A Brief History Of Auto Racing

Since the Ancient era, people have engaged in vehicle racing. In Ancient Egypt, chariot racing was one of the most popular sports, and the origin of the sport can be dated back to Mesopotamia. In Ancient Greece, chariot racing was, by far, the most popular sport, drawing in large crowds. All throughout history, horse racing was the most popular sport, especially reaching its height in the Victorian era, when betting on the sport became all the rage among people of all classes and castes. It is no surprise then, that once the motorized vehicle was created, it wouldn’t take long for people to attempt to race it.

In 1886, the first, three-wheeled car was invented by Carl Benz, who applied for a patent on a gas-powered vehicle. It was a year later, that the first race was held, in France. Today, auto racing is one of the most popular sports, drawing in huge crowds of people all over the world. Local, regional and national auto racing events are some of the most popular sporting events, especially when it comes to placing bets on sites like Bet Station. So, let us take a quick look back through the history of organized auto racing.

The Early Years

The first auto race between two internal combustion engine vehicles was held in 1887, only a year after the first motorized car was invented. It was organized by Monsieur Fossier, an editor of a Parisian newspaper called La Velocipede. The race was held as a way to drum up interest in the paper, and went on for 2 kilometers, stretching from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne. Not much is remembered about this race, though what is remembered, is the first organized motor racing competition.

On July 22, in the year 1894, a Parisian magazine titled Le Petit Journal sponsored the first ever motor racing competition. It featured over a hundred competitors, and the distance they had to cover was 80 kilometers, with an average speed of close to 17 kilometers per hour.

The success of the first race, spawned an annual event, which made the rounds around Europe, and soon spread to the rest of the world. Today, auto racing has become one of the most popular sporting events, being watched by millions of people around the world. Let us now take a look at the two most popular racing organizations and competitions.

Formula 1

Formula One (henceforth F1) is the most popular and highest class auto racing event in the world. Competitors from all over the world have passed through F1’s tracks, with some of the most popular ones being world-renowned. Among them, the best of the best include Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, etc.

NASCAR

In the United States, the top auto racing organizer is the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (or NASCAR), which got its start in 1948 in Daytona. To this day, the headquarters of the company is in Daytona, Florida, where one of the most popular auto races in the world is held.