List of American open-wheel racing national champions


Various organizations have awarded a season-long, points-based National Championship of open-wheel racing in the United States, first in 1905, and consistently since 1946. As of 2018, the top-level American open wheel racing championship is the IndyCar Series.

By season

AAA (1905–1955)

USAC (1956–1978)

AAA ceased participation in auto racing at the end of the 1955 season. It cited a series of high-profile fatal accidents, namely Bill Vukovich at Indianapolis, and the Le Mans disaster. The national championship was taken over by the United States Auto Club, a new sanctioning body formed by the then-owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Tony Hulman.

USAC/CART (1979–1995)

From 1979 to 1995 the Indianapolis 500 and the national championship were sanctioned by separate organizations, USAC and CART, respectively. USAC continued to sanction their own national championship series until 1981, when they formed the USAC Gold Crown Championship. From 1985 to 1995 the USAC Gold Crown Championship consisted solely of the Indianapolis 500, thus making such championship winners indistinguishable from Indianapolis winners. IndyCar does not recognize winners of the USAC Gold Crown Championship as full season champions.

The Split (IRL/CART, 1996–2007)

The Indy Racing League, founded in 1994 by Tony George, broke away from CART in 1996. George planned the IRL as a lower-cost, oval-focused alternative to CART, which had become technology-driven and dominated by a few wealthy multi-car teams. The IRL resumed using the IndyCar name in 2003, after a settlement with CART prohibiting its use had expired. CART declared bankruptcy in the same year, after the defection of a number of teams and engine manufacturers to the IRL, with its assets subsequently purchased and continuing as Champ Car in 2004.

Reunification (IndyCar, 2008–present)

IndyCar and Champ Car entered into merger negotiations in 2008, as both series worried they did not have enough participating cars to maintain their TV and sanctioning contract minimums. The two series came to an agreement in February 2008, with Champ Car declaring bankruptcy in order to facilitate the merger. IndyCar then purchased Champ Car's assets at auction, officially merging the two series and their respective histories.
SeasonDriverTeamChassisEngineTires
2008 Scott DixonTarget Chip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda
2009 Dario FranchittiTarget Chip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda
2010 Dario FranchittiChip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda
2011 Dario FranchittiChip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda
2012 Ryan Hunter-ReayAndretti AutosportDallaraChevrolet
2013 Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda
2014 Will PowerTeam PenskeDallaraChevrolet
2015 Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingDallaraChevrolet
2016 Simon PagenaudTeam PenskeDallaraChevrolet
2017 Josef NewgardenTeam PenskeDallaraChevrolet
2018 Scott DixonChip Ganassi RacingDallaraHonda
2019 Josef NewgardenTeam PenskeDallaraChevrolet

By driver

This list includes winners of all titles listed above, excluding the USAC Gold Crown Championship. Consequently, some years are listed twice.
DriverTotalSeason
A. J. Foyt71960, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1967, 1975, 1979
Scott Dixon52003, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2018
Mario Andretti41965, 1966, 1969, 1984
Sébastien Bourdais42004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Dario Franchitti42007, 2009, 2010, 2011
Louis Meyer31928, 1929, 1933
Ted Horn31946, 1947, 1948
Jimmy Bryan31954, 1956, 1957
Rick Mears31979, 1981, 1982
Al Unser31970, 1983, 1985
Bobby Rahal31986, 1987, 1992
Sam Hornish, Jr.32001, 2002, 2006
Jimmy Murphy21922, 1924
Peter DePaolo21925, 1927
Wilbur Shaw21937, 1939
Rex Mays21940, 1941
Tony Bettenhausen21951, 1958
Rodger Ward21959, 1962
Joe Leonard21971, 1972
Bobby Unser21968, 1974
Tom Sneva21977, 1978
Johnny Rutherford21980, 1980
Al Unser, Jr.21990, 1994
Alex Zanardi21997, 1998
Gil de Ferran22000, 2001
Josef Newgarden22017, 2019
Barney Oldfield11905
Dario Resta11916
Gaston Chevrolet11920
Tommy Milton11921
Eddie Hearne11923
Harry Hartz11926
Billy Arnold11930
Louis Schneider11931
Bob Carey11932
Bill Cummings11935
Kelly Petillo11935
Mauri Rose11936
Floyd Roberts11938
Johnnie Parsons11949
Henry Banks11950
Chuck Stevenson11952
Sam Hanks11953
Bob Sweikert11955
Roger McCluskey11973
Gordon Johncock11976
Danny Sullivan11988
Emerson Fittipaldi11989
Michael Andretti11991
Nigel Mansell11993
Jacques Villeneuve11995
Buzz Calkins11996
Scott Sharp11996
Jimmy Vasser11996
Tony Stewart11996–97
Kenny Bräck11998
Juan Pablo Montoya11999
Greg Ray11999
Buddy Lazier12000
Cristiano da Matta12002
Paul Tracy12003
Tony Kanaan12004
Dan Wheldon12005
Ryan Hunter-Reay12012
Will Power12014
Simon Pagenaud12016

Drivers in bold are entered in the 2020 IndyCar Series.
  1. Rick Mears also won three USAC Gold Crown Championships.
  2. Al Unser also won the 1987 USAC Gold Crown Championship.
  3. Bobby Rahal also won the 1986 USAC Gold Crown Championship.
  4. Al Unser, Jr. also won two USAC Gold Crown Championships.

    By nationality

CountryTotalDrivers
United States8247
United Kingdom74
France63
Brazil54
Australia1
1
New Zealand51
Canada22
Italy21
Sweden11
Colombia11

Records

Consecutive championships

15 drivers have won consecutive National Championships. Only A.J. Foyt has repeated the feat.
ChampionshipsDriverSeasonsSanctioning body
4 Sébastien Bourdais2004–2007Champ Car
3 Ted Horn1946–1948AAA
3 Dario Franchitti2009–2011IRL, IndyCar
2 Louis Meyer1928–1929AAA
2 Rex Mays1940–1941AAA
2 Jimmy Bryan1956–1957USAC
2 A.J. Foyt1960–1961USAC
2 A.J. Foyt1963–1964USAC
2 Mario Andretti1965–1966USAC
2 Joe Leonard1971–1972USAC
2 Tom Sneva1977–1978USAC
2 Rick Mears1981–1982CART
2 Bobby Rahal1986–1987CART
2 Alex Zanardi1997–1998CART
2 Gil de Ferran2000–2001CART
2 Sam Hornish, Jr.2001–2002IRL

Drivers in bold are entered in the 2020 IndyCar Series.