From 1956 to 1978,
USAC Championship Car seasons featured the top teams and drivers in U.S.
open-wheel racing. Until 1971, the Championship contained road courses,
ovals,
dirt courses, and, on occasion, a
hill climb. Thereafter, the schedule consisted mainly of paved ovals. In 1979, the majority of car owners left the
USAC to race in the
Indy Car World Series, sanctioned by the
Sports Car Club of America and
CART. This led to a decline in the number of events in the schedule, and by the 1984-85 season, the Championship comprised only one race, the
Indianapolis 500. The era of USAC
Championship Cars concluded with the formation of the
Indy Racing League in 1995, which was sanctioned by the USAC until the controversial finish of the
81st Indianapolis 500. The most successful driver in USAC Championship Car history was
A. J. Foyt with seven National Championships and four Indianapolis 500 victories. Foyt competed in every season from 1957 to 1992-93.