Auto racing in 1940 took place against the growing backdrop of World War II, which sharply divided the sport between a still-active United States and a largely suspended international scene. In America, the AAA National Championship Car season was unusually short, consisting of just three championship races. The season was anchored by the Indianapolis 500, held on May 30, and included championship events at Springfield and Syracuse. Rex Mays claimed the AAA National Championship, while the Indianapolis 500 itself was won by Wilbur Shaw, driving a Maserati 8CTF. Shaw’s victory was historic, making him a three-time Indy winner and the first to win the race in consecutive years with the same car. Despite continued fan interest, the season was marked by tragedy, with George Bailey killed in practice at Indianapolis and Lou Webb fatally injured later in the year at Syracuse.
Beyond the AAA championship, stock car racing in 1940 remained a regional and largely unorganized sport. Informal stock car and modified events were common at dirt ovals and beach courses, particularly in the Southeast. These races, often involving home-built cars and independent promoters, helped shape the culture and driving talent that would later fuel NASCAR’s rapid postwar growth, even though no unified national championship yet existed.
Internationally, Grand Prix and endurance racing were severely disrupted by the war. Most major European events, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, were canceled, and the traditional Grand Prix calendar effectively collapsed as hostilities spread across the continent. Only a handful of isolated races were held under restricted conditions, and there was no organized international championship in operation. As a result, 1940 stands as a transitional year, with American racing continuing in a limited but recognizable form, while European motorsport entered a wartime hiatus that would last until the mid-1940s.
