1917 AAA Championship Car season
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| 1917 AAA Championship Car season | |
|---|---|
| AAA National Championship Trail | |
| Season | |
| Races | 21 |
| Start date | March 4 |
| End date | November 29 |
| Awards | |
| National champion |  Earl Cooper (unofficial) |
| Indianapolis 500 winner | None |
| Chronology | |
| Previous season | Next season |
| 1916 | 1918 |
The 1917 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 21 races, beginning in Los Angeles, California on March 4 and concluding there on November 29. The de facto National Champion as poled by the American automobile journal Motor Age was Earl Cooper. The Indianapolis 500 was not held this year. Points were not awarded by the AAA Contest Board during the 1917 season. Champions of the day were decided by Chris G. Sinsabaugh, an editor at Motor Age, based on merit and on track performance. The points table was created retroactively in 1927 – all championship results should be considered unofficial.
Schedule and results
| Date | Race Name Distance (miles) |
Track | Location | Type | Notes | Pole position | Winning driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 4 | George Washington Sweepstakes (100) | Ascot Park | Los Angeles, California | 1 mile dirt oval | Joe Boyer | Earl Cooper | |
| May 10 | Universal Trophy Race (113) | Uniontown Speedway | Uniontown, Pennsylvania | 1.125 mile board oval | 300 cu in. | Louis Chevrolet | William Taylor |
| May 30 | Sharonville Sweepstakes (250) | Cincinnati Motor Speedway | Sharonville, Ohio | 2 mile board oval | Ralph DePalma | Louis Chevrolet | |
| June 16 | War Derby (250) | Speedway Park | Maywood, Illinois | 2 mile board oval | Louis Chevrolet | Earl Cooper | |
| July 4 | Omaha Derby (150) | Omaha Speedway | Omaha, Nebraska | 1.25 mile board oval | Louis Chevrolet | Ralph Mulford | |
| July 14 | Minneapolis Race 1 (50) | Twin City Motor Speedway | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 2 mile concrete oval | 300 cu in. | Dave Lewis | Earl Cooper |
| Minneapolis Race 2 (100) | Dave Lewis | Ira Vail | |||||
| September 3 | Army Post Sweepstakes (100) | Pacific Coast Speedway | Tacoma, Washington | 2 mile board oval | Earl Cooper | ||
| September 3 | Chicago Race 2 (50) | Speedway Park | Maywood, Illinois | 2 mile board oval | Ralph DePalma | ||
| Chicago Race 3 (100) | Louis Chevrolet | ||||||
| September 3 | 1st Annual Autumn Classic (113) | Uniontown Speedway | Uniontown, Pennsylvania | 1.125 mile board oval | Frank Elliott | ||
| September 15 | Providence Race 1 (5) | Narragansett Park Speedway | Cranston, Rhode Island | 1 mile concrete oval | 300 cu in. | Ralph Mulford | |
| Providence Race 2 (25) | Tommy Milton | ||||||
| Providence Race 3 (100) | Tommy Milton | ||||||
| September 22 | Harkness Trophy Race (100) | Sheepshead Bay Speedway | Sheepshead Bay, New York | 2 mile board oval | 300 cu in. | Louis Chevrolet | |
| October 13 | Chicago Race 4 (20) | Speedway Park | Maywood, Illinois | 2 mile board oval | Tom Alley | ||
| Chicago Race 5 (50) | 300 cu in. | Ralph Mulford | |||||
| Chicago Race 6 (50) | Pete Henderson | ||||||
| October 29 | Uniontown Race 3 (169) | Uniontown Speedway | Uniontown, Pennsylvania | 1.125 mile board oval | 300 cu in. | Eddie Hearne | Eddie Hearne |
| November 29 | Ascot Race 2 (10) | Ascot Park | Los Angeles, California | 1 mile dirt oval | 300 cu in. | Louis Chevrolet | |
| Ascot Race 3 (50) | Free formula | Eddie Hearne |
Leading National Championship standings
| # | Driver | Sponsor | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Earl Cooper | Stutz | 1095 |
| 2 | Louis Chevrolet | Frontenac | 1046 |
| 3 | Ralph Mulford | Frontenac | 868 |
| 4 | Eddie Hearne | Duesenberg | 848 |
| 5 | Tommy Milton | Duesenberg | 771 |
The 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. Points were awarded as follows:
| Miles/ Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 80 | 45 | 25 | 15 | 10 | X | X | X | X | x |
| 50 | 100 | 55 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 5 | X | X | X | X |
| 60 | 120 | 65 | 35 | 25 | 15 | X | X | X | X | X |
| 80 | 160 | 80 | 45 | 30 | 20 | X | X | X | X | X |
| 100 | 200 | 110 | 60 | 35 | 20 | 15 | 10 | 5 | X | X |
| 150 | 300 | 160 | 90 | 50 | 30 | 20 | 15 | 10 | X | X |
| 200 | 400 | 210 | 110 | 60 | 40 | 25 | 15 | 10 | X | X |
| 250 | 500 | 260 | 140 | 80 | 50 | 35 | 25 | 15 | 10 | 5 |
| 300 | 600 | 420 | 220 | 120 | 70 | 45 | 35 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| 400 | 800 | 420 | 220 | 120 | 70 | 45 | 35 | 25 | 15 | 10 |
| 500 | 1000 | 520 | 270 | 140 | 90 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 35 | 30 |
References
- http://www.champcarstats.com/year/1917.htm accessed 8/21/15
- http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/indycar/1917.html accessed 8/21/15
