United States Auto Club

The "triple crown" is earned in USAC racing when a driver claims all three national championships (silver crown, sprint car, and midget car). Only two drivers, Tony Stewart (1995) and J. J. Yeley (2003), have achieved the triple crown in a single season. Five other drivers, Pancho Carter (1972–78), Dave Darland (1997–2001), Jerry Coons Jr. (2006–08), Tracy Hines (2000, 2002, 2015), and Chris Windom (2016, 2017, 2020) have claimed each of the three championships at least once in their careers. In 2012 Mike Curb and Cary Agajanian became the only car owners to win the triple crown by winning all three championships in the same year.

USAC had awarded a national championship until A. J. Foyt won his seventh title in 1979.[5] It has announced that it will begin awarding a national championship starting in 2010.[5] A driver's finishes in their 25 best races are counted toward the championship and the 2010 winner received $40,000.[5] Points are accumulated in the three national series: sprints, midgets, and silver crown.[5] Bryan Clauson of Noblesville, Indiana claimed the inaugural championship, topping runner-up Levi Jones by 14 points.

As of 2013 it has been known as the Mike Curb "Super License" National Championship Award.

USAC national drivers champions

• 2010  – Bryan Clauson; Noblesville, Indiana
• 2011  – Bryan Clauson; Noblesville, Indiana
• 2012  – Bryan Clauson; Noblesville, Indiana
• 2013  - Tracy Hines; New Castle, Indiana
• 2014  - Tracy Hines; New Castle, Indiana
• 2015  - Dave Darland; Kokomo, Indiana
• 2016  - Brady Bacon; Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
• 2017  - Justin Grant; Ione, California
• 2018  - Tyler Courtney; Indianapolis, Indiana
• 2019  - Tyler Courtney; Indianapolis, Indiana
• 2020  - Chris Windom; Canton, Illinois

On April 23, 1978, returning from a race at the Trenton Speedway in New Jersey, eight USAC officials, plus the pilot, were killed when their 10-seat Piper Navajo Chieftain crashed during a thunderstorm 25 miles southeast of Indianapolis.[6][7]

Killed were:[8]

• Ray Marquette, USAC's vice-president of public affairs and a former sportswriter for The Indianapolis Star
• Frank Delroy, chairman of USAC technical committee
• Shim Malone, starter for USAC races and head of its midget racer division
• Judy Phillips, graphic artist and publication director of USAC's newsletter
• Stan Worley, chief registrar
• Ross Teeguarden, assistant technical chairman
• Don Peabody, head of the sprint division
• Dr. Bruce White, assistant staff doctor
• Don Mullendore, owner and pilot of the plane.

The effect on USAC, and for open-wheel racing in the United States, was devastating, especially since it closely followed the death of Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman.

The plane crash came at a time when Indy car owners and drivers were demanding changes from USAC. Aside from the Indianapolis 500, USAC events were not well attended, and the owners felt that USAC poorly negotiated television rights. The owners also wanted increases in payouts, especially at Indy.[9] Though some think the plane crash was used as an opportunistic way to force change in the sport, it was merely an unfortunate coincidence. The seed of dissent had been growing for several years before the accident,[10] and claims the crash was an immediate cause for the 1979 CART/USAC "split" are considered for the most part unfounded.

Also unpopular were the attempts of USAC to keep the aging Offenhauser engine competitive with the newer, and much more expensive, Cosworth DFX engine using boost-limiting "pop off valves" and limiting the amount of fuel that could be used.[11]

Finally, most car owners banded together to form Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) in 1978, with the first race to be run in 1979. USAC tried unsuccessfully to ban all CART owners from the 1979 Indianapolis 500, finally losing in court before the race began. Both the USAC and CART ran race schedules in 1979.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway president John Cooper was instrumental in forming a joint body of CART and USAC with the creation of the Championship Racing League in March 1980. However, in mid 1980, Cooper forced USAC to renounce their agreement with the CRL if they wanted to keep officiating the Indy 500.[12] After USAC's attempt at a 500-mile races at Pocono Raceway – which was boycotted by the CART teams, forcing USAC to fill the field with silver crown cars – USAC and CART eventually settled into a relatively peaceful co-existence, with USAC continuing to sanction the Indianapolis 500, and CART including the race in its schedule. USAC continued to sanction the Indy 500 until 1997, when the Indy Racing League (itself product of the second American open-wheel split in 1996) terminated the sanctioning agreement following two consecutive scoring errors that year; subsequent Indy 500s were sanctioned by the IRL, now the IndyCar Series.

USAC Silver Crown Championship

Category	Sprint car racing
Country	United States
Inaugural season	1971
Drivers' champion	Kody Swanson
Official website	USAC Silver Crown Series
Current season

1988 Steve Butler Silver Crown car

Tony Stewart's 1995 Silver Crown Championship car, part of his "Triple Crown" accomplishment.

Beginning in 1971, all dirt races were split from the National Championship. From 1971 to 1980, the series was named "National Dirt Car Championship", then renamed "Silver Crown Series" in 1981.

Champions

Season	Car No.	Driver	Team
National Dirt Car Championship
1971	4	George Snider	Wilke
1972	3	A. J. Foyt	Foyt
1973	2	Al Unser	Miletich/Jones
1974	2	Mario Andretti	Miletich/Jones
1975	55	Jimmy Caruthers	Middleton
1976	29	Billy Cassella	Seymour
1977	4	Larry Rice	LeFevre
1978	21	Pancho Carter	Capels
1979	30	Bobby Olivero	Kurtz
1980	12	Gary Bettenhausen	Delrose/Holt
Silver Crown Series
1981	55	Larry Rice	Knepper
1982	39	Ken Schrader	Fortune
1983	9	Gary Bettenhausen	Delrose/Holt
1984	58	Dave Blaney	DePalma
1985	39	Rick Hood	Fortune
1986	63	Jack Hewitt	Hampshire
1987	63	Jack Hewitt	Hampshire
1988	10	Steve Butler	Jarrett
1989	30	Chuck Gurney	Kurtz
1990	54	Jimmy Sills	Consani
1991	35	Jeff Gordon	Ede
1992	10	Steve Butler	Jarrett
1993	69	Mike Bliss	McClure
1994	75	Jimmy Sills	Stanton
1995	25	Tony Stewart	Boles
1996	75	Jimmy Sills	Stanton
1997	56	Dave Darland	Foxco
1998	9	Jason Leffler	Goetz
1999	14	Ryan Newman	Ede
2000	37	Tracy Hines	Riggs
2001	10	Paul White	Cook
2002	9	J. J. Yeley	Stewart/East
2003	9	J. J. Yeley	Stewart/East
2004	9	Dave Steele	Stewart/East
2005	9	Dave Steele	Stewart/East
2006	29	Bud Kaeding	BK/Leffler
2007	29	Bud Kaeding	BK
2008	27	Jerry Coons Jr	RW
2009	29	Bud Kaeding	BK
2010	10	Levi Jones	Stewart/Curb-Agajanian
2011	10	Levi Jones	Stewart/Curb-Agajanian
2012	22	Bobby East	Stewart/Curb-Agajanian
2013	10	Bobby East	Stewart/Curb-Agajanian
2014	63	Kody Swanson[13]	DePalma Motorsports
2015	63	Kody Swanson	DePalma Motorsports
2016	98	Chris Windom[14]	Fred Gormly/RPM
2017	63	Kody Swanson	DePalma Motorsports
2018	63	Kody Swanson	DePalma Motorsports
2019	20	Kody Swanson	Nolen Racing
2020	91	Justin Grant[15]	Hemelgarn Racing

Race winners

* As of the end of the 2020 season

USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship

Category	Sprint car racing
Country	United States
Inaugural season	1956
Tire suppliers	Hoosier Racing Tire
Drivers' champion	Chris Windom
Teams' champion	Baldwin Brothers Racing
Official website	AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series
Current season

2008 Tracy Hines, pavement sprint car (without wing).

Tony Stewart's 1995 Sprint Car Championship car, part of his "Triple Crown" accomplishment.

From 1956–1960, USAC's National Sprint Car Championship was divided into two regional divisions in the Midwest and the East.

Champions

Season	Car No.	Driver	Team
1956	9	Midwest: Pat O'Connor	Estes
	1	East: Tommy Hinnershitz
1957	21	Midwest: Elmer George	Hulman
		East: Bill Randall
1958	25	Midwest: Eddie Sachs	Cheesman
	3	East: Johnny Thomson	Traylor
1959	4	Midwest: Don Branson	Estes
	4	East: Tommy Hinnershitz	Pfrommer
1960	51	Midwest: Parnelli Jones	Fike
	2	East: A. J. Foyt	Watson
1961	1	Parnelli Jones	Fike
1962	1	Parnelli Jones	Fike
1963	2	Roger McCluskey	Homeyer
1964	3	Don Branson	Phillips
1965	9	Johnny Rutherford	Meskowski
1966	51	Roger McCluskey	Anderson
1967	92	Greg Weld	Leffler
1968	4, 27	Larry Dickson	Smith, Stapp
1969	2	Gary Bettenhausen	Davis
1970	2	George Snider	Lay
1971	2	Gary Bettenhausen	Davis
1972	4	Sammy Sessions	Amerling
1973	2	Rollie Beale	Kilman
1974	6	Pancho Carter	Stapp
1975	80	Larry Dickson	Ensign
1976	24	Pancho Carter	Stap
1977	56	Sheldon Kinser	Hammond
1978	43	Tom Bigelow	Armstrong
1979	43	Greg Leffler	Armstrong
1980	2	Rich Vogler	Seibert
1981	6	Sheldon Kinser	Leyba
1982	1	Sheldon Kinser	Leyba
1983	39	Ken Schrader	Delrose/Holt
1984	39	Rick Hood	Fortune
1985	39	Rick Hood	Fortune
1986	6	Steve Butler	Stoops
1987	1	Steve Butler	Stoops
1988	1	Steve Butler	Stoops
1989	69	Rich Vogler	Hoffman
1990	69	Steve Butler	Hoffman
1991	7	Robbie Stanley	Stanley
1992	1	Robbie Stanley	Stanley
1993	69	Robbie Stanley	Hoffman
1994	22k	Doug Kalitta	Kalitta
1995	20	Tony Stewart	Niebel
1996	4c	Brian Tyler	Contos
1997	4c	Brian Tyler	Contos
1998	2, 12	Tony Elliott	Walker/Vance, Conroy
1999	69	Dave Darland	Hoffman
2000	66	Tony Elliott	Walker
2001	76	J. J. Yeley	GT
2002	69	Tracy Hines	Hoffman
2003	20	J. J. Yeley	Stewart
2004	20	Jay Drake	Stewart
2005	2B	Levi Jones	Benic
2006	20	Josh Wise	Stewart
2007	20	Levi Jones	Stewart
2008	69	Jerry Coons Jr	Hoffman
2009	20	Levi Jones	Stewart
2010	20	Levi Jones	Stewart
2011	20	Levi Jones	Stewart
2012	7	Bryan Clauson	CTR-BCI-Curb-Agajanian
2013	20	Bryan Clauson	Stewart/Curb-Agajanian
2014	69	Brady Bacon[16]	Hoffman
2015	12	Robert Ballou	Ballou Motorsports
2016	69	Brady Bacon[17]	Hoffman
2017	5	Chris Windom	Baldwin Brothers
2018	7	Tyler Courtney	Clauson Marshall Motorsports
2019	19AZ	C.J. Leary	Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports
2020	69	Brady Bacon[18]	Hoffman

Race winners

* As of the end of the 2020 season

USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Championship

Category	Midget car racing
Country	United States
Inaugural season	1956
Constructors	Beast · Breka · BOSS Chassis · Buzzard · CBI · DRC Chassis · Eagle · Elite · Felker · FSC · Hawk · Hyper Racing · King · Mal-1 · Spike Chassis · STS · Stealth · TCR · Triple X Race Co · Zero
Engine suppliers	Autocraft · Chevrolet · Ed Pink · Esslinger · Fontana · Ford · Gaerte · GM Ecotec · Hawk · Honda · Mopar · Musser · Oldsmobile · Ostrich · Ott · Pontiac · Stanton · Toyota
Tire suppliers	Hoosier Racing Tire
Drivers' champion	Tyler Courtney
Teams' champion	Clauson-Marshall Racing
Makes' champion	Spike / Stanton
Official website	USAC P1 Insurance National Midgets
Current season

2014 USAC Midget champion Rico Abreu

Tony Stewart's 1995 Midget Car Championship car, part of his "Triple Crown" accomplishment.

Champions

Season	Car No.	Driver	Team
1956		Shorty Templeman
1957		Shorty Templeman
1958		Shorty Templeman
1959		Gene Hartley
1960		Jimmy Davies
1961		Jimmy Davies
1962		Jimmy Davies
1963		Bob Wente
1964		Mel Kenyon
1965		Mike McGreevy
1966	1	Mike McGreevy
1967	1	Mel Kenyon	Kenyon
1968	1	Mel Kenyon	Kenyon
1969	3	Bob Tattersall	Stroud
1970	5	Jimmy Caruthers	Caruthers
1971	5	Danny Caruthers	Caruthers
1972	81	Pancho Carter	Rieder
1973	2	Larry Rice	Shannon
1974	61	Mel Kenyon	Kenyon
1975	5	Sleepy Tripp
1976	1	Sleepy Tripp
1977	43	Mel Kenyon	Armstrong
1978	2	Rich Vogler	Caruthers
1979	2	Steve Lotshaw	Piascik
1980	69	Rich Vogler	Lockard
1981	61	Mel Kenyon	Kenyon
1982	5	Kevin Olson	Carey
1983	4	Rich Vogler	Streicher
1984	16	Tom Bigelow	Sandy
1985	66	Mel Kenyon	Burns
1986	2	Rich Vogler	Byrd
1987	11	Kevin Olson	Wilke
1988	1	Rich Vogler	Byrd
1989	46	Russ Gamester	Gamester
1990	4	Jeff Gordon	Helmling
1991	8	Mike Streicher	Streicher
1992	11	Stevie Reeves	Wilke
1993	9	Stevie Reeves	Lewis
1994	6	Tony Stewart	Potter
1995	9	Tony Stewart	Lewis
1996	91	Kenny Irwin Jr.	Lewis
1997	71	Jason Leffler	Willoughby
1998	9	Jason Leffler	Lewis
1999	9	Jason Leffler	Lewis
2000	91	Kasey Kahne	Lewis
2001	9	Dave Darland	Lewis
2002	9	Dave Darland	Lewis
2003	9	J. J. Yeley	Lewis
2004	9	Bobby East	Lewis
2005	20	Josh Wise	Stewart
2006	11	Jerry Coons Jr.	Wilke
2007	11	Jerry Coons Jr.	Wilke-Pak
2008	71	Cole Whitt	Kunz
2009	17B	Brad Kuhn	RW
2010	39	Bryan Clauson	Tucker/Kunz/BCI
2011	39	Bryan Clauson	CTR-Curb-Agajanian
2012	3	Darren Hagen	RFMS
2013	71	Christopher Bell	Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
2014	97	Rico Abreu	Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
2015	24	Tracy Hines[19]	Parker Machinery
2016	67	Tanner Thorson[20]	Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
2017	97	Spencer Bayston[21]	Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
2018	67	Logan Seavey[22]	Kunz/Curb-Agajanian
2019	7BC	Tyler Courtney	Clauson-Marshall Racing
2020	89	Chris Windom[23]	Tucker/Boat Motorsports[24]

Race winners

* As of the end of the 2020 season

AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series

Category	Sprint car racing
Country	United States
Inaugural season	2004
Tire suppliers	Hoosier Racing Tire
Drivers' champion	Damion Gardner
Teams' champion	Alexander
Official website	AMSOIL USAC/CRA Sprint Car Series
Current season

The USAC/CRA AMSOIL Sprint Car Series debuted in 2004 utilizing the same cars & engines that race in USAC's AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship at dirt oval tracks across California and Arizona. The series also features combination races with the AMSOIL USAC Sprint Car National Championship.

Champions

Season	Car No.	Driver	Team
2004	3	Rip Williams	Jory
2005	50	Damion Gardner	Chaffin
2006	38	Cory Kruseman	Crossno
2007	4	Tony Jones	Alexander
2008	50	Mike Spencer	Chaffin
2009	50	Mike Spencer	Chaffin
2010	50	Mike Spencer	Chaffin
2011	50	Mike Spencer	Chaffin
2012	50	Mike Spencer	Chaffin
2013	4a	Damion Gardner	Alexander
2014	4	Damion Gardner	Alexander
2015	4	Damion Gardner	Alexander
2016	4	Damion Gardner	Alexander
2017	4	Damion Gardner	Alexander
2018	4	Damion Gardner	Alexander
2019	4	Damion Gardner	Alexander

[25]

Light Up The World Beverages presents the USAC Western States Midgets

Category	Midget car racing
Country	United States
Inaugural season	1982
Tire suppliers	Hoosier Racing Tire
Official website	USAC Western States Midgets
Current season

USAC started the Western States Midgets in 1982 utilizing the same cars & engines that race in the USAC National Midgets. The series solely races on dirt ovals across California and Arizona but in past raced on pavement ovals as well. The series does run co-sanctioned races with USAC's National Midget Series (including the historic Turkey Night Grand Prix race) and the Bay Cities Racing Association Midgets.

Champions

reference:[27]

USAC sanctions several regional 360 c.i.d. non-wing sprint car series across the country. USAC's West Coast Sprint Car Series was launched in 2009 by Santa Maria Speedway promoter Chris Kearns, and joined forces with USAC in 2010. The West Coast series primarily races at tracks across California while also having special event races in Nevada. USAC's Southwest Sprint Car Series was launched in 1991 as the Arizona Sprint Car Racing Association. The series joined forces with USAC in 2012.[28] The Southwest series primarily races at tracks in Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico while also having special event races in Arkansas, Kansas & Oklahoma.

USAC and URC Sprint Caf Series promoter Curt Michael joined forces to create the USAC East Coast Sprint Car Series, with the first season beginning in 2018.[29]

Champions

USAC formed the Speed2 Midget Series (formerly known as the Ford Focus Midget Series, Ignite Midget Series and HPD Midget Series) in 2002 with several regional divisions running across the United States on both dirt & pavement oval tracks. With exception to the engine, the cars used are the same as National & Western States Midget cars. The powerplants currently used are 4-cylinder production-based engines with stock internal dimensions to save costs for competitors. The series started out as a spec engine class, originally with Ford supplying their Zetec engine from 2002-2012, and then HPD supplying their K24 engine starting in 2013.

National Championship

The Speed2 Midget Series National Champion has been determined in a variety of ways. The inaugural championship, 2005, was decided by a two-race series (one dirt, one pavement). Subsequent national champions were determined by a single "national championship race" held at various locations. This format was used until 2010. In 2011, a points system was instituted to determine the national champion. Counting only a drivers twelve best finishes, the system allowed drivers from multiple regions to compete under a common points structure for a season-long championship. The 2012 season did not award a national champion, however the respective regional champions were honored at USAC Night of Champions.

National Champions

• 2005: Robbie Ray; Davenport, IA;
• 2006: Michael Faccinto; Hanford, CA ; Scelzi #4x
• 2007: James Robertson; Indianapolis, IN; Steele #1
• 2008: Alex Bowman; Tucson, AZ; Bowman #55
• 2009: Kyle Hamilton; Danville, IN; Steele #1
• 2010: Nick Drake; Mooresville, NC; Cline #55
• 2011: Nick Drake; Mooresville, NC; Cline #55

Regional Champions

USAC started the Speedway Motors Lightning Sprint National Championship in 2017 for local tracks running Lightning Sprint cars. The points format counts the 12 best races at USAC sanctioned tracks.[32]

Pirelli World Challenge, was started in 1990 and switched to USAC sanctioning in 2017.[33] The championship currently races on road and street courses across the United States and Canada with seven different classes for GT cars & Touring cars. Founded by WC Vision, the series is presently owned by SRO Group.

The Stadium Super Trucks series was founded in 2013 by former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon. It is sanctioned by USAC,[34] though Gordon and sponsorship marketing company The Elevation Group co-own the series.[35]

Scott Taylor's Crandon winning Pro 2 truck

TORC: The Off-Road Championship was founded in 2009 by motocross racer Rick Johnson and it was managed the race operations and officiated the events.[36] USAC took over complete management of the series in 2010.[36] The complete management ended in August 2013 season when it was sold to The Armory. USAC returned to offication / race control and the series was renamed "TORC: The Off Road Championship" for 2014.

• 2009 Pro 4x4: Rick Huseman, Pro 2WD: Rob MacCachren
• 2010 Pro 4x4: Johnny Greaves, Pro 2WD: Ricky Johnson
• 2011 Pro 4x4: Ricky Johnson, Pro 2WD Bryce Menzies
• 2012 Pro 4x4: Ricky Johnson, Pro 2WD Bryce Menzies
• 2013 Pro 4x4: Johnny Greaves, Pro 2WD: Bryce Menzies
• 2014 Pro 4x4: Johnny Greaves, Pro 2WD: CJ Greaves

Starting in 1981, USAC scaled back their participation in Indy car racing outside of the Indianapolis 500. The preeminent national championship season was instead being sanctioned by CART. USAC developed a split-calendar season, beginning in June, and ending in May with the Indy 500. After 1983, however, the Gold Crown schedule would consist of only one event per season (Indy 500), and the Gold Crown title would be regarded largely as ceremonial. The winner of the Indianapolis 500 would be the de facto Gold Crown champion, as it was the lone points-paying event. The title and the "series" were retired after the 1994–1995 season.

USAC Gold Crown Series Champions
1981–82	George Snider	season	[37]
1982–83	Tom Sneva	season	[38]
1983–84	Rick Mears	season	[39]
1984–85	Danny Sullivan	season	[40]
1985–86	Bobby Rahal	season	[41]
1986–87	Al Unser	season	[42]
1987–88	Rick Mears	season	[43]
1988–89	Emerson Fittipaldi	season	[44]
1989–90	Arie Luyendyk	season	[45]
1990–91	Rick Mears	season	[46]
1991–92	Al Unser, Jr.	season	[47]
1992–93	Emerson Fittipaldi	season	[48]
1993–94	Al Unser, Jr.	season	[49]
1994–95	Jacques Villeneuve	season	[50]

Norm Nelson's USAC Stock Car

USAC featured a stock car division from 1956 to 1984.

* The inaugural season featured two subtitles: Pacific Coast (won by Sam Hanks) and Short Track (Troy Ruttman).

From 1958 until 1962, USAC sanctioned a road racing championship.[51] It was held for sports cars from 1958–1961, and adopted Formula Libre rules in 1962.

Year	Champion	Car	Report
1958	Dan Gurney	Ferrari 375 Plus Ferrari 290 MM	season
1959	Augie Pabst	Ferrari 625 TR Scarab Mk. II-Chevrolet	season
1960	Carroll Shelby	Maserati Tipo 61 Scarab Mk. II-Chevrolet	season
1961	Ken Miles	Porsche 718 RS 61	season
1962	Roger Penske	Cooper T53-Climax	season