NASCAR remains one of the most popular motorsports around the USA and is sanctioned by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. However, it might interest fans to know that this is not the only auto-racing regulatory body that exists in US motorsports. The United States Auto Club is just as famous and is known informally as the USAC by many people across the country.
Many NASCAR fans might not be overly familiar with it, including how it works or which races in the US it looks after. To get more of a handle on all this, we’ll take a deeper look at the United States Auto Club below.
USAC: What does it do?
The USAC was created in 1955 and is a governing body within US auto-racing. It serves as the sanctioning body for a number of championship racing series in the US. Located in Speedway, Indiana, its main headquarters can actually be seen from the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The main purpose of this club is to develop racing rules and specifications for cars that race in their events. They also have the power to enforce their regulations and put together frameworks for drivers, teams, and officials.
Each series governed by this club has its own rules and specifications to follow, as set out in the USAC rule book. This book also defines the inspection procedures that are in place for any vehicle used in their races.
Why is the USAC needed?
Regulation is key in all industries around the world. Online sports betting, for example, uses regulation to protect players and help them enjoy a safe, secure betting experience on things like motorsports.
This kind of regulation also ensures that only sportsbooks with excellent customer support, a commitment to responsible gambling, and a host of innovative features are allowed to operate. If you plan to bet on auto-racing in the US, the bet builder feature is a great way to get started, but there are multiple options that span across many different sports betting categories.
Auto-racing also needs tight rules to keep the sport safe for those involved in it across the US. This is not only spectators at racetracks but also drivers and anyone else who is working at the track. Bodies like the USAC are active in the industry to help achieve this and to ensure everyone involved in the sport follows the relevant guidelines.
History of the USAC
After being formed by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony Hulman in the mid-1950s, the United States Auto Club became famous for running the United States National Championship. This series ran until 1979 and helped the USAC establish its name in US auto-racing.
The USAC’s reputation was also greatly assisted by being the sanctioning body for the iconic Indianapolis 500 race from 1956 to 1997. As the Indy 500 is one of the most followed races in the sport, this brought the club to the attention of many motorsports fans in the USA.
United States Auto Club in modern times
The club now regulates a number of well-known racing series (in the same way as NASCAR has the NASCAR Cup Series or the Xfinity Series). This includes the Silver Crown Series, National Sprint Car Series, and the National Midget Series. Perhaps the most famous aspect of USAC-backed racing is the hard-to-achieve Triple Crown.
This involves drivers winning all three national USAC championships (the Silver Crown, National Sprint, and Midget). Only two drivers to date have done this in one single season—Tony Stewart in 1995 and J.J.Yeley in 2003.
Famous USAC drivers
As is the case in NASCAR, with people like Chase Elliott or Kyle Busch, the United States Auto Club has seen some famous drivers appear in the series/events it governs.
A.J. Foyt is a good example and won numerous races across multiple USAC divisions in his career. This included winning the Indy 500 four times. Mario Andretti is another iconic name in United States Auto Club history and won the Championship twice in the 1960s.
Membership for fans
Although you might not know this, fans of racing in the US can become members of the official USAC fan club, which is also known as the USAC Battalion.
Once you join the Battalion, you receive
- A membership card
- Entrance to Battalion events
- A USAC Battalion t-shirt
- The chance to meet USAC stars at events
- A USAC seat cushion
- USAC window stickers
- A weekly newsletter
- Driver trading cards
- Discounted prices on race merch
As you can see, joining the official fan club of the USAC comes with some cool extras and this has helped the organization grow over time.
USAC: An overview
The United States Auto Club is a sanctioning body in US auto-racing that looks after specific open-wheel series, such as the Silver Crown, Nation Sprint, and Midget championships. This is similar to how NASCAR is a regulatory body within US auto-racing that looks after its own set of racing series. It remains not only a well-known group within US motorsports but also one that is vital for safer, fairer racing.
USAC PR
- Cassidy and Kelsheimer named winners of BMS Dale Earnhardt Jr. Scholarship for 2024 - September 11, 2024
- Rick Ware Racing: Justin Haley/Kaz Grala Watkins Glen Advance - September 11, 2024
- Austin Cindric Watkins Glen Media Availability - September 11, 2024