Auto Racing
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organised, with the first recorded as early as 1867. Many of the earliest
events were effectively reliability trials, aimed at proving these new machines were a practical mode of transport, but soon became an important way for automobile
makers to demonstrate their machines. By the 1930s, specialist racing cars had developed.
The first prearranged match race of two self-powered road vehicles over a prescribed route occurred at 4:30 A.M. on August 30, 1867, between Ashton-under-Lyne
and Old Trafford, a distance of eight miles. It was won by the carriage of Isaac Watt Boulton.
Internal combustion auto racing events began soon after the construction
of the first successful gasoline-fueled automobiles. The first organized contest was on April 28, 1887, by the chief editor of Paris publication Le Vélocipède, Monsieur
Fossier. It ran 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne.
On July 22, 1894, the Parisian magazine Le Petit Journal organized what is
considered to be the world's first motoring competition, from Paris to Rouen. One hundred and two competitors paid a 10-franc entrance fee.
The first American
automobile race is generally held to be the Thanksgiving Day Chicago Times-Herald race of November 28, 1895. Press coverage of the event first aroused significant
American interest in the automobile.
The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo.
Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973.
History
Open Wheel Racing
In single-seater (open-wheel) racing, the wheels are not covered, and the cars often have aerofoil wings front and rear to produce downforce and enhance
adhesion to the track. The two most popular varieties of open-wheel road racing are Formula One and the IndyCar Series. In Europe and Asia, open-
wheeled racing is commonly referred to as 'Formula', with appropriate hierarchical suffixes. In North America, the 'Formula' terminology is not followed
(with the exception of F1). The sport is usually arranged to follow an international format (such as F1), a regional format (such as the Formula 3 Euro
Series), and/or a domestic, or country-specific, format (such as the German Formula 3 championship, or the British Formula Ford).
F1 is a worldwide series
that runs only street circuit and race tracks. These cars are heavily based around technology and their aerodynamics. The speed record was set in 2005 by
Juan Pablo Montoya hitting 373 km/h (232 mph).[10] Some of the most prominent races are the Monaco Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix, and the British
Grand Prix. The season ends with the crowning of the World Championship for drivers and constructors.
In the United States, the most popular series is the
IndyCar Series. The cars have traditionally been similar to, though less technologically sophisticated than, F1 cars, with more restrictions on technology
aimed at controlling costs. While these cars are not as technologically advanced, they are faster, mainly because they compete on oval race tracks, being able
to average a lap at 388 km/h (241 mph). The series' biggest race is the Indianapolis 500, which is commonly referred to as "The Greatest Spectacle in
Racing" due to being the longest continuously run race and having the largest crowd for a single-day sporting event.
Touring Car Racing
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Touring car racing is a style of road racing that is run with production-derived four seat race cars. The lesser use of aerodynamics means following cars have
a much easier time passing than in open-wheel racing. It often features full-contact racing with subtle bumping and nudging due to the small speed
differentials and large grids.
The major touring car championships conducted worldwide are the Supercars Championship (Australia), British Touring Car
Championship, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), and the World Touring Car Championship. The European Touring Car Cup is a one-day event open
to Super 2000 specification touring cars from Europe's many national championships.
The Sports Car Club of America's SPEED World Challenge Touring
Car and GT championships are dominant in North America. America's historic Trans-Am Series is undergoing a period of transition, but is still the longest-
running road racing series in the U.S. The National Auto Sport Association also provides a venue for amateurs to compete in home-built factory-derived
vehicles on various local circuits.
Sports Car Racing
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In sports car racing, production-derived versions of two seat sports cars, also known as grand tourers (GTs), and purpose-built sports prototype cars
compete within their respective classes on closed circuits. The premier championship series of sports car racing is the FIA World Endurance Championship.
The main series for GT car racing is the Blancpain GT Series, divided into two separate championships: the Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe and the
Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup. This series has formed after the folding of the various FIA GT championships.
Other major GT championships
include the Blancpain GT World Challenge America, Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia, Super GT, and the International GT Open. There are minor
regional and national GT series using mainly GT4 and GT3 cars featuring both amateur and professional drivers.
Sports prototypes, unlike GT cars, do not
rely on road-legal cars as a base. They are closed-wheel and often closed-cockpit purpose-built race cars intended mainly for endurance racing. They have
much lower weight and more down force compared to GT cars, making them much faster. They are raced in the 24 hours of Le Mans (held annually since
1923) and in the (European) Le Mans series, Asian Le Mans Series and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. These cars are referred to as LMP (Le
Mans prototype) cars with LMP1 being run mainly by manufacturers and the slightly less powerful LMP2 cars run by privateer teams. All three Le Mans
Series run GT cars in addition to Le Mans Prototypes; these cars have different restrictions than the FIA GT cars.
Stock Car Racing
In North America, stock car racing is the most popular form of auto racing.[12] Primarily raced on oval tracks, stock cars vaguely resemble production cars,
but are in fact purpose-built racing machines that are built to tight specifications and, together with touring cars, also called Silhouette racing cars.
The
largest stock car racing governing body is NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). NASCAR's premier series is the NASCAR Cup
Series, its most famous races being the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Brickyard 400. NASCAR also runs several feeder series,
including the Xfinity Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series (a pickup truck racing series). The series conduct races across the entire continental
United States. The NASCAR Pinty's Series conducts races across Canada and the NASCAR PEAK Mexico Series conducts races across Mexico.
NASCAR
also governs several smaller regional series, such as the Whelen Modified Tour. Modified cars are best described as open-wheel cars. Modified cars have no
parts related to the stock vehicle for which they are named after. A number of modified cars display a "manufacturer's" logo and "vehicle name", yet use
components produced by another automobile manufacturer.
There are also other stock car governing bodies, most notably the Automobile Racing Club of
America (ARCA).
In the UK, British Stock car racing is also referred to as "Short Circuit Racing". UK Stock car racing started in the 1950s and grew
rapidly through the 1960s and 1970s. Events take place on shale or tarmac tracks – usually around 1/4 mile long. There are around 35 tracks in the UK and
upwards of 7000 active drivers. The sport is split into three basic divisions – distinguished by the rules regarding car contact during racing. The most famous
championship are the BriSCA F1 Stock Cars.
