The Astor Challenge Cup: The NTT INDYCAR SERIES Championship

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver champion is formally presented the Astor Challenge Cup at the conclusion of the season.

The trophy was commissioned more than a century ago by Vincent Astor, son of industrialist John Jacob Astor, to be awarded to the winner of the Astor Cup Challenge – a 350-mile race on a 2-mile board track at Sheepshead Bay, New York.

The inaugural Astor Cup Challenge race in October 1915 featured a purse of $50,000, which duplicated that of the Indianapolis 500.

The Stutz team outlasted a field of 20 to finish first in 3 hours, 24 minutes, 42 seconds. Driver Gil Andersen earned the $20,000 winner’s share by averaging 102.6 mph.

The second and final Astor Cup race in September 1916 was shortened to 250 miles. Johnny Aitken, driving a Peugeot owned by the Indianapolis Speedway Team Company of Carl Fisher and James Allison, won with an average speed of 104.83 mph.

Aitken, of Indianapolis, has the distinction of starting (41) and winning (15) more races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway than any driver – in an era when the Speedway ran multiple shorter-distance races a year. A.J. Foyt is second in starts with 36 from 1958-94 and Ray Harroun is second with eight wins from 1909-11. Aitken also led the first lap of the inaugural Indianapolis 500 in 1911, which was won by Harroun.

The Astor Cup has officially been presented to the NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion driver since 2011. The names of all INDYCAR SERIES champions from 1909 (George Robertson; American Automobile Association sanction) to 2024 (Alex Palou; INDYCAR sanction) are laser-etched into the three black granite bases of the sterling silver trophy.

The NTT INDYCAR SERIES championship driver and team owner each receive a replica, while the Astor Cup is on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum.

INDYCAR SEASON CHAMPIONS

2024-Alex Palou (IC)

2023-Alex Palou (IC)

2022-Will Power (IC)

2021-Alex Palou (IC)

2020-Scott Dixon (IC)

2019-Josef Newgarden (IC)

2018-Scott Dixon (IC)

2017-Josef Newgarden (IC)

2016-Simon Pagenaud (IC)

2015-Scott Dixon (IC)

2014-Will Power (IC)

2013-Scott Dixon (IC)

2012-Ryan Hunter-Reay (IC)

2011-Dario Franchitti (IC)

2010-Dario Franchitti (IRL)

2009-Dario Franchitti (IRL)

2008-Scott Dixon (IRL)

2007-Dario Franchitti (IRL), Sebastien Bourdais (CC)

2006-Sam Hornish Jr. (IRL), Sebastien Bourdais (CC)

2005-Dan Wheldon (IRL), Sebastien Bourdais (CC)

2004-Tony Kanaan (IRL), Sebastien Bourdais (CC)

2003-Scott Dixon (IRL), Paul Tracy (CART)

2002-Sam Hornish Jr. (IRL), Christiano da Matta (CART)

2001-Sam Hornish Jr. (IRL); Gil de Ferran (CART)

2000-Buddy Lazier (IRL), Gil de Ferran (CART)

1999-Greg Ray (IRL), Juan Pablo Montoya (CART)

1998-Kenny Brack (IRL), Alex Zanardi (CART)

1997-Alex Zanardi (CART)

1996-Buzz Calkins/Scott Sharp (IRL), Jimmy Vasser (CART)

1996-97-Tony Stewart (IRL)

1995-Jacques Villeneuve (CART)

1994-Al Unser Jr. (CART)

1994-95-Jacques Villeneuve (USAC) ****

1993-Nigel Mansell (CART)

1993-94-Al Unser Jr. (USAC) ****

1992-Bobby Rahal (CART)

1992-93-Emerson Fittipaldi (USAC) ****

1991-Michael Andretti (CART)

1991-92-Al Unser Jr. (USAC) ****

1990-Al Unser Jr. (CART)

1990-91-Rick Mears (USAC) ****

1989-Emerson Fittipaldi (CART)

1989-90-Arie Luyendyk (USAC) ****

1988-Danny Sullivan (CART)

1988-89-Emerson Fittipaldi (USAC) ****

1987-Bobby Rahal (CART)

1987-88-Rick Mears (USAC) ****

1986-Bobby Rahal (CART)

1986-87-Al Unser (USAC) ****

1985-Al Unser (CART)

1985-86-Bobby Rahal (USAC) ****

1984-Mario Andretti (CART)

1984-85-Danny Sullivan (USAC) ****

1983-Al Unser (CART)

1983-84-Rick Mears (USAC) ****

1982-Rick Mears (CART)

1982-83-Tom Sneva (USAC) ****

1981-Rick Mears (CART)

1981-82-George Snider (USAC) ****

1980-Johnny Rutherford (CART & USAC)

1979-Rick Mears (CART), A.J. Foyt (USAC)

1978-Tom Sneva (USAC)

1977-Tom Sneva (USAC)

1976-Gordon Johncock (USAC)

1975-A.J. Foyt (USAC)

1974-Bobby Unser (USAC)

1973-Roger McCluskey (USAC)

1972-Joe Leonard (USAC)

1971-Joe Leonard (USAC)

1970-Al Unser (USAC)

1969-Mario Andretti (USAC)

1968-Bobby Unser (USAC)

1967-A.J. Foyt (USAC)

1966-Mario Andretti (USAC)

1965-Mario Andretti (USAC)

1964-A.J. Foyt (USAC)

1963-A.J. Foyt (USAC)

1962-Rodger Ward (USAC)

1961-A.J. Foyt (USAC)

1960-A.J. Foyt (USAC)

1959-Rodger Ward (USAC)

1958-Tony Bettenhausen (USAC)

1957-Jimmy Bryan (USAC)

1956-Jimmy Bryan (USAC)

1955-Bob Sweikert (AAA)

1954-Jimmy Bryan (AAA)

1953-Sam Hanks (AAA)

1952-Chuck Stevenson (AAA)

1951-Tony Bettenhausen (AAA)

1950-Henry Banks (AAA)

1949-Johnnie Parsons (AAA)

1948-Ted Horn (AAA)

1947-Ted Horn (AAA)

1946-Ted Horn (AAA) ***

1942-45-No Racing: World War II

1941-Rex Mays (AAA)

1940-Rex Mays (AAA)

1939-Wilbur Shaw (AAA)

1938-Floyd Roberts (AAA)

1937-Wilbur Shaw (AAA)

1936-Mauri Rose (AAA)

1935-Kelly Petillo (AAA)

1934-Bill Cummings (AAA)

1933-Louis Meyer (AAA)

1932-Bob Carey (AAA)

1931-Louis Schneider (AAA)

1930-Billy Arnold (AAA)

1929-Louis Meyer (AAA)

1928-Louis Meyer (AAA)

1927-Peter DePaolo (AAA)

1926-Harry Hartz (AAA)

1925-Peter DePaolo (AAA)

1924-Jimmy Murphy (AAA)

1923-Eddie Hearne (AAA)

1922-Jimmy Murphy (AAA)

1921-Tommy Milton (AAA)

1920- Gaston Chevrolet (AAA)

1919-Howard Wilcox (AAA)

1918-Ralph Mulford (AAA)

1917-Earl Cooper (AAA)

1916-Dario Resta (AAA)

1915-Earl Cooper (AAA)

1914-Ralph DePalma (AAA)

1913-Earl Cooper (AAA)

1912-Ralph DePalma (AAA)

1911-Ralph Mulford (AAA)

1910-Ray Harroun (AAA)

1909-George Robertson (AAA)