The 1918 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 16 races, beginning in Uniontown, Pennsylvania on May 16 and concluding there on September 2. There were also 3 non-championship races. AAA did not award points towards a National Championship during the 1918 season, and did not declare a National Champion.[1]
| 1918 AAA Championship Car season | |
|---|---|
| AAA National Championship Trail | |
| Season | |
| Races | 16 |
| Start date | May 16 |
| End date | September 2 |
| Awards | |
| National champion | none declared |
| Indianapolis 500 winner | event not held |
The de facto National Champion as polled by the American automobile journal Motor Age, was Ralph Mulford. Mulford was named the champion by Chris G. Sinsabaugh, an editor at Motor Age, based upon merit and on track performance. A points table was created retroactively in 1927. At a later point, it was recognized by historians that these championship results should be considered unofficial.
Schedule and results
edit| Date | Race Name Distance (miles) |
Track | Location | Type | Notes | Pole position | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 16 | Liberty Sweepstakes Heat 1 (27) | Uniontown Speedway | Uniontown, Pennsylvania | 1.125 mile board oval | Tommy Milton | ||
| Liberty Sweepstakes Heat 2 (27) | Ralph Mulford | ||||||
| Liberty Sweepstakes Heat 3 (27) | Eddie Hearne | ||||||
| Liberty Sweepstakes Heat 4 (27) | Louis Chevrolet | ||||||
| Liberty Sweepstakes Main (27) | Ralph Mulford | ||||||
| June 1 | Harkness Handicap (100) | Sheepshead Bay Speedway | Sheepshead Bay, New York | 2 mile board oval | Non-championship event | Ralph DePalma | |
| June 22 | Chicago 100 (100) | Speedway Park | Maywood, Illinois | 2 mile board oval | Non-championship event | Louis Chevrolet | |
| July 4 | Liberty Handicap (100) | Cincinnati Motor Speedway | Sharonville, Ohio | 2 mile board oval | Non-championship event | Ralph DePalma | |
| July 4 | Tacoma Race 1 (24) | Pacific Coast Speedway | Tacoma, Washington | 2 mile board oval | Cliff Durant | ||
| Tacoma Race 2 (50) | Cliff Durant | ||||||
| Tacoma Race 3 (75) | Eddie Hearne | ||||||
| July 18 | Independence Auto Derby (112.5) | Uniontown Speedway | Uniontown, Pennsylvania | 1.125 mile board oval | Louis Chevrolet | ||
| July 28 | Chicago Race 1 (10) | Speedway Park | Maywood, Illinois | 2 mile board oval | Ralph DePalma | ||
| Chicago Race 2 (20) | Ralph DePalma | ||||||
| Chicago Race 3 (30) | Ralph DePalma | ||||||
| August 17 | International Sweepstakes Race 1 (20) | Sheepshead Bay Speedway | Sheepshead Bay, New York | 2 mile board oval | Ralph DePalma | ||
| International Sweepstakes Race 2 (30) | Ralph DePalma | ||||||
| International Sweepstakes Race 3 (50) | Ralph DePalma | ||||||
| September 2 | Liberty Sweepstakes (112.5) | Uniontown Speedway | Uniontown, Pennsylvania | 1.125 mile board oval | Ralph Mulford |
Leading National Championship standings
editThe points paying system for the 1909–1915 and 1917–1919 season were retroactively applied in 1927 and revised in 1951 using the points system from 1920.
| # | Driver | Sponsor | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ralph Mulford | Frontenac | 515 |
| 2 | Louis Chevrolet | Frontenac | 485 |
| 3 | Eddie Hearne | Duesenberg | 350 |
| 4 | Ralph DePalma | Packard | 320 |
| 5 | Cliff Durant | Chevrolet | 230 |
References
edit- ^ Capps, H. Donald (February–March 2010). "John Glenn Printz and the Struggle for the Past: The A.A.A. Catastrophe - Arthur Means, Val Haresnape, Russ Catlin, and Bob Russo" (PDF). Rear View Mirror. 7 (6): 21–38.
- http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1918.htm accessed 12/1/15
- http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/indycar/1918.html accessed 12/1/15