Dates

The long history of racing began in the 1890s and continues to thrill audiences and push technology to this very day.

Among the many tragedies and triumphs perhaps none reflected the state of the world than the 1939 Belgrade Grand Prix. Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. The Belgrade Grand Prix was held two days later, on the very day Great Britain and France declared war on Germany. Teams from England, France, and Hungary withdrew, and only two cars from Mercedes-Benz, two from Auto-Union, and a local Bugatti participated. Tazio Nuvolari won driving his Auto-Union. It was the last Grand Prix race until the 1946 Nice Grand Prix. The first Formula One championship took place in 1950 at Silverstone, England.

In the United States, the AAA Championship Car season ended on September 1, 1941, with the Syracuse 100. On September 9, 1941, an exhibition race was held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to entertain delegates attending the National Association of Postal Supervisors convention. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and the United States entered World War II. The federal government banned all racing in July 1942. Racing in the US began again for the 1946 season, and the first race was the non-championship Mike Benton Sweepstakes held on March 31 at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta, Georgia.