Car Racing and Automotive Sports

Car racing has a very rich history which goes back to the invention of motor vehicles and the advent of automotive transportation. Ever since the development of motor vehicles from steam-propelled automobiles to gas-fuelled vehicles, drivers and spectators alike have been thrilled by the speed, excitement, and competition of car racing. The first car racing competition took place in Paris in 1887. However, it did not materialize as expected due to a lack of competitors and racing automobiles. There was only one competitor and the “race” ran for only 2 kilometers. The first race that was officially recognized took place in 1894, from Paris to Rouen. The race covered two selection categories of 50 kilometers and 127 Kilometers respectively. Over the years, car racing and automotive sports have emerged as the most viewed sports in the world. In addition, car racing has evolved to take different forms including NASCAR, Indy Car Racing, Formula One, Street Racing, Drag Racing, and Off-road racing among others.

NASCAR

Bill France Sr founded the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) in 1948. The association governs and regulates almost all the activities that involve stock car racing in the United States. NASCAR racing traces its roots back to the days when drivers used to smuggle illegal stock from South America into the US. In the process of smuggling and distributing the goods, they had to outpace their competitors as well as the police, thus the idea of stock car racing. The first stock car races in the United States took place in the early 1920s and 1930s in Daytona Beach.

Some of the famous stock car drivers include Bill France Sr who later founded NASCAR. Bill moved to Daytona Beach in early 1935 and entered the Daytona Beach Race in 1936, whereby he finished in fifth place. The early Daytona Beach events were not as successful as fraudulent promoters always ripped the winners off of their prize money. This prompted France to start NASCAR, as an association of drivers and promoters, to govern and regulate the stock car races. Another famous driver is Jimmie Johnson who won the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series more than five consecutive times. He was also the first driver to win the competition three consecutive times after Cale Yarborough. And, the all time leader in wins in NASCAR is Richard Petty with 200 wins in his career.

NASCAR has many series that race at tracks across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Some of the series races include the Nationwide Series, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, The Sprint Cup, Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Corona Series, and other Regional Series Races. The Sprint Cup is the most famous sports premier competition. It consists of more than 36 races over a period of 10 months. The Sprint Cup series also has the highest prize money for the winning driver and manufacturer titles. The most famous race in the series is the Daytona 500, which is contested every February.

Indy Car Racing

IndyCar is a race sanctioning body that deals with open-wheel auto racing. It’s based in Indianapolis, Indiana in the United States. Prior to the registration of the IndyCar trademark, Indy Cars were used during open-wheel races as early as the 1980s. The United States Automobile Club (USAC) sanctioned the open wheel races before IndyCar through CART took control of the races in 1992. IndyCar derived its name from its linkage to the Indianapolis 500 Race, which is among the most popular open-wheel races in North America. The association has three racing series namely the IZOD Indy Car Series, Firestone Indy Lights, and the US F2000 National Championship.

The IZOD Indy Car Series is the premier open-wheel race among the IndyCar races. Initially, the series race was known as the Indy Racing League until the commencement of the 2003 season whereby it was renamed the Indy Car Series with IZOD as the title sponsors. The Firestone Indy Lights started in 2002 as a development series for the IZOD IndyCar Series. The US F2000 National Championship is the third tier competition from IndyCar and it was originally started in 1996 before folding in 2006. It was later re-established in the year 2010.

The number of fatalities in Indy Car Racing has been few but the sanctioning body is among the first to have implemented safer driver practices including reducing the racing speed and installing safe soft wall along all the tracks. The most famous casualties included Scott Brayton, who died in 1996, Tony Renna who died in 2003, and Paul Dana who succumbed in 2006. Ironically, all the drivers met their premature death during practice sessions. Over the course of history the series has produced such famous drivers as Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and Al Unser. Indy Car Racing has drivers participating from all around the world.

Formula One Racing

Formula One racing began in 1946 with the standardization of racing rules by Federation Internationale de I’ Automobile (FIA). The race series had its roots in the European Motor Racing Grand Prix of the early 1920s and 1930s. Initially, Formula One was known as Formula A. Nonetheless, it was officially recognized as Formula One in 1950 with the inception of a World Drivers’ Championship. The first race under standardized FIA rules was held in Turin, Italy in 1946. It was won by Achille Varzi in an Alfa Romeo. Constructors’ and drivers’ championships were not introduced until the 1950s.

Formula One racing covers an entire weekend, whereby drivers are allowed a practice session on Friday, a qualifying session on Saturday while the actual race takes place on Sunday. In Formula One races, 24 vehicles are involved in the race. The free practice session allows the drivers to familiarize themselves with the circuit in which they will be competing and subsequently allow the manufacturers to configure the best settings for their vehicles. The qualifying sessions are pivotal in determining the starting positions and running order at the commencement of the race. The qualifying session is split into three whereby the drivers compete to finish the circuit within the shortest time possible.

In Formula One racing, drivers and constructors are awarded points according to the positions they finish in a race. According to FIA rules, the winner of a particular race receives 25 points, with the second and third finishers awarded 18 and 15 points respectively. The remaining top 10 finishers also receive points ranging from 12 points to 1 point. The overall winner of the championship is the driver and constructor with the highest accumulated points. One of the exciting aspects of Formula one racing is the fact that it takes place in different countries like Japan, Brazil, Monaco, Italy, Germany, and more. One of the most outstanding Formula One drivers in recent times is Michael Schumacher from Germany, who won more than 7 Drivers Championships before his retirement. In 2008, Lewis Hamilton became one of the youngest drivers to ever win a Drivers Championship.

Street Racing

Street Racing refers to unauthorized and illegal auto racing that occurs on public roads. The races may either be spontaneous and unplanned or well planned and organized. Spontaneous races usually take place among fewer drivers as they are not planned. Well-planned and coordinated races incorporate the use of communication devices, GPS units, and police scanners that are used to identify police positions along the race routes. The origin of street racing is not very clear but it may have originated as early as the 1930s in the United States.

Street racing may be classified but not limited into three categories including drag racing, touge racing, and cannonball runs. In drag racing, competitors race in a straight line for a specified distance. The driver who reaches the finish line first is the winner. Touge racing takes place along mountain roads and passes, one car at a time. The winner is determined by the difference in time. Cannonball runs are point-to-point races whereby the driver with the fastest overall time is declared the winner. While street racing may appear to be thrilling and exciting, it’s a dangerous racing activity. The fact that there are no safety precautions, regulatory body, and traffic rules makes it highly dangerous. It may even lead to fatalities, traffic collisions, property loss, trespassing, auto theft, and increased gang activity.

Drag Racing

Drag racing is a form of race where the competing vehicles race in a straight line for a specified distance, which is usually a quarter mile. The driver who crosses the finish line first is the winner. The races usually start from a standing point and follow a straight line to the finish line. In the United States, the race has gained tremendous popularity especially after World War II. Initially, drag racing was popular among street races but it has come to gain global acceptance and legitimacy over the years. In fact, there are numerous drag strips available in most developed countries. In North America, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) governs and regulates drag races.

Before any drag race begins, the drivers are allowed to carry out a burnout to improve their vehicles traction. Thereafter, the drivers line up their vehicles at the starting point and wait for the signal to start racing. In most street races and informal competitions, a flag or the drop of the arm may be used to signal the beginning of the race. In sanctioned races, electronic devices and vertically arranged lights are used. Fast vehicles require a parachute to assist in slowing them down after passing the finish line.

Off-Road Racing

As the name suggests, off-road racing is a form of racing where a variety of uniquely modified automobiles compete through off-road landscapes and environments. These special vehicles include motor cycles, trucks, cars, and buggies. Off-road racing also include hill climbing and any other racing that does not occur on a paved road. In North America, the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) is one of the first associations responsible for off-road racing. Ed Pearlman formed the association in 1967 and the first race was the Mexican 1000, which was an off-road race across the Mexican Desert. The Mexican 1000 later changed its name to Baja 1000.

Rather than just testing the driving skills of the competitors, off-road racing also tests their endurance levels and innovative capabilities. Some off-road routes are quite a challenge, demanding other types of skills. Most of these off-road races are usually short in distance but the most exciting races run across deserts. Some of the popular races include the Dakar Rally (Paris to Dakar), Senegal, the Taupo 1000 in New Zealand, the Vegas to Reno Race, and the Mojave Off-Road Racing Enthusiast Series.

Science of Racing

The setup of racing cars is very different from conventional luxury cars that most people are used to. Racing cars have extra fittings and other reinforcements to improve the car in terms of stability, traction, balance, and acceleration. Racing vehicles are usually streamlined in shape in order to overcome air resistance when racing at high speeds. The technology of aerodynamics is commonly integrated into racing cars to assist in achieving the desired results. Aerodynamics is a branch of science and in particular, dynamics that deals with the study of air motion when it interacts with a moving object. The science of aerodynamics assists in overcoming all the possible impediments that may affect the performance of a vehicle in terms of speed and balance.

Slipstreaming (also known as drafting) is a racing technique used to reduce wind resistance by aligning two vehicles together in a close group thus reducing the overall effect of drag during high speeds. Drafting can be cooperative where race teams are involved and teammates take turns to lead. It can be tactical whereby one competitor stays behind another with the intention of breaking off in the final lap.

Laws and Racing Safety

Apart from street racing which is illegal with no sanctioning body, all other forms of racing have stringent laws and regulations that uphold racing safety. In almost all of these races, the racing vehicles contain safety equipment such as roll cages, racing fuel cells, and first aid kits. In addition, drivers have to wear fireproof suits and all vehicles have to be fitted with communication equipment to ensure easy communication in case of any emergencies. All sanctioning bodies have their own laws and rules that govern the races that they are regulating. Over the years, some forms of races have been folded or abolished due to a series of fatal accidents. Nonetheless, the introduction of several strict law for races have made car racing a safer sport than it used to be.