Auto Racing History

Auto racing history goes a long way back. It was in the year 1894 when auto racing history began. The history of auto racing started with the birth of petrol fueled cars. It was then that the Paris magazine called Le Perit Journal started auto racing history by organizing the first racing contest. It was just a competition against the auto manufacturers to know which gives the best performance. The history of auto racing started with this race from Paris to Rouen. It was participated by three factory cars from Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, and Wilhelm Maybach.

However, automobile racing history really began in France in the year 1895. It was the first real race that was held from Paris to Bordeaux. It was Emile Levassor who led the race but was later disqualified. Levassor didn’t get the title because his car was not a four-seater!

The Gordon Bennett Cup of auto racing took place in the same year of 1895. It was November 28 when Chicago held the first auto race in North America. It was Frank Duryea who won after 10 hours and twenty three minutes in an eighty seven kilometer course. He won beat two electric cars and three petrol-fueled ones.

If you check the journal of motor racing history, you’ll know that the first trophy to be handed out was in fact the Vanderbilt Cup. By then, France dominated the race. The French Automobile Club ACF has organized several international races. In 1903, the French government stopped these races and banned open-road races. They’ve had eight fatalities in Bordeaux counting one of the founders of Renault and a race car driver, Marcel Renault.

Auto racing history continued in the year 1928 when road cars like Bugatti, Mercedes Benz, and Delage among others, were built. These cars were high-priced and can go really fast with six hundred plus horse power. At the same time, these cars were designed and built with very light weight auto parts. Since then, racing was a sport that continued to grow and has become safer because of the safety devices that are being discovered and built. Categories of auto racing started blossoming. There are the single-seater and wheel racing. Next is the touring car racing. There’s also the production and one-make racing. Another is the stock car racing, and rallying. Drag racing, sports car racing, off-road racing, kart racing, and historical racing make up the list.

The history of midget auto racing on the other hand came from big cars running in Indianapolis 500. It was in California that started it all in the year 1933 and spread out since then.