Auto racing
Auto racing is motorsport involving the racing of automobiles.
Auto racing is a motorsport where automobiles compete against each other. In North America, the term often covers all forms of automobile sport, including non-racing disciplines. The sport has existed since the invention of the car, with the first recorded race taking place in 1867. Early events were often reliability trials meant to prove that cars were practical transportation, but they soon became a key way for manufacturers to showcase their vehicles. By the 1930s, purpose-built racing cars had emerged. Today, there are many different categories, each with its own set of rules.
The first prearranged match race between two self-powered road vehicles occurred on August 30, 1867, at 4:30 A.M., covering 8 miles from Ashton-under-Lyne to Old Trafford, England. Isaac Watt Boulton’s carriage won. Internal combustion racing began shortly after the first successful gasoline cars were built. The first organized contest was on April 28, 1887, organized by Monsieur Fossier, chief editor of the Paris publication *Le Vélocipède*, running 2 kilometers from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne. On July 22, 1894, the Parisian magazine *Le Petit Journal* held what is considered the world’s first motoring competition, from Paris to Rouen, with 102 competitors each paying a 10-franc entry fee. The first American automobile race is generally considered the Thanksgiving Day Chicago Times-Herald race on November 28, 1895, whose press coverage sparked significant U.S. interest in cars.
The Targa Florio was an open-road endurance race held in the mountains of Sicily, near Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event and part of the World Sportscar Championship from 1955 to 1973, before ending in 1977. The oldest surviving sports car race is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which began in 1923 and is run by the Automobile Club of the West (ACO). Team Ferrari won in 2023. With France dominating early auto construction and racing, the French automobile club ACF staged many major international races, often connecting Paris with another city in France or Europe. Aspendale Racecourse in Australia, opening in January 1906, was the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit, featuring a pear-shaped track nearly a mile long with slightly banked curves and a gravel surface. Brooklands in Surrey, England, opened in June 1907 as the first purpose-built banked motor racing venue, with a 4.43 km concrete track and high-speed banked corners. One of the oldest existing purpose-built U.S. race courses still in use is the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana, which is the largest-capacity sports venue in the world, seating over 257,000 spectators.
NASCAR was founded by Bill France Sr. on February 21, 1948, with help from other drivers. The first NASCAR “Strictly Stock” race took place on June 19, 1949, at Daytona Beach, Florida. From 1962, sports cars took a back seat to GT cars when the FIA replaced the World Championship for Sports Cars with the International Championship for GT Manufacturers. From 1962 through 2003, NASCAR’s premier series was the Winston Cup Series, sponsored by R. J. Reynolds’ cigarette brand Winston. The changes from RJR’s involvement, plus a schedule reduction from 56 to 34 races per year, marked 1972 as the start of NASCAR’s “modern era.” The IMSA GT Series evolved into the American Le Mans Series, which launched in 1998, and European races became the closely related European Le Mans Series, both mixing prototypes and GTs. Turismo Carretera (TC) is a popular touring car series in Argentina and one of the oldest active racing series in the world. Its first competition in 1931 had 12 races, each in a different province. Future Formula One star Juan Manuel Fangio, driving a Chevrolet, won the 1940 and 1941 editions, during which the Chevrolet-Ford rivalry began, with Ford later earning most historical victories. The industry has also navigated a global pandemic and a persistent chip shortage, each threatening production schedules. There is a growing number of events for electric racing cars, including Formula E, the Eco Grand Prix, and the Electric GT Championship.
In single-seater (open-wheel) racing, the wheels are uncovered, and cars often have front and rear aerofoil wings to create downforce and improve grip. Popular varieties include Formula One, IndyCar Series, and Super Formula. In Europe and Asia, open-wheel racing is commonly called “Formula” with hierarchical suffixes, while in North America this terminology is not used except for Formula One. The sport follows international formats (like Formula One), regional formats (like the Formula 3 Euro Series), or domestic formats (like German Formula 3 or British Formula Ford). Formula One is a worldwide series run on street circuits and race tracks, with cars heavily based on technology and aerodynamics. The speed record was set in 2016 by Valtteri Bottas, reaching 372.5 km/h (231 mph).
Lore & Background
Auto racing involves the competition of automobiles, with its origins tracing back to the very invention of the vehicle. The earliest recorded contest occurred in 1867, and many initial events were reliability trials designed to demonstrate that cars were practical transportation. By the 1930s, purpose-built racing machines had emerged. The sport encompasses numerous categories, each governed by distinct rules. In open-wheel or single-seater racing, the wheels remain uncovered, and cars often feature front and rear aerofoils to generate downforce for improved track adhesion. Popular forms include Formula One, the IndyCar Series, and Super Formula. The sport’s history includes the first organized contest in 1887 and the first motoring competition from Paris to Rouen in 1894. The first American race took place in 1895. Notable early venues include the world’s first purpose-built motor racing circuit, Aspendale Racecourse in Australia, which opened in 1906, and Brooklands in England, the first banked track, which opened in 1907. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is among the oldest existing purpose-built courses still in use. NASCAR was founded in 1948, with its first Strictly Stock race in 1949. The 24 Hours of Le Mans, begun in 1923, is the oldest surviving sports car event. Electric racing events, such as Formula E, are also growing.
Reader's Guide
Auto racing, born from the earliest reliability trials designed to prove the automobile’s practicality, quickly became a key arena for manufacturers to demonstrate their machines. By the 1930s, purpose-built racing cars had emerged, distinct from road vehicles. The sport’s ecology is defined by a vast array of categories, each with unique rules, from open-wheel Formula One and IndyCar to stock car racing under NASCAR, which was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948. The significance of auto racing extends beyond competition; it has historically driven automotive innovation and captured public imagination, as seen when press coverage of the first American race in 1895 sparked widespread interest in the automobile. The field encompasses both historic endurance events like the Targa Florio and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the latter being the oldest surviving sports car race, and modern adaptations such as electric racing series like Formula E. The industry has navigated global challenges, including a pandemic and chip shortage, while maintaining a structure that ranges from local championships to the Formula One World Championship for drivers and constructors.
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