklahoma. The Southwest series was put on hold after the 2019 season and has not made its way back into the sport since then.
USAC and URC Sprint Car Series promoter Curt Michael joined forces to create the USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series, with the first season beginning in 2018.[38]
Champions
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USAC formed theSpeed2 Midget Series (formerly known as the Ford Focus Midget Series, Ignite Midget Series and HPD Midget Series) in 2002 with several regional divisions running across the United States on both dirt & pavement oval tracks. With exception to the engine, the cars used are the same as National & Western States Midget cars. The powerplants currently used are 4-cylinder production-based engines with stock internal dimensions to save costs for competitors. The series started out as a spec engine class, originally withFord supplying theirZetec engine from 2002 to 2012, and thenHPD supplying theirK24 engine starting in 2013.
National Championship
The Speed2 Midget Series National Champion has been determined in a variety of ways. The inaugural championship, 2005, was decided by a two-race series (one dirt, one pavement). Subsequent national champions were determined by a single "national championship race" held at various locations. This format was used until 2010. In 2011, a points system was instituted to determine the national champion. Counting only a drivers twelve best finishes, the system allowed drivers from multiple regions to compete under a common points structure for a season-long championship. The 2012 season did not award a national champion, however the respective regional champions were honored at USAC Night of Champions.
National Champions
Regional Champions
| Season | Series | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | (No Regions) | |
| 2003 | California (North) | Josh Lakatos |
| California (South) | Todd Hunsaker | |
| Indiana | Robbie Ray | |
| 2004 | California (North) | Bradley Galedrige |
| California (South) | Chris Rahe | |
| Carolina / Virginia | Chase Scott | |
| Midwest | Tate Martz | |
| Speedrome | Brice Kenyon | |
| 2005 | California (Dirt) | Chase Barber |
| California (Pavement) | Alex Harris | |
| Carolina / Virginia | Chase Scott | |
| Midwest | Tate Martz | |
| Northeast | Michael Sboro | |
| Oklahoma | Jasiel Randolph | |
| Speedrome | Jamie Williams | |
| 2006 | California (Dirt) | Bobby Michnowicz |
| California (Pavement) | Tim Skoglund | |
| Carolina / Virginia | Chase Scott | |
| Florida | Ryan Smith | |
| Indiana | James Robertson | |
| Midwest (Dirt) | Jordan Noblitt | |
| Midwest (Pavement) | Tate Martz | |
| Northeast | Ryan Smith | |
| 2007 | California (Dirt) | Nic Faas |
| California (Pavement) | Tim Skoglund | |
| Carolina | Tanner Swanson | |
| Indiana | Chett Gehrke | |
| Midwest | James Robertson | |
| Northeast | Jeff Abold | |
| UMARRA | Mario Clouser | |
| Utah | Tim Savage | |
| 2008 | California (Dirt) | Alex Bowman |
| California (Junior) | Charlie Butcher | |
| California (Pavement) | Ian Miille | |
| Carolinas | Bradley Riethmeyer | |
| Indiana | Kyle Hamilton | |
| Midwest | ||
| Utah | Kipp Posey | |
| UMARA | Branden Allen | |
| 2009 | California (Dirt) | Brody Roa |
| California (Pavement) | Nik Romano | |
| California (Young Guns) | Kyle Edwards | |
| Carolina | Jeremy Frankoski | |
| Midwest | Joe Liguori | |
| UMARA | ||
| Utah | Kipp Posey | |
| 2010 | Eastern | Scott Hunter |
| Eastern (Young Guns) | Jesse Little | |
| Midwest | Joe Liguori | |
| Midwest (Young Guns) | Cooper Clouse | |
| Western | Nick Carlson | |
| Western (Young Guns) | Jarid Blondel | |
| Utah | Michael Daniels | |
| 2011 | DMA | Joe Krawiec |
| Eastern | Nick Drake | |
| Eastern (Dirt) | Scott Hunter | |
| Eastern (Pavement) | Jarett Andretti | |
| Eastern (Young Guns) | Jared Irvan | |
| Midwest | Ross Rankine | |
| Midwest (Young Guns) | Sam McGhee | |
| Utah | Jim Waters | |
| Western | Brodie Kostecki | |
| Western (Young Guns) | ||
| 2012 | DMA | Kevin Chaffee |
| Eastern | Jared Irvan | |
| Midwest (Dirt) | Ross Rankine | |
| Midwest (Pavement) | ||
| Northwest | Jared Peterson | |
| Western (Dirt) | Cory Elliott | |
| Western (Pavement) | Bryant Dawson | |
| Western North | Garret Peterson | |
| 2013 | DMA | Joe Krawiec |
| Eastern | Chris Lamb | |
| Midwest (Dirt) | Gage Walker | |
| Midwest (Pavement) | Cooper Clouse | |
| Washington | Chase Goetz | |
| Western | Jarid Blondel | |
| Western (Dirt) | Cory Elliott | |
| Western (Pavement) | Bryant Dawson | |
| 2014 | DMA | Adam Pierson |
| Eastern | Scott Hunter | |
| Midwest (Dirt) | Austin Nemire | |
| Midwest (Pavement) | ||
| Washington | Chase Goetz | |
| Western | Shawn Buckley | |
| Western (Dirt) | Ashley Hazelton | |
| 2015 | DMA | Adam Pierson |
| Eastern | Chris Lamb | |
| Midwest | Alex Watson | |
| Western | Cody Jessop | |
| Western (Dirt) | Shawn Buckley | |
| Western (Pavement) | Dylan Nobile | |
| Western (Restricted) | Jesse Love | |
| 2016 | DMA | Adam Pierson |
| Eastern | Chris Lamb | |
| IMRA | Jeff Mallonee | |
| Midwest Thunder | Gage Etgen | |
| Western | Jesse Love | |
| Western (Dirt) | ||
| Western (Pavement) | Toni Breidinger | |
| Western (Restricted) | Blake Brannon | |
| 2017 | DMA | Dean Christensen |
| Eastern | Jessica Bean | |
| Gulf Coast | Kyle Jones | |
| IMRA | Dillon Morley | |
| Midwest Thunder | Aaron Leffel | |
| Western (Overall) | Jesse Love | |
| Western (Dirt) | ||
| Western (Pavement) | ||
| 2018 | DMA | Jason Goff |
| Eastern | Jessica Bean | |
| IMRA | Andy Baugh | |
| Midwest Thunder | Aaron Leffel | |
| Western (Overall) | Adam Lemke | |
| Western (Dirt) | Tyler Slay | |
| Western (Pavement) | Adam Lemke | |
| 2019 | DMA | Will Hull |
| Eastern | Jessica Bean | |
| IMRA | Andy Baugh | |
| Midwest Thunder | Aaron Leffel | |
| 2020 | DMA | Seth Carlson |
| Eastern | Jessica Bean | |
| IMRA | Bryan Stanfill | |
| Midwest Thunder | Jacob Denney | |
| Radical Focus | Joseph Holiday | |
USAC started the Speedway Motors Lightning Sprint National Championship in 2017 for local tracks running Lightning Sprint cars. The points format counts the 12 best races at USAC sanctioned tracks.[41]
Pirelli World Challenge, was started in 1990 and switched to USAC sanctioning in 2017.[42] The championship currently races on road and street courses across the United States and Canada with seven different classes for GT cars & Touring cars. Founded by WC Vision, the series is presently owned bySRO Group.
TheStadium Super Trucks series was founded in 2013 by formerNASCAR driverRobby Gordon. It is sanctioned by USAC,[43] though Gordon and sponsorship marketing companyThe Elevation Group co-own the series.[44]
The USAC also sanctions theAmerican Rally Association,Nitro Rallycross,King of the Hammers andGreat American Shortcourse.
| USAC Championship Car Season Champions | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Jimmy Bryan | season |
| 1957 | Jimmy Bryan | season |
| 1958 | Tony Bettenhausen | season |
| 1959 | Rodger Ward | season |
| 1960 | A. J. Foyt | season |
| 1961 | A. J. Foyt | season |
| 1962 | Rodger Ward | season |
| 1963 | A. J. Foyt | season |
| 1964 | A. J. Foyt | season |
| 1965 | Mario Andretti | season |
| 1966 | Mario Andretti | season |
| 1967 | A. J. Foyt | season |
| 1968 | Bobby Unser | season |
| 1969 | Mario Andretti | season |
| 1970 | Al Unser | season |
| 1971 | Joe Leonard | season |
| 1972 | Joe Leonard | season |
| 1973 | Roger McCluskey | season |
| 1974 | Bobby Unser | season |
| 1975 | A. J. Foyt | season |
| 1976 | Gordon Johncock | season |
| 1977 | Tom Sneva | season |
| 1978 | Tom Sneva | season |
| 1979 | A. J. Foyt | season |
| 1980 | Johnny Rutherford | season |
Starting in 1981, USAC scaled back their participation in Indy car racing outside of the Indianapolis 500. The preeminent national championship season was instead being sanctioned byCART. USAC developed a split-calendar season, beginning in June, and ending in May with the Indy 500. After 1983, however, the Gold Crown schedule would consist of only one event per season (Indy 500), and the Gold Crown title would be regarded largely as ceremonial. The winner of the Indianapolis 500 would be thede facto Gold Crown champion, as it was the lone points-paying event. The title and the "series" were retired after the 1994–1995 season with the advent of theIndy Racing League.
| USAC Gold Crown Series Champions | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–82 | George Snider | season | [45] |
| 1982–83 | Tom Sneva | season | [46] |
| 1983–84 | Rick Mears | season | [47] |
| 1984–85 | Danny Sullivan | season | [48] |
| 1985–86 | Bobby Rahal | season | [49] |
| 1986–87 | Al Unser | season | [50] |
| 1987–88 | Rick Mears | season | [51] |
| 1988–89 |  Emerson Fittipaldi | season | [52] |
| 1989–90 |  Arie Luyendyk | season | [53] |
| 1990–91 | Rick Mears | season | [54] |
| 1991–92 | Al Unser Jr. | season | [55] |
| 1992–93 | Emerson Fittipaldi | season | [56] |
| 1993–94 | Al Unser Jr. | season | [57] |
| 1994–95 |  Jacques Villeneuve | season | [58] |
USAC featured astock car division from 1956 to 1984.
* The inaugural season featured two subtitles: Pacific Coast (won bySam Hanks) and Short Track (Troy Ruttman).
From 1958 until 1962, USAC sanctioned a road racing championship.[59] It was held forsports cars from 1958 to 1961, and adoptedFormula Libre rules in 1962.
TORC: The Off-Road Championship was founded in 2009 bymotocross racerRick Johnson and it was managed the race operations and officiated the events.[60] USAC took over complete management of the series in 2010.[60] The complete management ended in August 2013 season when it was sold to The Armory. USAC returned to officiation/race control and the series was renamed "TORC: The Off Road Championship" for 2014.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
