1952 AAA Championship Car season
AAA National Championship Trail
Season
Races	12
Start date	May 30
End date	November 11
Awards
National champion	Chuck Stevenson
Indianapolis 500 winner	Troy Ruttman
← 1951 1953 →

The 1952 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on November 11. There was also one non-championship event in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The AAA National Champion was Chuck Stevenson, and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Troy Ruttman. Johnny McDowell was killed at the Milwaukee while qualifying for the Rex Mays Classic. Joe James died in the San José 100 race.

Schedule and results

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Track	Location	Type	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	May 30	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes^A	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway, Indiana	Paved	Fred Agabashian	Troy Ruttman
2	June 8	Rex Mays Classic	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Dirt	Jim Rigsby	Mike Nazaruk
3	July 4	Raleigh 200	Southland Speedway	Raleigh, North Carolina	Paved	Cliff Griffith	Troy Ruttman
NC	July 27	Indianapolis Sweepstakes	Williams Grove Speedway	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Dirt	Paul Russo	Paul Russo
4	August 16	Springfield 100	Illinois State Fairgrounds	Springfield, Illinois	Dirt	Mike Nazaruk	Bill Schindler
5	August 24	Milwaukee 200	Wisconsin State Fair Park Speedway	West Allis, Wisconsin	Dirt	Bob Sweikert	Chuck Stevenson
6	August 30	Detroit 100	Michigan State Fairgrounds Speedway	Detroit, Michigan	Dirt	Jimmy Reece	Bill Vukovich
7	September 1	Ted Horn Memorial	DuQuoin State Fairgrounds	Du Quoin, Illinois	Dirt	Bill Schindler	Chuck Stevenson
8	September 1	Pikes Peak Auto Hill Climb	Pikes Peak Highway	Pikes Peak, Colorado	Hill	Al Rogers^B	George Hammond
9	September 6	Syracuse 100	New York State Fairgrounds	Syracuse, New York	Dirt	Jack McGrath	Jack McGrath
10	September 28	Denver 100	Centennial Park	Littleton, Colorado	Dirt	Bill Vukovich	Bill Vukovich
11	November 2	San Jose 100	San Jose Speedway	San Jose, California	Dirt	Jack McGrath	Bobby Ball
12	November 11	Phoenix 100	Arizona State Fairgrounds	Phoenix, Arizona	Dirt	Jack McGrath	Johnnie Parsons

Paved/Dirt Oval

Road Course/Hill Climb

Non-championship race

^A Indianapolis 500 was AAA-sanctioned and counted towards the 1952 FIA World Championship of Drivers title.

^B No pole is awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, in this schedule on the pole is the driver who started first. No lap led was awarded for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb, however, a lap was awarded to the drivers that completed the climb.

Final points standings

Note: The points became the car, when not only one driver led the car, the relieved driver became small part of the points. Points for driver method: (the points for the finish place) / (number the lap when completed the car) * (number the lap when completed the driver)

Further information: List of American Championship car racing point scoring systems

Pos	Driver	INDY	MIL1	RAL	SPR	MIL2	DET	DQSF	PIK	SYR	DNC	SJS	PHX	Pts
1	Chuck Stevenson	18	6	6	5	1	3	1		7	2	7	6	1440
2	Troy Ruttman	1	DNQ	1	12									1410
3	Sam Hanks	3	DNQ	18	3	14	DNQ	2		12	4	5	2	1390
4	Duane Carter	4		3	DNQ	3	7			DNQ	DNQ	DNS	12	1250.4
5	Jack McGrath	11	13	2	2	15	4	5		1	6	4	16	1200
6	Jim Rathmann	2	10	4	DNQ	DNQ		18		18	DNQ			1070
7	Paul Russo	DNQ	2	5	DNQ	6	2	4		4	18	3	15	1060
8	Bobby Ball	32	11	DNQ	15	10	9	6		3	3	1	3	820
9	Jimmy Reece R	7	5	DNQ	8	8	15	15		5	10	10	11	709.6
10	Henry Banks	19	DNQ	10	7	4	6	7		8	8	17	5	700
11	Bill Schindler	14	3	23	1	2	13	14		16				660
12	Bill Vukovich	17	DNQ	24	DNQ		1	3		14	1	14	8	590
13	Mike Nazaruk	DNQ	1	19	18	16	17	DNQ		2	12	2	18	530
14	Art Cross R	5									DNP			500
15	Jimmy Bryan R	6			DNQ							9	14	440
16	Jim Rigsby	12	4	8	4	13	11							410
17	Joe James	13	DNQ	20	6	5	DNS	9		9	DNS	13		364
18	Johnnie Parsons	10	DNQ	22	DNQ							16	1	350
19	Manuel Ayulo	20	8	15	16	12	10	8		15	9	12	4	320
20	Neal Carter	DNQ	DNQ	7	10		5	DNQ			7			310
21	Cliff Griffith	9	15	11		18	DNQ	11		DNQ	DNP			260
22	George Connor	8		21		20	DNQ	DNQ			DNP			250
23	Rodger Ward	23	DNQ	9	DNQ	7	16			13	DNQ	18	9	240
24	George Hammond								1					200
25	Louis Unser								2					160
26	Bob Scott R	29	9	13		11	DNQ	13		17	15	6	DNQ	160
27	Al Rogers								3					140
28	Andy Linden	33	14	16	DNQ	DNQ	8	DNQ		DNQ	DNQ	15	7	129
29	Paul Kleinschmidt R								4					120
30	Buzz Barton	DNQ	DNQ		17	19	DNQ	DNQ		DNQ	5	DNQ	13	100
31	Hugh Thomas								5					100
32	Walt Faulkner	DNQ	18	17	13	DNQ	12			DNQ	11	8	10	87
33	Don Freeland R									6	14			80
34	Shelby Hill								6					80
35	Fred Agabashian	27				9								80
36	Gene Hartley	28	7	DNQ	14	DNQ				DNQ				60
37	Charles Bryant								7					60
38	Keith Andrews								8		DNQ			50
39	Frank Armi				DNQ			10		DNS	17	11		50
40	Tommy Hinnershitz	DNQ			9									40
41	Art McKee								9					40
42	Roy Prosser R						18			10				30
43	Johnny Mauro	DNQ							10		DNQ			30
44	Gene Force	DNQ	DNQ	14	DNQ					11				20
45	Ebe Yoder R		DNQ	DNQ	11	DNQ	DNQ	17		DNQ				20
46	Johnny Mantz								11					20
47	Bob Sweikert R	26	12	DNQ	DNQ	21	DNQ	12			DNS			20
48	Danny Oakes R			12							13			20
49	Herb Bryers								12					10
-	Malcolm Brazier								13					0
-	Vic Carter R					DNQ	14							0
-	Milton Mabe								14					0
-	George Fonder	15												0
-	Norman Robinson R								15					0
-	Eddie Johnson	16	17		DNQ	17	DNQ			DNS				0
-	Red Hamilton R							DNQ			16	DNQ	17	0
-	Allen Heath R	DNQ	16	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ					DNS		DNQ	0
-	Chuck Weyant R	DNP					DNQ	16						0
-	Wayne Sankey								16					0
-	Slim Roberts R								17					0
-	Walt Killinger								18					0
-	Bob Finney								19					0
-	Phil Shafer								20					0
-	Johnny McDowell	21	DNQ											0
-	Spider Webb	22				DNQ								0
-	Eddie Russo R				DNQ	22								0
-	Tony Bettenhausen	24	DNQ											0
-	Duke Nalon	25												0
-	Chet Miller	30												0
-	Alberto Ascari R	31												0
-	Jud Larson	DNS	DNQ											0
-	Carl Scarborough	DNS	DNQ											0
-	Foster Campbell								DNQ		DNS			0
-	Joe Allspach										DNS			0
-	Frank Luptow	DNQ	DNQ		DNQ		DNQ							0
-	Walt Geiss			DNQ			DNQ			DNQ				0
-	Frank Tillman					DNQ		DNQ		DNQ				0
-	Dempsey Wilson								DNQ			DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Ottis Stine	DNP			DNQ					DNQ				0
-	Johnny Boyd	DNP										DNQ	DNQ	0
-	Danny Kladis	DNQ	DNQ											0
-	Bill Homeier		DNQ	DNQ										0
-	Duke Dinsmore	DNQ			DNQ									0
-	Carl Forberg	DNQ					DNQ							0
-	George Tichenor	DNQ						DNQ						0
-	Joe Barzda	DNQ								DNQ				0
-	Cal Niday							DNQ				DNQ		0
-	Johnny Tolan	DNQ											DNQ	0
-	Don Daly								DNQ		DNP			0
-	Bill Cantrell	DNQ												0
-	Jimmy Daywalt	DNQ												0
-	Dick Fraizer	DNQ												0
-	Potsy Goacher	DNQ												0
-	Perry Grimm	DNQ												0
-	Peter Hahn	DNQ												0
-	Jackie Holmes	DNQ												0
-	Jimmy Jackson	DNQ												0
-	Bayliss Levrett	DNQ												0
-	Puffy Puffer	DNQ												0
-	Doc Shanebrook	DNQ												0
-	Bill Taylor	DNQ												0
-	Leroy Warriner	DNQ												0
-	John Crone				DNQ									0
-	Gays Biro						DNQ							0
-	Pat O'Connor							DNQ						0
-	Bill Carlson								DNQ					0
-	Guy Fields								DNQ					0
-	Jimmy Good								DNQ					0
-	Joe Grayson								DNQ					0
-	George Polster								DNQ					0
-	Pete Pusede								DNQ					0
-	T. E. Russell								DNQ					0
-	Wayne Stowbridge								DNQ					0
-	Roy Bowe										DNQ			0
-	Don Olds										DNQ			0
-	Giuseppe Farina	Wth												0
-	Bill Boyd	DNP												0
-	Johnny Fedricks	DNP												0
-	Albert Scully	DNP												0
-	George Armstrong	DNP												0
Pos	Driver	INDY	MIL1	RAL	SPR	MIL2	DET	DQSF	PIK	SYR	DNC	SJS	PHX	Pts

Color	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	4th & 5th place
Light Blue	6th-10th place
Dark Blue	Finished (Outside Top 10)
Purple	Did not finish (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Brown	Withdrawn (Wth)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
Blank	Did not participate (DNP)
Blank	Not competing

In-line notation
Bold	Pole position
Italics	Ran fastest race lap
*	Led most race laps
RY Rookie of the Year
R Rookie

References

v t e American Championship car racing (Indy car) seasons
AAA	1905 1906–1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
USAC	1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95
CART	1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
CCWS	2004 2005 2006 2007 ~~2008~~
IRL	1996 1996–97 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002
INDYCAR	2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Years marked in italics are not official championship years or upcoming seasons.

v t e AAA Championship Cars (1905–1955)
Seasons	1905 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
Indianapolis 500s	1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 ~~1942~~ 1943–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
National Champions	Billy Arnold Henry Banks Tony Bettenhausen Jimmy Bryan Bob Carey Gaston Chevrolet Bill Cummings Pete DePaolo (twice) Sam Hanks Harry Hartz Eddie Hearne Ted Horn (three times) Rex Mays (twice) Louis Meyer (three times) Tommy Milton Jimmy Murphy (twice) Barney Oldfield Johnnie Parsons Kelly Petillo Dario Resta Floyd Roberts Mauri Rose Louis Schneider Wilbur Shaw (twice) Chuck Stevenson Bob Sweikert
AAA Contest Board Years marked in italics are not official championship years.

Schedule and results

Final points standings

References

See also