1952 AAA Championship Car season
Encyclopedia
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
.
Speedway, Indiana
Speedway is a town in Wayne Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,881 at the 2000 census. Speedway is the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, from which the town derives its name, and is a complete enclave of Indianapolis....
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
on November 11. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania
Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA, eight miles west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Mechanicsburg was settled in 1806 and incorporated as a borough on April 12, 1828...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. The AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
National Champion was Chuck Stevenson
Chuck Stevenson
Charles "Chuck" Stevenson was an American racecar driver.- AAA and USAC Championship Car series :...
, and the Indianapolis 500
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...
winner was Troy Ruttman
Troy Ruttman
Troy Ruttman was an American race car driver. He was the older brother of NASCAR driver Joe Ruttman.Ruttman won the Indianapolis 500 in 1952, and , he is the youngest winner of the race....
.
Schedule and results
Rnd | Date | Race Name | Track | Location | Type | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 30 | International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana... |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400.... |
Speedway Speedway, Indiana Speedway is a town in Wayne Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,881 at the 2000 census. Speedway is the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, from which the town derives its name, and is a complete enclave of Indianapolis.... , Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... |
Paved Oval | Fred Agabashian Fred Agabashian Fred Agabashian was an Armenian-American racer of midget cars and Indy cars.-Midget car:... |
Troy Ruttman Troy Ruttman Troy Ruttman was an American race car driver. He was the older brother of NASCAR driver Joe Ruttman.Ruttman won the Indianapolis 500 in 1952, and , he is the youngest winner of the race.... |
2 | June 8 | Rex Mays Classic | Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway Milwaukee Mile The Milwaukee Mile is a -long oval race track in West Allis, Wisconsin that seats about 40,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954.... |
West Allis West Allis, Wisconsin West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 61,254 at the 2000 census. Its name derives from Edward P. Allis, who started the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company in the 19th century. The site of the town was... , Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... |
Dirt Oval | Jim Rigsby Jim Rigsby Jim Rigsby was an American racecar driver from Spadry, Arkansas. He was killed in horrible crash during a sprint car race at Dayton, Ohio.-Indy 500 results:-World Championship career summary:... |
Mike Nazaruk Mike Nazaruk Mike Nazaruk was an American racecar driver. He raced midget cars, sprint cars, and IndyCars. He was nicknamed "Iron Mike."... |
3 | July 4 | Raleigh 200 | Southland Speedway | Raleigh Raleigh, North Carolina Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh... , North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
Paved Oval | Cliff Griffith Cliff Griffith Cliff Griffith was an American racecar driver.Griffith drove in the AAA and USAC Championship Car series, racing in the 1950-1952, 1956 and 1961 seasons with 19 starts, including the Indianapolis 500 races in each of those years except 1950... |
Troy Ruttman Troy Ruttman Troy Ruttman was an American race car driver. He was the older brother of NASCAR driver Joe Ruttman.Ruttman won the Indianapolis 500 in 1952, and , he is the youngest winner of the race.... |
NC | July 27 | Indianapolis Sweepstakes | Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Speedway Williams Grove Speedway is a half-mile automobile race track located in Williams Grove, between Mechanicsburg and Dillsburg in Pennsylvania, USA. It opened in 1939, and hosted Championship Car races from 1949 to 1959 named the "Indianapolis Sweepstakes", contested by a small field of the best Champ... |
Mechanicsburg Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania Mechanicsburg is a borough in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, USA, eight miles west of Harrisburg. It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Mechanicsburg was settled in 1806 and incorporated as a borough on April 12, 1828... , Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... |
Dirt Oval | Paul Russo Paul Russo Paul Russo was an American racecar driver.-Midget car career:... |
Paul Russo Paul Russo Paul Russo was an American racecar driver.-Midget car career:... |
4 | August 16 | Springfield 100 | Illinois State Fairgrounds Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack Illinois State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one mile long clay oval motor racetrack on the grounds of the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, the state capital. Constructed in the late 19th century and reconstructed in 1927, the "Springfield Mile" as it is known has hosted competitive auto racing... |
Springfield Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
Dirt Oval | Mike Nazaruk Mike Nazaruk Mike Nazaruk was an American racecar driver. He raced midget cars, sprint cars, and IndyCars. He was nicknamed "Iron Mike."... |
Bill Schindler Bill Schindler Bill Schindler was an American racecar driver.He began racing in 1931 in a sprint car. He was racing midget cars on the East Coast of the United States at their introduction in 1934... |
5 | August 24 | Milwaukee 200 | Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway Milwaukee Mile The Milwaukee Mile is a -long oval race track in West Allis, Wisconsin that seats about 40,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954.... |
West Allis West Allis, Wisconsin West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 61,254 at the 2000 census. Its name derives from Edward P. Allis, who started the Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company in the 19th century. The site of the town was... , Wisconsin Wisconsin Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is... |
Dirt Oval | Bob Sweikert Bob Sweikert Robert Charles 'Bob' Sweikert was an American racing driver, best known as the winner of the 1955 Indianapolis 500 and the 1955 National Championship, as well as the 1955 Midwest Sprint car championship - the only driver in history to sweep all three in a single season... |
Chuck Stevenson Chuck Stevenson Charles "Chuck" Stevenson was an American racecar driver.- AAA and USAC Championship Car series :... |
6 | August 30 | Detroit 100 | Michigan State Fairgrounds | Detroit, Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... |
Dirt Oval | Jimmy Reece Jimmy Reece Jimmy Reece was an American racecar driver. He died in a racing accident during a 1958 champ car race at Trenton International Speedway.-Indy 500 results:... |
Bill Vukovich Bill Vukovich Bill Vukovich was a Serbian American automobile racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500 plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races... |
7 | September 1 | Ted Horn Memorial | DuQuoin State Fairgrounds DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack DuQuoin State Fairgrounds Racetrack is a one-mile clay oval motor racetrack in Du Quoin, Illinois, about southeast of St Louis, Missouri. It is a stop on the ARCA and USAC Silver Crown tours.-History:... |
Du Quoin Du Quoin, Illinois Du Quoin is a city in Perry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,448 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Du Quoin is located at .... , Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... |
Dirt Oval | Bill Schindler Bill Schindler Bill Schindler was an American racecar driver.He began racing in 1931 in a sprint car. He was racing midget cars on the East Coast of the United States at their introduction in 1934... |
Chuck Stevenson Chuck Stevenson Charles "Chuck" Stevenson was an American racecar driver.- AAA and USAC Championship Car series :... |
8 | September 1 | Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb | Pikes Peak Highway Pikes Peak Highway The Pikes Peak Highway is a toll road that runs from Cascade, Colorado to the summit of Pikes Peak in El Paso County, Colorado, at an altitude of... |
Pikes Peak Pikes Peak Pikes Peak is a mountain in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, west of Colorado Springs, Colorado, in El Paso County in the United States of America.... , Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
Hill Climb | Al Rogers | George Hammond |
9 | September 6 | Syracuse 100 | New York State Fairgrounds Great New York State Fair The Great New York State Fair is an annual farmers' exposition and a 12-day showcase of entertainment, education, industry, technology, and more, sponsored by the State of New York. Additionally there are midway rides, , and concerts. The first fair took place in Syracuse in 1841... |
Syracuse Syracuse, New York Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603... , New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... |
Dirt Oval | Jack McGrath Jack McGrath John James "Jack" McGrath was an American racecar driver.A major player in the "mighty midgets" at Los Angeles' Gilmore Speedway in the late 1940s, McGrath won the first CRA championship in 1946 and was dubbed "King of the Hot Rods." His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Manuel... |
Jack McGrath Jack McGrath John James "Jack" McGrath was an American racecar driver.A major player in the "mighty midgets" at Los Angeles' Gilmore Speedway in the late 1940s, McGrath won the first CRA championship in 1946 and was dubbed "King of the Hot Rods." His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Manuel... |
10 | September 28 | Denver 100 | Centennial Park | Littleton Littleton, Colorado Littleton is a Home Rule Municipality contained in Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson counties in the U.S. state of Colorado. Littleton is a suburb of the Denver-Aurora Metropolitan Statistical Area. Littleton is the county seat of Arapahoe County and the 20th most populous city in the state of... , Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... |
Dirt Oval | Bill Vukovich Bill Vukovich Bill Vukovich was a Serbian American automobile racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500 plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races... |
Bill Vukovich Bill Vukovich Bill Vukovich was a Serbian American automobile racing driver. He won the 1953 and 1954 Indianapolis 500 plus two more American Automobile Association National Championship races... |
11 | October 25 | San Jose 100 | San Jose Speedway | San Jose San Jose, California San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... |
Dirt Oval | Jack McGrath Jack McGrath John James "Jack" McGrath was an American racecar driver.A major player in the "mighty midgets" at Los Angeles' Gilmore Speedway in the late 1940s, McGrath won the first CRA championship in 1946 and was dubbed "King of the Hot Rods." His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Manuel... |
Bobby Ball Bobby Ball Bobby Ball is one half of the comedy double act Cannon and Ball, along with Tommy Cannon.He married his first wife, Joan, in 1964, with whom he had two sons, Robert and Darren , who are now a comedy double act in their own right, performing under their surname 'Harper'. Bobby and his first wife... |
12 | November 11 | Phoenix 100 XM Satellite Radio Indy 200 The XM Satellite Radio Indy 200 was an IndyCar race held at the Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. The event began in 1915 on a dirt oval at the Arizona State Fairgrounds. The race was revived in 1950 by the American Automobile Association, and then passed to the United States... |
Arizona State Fairgrounds Arizona State Fair The Arizona State Fair is an annual state fair, held at a permanent fairgrounds in Phoenix, Arizona. It was first held in 1884, but has had various interruptions due to cotton crop failure, the Great Depression era, and World War II years. Since 1946, the fair has been held regularly each year... |
Phoenix Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data... , Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... |
Dirt Oval | Jack McGrath Jack McGrath John James "Jack" McGrath was an American racecar driver.A major player in the "mighty midgets" at Los Angeles' Gilmore Speedway in the late 1940s, McGrath won the first CRA championship in 1946 and was dubbed "King of the Hot Rods." His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Manuel... |
Johnnie Parsons Johnnie Parsons Johnnie Parsons was an American race car driver from Los Angeles, California who won the Indianapolis 500 in 1950.... |
Leading National Championship standings
# | Driver | Team | Points |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Chuck Stevenson Chuck Stevenson Charles "Chuck" Stevenson was an American racecar driver.- AAA and USAC Championship Car series :... |
Springfield Welding | 1440 |
2 | Troy Ruttman Troy Ruttman Troy Ruttman was an American race car driver. He was the older brother of NASCAR driver Joe Ruttman.Ruttman won the Indianapolis 500 in 1952, and , he is the youngest winner of the race.... |
Agajanian | 1410 |
3 | Sam Hanks Sam Hanks Sam Hanks was an American racecar driver who won the 1957 Indianapolis 500. He was a barnstormer, and raced midget and Champ cars.-Racing career:... |
Bardahl Bardahl Bardahl is a brand name of a line of petroleum lubrication products used in automobiles and other internal combustion engines.-Ole Bardahl:... |
1390 |
4 | Duane Carter Duane Carter Duane Carter was an American racecar driver. He raced midget cars, sprint cars, and IndyCars. Carter was born in Fresno, California, and he died in Indianapolis, Indiana... |
Belanger, Pat Clancy, John Zink | 1250.4 |
5 | Jack McGrath Jack McGrath John James "Jack" McGrath was an American racecar driver.A major player in the "mighty midgets" at Los Angeles' Gilmore Speedway in the late 1940s, McGrath won the first CRA championship in 1946 and was dubbed "King of the Hot Rods." His efforts, along with those of friend and teammate Manuel... |
Hinkle | 1200 |
See also
- 1952 Indianapolis 5001952 Indianapolis 500The 1952 Indianapolis 500 was an automobile race held on Friday, May 30, 1952 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the second round of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship. Troy Ruttman won the race, bringing the Borg-Warner Trophy home for car owner J.C. Agajanian.Bill Vukovich led...