Some Of The Most Popular Car Races Held Around The World

(Photo credit: sportscarforums.org but I added the text)

Have you ever imagined you were racing around in your new Jaguar sports car about to win a race and then wake up. Well here’s the next best thing, watching some of the most popular races. Car racing has been around since the early part of the 20th Century. Since then, it has gone on to become popular in many countries around the world. In terms of spectators, it is the second most popular sport globally. Only football boasts greater fan attendance. There are several key car races that fans of this sport look forward to every year:

Indianapolis 500

This is a 500-mile race that is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The first race was held in 1911. It is traditional held on the weekend of the American holiday known as Memorial Day. 200 laps around the oval track are necessary to finish the race. The cars that are driven in the race are IndyCar class, a name derived from the name of the race. These are open-wheel race cars. Rick Mears, Al Unser and A.J. Foyt all share the record of four wins in this race. The original purse for the 1911 race was $US25,000. This was a spectacular amount of money for a car race being held one century ago. The event was so successful that the purse was doubled for the following year. During the 1950s, a large influx of European drivers started to compete in the race. Since then, some of the best performers in the Indianapolis 500 have been European.

Daytona 500

This is a 500-mile race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. It is held at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. It is often referred to as the “Great American Race.” It was first held in 1959. Richard Petty has won the race a record seven times. The cars driven in this race are stock cars, which are traditionally driven on the NASCAR racing circuit. The Daytona International Speedway is a 2.5-mile (4 km) track. The race requires a total of 200 laps to complete.

Monaco Grand Prix

This is a Formula One race that takes place on the Circuit de Monaco. It is a street circuit in the streets of La Condamine and Monte Carlo around the principality of Monaco. It is 2.075 miles (3.340 km) in length. A total of 78 laps are required to finish the race. AyrtonSenna of Brazil holds the record for most wins with six. He also won the race a record five consecutive times from 1989-1993. The race was held for the first time in 1929.

24 Hours of Le Mans

This is a 24-hour race that is held annually in Le Mans, France. It was first held in 1923. Tom Kristensen of Denmark has won the race a record eight times in his career. The race covers a total of 3,110 miles (5,000 km) over 24 hours. In the early days of the race, there were no restrictions on how many drivers must be used. Some drivers actually tried to complete the entire race by themselves. However, as the years went by, rules were added to increase driver safety. Three drivers are now required for each car. No driver is allowed to drive for more than four hours consecutively.

Author Bio: Jack has been a mechanic for 10 years and is a complete rev head. He has 5 cars to his name, and his past time hobbies include redoing old cars, travelling, going to car shows and writing blogs about cars.