1916 American Grand Prize facts for kids
Quick facts for kids 1916 American Grand Prize |
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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 | ![]() |
Mercer | |
Time | |||
Podium | |||
First |
|
Peugeot | |
Second | Stutz | ||
Third | 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.
Contents
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 | ![]() ![]() |
Peugeot EX5 | 48 | 4:42:47 | 438 — |
2 | 8 | ![]() |
Stutz | 48 | + 6.12 | 520 |
3 | 20 | ![]() |
Hudson | 48 | + 26:52 | 270 |
4 | 6 | ![]() |
Hudson | 48 | + 1:11:18 | 140 |
5 | 21 | ![]() ![]() |
Duesenberg | 45 | Flagged | |
Ret | 3 | ![]() |
Mercer | 39 | Valve | |
Ret | 23 | ![]() |
National-Cody Special | 33 | Engine | |
Ret | 18 | ![]() |
Duesenberg | 27 | Piston | |
Ret | 17 | ![]() |
Duesenberg | 27 | Stripped gears | |
Ret | 1 | ![]() |
Peugeot EX5 | 19 | Ignition | |
Ret | 9 | ![]() |
Stutz | 17 | Valve | |
Ret | 24 | ![]() |
Marmon | 13 | Crash | |
Ret | 14 | ![]() |
Duesenberg | 12 | Clutch | |
Ret | 27 | ![]() |
Duesenberg | 10 | Clutch | |
Ret | 19 | ![]() |
Hudson | 9 | Piston | |
Ret | 4 | ![]() |
Mercer | 8 | Crash, fire | |
Ret | 22 | ![]() |
Ono-Owl Special | 6 | Pump | |
Ret | 11 | ![]() |
Duesenberg | 5 | Clutch | |
Ret | 25 | ![]() |
Kissell | 5 | Valve | |
Ret | 10 | ![]() |
Hercules | 2 | Conrod | |
Ret | 16 | ![]() |
Peugeot EX5 | 1 | Piston |