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1916 American Grand Prize facts for kids

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1916 American Grand Prize
Race details
Date November 18, 1916
Official name VII American Grand Prize
Location Santa Monica, United States
Course Public roads
Course length 13.519 km (8.402 mi)
Distance 48 laps, 648.934 km (403.312 mi)
Fastest lap
Driver United States Ed Ruckstell Mercer
Time  
Podium
First
Peugeot
Second
  • United States Earl Cooper
Stutz
Third
  • United States Art Patterson
Hudson

The 1916 American Grand Prize was a big auto race. It was part of the exciting Grand Prix series. This race happened in Santa Monica, California, on November 18, 1916. Drivers raced special cars on public roads.

What Happened at the Race?

This race was a very important part of the 1916 AAA National Championship Trail. Two drivers, Dario Resta and Johnny Aitken, were battling for the championship title.

The Championship Battle

Before this race, Johnny Aitken was ahead of Dario Resta by 240 points. Just two days before, the Vanderbilt Cup race took place. Resta won that race and earned 900 points. Aitken, however, had to stop racing early in the Vanderbilt Cup. This meant Resta now had a big lead of 660 points. The winner of the Grand Prize race could earn 1000 points. This made the Grand Prize super important for both drivers.

Cars and Teams in 1916

At this time, World War I was happening in Europe. Because of the war, all the cars in the race were from America. Even two Peugeot cars, which were usually European, were entered by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. These cars were for drivers Johnny Aitken and Howdy Wilcox.

Early Race Drama

The race started with a bang! Johnny Aitken's car had a problem right away and he had to stop on the very first lap. Dario Resta quickly took the lead. Aitken's team tried to get Howdy Wilcox to stop so Aitken could take over his car. But the race officials said no, that was not allowed.

By lap 9, Resta was still leading. Close behind him were Ed Ruckstell in a Mercer, Earl Cooper in a Stutz, and Eddie Rickenbacker in a Duesenberg.

Unexpected Events on the Track

On lap 13, Lewis Jackson's Marmon car had a serious incident. It went through a barrier, which was a very sad moment for everyone watching.

Later, on lap 16, Dario Resta's car started having engine trouble. He had to stop racing soon after. This was a big surprise since he was leading!

Aitken's Comeback and the Finish

On lap 20, Johnny Aitken, who had started the race in his own car, took over Howdy Wilcox's car. He wanted to earn as many championship points as possible. Aitken then led the last 22 laps and won the race! Even though Aitken won, Dario Resta had already earned enough points to almost secure the championship title.

The Future of Grand Prix Racing

After 1916, the United States joined World War I in April 1917. This meant that road racing in the U.S. mostly stopped for a while. Other types of racing, like board track racing, became more popular. Grand Prix racing did not return to the U.S. until 1936. It didn't become a regular event again until the 1959 race.

Race Results

Here are the final results from the 1916 American Grand Prize race:

Pos No Driver Car Laps Time/Retired Points
1 26 United States Howdy Wilcox
United States Johnny Aitken
Peugeot EX5 48 4:42:47 438
2 8 United States Earl Cooper Stutz 48 + 6.12 520
3 20 United States Art Patterson Hudson 48 + 26:52 270
4 6 United States Clyde Rhoades Hudson 48 + 1:11:18 140
5 21 United States Bill Weightman
United States Eddie Rickenbacker
Duesenberg 45 Flagged
Ret 3 United States Ed Ruckstell Mercer 39 Valve
Ret 23 United States William Cody National-Cody Special 33 Engine
Ret 18 United States George Buzane Duesenberg 27 Piston
Ret 17 United States Eddie Rickenbacker Duesenberg 27 Stripped gears
Ret 1 United Kingdom Dario Resta Peugeot EX5 19 Ignition
Ret 9 United States Cliff Durant Stutz 17 Valve
Ret 24 United States Lewis Jackson Marmon 13 Crash
Ret 14 United States Sterling Price Duesenberg 12 Clutch
Ret 27 United States Omar Toft Duesenberg 10 Clutch
Ret 19 Canada Ira Vail Hudson 9 Piston
Ret 4 United States Eddie Pullen Mercer 8 Crash, fire
Ret 22 United States William Carlton Ono-Owl Special 6 Pump
Ret 11 United States Mike Moosie Duesenberg 5 Clutch
Ret 25 United States Dave Anderson Kissell 5 Valve
Ret 10 United States Emil Agraz Hercules 2 Conrod
Ret 16 United States Johnny Aitken Peugeot EX5 1 Piston
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