Road racing
Road racing's origins were centered in Western Europe and Great Britain as motor vehicles became more common in the early 20th century.
[1][5] By 1905, the Gordon Bennett Cup, organized by the Automobile Club de France, was considered the most important race in the world.
[23] As automobile and motorcycle technology improved, racers began to achieve higher speeds that caused an increasing number of accidents on roads not designed for motorized vehicles.
[1][25][26] After the First World War, automobile and motorcycle road racing competitions in Europe and in North America went in different directions.
[27] Certain European race circuits were situated in mountainous regions where the topography meant that the roads featured numerous curves and elevation changes, allowing the creation of sinuous and undulating race courses such as the Nürburgring in the Eifel mountains of Germany and the Circuit de Charade in the Chaîne des Puys in the Massif Central of France.
The 20.8 km (12.9 mi) long Nurburgring with more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) of elevation change from its lowest to highest points, was nicknamed "The Green Hell" by Jackie Stewart, due to its challenging nature.
[29] The sinuous track layout of the Charade circuit caused some drivers like Jochen Rindt in the 1969 French Grand Prix to complain of motion sickness, and wear open face helmets just in case.
[28] In 1949 the FIM introduced the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship with the 1949 Isle of Man TT being the inaugural event.
[27][33] The dangers associated with the increasing speeds at road races were highlighted by the 1955 Le Mans disaster.
[34] Auto racing was temporarily banned in several countries after the Le Mans disaster until safety was improved for spectators.
[35] The Formula One championship experienced its worst tragedy during the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, when driver Wolfgang von Trips lost control of his Ferrari and crashed into a stand full of spectators, killing 15 and himself.
[31][36] In 1970, Jochen Rindt won the Formula One drivers' championship posthumously, the only man to do so, underlining the continuing risks associated with road racing.
[38] After the von Trips accident in 1961, the Monza Circuit had been lined with steel barriers as a result of demands by automobile racers.
[40] By the late 1970s, the popularity of Grand Prix road racing attracted corporate sponsors and lucrative television contracts which, led to an increased level of professionalism.
[43] NASCAR held its first road race in 1957 at the Watkins Glen International circuit with Buddy Baker as the winner.
[46][47] Karting has become a significant step in the development of road racers including Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.
[50] Expansion of the Formula One and MotoGP series has resulted in many dedicated tracks being built, like in Qatar in the Middle East, Sepang in Malaysia, and Shanghai in China.
