Auto racing
stock cars going into the first turn at Circuit of the Americas | |
Highest governing body | FIA |
---|---|
First contested | August 30, 1867 |
Characteristics | |
Mixed-sex | Yes |
Type | Outdoor and indoor |
Presence | |
Olympic | 1900 Summer Olympics (demonstration only) |
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor 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
There are now numerous different categories, each with different rules and regulations.
History
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, England, a distance of 8 mi (13 km). It was won by the carriage of Isaac Watt Boulton.[2]
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.[3] It ran 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne.
On July 22,[4] 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.[3]
The first American automobile race is generally considered to be the Thanksgiving Day Chicago Times-Herald race of November 28, 1895.[5] Press coverage of the event first aroused significant American interest in the automobile.[5]
The
The oldest surviving sports car racing event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, begun in 1923. It is run by the Automobile Club of the West (ACO). Team Ferrari won the race in 2023.
With auto construction and racing dominated by France, the French automobile club ACF staged a number of major international races, usually from or to Paris, connecting with another major city, in France or elsewhere in Europe.
Aspendale Racecourse, in Australia, was the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit, opening in January 1906. The pear-shaped track was close to a mile in length, with slightly banked curves and a gravel surface of crushed cement.
Brooklands, in Surrey, England, was the first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing venue, opening in June 1907.[6] It featured a 4.43 km (2.75 mi) concrete track with high-speed banked corners.
One of the oldest existing purpose-built automobile racing circuits in the United States, still in use, is the 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It is the largest capacity sports venue of any variety worldwide, with a top capacity of some 257,000+ seated spectators.[7]
NASCAR was founded by
From 1962, sports cars temporarily took a back seat to GT cars, with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) replacing the World Championship for Sports Cars with the International Championship for GT Manufacturers.[8]
From 1962 through 2003, NASCAR's premier series was called the Winston Cup Series, sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette brand Winston. The changes that resulted from RJR's involvement, as well as the reduction of the schedule from 56 to 34 races a year, established 1972 as the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era".
The
Turismo Carretera (TC) is a popular touring car racing series in Argentina, and one of the oldest car racing series still active in the world. The first TC competition took place in 1931 with 12 races, each in a different province. Future Formula One star Juan Manuel Fangio (Chevrolet) won the 1940 and 1941 editions of the TC. It was during this time that the series' Chevrolet-Ford rivalry began, with Ford acquiring most of its historical victories.
Over the last few years, auto racing has seen a transformative shift, echoing past pivots.[citation needed] The industry, much like the cars it champions, has had to navigate through the hairpin turns of a global pandemic and a persistent chip shortage, each threatening to derail production schedules.[citation needed] At the same time, a new course is being charted towards an electric future, a dramatic change in direction that is challenging the old guard of gasoline engines. There is also a growing number of events for electric racing cars, such as the Formula E,the Eco Grand Prix or the Electric GT Championship.[citation needed]
Categories
Open-wheel racing
In single-seater (
F1 is a worldwide series that runs only street circuit and race tracks. These cars are heavily based on 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
The other major international single-seater racing series is
Single-seater racing is not limited merely to professional teams and drivers. There exist many amateur racing clubs. In the UK, the major club series are the Monoposto Racing Club, BRSCC F3 (Formerly ClubF3, formerly ARP F3), Formula Vee and Club Formula Ford. Each series caters to a section of the market, with some primarily providing low-cost racing, while others aim for an authentic experience using the same regulations as the professional series (BRSCC F3).
There are other categories of single-seater racing, including
Students at colleges and universities can also take part in single-seater racing through the Formula SAE competition, which involves designing and building a single-seater car in a multidisciplinary team and racing it at the competition. This also develops other soft skills, such as teamwork, while promoting motorsport and engineering.
The world's first all-female Formula racing team was created in 2006. The group was an assemblage of drivers from different racing disciplines and formed for an MTV reality pilot, which was shot at
In December 2005, the
After 25 years away from the sport, former
Touring car racing
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
The major touring car championships conducted worldwide are the Supercars Championship (Australia), British Touring Car Championship, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), World Touring Car Championship and the World Touring Car Cup. 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 racing
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 GT World Challenge Europe, divided into two separate championships: the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. This series has formed after the folding of the various FIA GT championships.
Other major GT championships include the GT World Challenge America, 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 downforce 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)
Another prototype and GT racing championship exists in the United States; the
These races are often conducted over long distances, at least 1,000 km (621 mi), and cars are driven by teams of two or more drivers, switching every few hours. Due to the performance difference between production-based sports cars and purpose-built sports prototypes, one race usually involves several racing classes, each fighting for its own championship.
Famous sports car races include the
Production-car racing
Production-car racing, otherwise known as "showroom stock" in the US, is an economical and rules-restricted version of touring-car racing, mainly used to restrict costs. Numerous production racing categories are based on particular makes of cars.
Most series, with a few exceptions, follow the
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 also governs several smaller regional series, such as the
There are also other stock car governing bodies, most notably the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA).
In the UK,
Full-contact formulas include Bangers, Bombers, and Rookie Bangers – and racing features Demolition Derbies, Figure of Eight, and Oval Racing.
Semi Contact Formulas include BriSCA F1, F2, and Superstox – where bumpers are used tactically.
Non-contact formulas include National Hot Rods, Stock Rods, and Lightning Rods.
One-make racing
One-make, or single marque, championships often employ production-based cars from a single manufacturer or even a single model from a manufacturer's range. There are numerous notable one-make formulae from various countries and regions, some of which – such as the Porsche Supercup and, previously, IROC – have fostered many distinct national championships. Single marque series are often found at the club level, to which the production-based cars, limited modifications, and close parity in performance are very well suited. Some of the better-known single-make series are the Mini 7 Championship (Europe's longest-running one-make championship), the Radical European Masters, John Cooper Mini Challenge, Clio Cup, Ginettas, Caterhams, BMWs, and MX5s. There are also single-chassis single seater formulae, such as Formula Renault and Formula BMW, usually as "feeder" series for "senior" race formula (in the fashion of farm teams).
Drag racing
In drag racing, the objective is to complete a given straight-line distance, from a standing start, ahead of a vehicle in a parallel lane. This distance is traditionally 1⁄4 mile (400 m), though 1⁄8 mile (200 m) has become popular since the 1990s. The vehicles may or may not be given the signal to start at the same time, depending on the class of racing. Vehicles range from the everyday car to the purpose-built
When launching, a top fuel dragster will accelerate at 3.4
Drag racing is two cars head-to-head, the winner proceeding to the next round. Professional classes are all first to the finish line wins. Sportsman racing is handicapped (slower car getting a head start) using an index (a lowest e.t. allowed), and cars running under (quicker than) their index "break out" and lose. The slowest cars, bracket racers, are also handicapped, but rather than an index, they use a dial-in.
Off-road racing
In off-road racing, various classes of specially modified vehicles, including cars, compete in races through off-road environments. In North America these races often take place in the desert, such as the famous Baja 1000. Another format for off-road racing happens on closed-course short course tracks such as Crandon International Off-Road Raceway. In the 1980s and 1990s, the short course was extended to racing inside stadiums in the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group; this format was revived by Robby Gordon in 2013 with his Stadium Super Trucks series.
In Europe, "offroad" refers to events such as autocross or rallycross, while desert races and rally-raids such as the
Kart racing
The modern kart was invented by Art Ingels, a fabricator at the Indianapolis-car manufacturer Kurtis-Kraft, in Southern California in 1956. Ingels took a small chainsaw engine and mounted it to a simple tube-frame chassis weighing less than 100 lb. Ingels, and everyone else who drove the kart, were startled at its performance capabilities. The sport soon blossomed in Southern California, and quickly spread around the world. Although often seen as the entry point for serious racers into the sport, kart racing, or karting, can be an economical way for amateurs to try racing and is also a fully-fledged international sport in its own right. A large proportion of professional racing drivers began in karts, often from a very young age, such as Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. Several former motorcycle champions have also taken up the sport, notably Wayne Rainey, who was paralysed in a racing accident and now races a hand-controlled kart. As one of the cheapest ways to race, karting is seeing its popularity grow worldwide.
Despite their diminutive size, karts of the most powerful class, superkart (assuming a weight of 205 kg (452 lb), and a power output of 100 hp (75 kW)), can have a power-to-weight ratio (including the driver) of 490 hp/tonne (0.22 hp/lb). Without the driver, this figure doubles, to almost 980 hp/tonne (0.44 hp/lb).
Historical racing
Historic motorsport or vintage motorsport uses vehicles limited to a particular era. Only safety precautions are modernized in these hobbyist races. A historical event can be of various types of motorsport disciplines, from road racing to rallying. Because it is based on a particular era it is more hobbyist-oriented, reducing corporate sponsorship. The only modern equipment used is related to safety and timing. A historical event can be of a number of different motorsport disciplines.
Some of the most famous events include the
Other categories
- Autocross
- Autograss
- Banger racing
- Board track racing
- Demolition derby
- Dirt speedway racing
- Dirt track racing
- Drifting (motorsport)
- Eco-Marathon
- Electric drag racing
- Folkrace
- High Performance Drivers Education
- Hillclimbing
- Ice racing
- Legends car racing
- Midget car racing
- Mini Sprint
- Monster truck
- Mud bogging
- Power Wheels Racing
- Pickup truck racing
- Rallycross
- Road racing
- Short track motor racing
- Slalom
- Solar car racing
- Sprint car racing
- Swamp Buggy racing
- Wheelstand Competition
Use of flags
In many types of auto races, particularly those held on closed courses, flags are displayed to indicate the general status of the track and to communicate instructions to competitors. While individual series have different rules, and the flags have changed from the first years (e.g., red used to start a race), these are generally accepted.
Accidents
The worst accident in racing history is the 1955 Le Mans disaster, where more than 80 people died, including the French driver Pierre Levegh.[14]
Racing-car setup
In auto racing, the
Aerodynamics
Aerodynamics and airflow play big roles in the setup of a race car. Aerodynamic downforce improves the race car's handling by lowering the center of gravity and distributing the weight of the car equally on each tire.[15] Once this is achieved, fuel consumption decreases and the forces against the car are significantly lowered. Many aerodynamic experiments are conducted in wind tunnels, to simulate real-life situations while measuring the various drag forces on the car.[16] These "Rolling roads" produce many wind situations and direct air flow at certain speeds and angles.[17] When a diffuser is installed under the car, the amount of drag force is significantly lowered, and the overall aerodynamics of the vehicle is positively adjusted.[16] Wings and canards channel the airflow in the most efficient way to get the least amount of drag from the car. It is experimentally proven that downforce is gained and the vehicle's handling is considerably changed when aerodynamic wings on the front and rear of the vehicle are installed.[16]
Suspension
Suspension plays a huge part in giving the race car the ability to be driven optimally. Shocks are mounted vertically or horizontally to prevent the body from rolling in the corners. The suspension is important because it makes the car stable and easier to control and keeps the tires on the road when driving on uneven terrain. It works in three different ways including vertically, longitudinally, and laterally to control movement when racing on various tracks.[15]
Tyres
Tyres called R-Compounds are commonly used in motorsports for high amounts of traction. The soft rubber allows them to expand when they are heated up, making more surface area on the pavement, therefore producing the most traction.[15] These types of tyres do not have grooves on them. Tyre pressure is dependent on the temperature of the tyre and track when racing. Each time a driver pulls into the pits, the tyre pressure and temperature should be tested for optimal performance. When the tyres get too hot they will swell or inflate and need to be deflated to the correct pressure.[15] When the tyres are not warmed up they will not perform as well.
Brakes
Brakes on a race car are imperative in slowing and stopping the car at precise times and wear quickly depending on the road or track on which the car is being raced, how many laps are being run, track conditions due to weather, and how many caution runs require more braking. There are three variables to consider in racing: brake pedal displacement, brake pedal force, and vehicle deceleration.[18] Various combinations of these variables work together to determine the stiffness, sensitivity, and pedal force of the brakes. When using the brakes effectively, the driver must go through a buildup phase and end with a modulating phase. These phases include attaining maximum deceleration and modulating the brake pressure.[18] Brake performance is measured in bite and consistency. Bite happens when the driver first applies the brakes and they have not warmed up to the correct temperature to operate efficiently. Consistency is measured in how consistent the friction is during the entire time of braking. These two measurements determine the wear of the brakes.[18]
Engine
The race car's engine needs a considerable amount of air to produce maximum power. The air intake manifold sucks the air from scoops on the hood and front bumper and feeds it into the engine. Many engine modifications to increase horsepower and efficiency are commonly used in many racing-sanctioning bodies.[15] Engines are tuned on a machine called a dynamometer, which is commonly known in the racing world as a DYNO. The car is driven onto the DYNO and many gauges and sensors are hooked up to the car that are controlled by an online program to test force, torque, or power. Through the testing, the car's engine maps can be changed to get the most horsepower and ultimately speed out of the vehicle.
Racing drivers
This section needs additional citations for verification. (February 2013) |
Racing drivers, at the highest levels, are usually paid by the team, or by sponsors, and can command very substantial salaries.
Contrary to what may be popularly assumed, racing drivers as a group do not have unusually better reflexes or
Due partly to the performance capabilities of modern racing cars, racing drivers require a high level of fitness, focus, and the ability to concentrate at high levels for long periods in an inherently difficult environment. Racing drivers mainly complain about pains in the lumbar, shoulder, and neck regions.[21]
Racing drivers experience extremely large
See also
- Outline of auto racing
- List of auto racing tracks
- Motorcycle racing
- Race track
- List of auto racing films
- Racing video game
References
- ^ "motor racing (noun) definition and synonyms Macmillan Dictionary". macmillandictionary.com. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ "Isaac Watt Boulton". gracesguide.co.uk. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
- ^ a b Paolozzi, Rémi (May 28, 2003). "The cradle of motorsport". Welcome to Who? What? Where? When? Why? on the World Wide Web. Forix, Autosport, 8W.
- ^ "Le Petit journal". Gallica (in French). July 23, 1894. p. 1. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-313-24558-9.
- Sammy, Davis(August 17, 1967). "How Brooklands started". Autocar. Vol. 127, no. 3731. p. 43.
- ^ "Stadium List: 100 000+ Stadiums". worldstadiums.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2006. Retrieved September 2, 2013.
- ISBN 9782880011291.
- ^ Perez, A.J. (August 30, 2007). "Le Mans series showcases prototype race cars". USA Today. Gannett Company. Retrieved August 20, 2008.
- ^ "Blink and you'll miss these F1 records". Red Bull. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
- ^ "Formula Ford".
- ^ Fryer, Jenna (November 8, 2007). "Addition of IndyCar champ Hornish will give Penske third Cup team". ESPN News Services. Charlotte, North Carolina: ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
- ^ "Herbert's engine thunders to 3.9 on Richter scale". NHRA.com. July 26, 2007. Retrieved August 11, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ George, Patrick (November 6, 2015). "More Than 80 People Died In A Single Racing Crash 60 Years Ago Today". Jalopnik. Gizmodo Media Group. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e Adams, Eric; Brown, Joe (April 2006). "The Perfect Racecar". Popular Science. 268 (4): 50–51. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
- ^ S2CID 110554353.
- ^ Marston, Steve (Autumn 2015). "Spectacles of Speed: Modernity, Masculinity, and Auto Racing in Kansas, 1909–1918" (PDF). Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains. 38: 192–207. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
- ^ a b c de Groot, S., et al. "Car Racing In A Simulator: Validation And Assessment Of Brake Pedal Stiffness." Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments 20.1 (2011): 47–61. Academic Search Complete. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.
- .
- PMID 29121090.
- S2CID 22425278.
- ^ "Driving a Race Car Takes Strength and Stamina: These Athletes Travel in Fast Lane but Keep Fit". The Los Angeles Times. Indianapolis: Tribune Publishing. Associated Press. May 19, 1985. Retrieved February 24, 2013.
- ^ Norton, Charlie (May 10, 2010). "Formula One drivers feel the G-force". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
External links
- Media related to Automobile racing at Wikimedia Commons
- Sanctioning bodies
- Motorsports UK Association
- American Le Mans Series (ALMS)
- Indy Racing League (IRL)
- Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)
- Grand American Road Racing Association
- International Conference of Sports Car Clubs (ICSCC)
- International Hot Rod Association (IHRA)
- International Motor Sports Association (IMSA)
- National Auto Sport Association
- National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR)
- National Hot Rod Association (NHRA)
- No Prep Racing
- SCORE International Off-Road Racing
- Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)
- United States Auto Club (USAC)
- Formula One (F1)
- Confederation of Australian Motorsport (CAMS)
- Best In The Desert Off-Road Racing