The 1956 USAC Championship Car season consisted of 12 races, beginning in Speedway, Indiana, on May 30 and concluding in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 12. This was the first year the National Championship was sanctioned by the United States Automobile Club (USAC), which replaced the American Automobile Association (AAA) after the withdrawal of AAA from all forms of racing after the 1955 season.
There were also three non-championship events. The National Champion was Jimmy Bryan and the Indianapolis 500 winner was Pat Flaherty. Flaherty was unable to race after the Springfield race as he was severely injured in a crash during the race which essentially ended his full time racing career. The defending series champion Bob Sweikert was killed on June 17th during a Sprint Car race at Salem Speedway that was not part of the national championship.