The 1920 AAA Championship Car season consisted of 5 races, beginning in Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...

 on February 28 and concluding in Beverly Hills on November 25. The AAA National Champion

AAA Contest Board

The AAA Contest Board was the motorsports arm of American Automobile Association. The contest board sanctioned races from 1904 until 1955, when AAA dissolved the board and decided to focus strictly on helping the automobiling public, as a result of the 1955 Le Mans disaster...

 and Indianapolis 500

Indianapolis 500

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...

 champion was Gaston Chevrolet

Gaston Chevrolet

Gaston Chevrolet was a French-born American racecar champion driver and automobile manufacturer.-Early life:...

. The 1920 season has been a source of confusion and misinformation for historians since 1926.

Official Schedule and Results

Rnd	Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location	Type	Pole Position	Winning Driver
1	February 28	Beverly Hills Race	250 mi (402.3 km)	Los Angeles Motor Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway was an American board track in Beverly Hills, California, USA. It was the home to speeding Model Ts and airplanes which cut through the airspace of Beverly Hills during the roaring 20s. Built in 1919 on what is currently the site of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and many shops...	Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	1.25-Mile Board Oval Board track racing Board track, or motordrome, racing was a type of motorsport popular in the United States between the second and third decades of the 20th century. Competition was conducted on oval race courses with surfaces composed of wooden planks...	Jimmy Murphy James Anthony Murphy James Anthony Murphy was a race car driver who was the American Racing Champion in 1922 and 1924.-Background:...	Jimmy Murphy
2	May 30	International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, also known as the Indianapolis 500, the 500 Miles at Indianapolis, the Indy 500 or The 500, is an American automobile race, held annually, typically on the last weekend in May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana...	500 mi (804.7 km)	Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....	Speedway, Indiana Speedway, Indiana Speedway is a town in Wayne Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,881 at the 2000 census. Speedway is the home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, from which the town derives its name, and is a complete enclave of Indianapolis....	2.5-Mile Brick Oval	Ralph DePalma Ralph DePalma Ralph De Palma was an Italian-American racecar driving champion, most notably winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2000 races...	Gaston Chevrolet Gaston Chevrolet Gaston Chevrolet was a French-born American racecar champion driver and automobile manufacturer.-Early life:...
3	July 5	Tacoma Race	200 mi (321.9 km)	Pacific Coast Speedway	Tacoma, Washington Tacoma, Washington Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...	2-Mile Board Oval	Tommy Milton Tommy Milton Tommy Milton was an American race car driver best known as the first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was notable for having only one functional eye -- a disability that would have disqualified him from competing in modern motorsports.Born in St...	Tommy Milton
4	August 28	Elgin National Trophy	255 mi (410.4 km)	Elgin Road Race Course	Elgin, Illinois Elgin, Illinois Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...	8.5-Mile Road Course	Ralph DePalma	Ralph DePalma
5	November 25	Beverly Hills Race 2	250 mi (402.3 km)	Los Angeles Motor Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway was an American board track in Beverly Hills, California, USA. It was the home to speeding Model Ts and airplanes which cut through the airspace of Beverly Hills during the roaring 20s. Built in 1919 on what is currently the site of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and many shops...	Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	1.25-Mile Board Oval	Jimmy Murphy	Roscoe Sarles Roscoe Sarles Roscoe Sarles was an American racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing. Sarles was killed in an Indy car event, when his steering broke.-Indy 500 results:...

183 cu in (3 l) maximum displacement.

Points allocated on the basis of advertised distance of 250 miles.

Official National Championship Standings

#	Driver	Manufacturer	Points
1	Gaston Chevrolet Gaston Chevrolet Gaston Chevrolet was a French-born American racecar champion driver and automobile manufacturer.-Early life:... †	Frontenac Frontenac Motor Corporation Frontenac Motor Corporation was the joint venture of Louis and Gaston Chevrolet. Louis returned to the Indy 500 racing circuit after leaving Chevrolet in 1915...	1030
2	Tommy Milton Tommy Milton Tommy Milton was an American race car driver best known as the first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was notable for having only one functional eye -- a disability that would have disqualified him from competing in modern motorsports.Born in St...	Duesenberg Duesenberg Duesenberg was an Auburn, Indiana based American luxury automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937, most famous for its high-quality passenger cars and record-breaking racing cars.-History:...	930
3	Jimmy Murphy James Anthony Murphy James Anthony Murphy was a race car driver who was the American Racing Champion in 1922 and 1924.-Background:...	Duesenberg Duesenberg Duesenberg was an Auburn, Indiana based American luxury automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937, most famous for its high-quality passenger cars and record-breaking racing cars.-History:...	885
4	Ralph DePalma Ralph DePalma Ralph De Palma was an Italian-American racecar driving champion, most notably winner of the 1915 Indianapolis 500. His entry at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame estimates that he won about 2000 races...	Ballot Ballot (automobile) Ballot was a French automobile manufacturer who made cars between 1921 and 1932.The Ballot brothers, Edouard and Maurice, founded their company in 1905. Before World War I they manufactured automobile and marine engines. The company was re-founded as Etablissements Ballot SA in 1910.Edouard...	605
5	Roscoe Sarles Roscoe Sarles Roscoe Sarles was an American racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing. Sarles was killed in an Indy car event, when his steering broke.-Indy 500 results:...	Frontenac Frontenac Motor Corporation Frontenac Motor Corporation was the joint venture of Louis and Gaston Chevrolet. Louis returned to the Indy 500 racing circuit after leaving Chevrolet in 1915... , Duesenberg Duesenberg Duesenberg was an Auburn, Indiana based American luxury automobile company active in various forms from 1913 to 1937, most famous for its high-quality passenger cars and record-breaking racing cars.-History:...	540

† Chevrolet was killed along with Eddie O'Donnell

Eddie O'Donnell

Eddie O'Donnell was an American racecar driver. O'Donnell died of injuries sustained in a crash during a BAA race.-Death:...

 and Lyall Jolls, O'Donnell's mechanic, at the final race in Beverly Hills.

Controversy over official race schedule

The 5 race schedule has been confirmed as the correct and historically accurate schedule for the championship season of 1920. In the race day program for the final race at Beverly Hills was the points distribution for the championship contenders over the previous four races of the season. The championship was confirmed in the weeks leading up to the race by various newspapers around the country printing the four race championship standings leading to the final race. Confusion about the season began in 1926 when, for "comparative reasons", Contest Board member Arthur Means reworked the schedule to include 10 races and changed the champion to Tommy Milton

Tommy Milton

Tommy Milton was an American race car driver best known as the first two-time winner of the Indianapolis 500. He was notable for having only one functional eye -- a disability that would have disqualified him from competing in modern motorsports.Born in St...

. The earliest that the ten race standing occur are in the 27 October 1927 issue of Motor Age. In 1951 Racing Board member Russ Catlin found these retroactive crib sheets and folded the results into official AAA documentation, continuing the confusion about the 1920 season and early AAA history as a whole.

The added races to the season are as follows:

Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location	Type	Notes	Pole Position	Winning Driver
March 28	Beverly Hills Heat 1	50 mi (80.5 km)	Los Angeles Motor Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway was an American board track in Beverly Hills, California, USA. It was the home to speeding Model Ts and airplanes which cut through the airspace of Beverly Hills during the roaring 20s. Built in 1919 on what is currently the site of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and many shops...	Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	1.25 Mile Board Oval			Art Klein Art Klein Art Klein was an American racecar driver.-Indy 500 results:...
March 28	Beverly Hills Heat 2	50 mi (80.5 km)	Los Angeles Motor Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway was an American board track in Beverly Hills, California, USA. It was the home to speeding Model Ts and airplanes which cut through the airspace of Beverly Hills during the roaring 20s. Built in 1919 on what is currently the site of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and many shops...	Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	1.25 Mile Board Oval			Jimmy Murphy
March 28	Beverly Hills Main	50 mi (80.5 km)	Los Angeles Motor Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway Beverly Hills Speedway was an American board track in Beverly Hills, California, USA. It was the home to speeding Model Ts and airplanes which cut through the airspace of Beverly Hills during the roaring 20s. Built in 1919 on what is currently the site of the Beverly Wilshire Hotel and many shops...	Beverly Hills Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...	1.25 Mile Board Oval	Starters limited to first four finishers for each preliminary race		Tommy Milton
September 19	Syracuse Race	50 mi (80.5 km)	New York State Fairgrounds	Syracuse, New York Syracuse, New York Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...	1 Mile Dirt Oval			Ralph DePalma
October 2	Fresno Race	200 mi (321.9 km)	Fresno Speedway	Fresno, California Fresno, California Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...	1 Mile Board Oval		Eddie O'Donnell Eddie O'Donnell Eddie O'Donnell was an American racecar driver. O'Donnell died of injuries sustained in a crash during a BAA race.-Death:...	Jimmy Murphy

The false championship results table is as follows:

#	Driver	Team	Points
1	Tommy Milton	Duesenberg	2095
2	Jimmy Murphy	Duesenberg	1410
3	Gaston Chevrolet	Frontenac	1135
4	Ralph DePalma	Ballot	605
5	Roscoe Sarles	Frontenac, Duesenberg	580

In 1961, Al Bloemker attempted to reconcile the two different accounts for the 1920 season. He surmises that there was an issue with sanctioning fees paid by the Uniontown Speedway

Uniontown Speedway

Uniontown Speedway was a board racing track in Hopwood, near Uniontown, Pennsylvania. The track was built in 1916, after the Summit Mountain Hill Climbs were outlawed, and held its final race in June 1922. The May/June race was known as the Universal Trophy...

 and their two races held that year were not included in the final season standings. The printed media of the time is silent about any issue with the Uniontown races not being championship events. They did in fact hold two races but they were non-championship. If Uniontown did pay for championship level racing but was not credited for them, lawsuits would have surely been filed but no such record exists.

The two Uniontown events are as follows:

Date	Race Name	Length	Track	Location	Type	Notes	Pole Position	Winning Driver
June 19	Universal Trophy Race	225 mi (362.1 km)	Uniontown Speedway Uniontown Speedway Uniontown Speedway was a board racing track in Hopwood, near Uniontown, Pennsylvania. The track was built in 1916, after the Summit Mountain Hill Climbs were outlawed, and held its final race in June 1922. The May/June race was known as the Universal Trophy...	Hopwood, Pennsylvania Hopwood, Pennsylvania Hopwood is a census-designated place in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,006 at the 2000 census. It is located in South Union Township...	1.125 Mile Board Oval			Tommy Milton
September 6	4th Annual Autumn Classic	225 mi (362.1 km)	Uniontown Speedway	Hopwood, Pennsylvania	1.125 Mile Board Oval			Tommy Milton

Points System

The Points system used for both the official and false season standings are as follows:

Position/ Miles	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
40	80	45	25	15	10	—	—	—	—	—
50	100	55	30	20	10	5	—	—	—	—
60	120	65	35	25	15	—	—	—	—	—
80	160	80	45	30	20	—	—	—	—	—
100	200	110	60	35	20	15	10	5	—	—
150	300	160	90	50	30	20	15	10	—	—
200	400	210	110	60	40	25	15	10	—	—
250	500	260	140	80	50	35	25	15	10	5
300	600	420	220	120	70	45	35	25	15	10
400	800	420	220	120	70	45	35	25	15	10
500	1000	520	270	140	90	60	50	40	35	30