1916 American Grand Prize facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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	Ed Ruckstell	Mercer
Time
Podium
First	Howdy Wilcox Johnny Aitken	Peugeot
Second	Earl Cooper	Stutz
Third	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	Howdy Wilcox Johnny Aitken	Peugeot EX5	48	4:42:47	438 —
2	8	Earl Cooper	Stutz	48	+ 6.12	520
3	20	Art Patterson	Hudson	48	+ 26:52	270
4	6	Clyde Rhoades	Hudson	48	+ 1:11:18	140
5	21	Bill Weightman Eddie Rickenbacker	Duesenberg	45	Flagged
Ret	3	Ed Ruckstell	Mercer	39	Valve
Ret	23	William Cody	National-Cody Special	33	Engine
Ret	18	George Buzane	Duesenberg	27	Piston
Ret	17	Eddie Rickenbacker	Duesenberg	27	Stripped gears
Ret	1	Dario Resta	Peugeot EX5	19	Ignition
Ret	9	Cliff Durant	Stutz	17	Valve
Ret	24	Lewis Jackson	Marmon	13	Crash
Ret	14	Sterling Price	Duesenberg	12	Clutch
Ret	27	Omar Toft	Duesenberg	10	Clutch
Ret	19	Ira Vail	Hudson	9	Piston
Ret	4	Eddie Pullen	Mercer	8	Crash, fire
Ret	22	William Carlton	Ono-Owl Special	6	Pump
Ret	11	Mike Moosie	Duesenberg	5	Clutch
Ret	25	Dave Anderson	Kissell	5	Valve
Ret	10	Emil Agraz	Hercules	2	Conrod
Ret	16	Johnny Aitken	Peugeot EX5	1	Piston