1915 AAA Championship Car season


The 1915 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 27 races, beginning in San Diego, California on January 9 and concluding in San Francisco, California on November 25. The AAA did not award points towards a National Championship during the 1915 season and did not declare a National Champion. Ralph DePalma won the International 500 Mile Sweepstakes.
Earl Cooper was named the de facto National Champion by the American automobile journal Motor Age. Points were not awarded by the AAA Contest Board during the 1915 season. Cooper was named champion by Chris G. Sinsabaugh, an editor at Motor Age, based on merit and on-track performance. A points table was created retroactively in 1927. Historians later recognized that these championship results should be considered unofficial.

Schedule and results

DateRace Name
Distance 		TrackLocationTypeNotesPole positionWinning driver
January 9San Diego Exposition Road Race Point Loma Road Race CourseSan Diego, California5.982 mile road courseEarl Cooper
February 3Tropico Road Race Tropico RoadTropico, California1.906 mile road courseEddie O'Donnell
February 7Ascot Race Ascot SpeedwaySouth Los Angeles, California1 mile dirt ovalJack Callaghan fatally injuredEddie O'Donnell
February 27American Grand Prize Panama–Pacific International ExpositionSan Francisco, California3.905 mile road courseACA sanctionEarl CooperDario Resta
March 6William K. Vanderbilt Cup Panama–Pacific International ExpositionSan Francisco, California3.849 mile road course600 cu in.Barney OldfieldDario Resta
March 17Venice Race Venice Road Race CourseVenice, California3.105 mile road courseCliff DurantBarney Oldfield
March 20Tucson Race Tucson Road Race CourseTucson, Arizona4.298 mile road courseBarney Oldfield
April 29Southern Sweepstakes Road Race Oklahoma City Road Race CourseOklahoma City, Oklahoma2.404 mile road courseJohn RaimeyBob Burman
May 31International 500 Mile SweepstakesIndianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, Indiana2.5 mile brick oval24-car fieldHowdy WilcoxRalph DePalma
June 9Galesburg Race Galesburg District FairgroundsGalesburg, Illinois1 mile dirt ovalTom AlleyEddie O'Donnell
June 26Chicago Race Speedway ParkMaywood, Illinois2 mile board ovalDario RestaDario Resta
July 3Sioux City Race Sioux City SpeedwayNorth Sioux City, South Dakota2 mile dirt oval450 cu in.; C. C. Cox fatally injuredEddie Rickenbacker
July 4Montamarathon Trophy Race Pacific Coast SpeedwayTacoma, Washington2 mile board oval650 cu in.; Billy Carlson and his riding mechanic Paul Franzen fatally injuredGlover Ruckstell
July 5Golden Potlach Trophy Race Pacific Coast SpeedwayTacoma, Washington2 mile board ovalEddie Pullen
July 5Omaha Race Omaha SpeedwayOmaha, Nebraska1.25 mile board ovalEddie O'DonnellEddie Rickenbacker
July 9Burlington Race Tri-State Fair GroundsBurlington, Iowa0.5 mile dirt ovalBob Burman
August 7Des Moines Race Des Moines SpeedwayValley Junction, Iowa1 mile board oval300 cu in.; Joe Cooper and Maurice Keeler, riding mechanic for Billy Chandler, fatally injuredRalph Mulford
August 7Challenge Cup Match Race Speedway ParkMaywood, Illinois2 mile board oval600 cu in.Barney OldfieldDario Resta
August 20Chicago Auto Club Trophy Race Elgin Road Race CourseElgin, Illinois8.384 mile road course300 cu in.Earl Cooper
August 21Elgin National Trophy Race Elgin Road Race CourseElgin, Illinois8.384 mile road course450 cu in.Gil Andersen
August 28Kalamazoo Race Recreation ParkKalamazoo, Michigan1 mile dirt ovalFree-for-allRalph DePalma
September 4Minneapolis Race Twin City Motor SpeedwayMinneapolis, Minnesota2 mile concrete oval300 cu in.Dario RestaEarl Cooper/Johnny Aitken
September 18Providence Race Narragansett Park SpeedwayCranston, Rhode Island1 mile concrete ovalEddie Rickenbacker
October 9Astor Cup Sheepshead Bay SpeedwaySheepshead Bay, New York2 mile board oval300 cu in.; Harry Grant fatally injured in practiceDario RestaGil Andersen
November 2Harkness Gold Medal Race Sheepshead Bay SpeedwaySheepshead Bay, New York2 mile board ovalRalph DePalmaDario Resta
November 20Phoenix Race (109)Arizona State FairgroundsPhoenix, Arizona1 mile dirt ovalScheduled for 150 miles; ended early due to darkness.Earl Cooper
November 25San Francisco Race 3 Panama–Pacific International ExpositionSan Francisco, California1 mile dirt ovalEarl Cooper

Leading National Championship standings

The points-paying system for the 1909–1915 and 1917–1919 seasons was retroactively applied in 1927 and revised in 1951 using the points system from 1920.
# DriverSponsorPoints
1Earl CooperStutz3780
2Dario RestaPeugeot3320
3Gil AndersenStutz2590
4Eddie O'DonnellDuesenberg2285
5Eddie RickenbackerMaxwell1765

General references

  • http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1915.htm accessed 8/21/15
  • http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/indycar/1915.html accessed 8/21/15