Automobile Racing (Sport)

Of the various types of automobile races, the closed-circuit, or speedway, course was developed largely in the United States. The Indianapolis 500—now the premier Indy car event—was first run in 1911. A low-slung, fenderless (open-wheel) car—called an Indy car—is essential for this race; its suspension (i.e., its ability to hold the track) is as important to a car’s performance as its tur-bocharged engine. Often the chassis manufacturer is different from the engine manufacturer, resulting in cars identified, for example, as a Brabham/Repco. In such cases the chassis maker is listed first, and the chassis maker receives any money or awards that the car may win.

Indy car racing began in 1909, when the American Automobile Association (AAA) began sponsoring a 24-race championship series, including three races at the newly opened Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). In 1956 the AAA gave up its involvement with auto racing, and the United States Auto Club (USAC) was organized as the sport’s governing body. In 1978 two race-car owners broke away from USAC to form a new organization, Championship Auto Racing Teams, Inc. (CART), which sponsored its own series of races. In 1980 CART and USAC joined to form the Championship Racing League, which dissolved after five races. In 1994 the IMS announced a new Indy Racing League (IRL) to oversee the Indianapolis 500 beginning in 1996 and a new series of IRL races (leading to an annual drivers’ championship) separate from those sponsored by CART.

The standard cars used for Grand Prix road (i.e., closed-highway) racing are known as Formula One (or F-1) cars because they are built according to an evolving formula that was established after World War I by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA). Like the Indy car, the Formula One racer is open-wheeled and low-slung, but the F-1 is slightly smaller and more maneuverable.

There are approximately 18 Grand Prix events held worldwide throughout the year. Drivers compete for the World Championship of Drivers (inaugurated in 1950), receiving a total number of points based on their placement in each of the official Grand Prix events.

Many Grand Prix drivers participate in various endurance races, the most famous of which is the Le Mans Grand Prix d’Endurance, held on the 13.4-km (8.3-mi)Sarthe circuit, Le Mans, France.

Another type of popular racing event is the rally, which was established in 1907. More than 35 such competitions, raced over a specified route on public roads, take place yearly throughout the world. The classic occasion for rally racing is the Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo, now started in various European cities with Monaco as its terminal point.

Stock-car racing, which began in the United States in the first half of the 20th century, involves the racing of commercial cars that have been altered to increase their speed and maneuverability. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) was founded in 1947, and until 2004 it awarded the Winston Cup to the driver who had earned the greatest number of points in a series of official NASCAR Winston Cup events over the stock-car racing season. In 2004 the competition was renamed the Nextel Cup, and from 2008 it is known as the Sprint Cup. The Daytona 500 is the premiere stock-car event.

Formula One Grand Prix Race Results, 2007-08

The season for the Formula One Grand Prix circuit is March-October. If a race occurs twice in the year covered because of scheduling changes, only the most recent race result is given in the table below.


 

 

 

 

WINNER’S TIME

RACE

DATE

LOCALE

DRIVER (COUNTRY)

(HR:MIN:SEC)

European Grand Prix

22 Jul 2007

Nurburgring, Germany Fernando Alonso (ESP)

2:06:26.358

Italian Grand Prix

9 Sep 2007

Monza

Fernando Alonso (ESP)

1:18:37.806

Belgian Grand Prix

16 Sep 2007

Spa-Francorchamps

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)

1:20:39.066

Japanese Grand Prix

30 Sep 2007

Oyama

Lewis Hamilton (GBR)

2:00:34.579

Chinese Grand Prix

7 Oct 2007

Shanghai

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)

1:37:58.395

Brazilian Grand Prix

21 Oct 2007

Sao Paulo

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)

1:28:15.270

Australian Grand Prix

16 Mar 2008

Melbourne

Lewis Hamilton (GBR)

1:34:50.616

Malaysian Grand Prix

23 Mar 2008

Kuala Lumpur

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)

1:31:18.555

Bahrain Grand Prix

6 Apr 2008

Bahrain

Felipe Massa (BRA)

1:31:06.970

Spanish Grand Prix

27 Apr 2008

Catalonia

Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)

1:38:19.051

Turkish Grand Prix

11 May 2008

Istanbul

Felipe Massa (BRA)

1:26:49.451

Monaco Grand Prix

25 May 2008

Monte-Carlo

Lewis Hamilton (GBR)

2:00:42.742

Canadian Grand Prix

8 Jun 2008

Montreal

Robert Kubica (POL)

1:36:24:447

French Grand Prix

22 Jun 2008

Magny-Cours

Felipe Massa (BRA)

1:31:50.245

British Grand Prix

6 Jul 2008

Silverstone

Lewis Hamilton (GBR)

1:39:09.440

German Grand Prix

20 Jul 2008

Hockenheim

Lewis Hamilton (GBR)

1:31:20.874

Hungarian Grand Prix

3 Aug 2008

Budapest

Heikki Kovalainen (FIN)

1:37:27.067

Indianapolis 500

There was no competition in 1917-18 and 1942-45. Won by an American racer except as indicated.

 

AVG.SPEED

 

AVG. SPEED

 

AVG. SPEED

YEAR

WINNER

(MPH)

YEAR

WINNER

(MPH)

YEAR

WINNER

(MPH)

1911

Ray Harroun

74.602

1929

Ray Keech

97.585

195 03 Johnnie Parsons

124.002

1912

Joe Dawson

78.719

1930

Billy Arnold

100.448

1951

Lee Wallard

126.244

1913

Jules Goux (FRA)

75.933

1931

Louis Schneider

96.629

1952

Troy Ruttman

128.922

1914

Rene Thomas

82.474

1932

Fred Frame

104.144

1953

Bill Vukovich

128.740

 

(FRA)

 

1933

Louie Meyer

104.162

1954

Bill Vukovich

130.840

1915

Ralph DePalma

89.840

1934

Bill Cummings

104.863

1955

Robert Sweikert

128.209

19161

Dario Resta (FRA)

84.001

1935

Kelly Petillo

106.240

1956

Pat Flaherty

128.490

1919

Howdy Wilcox

88.050

1936

Louie Meyer

109.069

1957

Sam Hanks

135.601

1920

Gaston Chevrolet

88.618

1937

Wilbur Shaw

113.580

1958

Jimmy Bryan

133.791

1921

Tommy Milton

89.621

1938

Floyd Roberts

117.200

1959

Rodger Ward

135.857

1922

Jimmy Murphy

94.484

1939

Wilbur Shaw

115.035

1960

Jim Rathmann

138.767

1923

Tommy Milton

90.954

1940

Wilbur Shaw

114.277

1961

A.J. Foyt, Jr.

139.131

19242

L.L. Corum, Joe

98.234

19412 Floyd Davis,

115.117

1962

Rodger Ward

140.293

 

Boyer

 

 

Mauri Rose

 

1963

Parnelli Jones

143.137

1925

Peter DePaolo

101.127

1946

George Robson

114.820

1964

A.J. Foyt, Jr.

147.350

19263

Frank Lockhart

95.904

1947

Mauri Rose

116.338

1965

Jim Clark (GBR)

150.686

1927

George Souders

97.545

1948

Mauri Rose

119.814

1966

Graham Hill

144.317

1928

Louie Meyer

99.482

1949

Bill Holland

121.327

 

(GBR)

 

 

 

AVG.SPEED

 

 

AVG. SPEED

 

AVG.SPEED

YEAR

WINNER

(MPH)

YEAR

WINNER

(MPH)

YEAR

WINNER

(MPH)

1967

A.J. Foyt, Jr.

151.207

1982

Gordon

162.029

1997

Arie Luyendyk

145.827

1968

Bobby Unser

152.882

 

Johncock

 

 

(NED)

 

1969

Mario Andretti

156.867

1983

Tom Sneva

162.117

1998

Eddie Cheever, Jr. 145.155

1970

Al Unser

155.749

1984

Rick Mears

163.612

1999

Kenny Brack

153.176

1971

Al Unser

157.735

1985

Danny Sullivan

152.982

 

(SWE)

 

1972

Mark

162.962

1986

Bobby Rahal

170.722

2000

Juan Montoya

167.607

 

Donohue

 

1987

Al Unser

162.175

 

(COL)

 

19733

Gordon

159.036

1988

Rick Mears

144.809

2001

Helio Castro-

153.601

 

Johncock

 

1989

Emerson Fitti-

167.581

 

neves (BRA)

\

1974

Johnny

158.589

 

paldi (BRA)

 

2002

Helio Castro-

166.499

 

Rutherford

 

1990

Arie Luyendyk

185.984

 

neves (BRA)

 

19753

Bobby Unser

149.213

 

(NED)

 

2003

Gil de Ferran

156.291

19763

Johnny

148.725

1991

Rick Mears

176.457

 

(BRA)

 

 

Rutherford

 

1992

Al Unser, Jr.

134.479

20043

Buddy Rice

138.518

1977

A.J. Foyt, Jr.

161.331

1993

Emerson Fitti-

157.207

2005

Dan Wheldon

157.603

1978

Al Unser

161.363

 

paldi (BRA)

 

 

(GBR)

 

1979

Rick Mears

158.899

1994

Al Unser, Jr.

160.872

2006

Sam Hornish, Jr.

157.085

1980

Johnny

142.862

1995

Jacques Ville-

153.616

2007

Dario Franchitti

151.774

 

Rutherford

 

 

neuve(CAN)

 

 

(GBR)

 

1981

Bobby Unser

139.084

1996

Buddy Lazier

147.956

2008

Scott Dixon (NZL) 143.567

Scheduled 300-mile race. 2First driver started the race but was replaced during the race by the second driver named. 3Race stopped because of rain (in 1926 after 400 miles, in 1950 after 345 miles, in 1973 after 332.5 miles, in 1975 after 435 miles, in 1976 after 255 miles, and in 2004 after 450 miles).

NASCAR Nextel Cup Champions

YEAR

WINNER

YEAR

WINNER

1949

Red Byron

1964

Richard Petty

1950

Bill Rexford

1965

Ned Jarrett

1951

Herb Thomas

1966

David Pearson

1952

Tim Flock

1967

Richard Petty

1953

Herb Thomas

1968

David Pearson

1954

Lee Petty

1969

David Pearson

1955

Tim Flock

1970

Bobby Isaac

1956

Buck Baker

1971

Richard Petty

1957

Buck Baker

1972

Richard Petty

1958

Lee Petty

1973

Benny Parsons

1959

Lee Petty

1974

Richard Petty

1960

Rex White

1975

Richard Petty

1961

Ned Jarrett

1976

Cale Yarborough

1962

Joe Weatherly

1977

Cale Yarborough

1963

Joe Weatherly

1978

Cale Yarborough

YEAR

WINNER

YEAR

WINNER

1979

Richard Petty

1994

Dale Earnhardt

1980

Dale Earnhardt

1995

Jeff Gordon

1981

Darrell Waltrip

1996

Terry Labonte

1982

Darrell Waltrip

1997

Jeff Gordon

1983

Bobby Allison

1998

Jeff Gordon

1984

Terry Labonte

1999

Dale Jarrett

1985

Darrell Waltrip

2000

Bobby Labonte

1986

Dale Earnhardt

2001

Jeff Gordon

1987

Dale Earnhardt

2002

Tony Stewart

1988

Bill Elliott

2003

Matt Kenseth

1989

Rusty Wallace

2004

Kurt Busch

1990

Dale Earnhardt

2005

Tony Stewart

1991

Dale Earnhardt

2006

Jimmie Johnson

1992

Alan Kulwicki

2007

Jimmie Johnson

1993

Dale Earnhardt

 

 

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