Car Racing Explained
Cars have been raced ever since they were invented. The first was organized in 1887 in Paris, France but with only one competitor, it was hardly a competition. In 1894, also in Paris, the first multi-car race was organized. Since then car racing has grown and developed into a multi-discipline, international sport. The most successful racing drivers will be able to bring together a variety of skills to get to the finish line first.
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History
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The 1894 Paris - Rouen competition had 25 cars entered the main race. The race was jointly won by Georges Lemaître from Peugeot and René Panhard in his own Panhard car. Most of the cars averaged less than 11 mph.
The first racetrack built specifically for car racing was constructed in 1907 in Surrey, England. The Indianapolis Speedway in Indiana opened in 1909 using a similar design. By the 1920s and 30s racing was established at Daytona Beach, Florida. It was home to early land-speed attempts and those races led to the development of NASCAR racing. Developments in technology after World War II led to other racing disciplines such as the Formula One, World Touring Car and World Rally championships.
Racing Line
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Race car drivers will try to take the shortest path around a circuit to reach the finish line. This means meeting the apex of each corner and reducing sudden movements across the track. This practice is known as finding the "racing line." The best racing line at a corner can depend on the car, the speed, the best point to hit the brakes as well as the location of the apex. The apex of a corner is the point at which you are closest to the inside of the corner, and drivers aim to meet it as smoothly as possible to gain a neat racing line through the corner.
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Oversteer/Understeer
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The fastest racing cars manage their oversteer and understeer effectively. Oversteer occurs when the driver has to work to prevent the car turning into a corner suddenly. Too much oversteer can result in a car cutting the inside of a corner or the rear end of the car spinning the vehicle around. On the other hand, understeer means the driver is unable to make the car turn into a corner fast enough, which can result in the vehicle feeling out of control or loose.
Good racing cars will have a controlled amount of understeer or oversteer built in. The amount will depend on how the driver likes the car to handle. Some drivers prefer a slight amount of understeer while some prefer a car to oversteer.
Pit Stops
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Most kinds of professional car racing have pit stops as a part of a race. The pit stops are a chance for a racing team to refuel their car, change to new tires and make any adjustments. The ideal strategy will allow the driver to gain a big enough lead with a reduced amount of fuel so he can visit the pit lane without losing the lead of the race.
Professional Formula One pit crews are able to refuel and change the tires of their teams' car in around 7 seconds.
Overtaking
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Judging the best time and method to pass another car depends greatly on the skill of the driver. A driver will often use a "slipstreaming" or drafting method to catch and pass his opponent. A slipstream is a partial vacuum created in the wake of a moving car. This vacuum means the chasing car does not have to push through as much air as the leading car. Drivers will stay in the draft of the car in front of them until the last possible moment before attempting to move alongside and pass.
Another popular method of overtaking is for a driver to position his vehicle inside that of his opponent in the run up to a corner. This means the overtaking driver will have the inside line going into the corner and the opponent either has to yield the position or risk a collision.
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References
- Photo Credit racing car image by Goran Bogicevic from Fotolia.com
