Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive
sport
Sport pertains to any form of Competition, competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and Skill, skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to specta ...
ing events which primarily involve the use of
motorized vehicles
A motor vehicle, also known as motorized vehicle or automotive vehicle, is a self-propelled land vehicle, commonly wheeled, that does not operate on rails (such as trains or trams) and is used for the transportation of people or cargo.
The veh ...
. The
terminology
Terminology is a group of specialized words and respective meanings in a particular field, and also the study of such terms and their use; the latter meaning is also known as terminology science. A ''term'' is a word, compound word, or multi-wor ...
can also be used to describe forms of competition of two-wheeled motorised vehicles under the banner of
motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
, and includes
off-road racing
Off-road racing is a form of motorsports consisting of specially-modified vehicles including cars, SUVs, trucks, motorbikes, quadbikes and buggies racing in off-road environments (e.g. snow, dirt, mud, etc.).
North America Desert racing
Desert ...
such as
motocross
Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.
History
Motocross first evolved in Britain from motorcycle trials competi ...
.
Four- (or more) wheeled motorsport competition is globally governed by the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...
(FIA); and the
Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme
The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM; en, International Motorcycling Federation) is the global governing/sanctioning body of motorcycle racing. It represents 116 national motorcycle federations that are divided into six regiona ...
(FIM) governs two-wheeled competition. Likewise, the
Union Internationale Motonautique
The Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) is the international governing body of powerboating, based in the Principality of Monaco. It was founded in 1922, in Belgium, as the Union Internationale du Yachting Automobile.
History
Member nations ...
(UIM) governs
powerboat racing
Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wate ...
while the
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The (; FAI; en, World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintai ...
(FAI) governs air sports, including aeroplane racing. All vehicles that participate in motorsports must adhere to the regulations that are set out by the respective global governing body.
History
![Brighton Motor Trials July 1905 80 hp Napier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Brighton_Motor_Trials_July_1905_80_hp_Napier.png)
In 1894, a French newspaper organised a race from
Paris to Rouen and back, starting city to city racing. In 1900, the
Gordon Bennett Cup was established. Closed
circuit racing arose as
open road racing Open-road racing is a form of regularity rally carried out at high speeds on closed public highways, most commonly in sparsely populated parts of the Southwestern United States. Competitors attempt to set specified average speeds which can range fr ...
, on public roads, was banned.
Aspendale Racecourse
Aspendale Racecourse or Aspendale Park Racecourse, located at Aspendale, Victoria, Australia, was a horse racing venue, and the world's first purpose-built motor racing track.
Aspendale Racecourse opened on 14 April 1891. It was established by ...
in Australia in 1906 was the first dedicated
motor racing track in the world.
Following
World War I, European countries organised
Grand Prix races over closed courses. In the United States,
dirt track racing
Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced oval race tracks often used for thoroughbred horse racing. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s ...
became popular.
After
World War II, the Grand Prix circuit became more formally organised. In the United States,
stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
and
drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...
became firmly established.
Motorsports ultimately became divided by types of
motor vehicles into racing events, and their appropriate organisations.
Racing
Motor racing is the subset of motorsport activities which involve competitors
racing against each other.
Open wheel racing
Formula racing
Formula racing is a set of classes of motor vehicles, with their wheels outside, and not contained by, any bodywork of their vehicle. These have been globally classified as specific 'Formula' series - the most common being
Formula One, and
Formula Two. Many others include the likes of
Formula 3
Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One driv ...
,
Formula Ford,
Formula Renault
Formula Renault are classes of formula racing popular in Europe and elsewhere. Regarded as an entry-level series to motor racing, it was founded in 1971, and was a respected series where drivers can learn advanced racecraft before moving on to hig ...
and
Formula Palmer Audi. However, in North America, the
IndyCar
INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...
series is the most followed open-wheeled racing series. Former 'Formula' series include
Formula 5000,
GP2 and
GP3.
=Formula One
=
Formula One is a class of single-seat and
open-wheel
An open-wheel single-seater (often known as formula car) is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have thei ...
Grand Prix closed course racing, governed by the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; en, International Automobile Federation) is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. It is the governing body for ...
(FIA), and currently organized by the privately owned company
Formula One Group. The formula regulations contain a very strict set of rules which govern vehicle power, weight, size, and design. The rules do allow for some variation, however.
= Formula E
=
Formula E
Formula E, officially the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, is a single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars. The series was conceived in 2011 in Paris by FIA president Jean Todt and Spanish businessman Alejandro Agag, who is ...
is a class of open-wheel
auto racing that uses only
electric-powered cars. The series was conceived in 2012, and the inaugural championship started in
Beijing on 13 September 2014. The series is also sanctioned by the
FIA and races a spec chassis/battery combination, with manufacturers allowed to develop their own electric power-trains. The series has gained significant traction in recent years.
=IndyCar Series
=
![Helio castroneves (47966333548)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Helio_castroneves_%2847966333548%29.jpg)
A series originated on June 12, 1909, in
Portland, Oregon at its first race. Shortly after,
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United State ...
opened in 1909 and held races that ranged from . Its premier race is the
Indianapolis 500 which began on May 11, 1911, and a tradition was born. Today,
IndyCar
INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...
operates a full schedule with over 20 teams and 40 different drivers. The current schedule includes 15 tracks over the course of 17 races per season.
Will Power was crowned the current champion of the
IndyCar
INDYCAR, LLC, is an American-based auto racing sanctioning body for Indy car racing and other disciplines of open wheel car racing. The organization sanctions five racing series: the premier IndyCar Series with its centerpiece the Indianapolis ...
Series in September 2022.
Enclosed wheel racing
Enclosed wheel racing is a set of classes of vehicles, where the wheels are primarily enclosed inside the bodywork of the vehicle, similar to a North American 'stock car'.
Sports car racing
Sports car racing is a set of classes of vehicles, over a closed course track, including
GT sports cars, and
specialized racing prototypes. The premiere race is the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused Sports car racing, sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance r ...
which takes place annually in
France during the month of June. Sports car racing rules and specifications differentiate in North America from established international sanctioning bodies.
Stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing run on oval tracks and road courses measuring approximately . It originally used production-model cars, hence the name "stock car", but is now run using cars specifically built for racing. It ori ...
is a set of vehicles that race over a speedway track, organized by
NASCAR. While once stock cars, the vehicles are now purpose-built, but resemble the body design and shape of production cars.
Bootleggers
Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to:
* Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially
* Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence:
** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...
throughout the
Carolinas
The Carolinas are the U.S. states of North Carolina and South Carolina, considered collectively. They are bordered by Virginia to the north, Tennessee to the west, and Georgia to the southwest. The Atlantic Ocean is to the east.
Combining Nort ...
are often credited for the origins of
NASCAR due to the resistance during
prohibition. Many of the vehicles were modified to increase top speed and handling, to provide the bootleggers with an advantage toward the vehicles local law enforcement would use in the area. An important part to the modifications of stock cars, was to increase the performance of the vehicle while also maintaining the same exterior. Many legends in
NASCAR originated as bootleggers in the
Great Smoky Mountains of
North Carolina, like
Junior Johnson. Organized
oval racing
Oval track racing is a form of closed-circuit motorsport that is contested on an oval-shaped race track. An oval track differs from a road course in that the layout resembles an oval with turns in only one direction, and the direction of traffi ...
began on Daytona Beach in
Florida as a hobby, but quickly gained interest from all over the country. As oval racing became larger and larger, a group gathered in hopes to form a sanctioning body for the sport.
NASCAR was organized in 1947, to combine
flat track
Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced oval race tracks often used for thoroughbred horse racing. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s ...
oval racing of production cars.
Daytona Beach and Road Course was founded where land speed records were set on the beach, and included part of
A1A
State Road A1A (SR A1A) is a major north–south Florida State Road that runs along the Atlantic Ocean, from Key West at the southern tip of Florida, to Fernandina Beach, just south of Georgia on Amelia Island. It is the main road throug ...
. The highlight of the stock car calendar is the season-opening
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a NASCAR Cup Series motor race held annually at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is the first of two Cup races held every year at Daytona, the second being the Coke Zero Sugar 400, and one of three ...
, also nicknamed 'The Great American Race' which is held at
Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.
NASCAR has now held over 2,500 sanctioned events over the course of 70 seasons.
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937), nicknamed "The King", is an American former stock car racing driver who raced from 1958 to 1992 in the former NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series (now called the NASCAR Cup Series), most notabl ...
is known as the king of NASCAR with over 200 recorded wins in the series and has competed in 1,184 races in his career.
Touring car racing
Touring car racing is a set of vehicles, modified street cars, that race over closed purpose built race tracks and
street courses.
Off-road racing
Off-road racing is a group of vehicles that specialize in off-road racing and are modified street cars that can race on close purpose-built off-road tracks and courses. Off-road racing is popular all over the world. Premier off-road events include the
Dakar Rally and the
Baja 1000
The Baja 1000 is an annual Mexican off-road motorsport race held on the Baja California Peninsula. It is one of the most prestigious off-road races in the world, having attracted competitors from six continents. The race was founded by Ed Pearl ...
desert race. Series like the
National Off-Road Racing Association The National Off-Road Racing Association (usually abbreviated NORRA) is a desert off-road racing association.
History
It was founded in 1967 by Ed Pearlman and Don Francisco. At the time it was the first racing sanctioning body devoted solely to o ...
(NORRA) which was founded in 1967, sanctions events utilizing off-road vehicles racing through the
Baja Desert.
The first event sanctioned by the organization was the 1967 Mexican 1000 rally that began in
Tijuana and ended in
La Paz
La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...
.
Since the 1990s, the
FIA has relentlessly pushed for off roading and other off-tarmac racing to be strictly governed by their regulations and standards. This move was done in order to curb the extensive damage to both human life and equipment that unregulated off-roading had caused. Al
FIA member countrieshave now passed legislation stating that any vehicle that partakes in off-roading, be it a local level or recreational level, must comply with basic Class 1
FIA rally racing
Rally or rallye may refer to:
Gatherings
* Demonstration (political), a political rally, a political demonstration of support or protest, march, or parade
* Pep rally
A pep rally or pep assembly is a gathering of people, typically students ...
standards, in order to ensure the safety of the participants and equipment.
Other racing
![Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi - WRC Rally Finland 2017](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Sheikh_Khalid_Al_Qassimi_-_WRC_Rally_Finland_2017.jpg)
Motor sports which involve competitors
racing against each other include:
*
Air racing
Air racing is a type of motorsport that involves airplanes or other types of aircraft that compete over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a prev ...
*
Auto racing (car racing)
*
Motor rallying
*
Rallycross
*
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) is the motorcycle sport of racing motorcycles. Major varieties include motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Ot ...
*
Kart racing
*
Oval track racing
*
Banger racing
*
Motorboat racing
*
Drone racing
First Person View, or FPV, drone racing, is a sport where participants control " drones" (typically small radio-controlled aircraft or quadcopters), equipped with cameras while wearing head-mounted displays showing the live stream camera fee ...
*
Hovercraft racing
*
Lawn mower racing
Lawnmower racing is a form of motorsport in which competitors race modified lawnmowers, usually of the ride-on or self-propelled variety. The original mower engines are retained, but blades are removed for safety. The sport attracts all ages, an ...
*
Radio-controlled model
A radio-controlled model (or RC model) is a Physical model, model that is steering, steerable with the use of radio control. All types of model vehicles have had RC systems installed in them, including radio-controlled car, ground vehicles, radio ...
racing
*
Slot car racing
Slot car racing (also called slotcar racing or slot racing) is the competitive hobby of racing with powered miniature autos (or other vehicles) which are guided by grooves or slots in the track on which they run.
Slot cars are usually models o ...
*
Snowmobile racing
*
Truck racing
Truck racing is a form of motorsport road racing which involves modified versions of heavy tractor units on road racing or Oval track racing, oval track Race track, circuits.
History
The sport started in the United States at the Atlanta Motor S ...
*
Drag racing
Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line. The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most c ...
*
Sprint car racing
Non-racing disciplines
Forms of motorsport which do not involve racing include
drifting
Drifting may refer to:
*Drifting (motorsport)
*Pipe drift or drifting, measuring a pipe's inner roundness
Film
* ''Drifting'' (1923 film), a film directed by Tod Browning
* ''Drifting'' (1982 film), the first Israeli gay-themed film
* ''Drifting'' ...
,
demolition derby
Demolition derby is a non-racing motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehic ...
,
regularity rally
A regularity rally, also called time-speed-distance or TSD rally, is a type of motorsport rally with the object of driving each segment of a course in a specified time at a specified average speed. The rally is usually conducted on public roads, ...
,
motorcycle trials,
gymkhana
Gymkhana () ( ur, جِمخانہ, sd, جمخانه, hi, जिमख़ाना, as, জিমখানা, bn, জিমখানা) is a British Raj term which originally referred to a place of assembly. The meaning then altered to den ...
,
freestyle motocross, and
tractor pulling.
Race organisation
Racing events are governed by Race Officials. In preparation for the race, a Race Committee is formed, senior officials such as Race Director, Clerk of the Course, Chief Steward are established. Race Officials are typically members of the country's motorsport governing organization and represent its rules and regulations.
Throughout the racing event, Race Officials are responsible for logistics, supporting services, safety, participant scrutineering, race judging, arbitration, and any other decision making.
After the race, the Race Officials are responsible for resolving any issues that may have arisen during the race. Parties can appeal its decisions to the country's motorsport governing organization.
Olympics
Motorsport was a
demonstration event at the
1900 Summer Olympics
The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...
.
See also
*
Electric motorsport
*
International Motorsports Hall of Fame
*
List of motorsport championships
This list of motorsport championships is a list of national and international motorsport championships decided by the points or positions earned by a driver from multiple races.
Formula cars
* Formula One World Championship (as World Championship ...
*
Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame
The Long Beach Motorsports Walk of Fame is a walk of fame located on South Pine Avenue in the downtown waterfront area of Long Beach, California, to recognize those who have made a major contribution to auto racing in Long Beach. The project was ...
*
Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
Notes
References
*
External links
*
Formula 1 (F1)Motorsports Association (UK)World Rally Championship (WRC)
{{Authority control
Racing
Individual sports
Sports by type