Auto Racing

Auto racing is a sport with racing automobiles in which drivers compete against each other on a course.http://www.dictionary.com Auto racing has existed as a sport since the late 1800s, however without a sport connotation since the invention of automobiles that used a combustion engine. There are several types of auto racing, including NASCAR, Formula One, World Rally, and the Indy Racing Leaguehttp://www.autoracinghistory.com/.

The Indianapolis 500 is a long running race that takes place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The inaugural race was in 1911 and there has been an annual race ever since. In terms of attendance, the Indy 500 is the largest single-day sporting event in the world. the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the largest sports venue in the world, and the even attracts more than 400,000 spectators each year. Three people are currently tied for the record for most wins with four. AJ Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears have all accomplished this feat, while Unser is the only one of those three to win two of them back-to-back.http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/autorace/longterm/1999/indy500/facts.htm The 2010 Indy 500 will take place on Sunday, May 30.

Auto Racing History

In 1894, the Paris magazine "Le Petit" organized the first automobile race. http://www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Sports/Auto-Racing.pg_0.htmlOne year later in 1895 the USA had it's own automobile race. On Thanksgiving Day several people drove through snow and muck in Illinois from Chicago to Evanston and back. The winner was a man named Charles E Duryea who drove a "road wagon". This vehicle had a motor that reached a maximum horsepower of 4, was water cooled, and could reach a top speed of 20 mph. It's average speed during the race was only 7.5 mph.

As the years passed, auto racing moved to courses and oval tracks. At first the tracks would be made from wooden boards, however as cars became capable of higher speeds, racing would become dangerous. Vehicles would lose control and fly off the track into the crowd. Dirt tracks replaced wooden tracks for safety reasons, and in the 1920s paved tracks started replacing dirt tracks. Dirt tracks are still used however to this day on smaller, local tracks where vehicles are traveling at slower speeds.

In the 1950s drag racing would become a sensation with the American youth. Teens who had "worked up" old cars would race illegally in 1/4 mile strips, and many of these cars would reach almost 100 mph.

As the years drew on, technology advanced and vehicles got faster. Fenders were removed from many cars to increase airflow to overheating breaks and reduce the overall weight of the vehicle. Spoilers were also added and modified to adjust the wind resistance and ability for competitors to draft behind your vehicle. Tracks were altered to be longer, or shorter, with added turns or less turns. Many safety precautions have been put in place for not only drivers, but spectators as well.http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove/themes/story_66_8.html