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 racing in the United States, the AAA Contest Board was initially concerned about having enough races and entrants for the 1946 season. Even the Indianapolis 500 was in doubt, as the speedway was neglected during the war, and owner Eddie Rickenbacker sold the track to Tony Hulman only in November 1945. However, as the season progressed, it proved to be a success, and marked a successful return of the National Championship. George Robson and George Barringer were killed at Atlanta in the race. Al Putnam died at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Speedway in qualifying.
Background
Previously, only races of over 100 miles on tracks one mile or longer were able to hold 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.After car counts were better than expected, some confusion arose over 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 simply assuming - that the Big Car races had been 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, Horn would have been declared the champion with or without the 71 "Big Car" races included, based on his points totals.
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. Rex Mays 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 2Points 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 |
| 1 | May 30 |  International 500 Mile Sweepstakes | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Paved | Cliff Bergere |  George Robson | |
| 2 | June 30 | Langhorne 100 | Langhorne Speedway | Langhorne, Pennsylvania | Dirt | Ted Horn | Rex Mays | |
| 3 | September 2 | Atlanta 100 | Lakewood Speedway | Atlanta, Georgia | Dirt | Rex Mays | George Connor | |
| NC | September 2 | Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb | Pikes Peak Highway | Pikes Peak, Colorado | Hill | Louis Unser | Louis Unser | |
| 4 | September 15 | Indianapolis 100 | Indiana State Fairgrounds | Indianapolis, Indiana | Dirt | Rex Mays | Rex Mays | |
| 5 | September 22 | Milwaukee 100 | Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway | West Allis, Wisconsin | Dirt | Rex Mays | Rex Mays | |
| 6 | October 6 | George Robson Memorial | Good Time Park | Goshen, New York | Dirt | Emil Andres | Tony Bettenhausen |
Final points standings
Note: The points became the car, when not only one driver led the car, the relieved driver became small part of the points. Points for driver method: / * |