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 The 2023 Indianapolis 500, an IndyCar sanctioned race | |
| Highest governing body | AAA Contest Board (1905–1955) USAC (1956–1997) CART (1979–2003) Champ Car (2004–2008) IndyCar (1996–present) |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Yes |
| Team members | Yes |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Type | Outdoor |
| Venue | Various |
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American open-wheel car racing, generally known as Indy car racing, or more formally Indianapolis car racing, is a category of professional automobile racing in the United States. As of 2024, the top-level American open-wheel racing championship is sanctioned by IndyCar. Competitive events for professional-level, open-wheel race cars have been conducted under the auspices of various sanctioning bodies, tracing its roots as far back as 1902. A season-long, points-based, National Championship of drivers has been officially recognized in 1905, 1916, and each year since 1920 (except for a hiatus during WWII). As such, for many years, the category of racing was known as Championship car racing (or Champ car racing for short). That name has fallen from use, and the term Indy car racing (derived from the Indy 500) has become the preferred moniker.
The machines, typically referred to as "Indy cars", are a formula of single-seat, open cockpit, open-wheel, purpose-built race cars. They compete on a variety of circuits, including ovals, road courses, street circuits, and combined road courses. The most famous and most important event of the season is the Indianapolis 500, held on Memorial Day weekend in late May. Over the decades, Indy cars have been generally similar to those in Formula One, though there are important differences. Though the IndyCar Series is U.S.-based, international races have occasionally been held; in such places as Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, Australia, as well as Europe.
This form of racing experienced considerable growth and popularity in the decades after World War II. The "Golden Era" of the front-engined roadsters was followed by a decade of innovation and transition in the 1960s. By the late-1960s and early-1970s, the cars had rapidly evolved to rear-engined, formula-style machines. Speeds climbed on the superspeedways to over 200 miles per hour (320 km/h), while international participation also increased. The sport saw much success, exposure, and popularity particularly during the 1980s–1990s under the sanctioning of Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART). Organizational disputes in 1979 and 1996 split participants and the fanbase among two separate sanctioning bodies. The sport was re-unified in 2008, and in late 2019, IndyCar was bought by Roger Penske and Penske Entertainment.