Brief History of Auto Racing
Auto racing started as early as the invention of the petrol-fueled internal combustion engine in the late 19th century. The first car racing event was presented as a reliability test and was held in 1894 on a 50 mile track from Paris to Rouen. Then, the first true racing event was held in 1895 from Paris to Bordeaux, and back, totaling roughly 732 miles. The winner had an average speed of 15mph. Shortly after these humble beginnings, came a series of organized car racing events in the United States, with the first race from Chicago to Evanston being held on Thanksgiving Day in 1895. These local racing events were publically broadcasted by newspapers, and so grew the interest of the public. The first closed-circuit racing event, called the Course de Périgeux, was run in 1898 with the total distance of the lap being 90 miles. Due to technological advancements, by 1900, racers reached speeds of over 50mph. After the first Indianapolis 500 race in 1911, car racing begin to differentiate in Europe and North America until the 1950s Grand Prix, which was organized worldwide. After WW2, a growing trend among auto racing was hot-rod racing. The sport spread from America all the way to Canada, Australia, England, Germany and even Japan, and in 1965 it was recognized by the FIA. This prompted the coming of many different types of racing events with cars, both on the local and global level, and soon car racing was branded as a sport and icon of cultural significance.
Race Categories, Types and Classes
Car racing is a very versatile sport. Due to such a wide variety of car racing and so many types of racing worthy of being called car racing, we have decided to group different types of car racing into categories, with emphasis on the most popular ones. This categorization is based primarily on popular opinion.
- Formula racing
This is the most popular form of professional car racing. The racing events are grand and luxurious. The cars are single-seated with wheels on the side of the body, and they are custom made to reach very high speeds in open-wheel circuit racing.
- Sports car racing
Sports cars are extremely fast and compact vehicles that have two seats. There are 2 types: grand tourers (GT), and prototypes which are custom built to compete on closed circuits.
- Rallying
Rallying is a form of auto racing which is done on local closed public roads under varying terrain and weather circumstances. This is the closest thing to local street racing.
- Drag racing
This is one of the most iconic types of car racing. The trajectory is a straight line of around 200-400 meters and competitors have to accelerate as fast as possible to reach maximum speed.
- Stock car racing
Stock car racing is predominantly popular and local in the U.S. It utilizes production cars that have been modified in ways that enhance their racing potential. The tracks are usually oval and the races are really intense.
Today’s Most Popular Racing Events and Competitions
With the sport of car racing rapidly growing over the years, we now have several very prestigious competitions that cannot go unmentioned:
- Monaco Grand Prix
- Daytona 500
- Rally Finland
- 24 Hours of Le Mans
You can even do some sports betting on these prestigious races or any other local car racing events. The best way to do sports betting is via legal online casinos. That’s because most of these online casinos offer a casino bonus without you having to deposit anything. So, because of these generous casino bonuses offered by online casinos, you actually get to place free bets and still win real money. And yes, this free no deposit bonus is a totally legal casino perk. So, why wait? Use it and earn some real money!
Our Best Local Drivers
Washington is home to many local iconic car racers. Even in the early days of the sport, we were represented by racing legends like Chick Barbo, Jack Turner, Hal Cole and even Joe Thomas who raced in the 1920s. Nowadays we have the local star, famous stock car racing driver Jack Biffle who currently competes in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Another local name that cannot go unmentioned is Kasey Kahne, a former professional stock car racing driver, who recently transitioned into dirt track racing. And who said girls can’t do good in the world of car racing? Amber Cope and Angela Ruch are two sisters that made NASCAR history on October 23, 2010 by being the first twins to compete in one of the top three series. And when it comes to young talent waiting in line to continue the legacy of Washington racers, we have plenty! Racers like Molly Helmuth, Trenton Moriarity and Andrew Evans are all very talented and driven young racers.
