Auto racing is a sport characterized by racing automobiles and a lot of spectators. For many years this sport has been among some of the most watched and anticipated sporting events in the whole world. Furthermore, with the heavy commercialization done to the sport it is inevitable that it has a large following. Auto racing is an old sport full of events that have lead to some of the major motor racing sports in the world and the greatest racing legends that have, in one way or the other, shaped the sport to what it is today. There is a lot to learn from the history of this sport, of how it came to be and what it has been through to this day.

The Beginning of Auto Racing

It is safe to say that auto racing was first seen in the late 1800s just after the completion of the construction of the world’s first autos that ran on gas. It is in this year that the first ever motor sport contest was held by one of the publishing houses in Paris called the Le Petit Journal. This first contest was more of a test drive for the best cars in terms of performance. However, it is the first race to ever take place in the history of cars and car racing.

The first real racing was held a year after the reliability test, still in Paris. Although there was a winner during this race he was later disqualified after winning. It was Emile Levassor who worn this first racing competition that ran from Paris to Bordeaux. His disqualification was caused by the fact that he won using a car that did not fit the four-seater requirement for racing cars in the competition.

It is never possible to mention the history of motor sports without mentioning France, which at this time dominated most of the automobiles construction and the racing of these automobiles.  France still does make a major contribution to this sport to date. Going back to the first auto racing competitions, it was France that held the first major city to city racing and several other racing competitions. The city to city races included motor racing from Paris to other major cities in France and Europe and back to Paris.

These city to city races became a sensation to many people as years went by. However, this open road racing had to be stopped when in the early 1900 both drivers and spectators were involved in an accident where 8 people died. The French government forbade this kind of racing from being held in the country after that incident.

Over the years auto racing has taken major turns. It is now possible to find various categories of the sport, as well as racing cars toys administered by using a remote device controller. The major shift to these various categories was brought about by the differentiation of the racing autos in terms of highly priced road cars and the use of aluminum alloy in the construction of racing cars. Additionally, the sport has gained a variety of names all used to describe it. It is known as automobile racing, motor racing or auto sport.

Auto Racing Categories

Single- Seater Racing

This is by far the most popular and commonly known auto racing category, with the Formula One class being the most known kind of racing. In this category, the racing car has one seat specially designed for racing. Another characteristic common with this type of racing is the use of cars that have no top covers and have been designed with ‘wings’ that cover the car to help it create greater speed. These races tend to be very intense like a brutal casino war online. The single seater races take place mostly in closed circuits.

Rally Racing

This is one of the racing competitions that still takes place on public roads and through wild areas. It is characterized by production cars that have been upgraded specifically for the race. This kind of race is usually done in stages. Most of the time the driver is shown a course to take and even given approval to scout the course before the rally. Furthermore, in this race the entrant driver is allowed to have a co-driver who becomes the navigator during the rally. This racing competition is determined by the time the driver and his navigator are able to finish the race before other competitors. It’s an exciting and fast paced event and in live betting punters enjoy placing their bets on these kind of races. The main championships in this race are often held regionally and the national champions held by various countries. However, World Rally Championship is the main race and event attended by thousands of spectators.

Touring Car Racing

This is more like rally racing as it features upgraded production cars. The difference is that this race takes place in a closed circuit. Additionally, the cars have to drive against each other at the same time. Most of the major championships of this race are mostly organized by countries which hold their own championships. In Britain the most prestigious of these races is the British Touring Car Championship and in Australia there is the V8 Supercars.

Stock Car Racing

There is little difference in this kind of racing compared to the touring car racing. However, this car race is often held in America in closed circuits called ovals. The cars used in this competition are purpose built cars that are similar in construction and appearance to the production cars. The US NASCAR series has become world famous with the Daytona 500 being the most remembered race in this series.

Drag Racing

This sport is common in the United States. It involves a head to head race on a straight road stretch. The cars used in this race are autos equipped with massive engines and ‘wings’ while the braking of the vehicles have to be done with parachutes.

Sports Car Racing

This race is common for people who own sports cars and prototype cars. These cars often compete in a closed circuit and with the race covering a long distance. The race is often held in a variety of racing classes due to the difference between the sporting cars and industrial prototypes which compete together in the race. The 24 hours of Le Mans and 24 hours of Daytona are the most famous of this kind of racing.

Offroad Racing

This race is not so popular as it often takes place in the deserts of North America. In this race various classes of modified cars (specifically for this race) compete in off-road surroundings. The most famous of these races is the Baja 1000 which is famous in its own rights.

The Most Popular Racing Series

There are three main popular racing series involved in this sport. To be able to understand how these series work it is often good to look at each separately and get to know the major series in each of them, the cars involved, drivers and possibly major race tracks the races take place in.

• NASCAR Racing

This is one of the most popular and also top on the list of spectator sports in North America. The National Association for Stock Car auto Racing Inc. is the body sanctioned for this race.  It operates over 1,200 races and 100 tracks. These races are also found in over 30 states in the US, North America and Mexico. In this race, there is a variety of different series that include the three major national series, four regional series, a local grassroots series and two international series. These two international series take place in Canada and Mexico.  Most of the drivers come sponsored by individuals and corporate. If you plan to watch a race then Nascar tickets can be found on the Ticket Center website. Nascar is one of America’s most-watched sports events, and Daytona 500 has an annual audience of almost 20 million viewers.

• IndyCar Racing            

This racing has sanctioned three racing series with the most famous being the Indianapolis 500. In this race the points are awarded according to the finish of each driver.  The first driver to get the checkered flag at the end of the race as scheduled definitely becomes the winner. The kind of cars used in the series includes a Dallara Chassis, the Honda engine and tires from Firestone Firehawk Indy.

• Formula One Racing

Today this race is officially known as the FIA Formula One World Championship and is the fastest car racing series. Additionally, it is one of the highest ranking in class when compared to other car racing worldwide. This race is characterized by a “formula”, which is a set of rules all participants in the race have to adhere to. Grand Prix is the name given to the series of Formula One races. Most of these races are often held on public roads and purpose built circuits. This race is also characterized by two World Championships and the winners of each determined by combining the results of each of the races.

These are the main series in the auto racing sport. One thing they have in common apart from operating racing championships is that they do not distribute their official rule book just to anyone. This is part of the official rules followed strictly by all the racing series.

Auto racing is a popular sport with many spectators due to the exciting speed and adrenaline rash that is part of the game. This popularity has further been ensured by the heavy commercialization done for the sport, and increase of bets and markets made available by the betting companies for practically all races around the world.