Can you name a motorsport series named after one of its races? Really, only one series comes to mind: IndyXethe American open-wheel racing series is apparently named for both its main location (Indianapolis, Indiana) and its biggest race (the India 500). But how did that happen? How did the sport choose such a perfect name for itself? As we entered the Indy 500 season, I knew I wanted to find out.
At its core, the name “IndyCar” comes from decades of infighting between various series including American open-wheel racing.
To understand the final name, however, we need to go through a very brief history of the American open wheel. Essentially, the championship we call IndyCar today has really grown with the Indianapolis 500 as its foundation event. The Indy 500 used to be AAA recognized (yes, that AAA), but after the 1955 Le Mans disaster that killed a lot of spectators and changed the perception of motorsport around the world and the death of Bill Vukovich in 500, AAA withdrew from the Indy 500. race.
The following year, in 1956, Automobile Club of America (USAC) took over the race sanction. USAC was founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony Hulman, along with a group of others interested in racing.
That answer makes sense; After all, why would you want to hand your race to a completely different group of people if you have the opportunity to take it on and do it yourself.
But even then, USAC didn’t call America’s open-wheel racing “IndyCar”. Instead, it founded the United States National Championship, a tournament contested by open-wheel racing cars. American open-wheel cars are also nicknamed “champion car racing”, turning into “champion cars”. But since these cars also raced at Indianapolis, the main event of the year, it is also known as the “Indy race”.
However, as you can imagine, the fact that Tony Hulman ran the entire Indianapolis Motor Speedway And the entire series competing in the 500 has caused some sort of conflict of interest. In 1979, a group of racing team owners decided to defect and create own series, which they call the Championship Car Team (CART). Essentially, a lot of owners were unhappy with the way USAC handled key racing decisions, and American racing legend Dan Gurney gathered support to create a new series of sanctioned films. by a group of team owners, all of whom influence key decisions.
The original intention behind the CART was not to be a new series; it’s an advocacy group that can help advance USAC races and make the voices of team owners heard. But in 1978, after Gurney put his idea to paper, eight USAC officials were killed in a plane crash, creating a power vacuum that turned the entire season into a disaster. Gurney presented his ideas to USAC at the end of the season, and USAC declined to sell them wholesale. CART left USAC, choosing instead to be a series sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America.
Suddenly, two different series both wanted to compete in the Indy 500, and things went awry. First, USAC tries ban CART teams participate in the Indy 500 and the court’s decision asks USAC to allow the teams to qualify. Both sides fought in 1979 and decided to join forces in 1980, but unification lasted only five events before the USAC withdrew.
At the time, there were two divergent views of what the American open wheel race should be like. USAC prioritized dirt and oval races, while CART prioritized European asphalt racing style – but it was CART who led the way with a favorable international impression. USAC agreed to let CART add the Indy 500 to its schedule in 1983.
For a while, everything seemed fine. For the first time in history, there’s been a steady stream of major races in a season just past 500, and that’s thanks to CART’s ability to effectively leverage technology, safety and sponsorship. .
But not all is well in the CART camp. High-earning teams like Penske can afford to have access to the most cutting-edge technology, but there are plenty of CART groups running old, uncompetitive machinery. It led to the feeling that some teams’ voices mattered more than others because those were the teams with more money and connections — and it started the series’ demise.
The war continued, with the arguments getting more and more petty over the years. CART attempted to claim the “IndyCar” trademark and rebrand in 1992, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway took them to court to terminate it. In retaliation, a newly formed sport called the Indy Racing League took full control of the Indy 500, guaranteeing its riders participation and leaving some vacancies for the CART teams. Debates killed fan interest, and CART teams and engine manufacturers began turning to IRL, causing CART to go bankrupt in 2003. The team’s three owners acquired the assets. production of the series and renamed it Champ Car World Series, but it was never really successful; Champ Car filed for bankruptcy before the 2008 season.
The real name “IndyCar” was first adopted in 2003, when the IRL began shifting its brand to the new name. When IRL and Champ Car merged in 2008, IndyCar became the official name of the unified series, after years of both teams previously vying for the name.
It’s been a long and messy road, but the name IndyCar is finally officially used as a way to represent all of America’s open-wheel racing.
