11 Race Car Facts: Read About These Automobiles Known For Their Speed | Kidadl

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11 Race Car Facts: Read About These Automobiles Known For Their Speed

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The modern sport of automobile racing can give you both the chills and the thrills.

The world of motorsport revolves around racers and their cars. Whereas Formula 1 or F1 is the most-viewed car racing event worldwide, NASCAR drivers also garner much attention from the sports media for their daredevilry on the closed circuits.

The most famous racing cars in automobile racing are Formula 1 race cars. Other significant varieties of cars include rally cars and stock cars.

History Of Race Cars

Car racing has a long and illustrious history.

Official sources suggest that the first automobile racing competition took place in 1895 in France. This car racing contest required the participating racing cars to march from Paris and head to Bordeaux.

The first racetrack in the world came up a few years later in England in 1907. It was named 'Brooklands.'

In the earliest phases of automobile racing, regular cars were used in races. 

Eventually, however, racing cars like the Bugatti Type 35 started to be manufactured on a large scale to be used, especially as race cars.

Design And Speed Of Race Cars

In the modern era of racing, a plethora of vehicles are seen plying their trade in motorsports. 

Formula 1 cars use VB engines and are run by digital management systems.

F1 race cars have sleek bodies that help them reach average speeds of around 186.4 mph (300 kph).

To generate that insane speed, race car engines handle an enormous amount of pressure for long periods of time. Therefore, each racing car gets a new engine once every four to five races.

NASCAR Cup Series cars lined up on pit road

Most Popular Race Cars

The sport thrives on the developments made in the arena of race car technology and advancement.

The Ferrari car manufacturing company is based in Maranello, Italy and has been at the forefront of automobile racing for a very long time. 

Ferrari cars have raced worldwide, and the drivers who have operated these fantastic race cars have won trophies and championships in Le Mans and Formula 1.

Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher won five driver championship titles for the Scuderia Ferrari team from 2000-2004.

Ferrari has also built cars for several other racing competitions, like the A1 Grand Prix Series from 2008 to 2009.

The Ferrari F430 GT and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano participated in other Grand Prix competitions, including the GT racing series and premier Grand Prix events.

Porsche is another company that has shelled out outstanding racing cars over the years. The Porsche 917 had achieved legendary status at the Le Mans by winning back-to-back titles in 1970 and 1971.

FAQs

What is the fastest race car?

The current fastest race car is the IndyCar, which can reach a top speed of 231 mph (373 kph).

How fast is a race car?

Race cars can reach over 200 mph (321.87 kph). During races, a race car can go from 0 mph (0 kph) to 60 mph (96.56 kph) within 3 seconds.

Who invented the race car?

Since Karl Benz was the inventor of the gasoline-powered engine in 1886. He is credited with being the primary influence behind the invention of the race car.

What was the first race car?

The first race car was most likely the motor wagon invented by Franck Duryea.

What makes a car a race car?

A race car is explicitly manufactured to achieve speeds much greater than ordinary cars. They are built to compete in races and have features that are commonly not found in regular vehicles.

Main Image credit: Grindstone Media Group / Shutterstock.com

Second Image credit: Bruce Alan Bennett / Shutterstock.com

Rajnandini is an art lover and enthusiastically likes to spread her knowledge. With a Master of Arts in English, she has worked as a private tutor and, in the past few years, has moved into content writing for companies such as Writer's Zone. Trilingual Rajnandini has also published work in a supplement for 'The Telegraph', and had her poetry shortlisted in Poems4Peace, an international project. Outside work, her interests include music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading. She is fond of classic British literature.

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