# 1916 AAA Championship Car season

The 1916 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 15 races, beginning in Brooklyn, New York on May 13 and concluding in Los Angeles, California on November 30. There were also 12 non-championship races. For the first time since the 1905 season, the AAA awarded points towards a National Championship. The AAA National Champion and Indianapolis 500 winner was Dario Resta.

## Schedule and results

| Rnd | Date | Race Name | Length | Track | Location | Type | Pole Position | Winning Driver |
| NC | April 8 | Corona Race | 301.712 mi (485.558 km) | Grand Boulevard | Corona, California | Road | — | Eddie O'Donnell |
| NC | April 29 | Raisin Classic | 301 mi (484 km) | Fresno Road Race Course | Fresno, California | Road | — | Eddie O'Donnell |
| NC | May 13 | Coney Island Cup | 20 mi (32 km) | Sheepshead Bay Speedway | Brooklyn, New York | Board | — | Johnny Aitken |
| Queens Cup | May 13 | 50 mi (80 km) | — | Sheepshead Bay Speedway | Brooklyn, New York | Board | Ralph Mulford |
| 1 | May 13 | Metropolitan Trophy | 150 mi (240 km) | Sheepshead Bay Speedway | Brooklyn, New York | Board | — | Eddie Rickenbacker |
| 2 | May 30 | 1916 Indianapolis 500 | 300 mi (480 km) | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Brick | Johnny Aitken | Dario Resta |
| 3 | June 11 | Chicago Race | 300 mi (480 km) | Speedway Park | Maywood, Illinois | Board | Ralph DePalma | Dario Resta |
| NC | June 24 | Des Moines Sprint Race | 50 mi (80 km) | Des Moines Speedway | Valley Junction, Iowa | Board | — | Eddie Rickenbacker |
| 4 | June 24 | Des Moines Race | 150 mi (240 km) | Des Moines Speedway | Valley Junction, Iowa | Board | Ralph DePalma | Ralph DePalma |
| 5 | July 4 | Minneapolis Race | 150 mi (240 km) | Twin City Motor Speedway | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Concrete | Louis Chevrolet | Ralph DePalma |
| NC | July 15 | Omaha Sprint Race | 50 mi (80 km) | Omaha Speedway | Omaha, Nebraska | Board | — | Ralph DePalma |
| 6 | July 15 | Omaha Race | 150 mi (240 km) | Omaha Speedway | Omaha, Nebraska | Board | Ralph Mulford | Dario Resta |
| NC | July 22 | Kansas City Race | 100 mi (160 km) | Kansas City Speedway | Kansas City, Missouri | Dirt | — | Ralph DePalma |
| 16.875 mi (27.158 km) | July 22 | Kansas City Race | — | Kansas City Speedway | Kansas City, Missouri | Dirt | W. W. Brown |
| 7 | August 5 | Montamarathon/Potlach Trophy Race | 288 mi (463 km) | Pacific Coast Speedway | Tacoma, Washington | Board | Sterling Price | Eddie Rickenbacker |
| NC | August 19 | Speedway Grand Prix | 50 mi (80 km) | Speedway Park | Maywood, Illinois | Board | Dario Resta | Dario Resta |
| 8 | September 4 | International Sweepstakes | 300 mi (480 km) | Cincinnati Motor Speedway | Sharonville, Ohio | Board | Howdy Wilcox | Johnny Aitken |
| NC | September 9 | Harvest Auto Racing Classic | 20 mi (32 km) | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Brick | Louis Chevrolet | Johnny Aitken |
| 50 mi (80 km) | September 9 | Harvest Auto Racing Classic | — | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Brick | Johnny Aitken |
| 9 | September 9 | Harvest Auto Racing Classic | 100 mi (160 km) | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Speedway, Indiana | Brick | — | Johnny Aitken |
| 10 | September 30 | Astor Cup Race | 250 mi (400 km) | Sheepshead Bay Speedway | Brooklyn, New York | Board | — | Johnny Aitken |
| 11 | October 14 | Grand American Auto Race | 250 mi (400 km) | Speedway Park | Maywood, Illinois | Board | Art Klein | Dario Resta |
| 12 | October 28 | Harkness Trophy Race | 250 mi (400 km) | Sheepshead Bay Speedway | Brooklyn, New York | Board | James Benedict | Johnny Aitken |
| 13 | November 16 | William K. Vanderbilt Cup | 294.595 mi (474.105 km) | Santa Monica Road Race Course | Santa Monica, California | Road | Mike Moosie | Dario Resta |
| 14 | November 18 | American Grand Prize | 403.2 mi (648.9 km) | Santa Monica Road Race Course | Santa Monica, California | Road | Mike Moosie | Howdy Wilcox |
| 14 | November 18 | American Grand Prize | 403.2 mi (648.9 km) | Santa Monica Road Race Course | Santa Monica, California | Road | Mike Moosie | Johnny Aitken |
| 15 | November 30 | Championship Award Sweepstakes | 150 mi (240 km) | Ascot Speedway | South Los Angeles, California | Dirt | Eddie Rickenbacker | Eddie Rickenbacker |
| NC | December 2 | Universal Trophy | 225 mi (362 km) | Uniontown Speedway | Hopwood, Pennsylvania | Board | — | Louis Chevrolet |
    ^A Reduced from 500 to 300 miles due to the onset of World War I.
    ^B Sanctioned by the Automobile Club of America, AAA awarded points.
    ^C Shared drive.

## Leading National Championship standings

| # | Driver | Car | Points |
| 1 | Dario Resta | Peugeot | 4100 |
| 2 | Johnny Aitken | Peugeot | 3440 |
| 3 | Eddie Rickenbacker | Maxwell, Peugeot, Duesenberg | 2910 |
| 4 | Ralph DePalma | Mercedes, Peugeot | 1790 |
| 5 | Earl Cooper | Stutz-Wisconsin, Stutz | 1405 |
| 6 | Wilbur D'Alene | Duesenberg | 1120 |
| 7 | Tommy Milton | Duesenberg | 690 |
| 8 | Pete Henderson | Maxwell | 667 |
| 9 | Frank Galvin | Sunbeam Motor Car Company | 645 |
| 10 | Ralph Mulford | Peugeot | 620 |