Race track facts for kids
A race track is a special place built for different kinds of races. You might see vehicles like cars and motorcycles racing here. Athletes, like runners or cyclists, also use race tracks. Even animals, such as horses or greyhounds, have their own race tracks. These places often have big seating areas called grandstands for people to watch. Scientists also use race tracks to study how animals move.
A "racetrack" is usually a permanent building or area. For horse racing, it's often called a "racecourse," especially in places like the United Kingdom or Australia. Tracks made for bicycles are known as "velodromes." Many race tracks are shaped like a loop, so races can go on for several laps. Because of this, they are often called "circuits." You might also hear them called "speedways" or "raceways."
A "race course" (with a space) is different from a "racecourse." It's a temporary path used for sports like running, water sports, or rallying. Some big races, like the Monaco Grand Prix in Formula One, happen on temporary tracks made from city streets.
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The History of Race Tracks
People have been racing for a very long time! We know that ancient civilizations built special places for races. The Ancient Greeks had "hippodromes," and the Roman Empire had "circuses." Both were designed for horse and chariot racing. The famous Circus Maximus in Ancient Rome was huge and could hold 200,000 people!
Racing continued through the Middle Ages. Records show a public racecourse opened in Newmarket, London, in 1174. Later, in 1780, the Earl of Derby created a horse-racing course at Epsom. The famous Epsom Derby race is still held there today. In the British Isles, horse racecourses are usually made of grass. In the United States, they are often made of soil.
When cars were invented in the late 1800s and early 1900s, new tracks were needed. At first, people used modified horse-racing courses. The first car race on such a track was in September 1896, at Narragansett Park in Rhode Island. The famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened in 1909.
In the early 1900s, motorcycles raced on special wooden tracks called "board tracks." These tracks had high, banked turns. Many major car races in the 1920s also used these board tracks. Today, modern race tracks are built with safety as the most important thing. They have special areas and barriers to protect both spectators and racers.
Sports You Can See at Race Tracks
Race tracks are used for many exciting sports:
Animal Sports
- Camel racing
- Greyhound racing
- Harness racing (horses pull a driver in a cart)
- Horse racing
Human Sports
- Bobsleigh (sliding down an ice track)
- Cycle sport (bicycle racing)
- Skeleton (sport) (sliding head-first down an ice track)
- Track and field (running, jumping, throwing events)
Motor Sports
- Auto racing (car races)
- Drag racing (short, straight-line races)
- Kart racing (small, open-wheel vehicles)
- Motorcycle racing
- Stock car racing (races with cars that look like regular production cars)
- Track racing (motorcycles on dirt ovals)
- Truck racing
- Drift racing (cars sliding sideways)
How Race Tracks Are Built
Some race tracks are very simple, with just the track itself. Others have many buildings and features. These can include grandstands for fans, special areas for teams (like pit lanes and garages), and stables for horses. Some race tracks are part of bigger places with golf courses, museums, or hotels. There are even small race tracks indoors for sports like motocross, track cycling, and athletics.
Many race tracks are designed for different sports. For example, a running track might be inside a stadium used for soccer. Some horse and motor racing tracks can even be changed to create different routes. This allows for various race lengths and challenges. Some places have smaller tracks inside bigger ones. For example, Brands Hatch has a short course and a longer one that uses part of the shorter track.
Different Surfaces for Racing
Race tracks are made from many different materials, depending on the sport:
- All-weather running track (often called Tartan) for athletics.
- Artificial turf for electric radio-controlled off-road racing.
- Asphalt or tarmac for motorsports, athletics, and cycling.
- Carpet for electric radio-controlled racing.
- Concrete for some motorsports.
- Dirt for horses, greyhounds, cars, motorcycles, stock cars, and radio-controlled off-road racing.
- Grass for horses, amateur motorsports, and cross country running.
- Ice for speed skating, bobsleighs, and ice racing.
- Sand for horses, camels, greyhounds, and rally raid.
- Wood for cycling (and old board track racing).
Motor Sports Tracks
Race tracks for cars are usually closed loops. This is different from a street circuit, which uses public roads that are temporarily closed. Car tracks have clear start and finish lines. They also have a pit lane where teams can refuel or change tires.
Track Shapes and Layouts
Some car tracks are shaped like an oval. These can be banked, meaning the turns are tilted. This allows for very fast racing, like in cycling or stock car racing. A famous oval track is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Some oval tracks have slightly different shapes, like the "tri-oval" at Talladega Superspeedway. Most race tracks around the world, especially in Europe, have winding circuits with many curves, sharp turns called chicanes, and changes in height. This makes them challenging for drivers.
Road Circuits
Winding motor racing tracks are sometimes called "road circuits." This name comes from the fact that the earliest car races happened on public roads that were simply closed off. Some car tracks are designed as a long, straight path, especially for drag racing.
True road circuits are still used today. For example, the Australian Grand Prix has been held on city streets in Adelaide and Melbourne. The most famous examples are the Monaco Grand Prix and the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. These are not permanent racing facilities, though parts of the Le Mans circuit are purpose-built.
Old Airfields as Race Tracks
After World War II, many airfields in Great Britain were no longer needed. At the same time, motor sports became very popular. So, many airfields were turned into race tracks. The track layouts often used parts of the runways and the surrounding taxiways. Famous British tracks like Silverstone Circuit, Castle Combe Circuit, and Goodwood Circuit were once airfields. The long runways were also perfect for drag strips, like at Santa Pod Raceway. The popular TV show Top Gear is filmed at Dunsfold Aerodrome, which is also a former airfield.
See also
In Spanish: Circuito de carreras para niños
- Animal locomotion
- Auto racing
- List of motor racing circuits by FIA grade
- List of horse racing venues
