Championship Automobile Racing Teams (CART) was formed in 1978 when disgruntled car owners decided to split from USAC. CART became the sanctioning body for a series of Champ car races that included the Indianapolis 500 until the IRL took over in 1996.

All Champ cars are powered by a 2.65-liter overhead cam turbo charged Ford Cosworth V-8 that produce over 750 hp. While not a terribly large engine, CART cars are capable of speeds over 240 mph. Originally started as a US series, CART now has races across the world from Canada to Australia, which has become the Champ Car World Series. Races are run on both superspeedways and road courses.

Former champions include Al Unser Jr., Rick Mears, Paul Tracy, and Gil de Ferran.