Auto racing facts for kids
Auto racing is an exciting sport where special cars race against each other. It's also called automobile racing or motorsport. This sport started in France in 1895. Today, it is one of the most popular sports to watch around the world.
Contents
- A Look Back: History of Racing Cars
- Types of Auto Racing
- Open-Wheel Racing: Fast and High-Tech
- Touring Car Racing: Close Contact on the Track
- Sports Car Racing: Prototypes and GTs
- Production-Car Racing: Affordable Racing
- One-Make Racing: All Cars Are the Same
- Stock Car Racing: NASCAR's Big Ovals
- Rallying: Racing on Roads and Off-Road
- Drag Racing: Straight-Line Speed
- Off-Road Racing: Tough Terrain Challenges
- Kart Racing: Where Many Champions Begin
- Related pages
- Images for kids
- See also
A Look Back: History of Racing Cars
The very first car race happened on August 30, 1867. Two self-powered vehicles raced about eight miles in England. The car driven by Isaac Watt Boulton won this early race.
Soon after, cars powered by gasoline engines started racing. The first organized race was on April 28, 1887, in Paris, France. It was only about 2 kilometers long.
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On July 22, 1894, a magazine in Paris held what many call the world's first big car competition. It was a race from Paris to Rouen. Over 100 people signed up to compete.
The first car race in America was on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1895. It was called the Chicago Times-Herald race. News about this event made many Americans interested in cars.
France was a leader in building and racing cars. The French automobile club often held big international races. These races usually went from Paris to another major city in Europe.
Brooklands in England was the first track built just for motor racing. It opened in June 1907. It had a concrete track about 4.43 kilometers long with high-speed banked corners.
One of the oldest racing tracks still used in the United States is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It is 2.5 miles long and located in Speedway, Indiana. This track can hold over 257,000 spectators, making it the largest sports venue in the world.
NASCAR was started by Bill France, Sr. on February 21, 1948. The very first NASCAR race was on June 19, 1949, in Daytona Beach, Florida.
From 1972 to 2003, NASCAR's top series was called the Winston Cup Series. This period is known as NASCAR's "modern era."
The IMSA GT Series later became the American Le Mans Series in 1999. European races became the Le Mans Series. Both series feature a mix of prototype and GT cars.
Turismo Carretera is a popular racing series in Argentina. It is the oldest car racing series still active in the world. It started in 1937. Famous Formula One driver Juan Manuel Fangio won the 1940 and 1941 races. This series also started the big rivalry between Chevrolet and Ford cars.
Types of Auto Racing
Open-Wheel Racing: Fast and High-Tech
Open-wheel racing cars have uncovered wheels. They often have special wings on the front and back. These wings create "downforce," which helps the car stick to the track. The two most popular types are Formula One and the IndyCar Series.
Formula One is a European-based series. Races happen on street courses and road tracks. These cars are very advanced and super fast in turns. They can reach speeds of 375 kilometers per hour (233 mph). Famous races include the Monaco Grand Prix. At the end of the season, a World Champion is crowned.
In North America, the most popular open-wheel series is the IndyCar Series. These cars are similar to F1 cars but have more rules to control costs. They are very fast, averaging 388 kilometers per hour (241 mph) on a lap. The biggest race is the Indianapolis 500. It is known as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing." It has the largest crowd for a single-day sports event, with over 350,000 fans.
Other important single-seater series include GP2 (formerly Formula 3000) and Formula Three. Many young drivers start their careers in these series.
Students in colleges can also race single-seater cars. They design and build cars for the Formula SAE competition. This helps them learn about engineering and teamwork.
In 2006, the world's first all-female Formula racing team was created. In 2008, a new series called Superleague Formula started. In this series, famous sports clubs like A.C. Milan own the racing teams.
Touring Car Racing: Close Contact on the Track
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Touring car racing uses race cars that are based on regular production cars. These races often have lots of contact between cars. This is because the cars are very similar in speed, and there are many cars on the track.
Major touring car championships include the Supercars Championship in Australia, the British Touring Car Championship, and the World Touring Car Championship.
Sports Car Racing: Prototypes and GTs
In sports car racing, there are two main types of cars. One type is called "grand tourers" (GTs). These are racing versions of sports cars you might see on the road. The other type is "sports prototypes." These cars are built just for racing and don't look like regular cars. They are usually faster than GT cars.
The top championship for sports car racing is the FIA World Endurance Championship. Famous GT races include the FIA GT1 World Championship.
Sports prototypes are designed for endurance racing. This means races last a very long time, sometimes 24 hours! Teams of two or more drivers take turns driving the car. These cars are called LMP cars. LMP1 cars are usually run by big car manufacturers. LMP2 cars are for private teams.
Famous sports car races include the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and the 12 Hours of Sebring. These races are very challenging and exciting.
Production-Car Racing: Affordable Racing
Production-car racing is a more affordable type of touring car racing. The rules are strict to keep costs down. Cars are usually based on regular production models. Many series follow "Group N" rules, which means cars are very close to their showroom versions.
One-Make Racing: All Cars Are the Same
In one-make championships, all the cars are from the same manufacturer or are the same model. This makes the racing very fair because all drivers have the same equipment. It's a great way for amateur racers to compete. Examples include the Porsche Supercup and the Clio Cup.
Stock Car Racing: NASCAR's Big Ovals
In North America, stock car racing is the most popular type of auto racing. These races mostly happen on oval tracks. Stock cars look a bit like regular cars, but they are specially built for racing.
The biggest group that runs stock car racing is NASCAR. NASCAR's top series is the Monster Energy Cup Series. Its most famous races are the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. NASCAR also has other series where drivers can gain experience, like the Xfinity Series.
In the UK, stock car racing is called "Short Circuit Racing." It takes place on small oval tracks, often about a quarter-mile long. There are different types of races, some allowing car contact and others not.
Rallying: Racing on Roads and Off-Road
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Rallying involves racing on closed public roads or off-road areas. Cars start one by one at regular times. A rally usually has many "special stages" on different types of ground. Drivers and their co-drivers work together. The co-driver reads "pace notes" to the driver. These notes describe the road ahead, helping the driver go as fast as possible. The winner is the team with the lowest total time.
The top series is the World Rally Championship (WRC). Famous rallies include the Monte Carlo Rally and Rally Finland. The Dakar Rally is another famous event, known for racing across deserts.
The Targa Tasmania is a famous rally held in Australia. It's named after the historic Targa Florio race in Italy.
Drag Racing: Straight-Line Speed
In drag racing, two cars race side-by-side on a straight track. The goal is to finish a set distance first. This distance is usually a quarter-mile or an eighth-mile. Cars can range from regular street cars to special "dragsters."
A top fuel dragster is incredibly fast. It can cover a quarter-mile in less than 4.5 seconds. It reaches speeds of over 530 kilometers per hour (330 mph). These cars accelerate faster than a Space Shuttle! Their engines are so loud they can be heard over 8 miles away.
Drag racing was organized by Wally Parks in the 1950s. He formed the NHRA to stop illegal street racing.
Off-Road Racing: Tough Terrain Challenges
In off-road racing, special vehicles race through natural environments. In North America, these races often happen in deserts, like the famous Baja 1000. Other off-road races take place on short, closed tracks.
In Europe, "offroad" often means events like autocross or rallycross. Long desert races are called "cross-country rallies."
Kart Racing: Where Many Champions Begin
Kart racing, or karting, uses small, low-cost vehicles called karts. It was invented in Southern California in 1956 by Art Ingels. Karts are very light and surprisingly fast.
Karting is a great way for people to try racing. It's also a serious international sport. Many professional racing drivers, like Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, started their careers in karts when they were very young. It's one of the cheapest ways to get into racing, so its popularity is growing worldwide.
Even though they are small, the most powerful karts, called "superkarts," are incredibly powerful for their size.
Related pages
Images for kids
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The 2017 Formula Student electric race-car of the Delft University of Technology
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Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, 2008
See also
In Spanish: Automovilismo para niños
