1912 AAA Championship Car season


The 1912 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 18 races, beginning in Santa Monica, California on May 4 and concluding in Brooklyn, New York on November 5. There was also one non-championship event at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The de facto National Champion as poled by the American automobile journal Motor Age was Ralph DePalma and the winner of the Indianapolis 500 was Joe Dawson. Points were not awarded by the AAA Contest Board during the 1912 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

DateRace Name
Distance 		TrackLocationTypeNotesPole positionWinning driver
May 4Chanslor & Lyon Trophy Race* Santa Monica Road Race CourseSanta Monica, California8.417 mile road courseStock chassis, 230 cu in.Roscoe AnthonyGeorge Joerimann
May 4Jepsen Trophy Race* Santa Monica Road Race CourseSanta Monica, California8.417 mile road course231–300 cu in.Earl DevoreRalph DePalma
May 4Dick Ferris Trophy Race* Santa Monica Road Race CourseSanta Monica, California8.417 mile road courseFree-for-allTeddy TetzlaffDave Lewis
May 30International 500 Mile SweepstakesIndianapolis Motor SpeedwaySpeedway, Indiana2.5 mile brick ovalQualifications based upon demonstrated 75 mph single-lap speed, 24-car field; Ralph DePalma pushes car across finish lineGil AndersenJoe Dawson
July 5First Montamara Fiesta Race Tacoma Road Race CourseTacoma, Washington5 mile road course231-300 cu in.Eddie Pullen
July 5Tacoma Race 2 Tacoma Road Race CourseTacoma, Washington5 mile road course301-450 cu in.Earl Cooper
July 5Tacoma Race 3 Tacoma Road Race CourseTacoma, Washington5 mile road courseFree-for-allEarl CooperTeddy Tetzlaff
July 6Montamarathon Trophy Race Tacoma Road Race CourseTacoma, Washington5 mile road courseFree-for-allHughie HughesTeddy Tetzlaff
August 25Columbus Race Columbus Driving ParkColumbus, Ohio1 mile dirt ovalFree-for-allCharles ElliottSpencer Wishart
August 30Aurora Trophy Race Elgin Road Race CourseElgin, Illinois8.47 mile road course300 cu in.Eddie PullenHughie Hughes
August 30Illinois Trophy Race Elgin Road Race CourseElgin, Illinois8.47 mile road course450 cu in.Charles Merz
August 30Jencks Trophy Race Elgin Road Race CourseElgin, Illinois8.47 mile road course600 cu in.Harry EndicottHarry Endicott
August 31Elgin Race 4* Elgin Road Race CourseElgin, Illinois8.47 mile road courseRalph DePalma
August 31Elgin National Trophy Race* Elgin Road Race CourseElgin, Illinois8.47 mile road courseFree-for-allRalph DePalma
October 2William K. Vanderbilt Cup Wauwatosa Road Race CourseMilwaukee, Wisconsin7.88 mile road course301-600 cu in.Ralph DePalmaRalph DePalma
October 5Wisconsin Challenge Trophy Race* Wauwatosa Road Race CourseMilwaukee, Wisconsin7.88 mile road course161-230 cu in.Ray SnyderHarry Endicott
October 5Pabst Blue Ribbon Trophy Race* Wauwatosa Road Race CourseMilwaukee, Wisconsin7.88 mile road course231-300 cu in.Louis NikrentMortimer Roberts
October 5American Grand Prize Wauwatosa Road Race CourseMilwaukee, Wisconsin7.88 mile road courseACA sanction; non-championship event; David Bruce-Brown and his riding mechanic Tony Scudellari fatally injured in practice, Ralph DePalma seriously injured in raceBob BurmanCaleb Bragg
November 5Brighton Beach Race Brighton Beach Dirt TrackBrooklyn, New York1 mile dirt ovalFree-for-allNeil WhalenRalph Mulford

* Events on same date were run simultaneously.

Leading National Championship standings

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.
# DriverSponsorPoints
1Ralph DePalmaMercedes2000
2Teddy TetzlaffFiat1900
3Joe DawsonNational1000
4Hughie HughesMercer890
5Ralph MulfordKnox870

General references