1946 AAA Championship Car season

The 1946 AAA Championship Car season was the first season of American Championship car racing following World War II. After four years without automobile racing in the United States, the AAA Contest Board was initially concerned about having enough races, enough entrants, and suitable equipment, to contest season on such short notice for 1946. Even the [1946 Indianapolis, Indiana|Indianapolis 500|Indianapolis 500] was in doubt, as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had been fallen into a terrible state of neglect during the war years.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Eddie Rickenbacker sold the track to Tony Hulman in November 1945, by which time it had fallen into a dilapidated state of disrepair. As the season progressed, it proved to be a success, and marked a triumphant return of the National Championship. Hulman's swift and herculean efforts to renovate Indianapolis in just six months allowed for the 1946 Indianapolis 500 to be run as scheduled on May 30, and it was won by George Robson.
George Robson and George Barringer were killed at Atlanta during the race. Al Putnam died at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Speedway during qualifying.

Background

Previously, only races of over 100 miles in length on tracks that were one mile or longer were permitted to host National Championship events. Due to the concerns about the car counts and participation, the AAA Contest Board included a substantial number of "Big Car" races as part of the championship. The season officially consisted of 77 races, beginning at Mechanicsburg on April 14 and concluding at Richmond on November 10. Two non-points, exhibition races were also part of the calendar season.
After car counts and participation was better than expected, some confusion arose over as to whether the 71 Big Car events still counted towards the National Championship. Some news publications of the time erroneously reported the points totals from only the six Champ Car events, implying - or incorrectly assuming - that the Big Car races had been, or would be, dropped. Nevertheless, despite all of the second-guessing and speculation, a full 77-race season was completed.
The Contest Board met after the season, and it was not until then which they declared the Big Car races would be dropped from the National Championship - effective for 1947. The ruling cemented the notion that the 71 Big Car races were indeed recognized as part of the official 1946 season. Furthermore, the prize money and 1947 car number assignments are consistent with the final points standings reflecting the full 77-race schedule.
Despite later publications suggesting the season was only six races, historians firmly contend that the 1946 season should be recognized as the full 77-race schedule.
The AAA National Champion was Ted Horn, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was George Robson. Incidentally, based on his points totals, Horn would have been declared the champion with or without the 71 "Big Car" races included. This oddity has help contribute to the illusion of a six-race season.

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race name	Length	Track	Location	Type	Class	Winning driver
NC	March 31	Mike Benton Sweepstakes		Lakewood Speedway	Atlanta, Georgia	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Jimmy Wilburn
1	April 14	Williams Grove Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Walt Ader
2	April 28	Williams Grove Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
3	May 5	Eastern Inaugural Trophy Sweepstakes		Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Joie Chitwood
4	May 19	Williams Grove Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Joie Chitwood
5	May 26	Inaugural Sam Nunis Trophy Sweepstakes		Reading Fairgrounds Speedway	Reading, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Walt Ader
6	May 26	Winchester Race		Winchester Speedway	Winchester, Indiana	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bus Wilbert
7	May 30	Altamont Race		Altamont Speedway	Altamont, New York	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bumpy Bumpus
8	May 30	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes		Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Paved Oval	Champ Car	George Robson
9	May 30	Trenton Race		Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Johnny Shackleford
10	June 2	Lakewood Race		Lakewood Speedway	Atlanta, Georgia	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
11	June 9	Thompson Race		Thompson International Speedway	Thompson, Connecticut	Paved Oval	Big Car	Oscar Ridlon
12	June 9	Williams Grove Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Joie Chitwood
13	June 9	Winchester Race		Winchester Speedway	Winchester, Indiana	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bus Wilbert
14	June 16	Flemington Race		Flemington Speedway	Flemington, New Jersey	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
15	June 23	Dayton Race		Dayton Speedway	Dayton, Ohio	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Elbert Booker
16	June 23	Greensboro Race		Greensboro Agricultural Fairgrounds	Greensboro, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
17	June 23	Thompson Race		Thompson International Speedway	Thompson, Connecticut	Paved Oval	Big Car	Oscar Ridlon
18	June 29	Dayton Race		Dayton Speedway	Dayton, Ohio	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bus Wilbert
19	June 30	Langhorne 100		Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Champ Car	Rex Mays
20	June 30	Powell Race		Powell Motor Speedway	Powell, Ohio	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Joie Chitwood
21	June 30	Thompson Race		Thompson International Speedway	Thompson, Connecticut	Paved Oval	Big Car	Joe Verebly
22	July 4	Lakewood Race		Lakewood Speedway	Atlanta, Georgia	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
23	July 7	Lakewood Race		Lakewood Speedway	Atlanta, Georgia	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
24	July 7	Williams Grove Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Johnny Shackleford
25	July 14	Inaugural Nunis Sweepstakes		Reading Fairgrounds Speedway	Reading, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Joie Chitwood
26	July 20	DuBois Race		DuBois Fairgrounds	DuBois, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
27	July 20	Selinsgrove Race		Selinsgrove Speedway	Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
28	July 21	Dayton Race		Dayton Speedway	Dayton, Ohio	Dirt Oval	Big Car	George Connor
29	July 21	Langhorne Race		Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	George Robson
30	July 21	Selinsgrove Race		Selinsgrove Speedway	Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
31	July 27	Harrington Race		Delaware State Fairgrounds	Harrington, Delaware	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
32	July 28	Williams Grove Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
33	August 3	Washington Race		Arden Downs	Washington, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
34	August 4	Powell Race		Powell Motor Speedway	Powell, Ohio	Dirt Oval	Big Car	George Robson
35	August 10	Batavia Race		Batavia Fairgrounds	Batavia, New York	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
36	August 11	Bedford Race		Bedford Speedway	Bedford, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
37	August 11	Langhorne Race		Langhorne Speedway	Langhorne, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	George Robson
38	August 11	Winchester Race		Winchester Speedway	Winchester, Indiana	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Elbert Booker
39	August 18	Skowhegan Race		Skowhegan Fairgrounds	Skowhegan, Maine	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
40	August 18	Williams Grove Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	George Robson
41	August 24	Hamburg Race		Hamburg Fairgrounds	Hamburg, New York	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
42	August 25	Dayton Race		Dayton Speedway	Dayton, Ohio	Dirt Oval	Big Car	George Robson
43	August 25	Uniontown Race		Uniontown Speedway	Uniontown, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
44	August 30	Essex Junction Race		Essex Junction Fairgrounds	Essex Junction, Vermont	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
45	August 31	Altamont Race		Altamont Speedway	Altamont, New York	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
46	August 31	Hamburg Race		Hamburg Fairgrounds	Hamburg, New York	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
47	September 1	Flemington Race		Flemington Speedway	Flemington, New Jersey	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
48	September 1	Winchester Race		Winchester Speedway	Winchester, Indiana	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Charles Van Acker
49	September 2	Flemington Race		Flemington Speedway	Flemington, New Jersey	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
50	September 2	Atlanta 100		Lakewood Speedway	Atlanta, Georgia	Dirt Oval	Champ Car	George Connor
NC	September 2	Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb		Pikes Peak Highway	Pikes Peak, Colorado	Hill Climb	Champ Car	Louis Unser
51	September 6	Rutland Race		Vermont State Fairgrounds	Rutland, Vermont	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Lee Wallard
52	September 7	Port Royal Race		Port Royal Speedway	Port Royal, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
53	September 8	Williams Grove Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
54	September 15	Indianapolis 100		Indiana State Fairgrounds	Indianapolis, Indiana	Dirt Oval	Champ Car	Rex Mays
55	September 15	Reading Race		Reading Fairgrounds Speedway	Reading, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
56	September 21	Allentown Fair Race		Allentown Fairgrounds	Allentown, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
57	September 22	Great Barrington Race		Great Barrington Race Track	Great Barrington, Massachusetts	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Joie Chitwood
58	September 22	Milwaukee 100		Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Dirt Oval	Champ Car	Rex Mays
59	September 22	Powell Race		Powell Motor Speedway	Powell, Ohio	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
60	September 28	Bloomsburg Race		Bloomsburg Fairgrounds	Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
61	September 28	Lakewood Race		Lakewood Speedway	Atlanta, Georgia	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
62	September 28	Shelby Race		Shelby Motor Speedway	Shelby, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Walt Ader
63	September 29	Trenton Race		Trenton International Speedway	Trenton, New Jersey	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Joie Chitwood
64	October 5	Lakewood Race		Lakewood Speedway	Atlanta, Georgia	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
65	October 5	Winston-Salem Race		Winston-Salem Fairgrounds	Winston-Salem, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Tommy Hinnershitz
66	October 6	Dayton Race		Dayton Speedway	Dayton, Ohio	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Hal Robson
67	October 6	George Robson Memorial		Good Time Park	Goshen, New York	Dirt Oval	Champ Car	Tony Bettenhausen
68	October 6	Greensboro Race		Greensboro Agricultural Fairgrounds	Greensboro, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
69	October 6	George Robson Memorial		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Lucky Lux
70	October 12	Charlotte Race		Charlotte Fairgrounds	Charlotte, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
71	October 12	Atlantic Rural Exposition		Strawberry Hill Raceway	Richmond, Virginia	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
72	October 12	Greensboro Race		Greensboro Agricultural Fairgrounds	Greensboro, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
73	October 19	Raleigh Race		State Fair Speedway	Raleigh, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Walt Ader
74	October 26	Charlotte Race		Charlotte Fairgrounds	Charlotte, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Hank Rogers
75	October 26	National Championship Trophy Race		Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Bill Holland
76	November 9	Shelby Race		Shelby Motor Speedway	Shelby, North Carolina	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Ted Horn
77	November 10	Richmond Race		Strawberry Hill Raceway	Richmond, Virginia	Dirt Oval	Big Car	Tommy Hinnershitz

Scheduled for 100 miles, stopped early due to fatal accident involving George Robson and George Barringer. Ted Horn was leading at the time of the accident, but after a protest, was found to have been involved in the accident and had his win stripped.
Note: Bill Holland started on the pole position in the Lakewood Race on July 4 and Ted Horn started on the pole position in the DuBois Race on July 20.

Leading National Championship standings

† Robson was killed in the race at Lakewood Speedway on September 2

Points system

Position/ Miles	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
4	8	6	4	3	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
5	10	8	6	4	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
7.5	15	12	9	6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
8	16	13	10	6	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
10	20	16	12	8	4	2	—	—	—	—	—	—
12.5	25	20	15	10	5	2.5	—	—	—	—	—	—
15	30	24	18	12	6	3	—	—	—	—	—	—
17.5	35	28	21	14	9	5.5	—	—	—	—	—	—
20	40	32	24	16	12	8	—	—	—	—	—	—
25	50	40	30	25	20	10	5	—	—	—	—	—
50	100	80	70	60	50	40	30	20	10	5	—	—
100	200	160	140	120	100	80	60	50	40	30	20	10
500	1000	800	700	600	500	400	300	250	200	150	100	50

Alternate schedule and results

The official IndyCar Series Historical Record Book listed only the six "Champ Car" in the schedule.

Rnd

Date

Race name

Length

Track

Location

Type

Pole position

Winning driver

May 30

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