Motor sport

First car competition

The beginning of the history of motor sport can be called the year 1894 . At the end of 1893 ( December 19 ), the publisher of the Paris newspaper Le Petit Journal, Pierre Giffard, announced the first car race (before that, in 1887, it had a competition for wheelchairs without help from one person). Her start was scheduled for July 22, 1894 . Participating " horseless carriages" had to cover a distance of 126 km from Paris to Rouen in less than eight and a half hours . The criterion of victory looked rather vague: the first prize of 5,000 francs was to go to the crew, who would demonstrate "the best combination of safety, economy and ease of management." Initially, 102 applicants submitted applications for participation with a wide variety of designs, among which were cars driven by steam , kerosene , gasoline and electricity ^[2] .

After the input technical control, the number of participants sharply decreased: there were only 25 of them left. On July 19, preliminary tests passed, and four more crews left the race. On the appointed day, July 22 , the race was given a start: 21 cars, leaving the distance with a 30-second interval, left Paris. The marquis Albert de Dion almost immediately became the leader on the De Dion-Buton steam car. The first section of the route was completed in Manta , to which the majority of the participants reached, and, after a rest break, they again went the distance. As a result, all 13 Peugeot and Panar-Levassor starters reached Rouen, and 12 of them met in the allotted time. Of the seven steam cars that started, only three were able to reach the finish line.

After the panel of judges investigated the finished cars, she awarded the first prize to Peugeot and Panard-Levassor cars jointly (equipped with Daimler engines with a capacity of 3-4 liters. Pp. ). The steam cars “ De Dion-Buton ”, which actually covered the distance in less time (their average speed was 17 km / h), were considered by the judges too cumbersome, thus denying the right to receive the first prize.

At the same time, it is considered that the first real motor racing in history took place along the route Paris- Bordeaux- Paris (distance of 1,200 km) in 1895 . The competition was held under the auspices of the Automotive Club of France , specially created for this purpose, which still exists today. It was assumed that participants would have to overcome this distance in 100 hours, but in reality its winner, Levassor at Panar-Levassor , passed it in 48 hours and 48 minutes (average speed at 24.14 km / h). Interestingly, a car with pneumatic tires first appeared on this race. The author of the idea, Andre Michelin , performed on it. Throughout the route, he placed a huge number of service points, but in the end he had to change tires so often that he simply did not meet the allotted time.

Motorsport Development

At about the same time, similar competitions took place in Germany , Italy , the United States of America and in Great Britain . And, interestingly, in the latter case, the competition was actually random. In 1896, the “Red Flag Act” was finally repealed (it was adopted in 1865 , and it required the following: there should be two drivers in each car, the car could move no faster than 4 miles per hour and should have followed a man with a red flag). With regard to such a joyous event, a spontaneous rally from London to Brighton was held. Naturally, without any prizes or winners.

Auto racing, having appeared in the XIX century, is the first time just an exotic entertainment. But with the development of car racing technology, they are becoming more and more interested in the participants of the competition (rich enthusiasts - fans of new technologies), spectators and organizers of the competitions. Thus, from the very beginning of the 20th century, car racing has won its place in the world.

Race Safety

The history of motor sport is replete with exciting sporting feats, significant technical achievements and, at the same time, tragedies. During the 24-hour race at Le Mans (in 1955), Mercedes Pierre Levega flew over the fence, killing more than 80 spectators from debris and flared fuel. After this event, the German automaker for a long time left motor racing. At the same time seat belts in Formula 1 were introduced only in the sixties.

In connection with this tragedy in Switzerland were prohibited any manifestations of motor racing. On March 16, 2015, the government amended the ban and allowed Formula E racing to be held in the country ^[3] .

The current state of safety in motor racing

Today, safety in motor racing is in the first place. Technical sports are very spectacular and very profitable, a striking example of which is Formula 1.

Widespread in a wide variety of motor racing (as well as in powerboat ) received a system of protection of the head and neck of the driver HANS . The use of HANS is mandatory in Formula 1 since 2003 .

The types of car competitions can be classified according to the type of tracks on which competitions are held, according to the features of racing equipment, according to the features of sports regulations , etc. Below are (without classification by some attribute) some types of motor sport.

Ring Car Racing

Competitions are held on a closed asphalt road, through which riders pass a certain number of laps.

Most modern circuit racing is carried out on the tracks with a shape different from the oval or circle, full of turns: apexes , chicane and studs , which increases the requirements for equipment, the ability of racers (pilots) and increases the entertainment of the competition.

Ring races are very popular with the spectators, as the racers and their cars are visible to the spectator on the stands most of the time of the race, and before his eyes is most often one of the racers. For viewers of this type of racing is preferable than others, due to the tight fight on the track, overtaking, frequent accidents, pit stops .

Most of the ring car races are held on solid ground, although in northern countries competitions are held on ice (snow tracks), and there are also ring races on unpaved surfaces.

This type of racing includes:

• Russian Touring Car Championship (RTCC) - (Grand Prix RTCC) is a professional bodywork championship in automotive circuit racing. The status of competitions - the Championship of Russia, the Cup of Russia.
• NASCAR - races in body cars, held in the United States .
• Formula 1 - racing on cars with open wheels and a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine and two elements of electrical energy recovery (kinetic from the MGU-K system and thermal from the MGU-H system). Formula 1 cars are considered the fastest ring racing cars. The average speed at some stages exceeds 250 km / h, and the maximum - 360 km / h. Trumps of this class are effective brakes and aerodynamics . Of all classes of racing, Formula 1 is the most expensive; The budgets of the leading teams are several hundred million US dollars .
• DTM - German body racing championship.
• IndyCar - American racing on cars with open wheels.
• A1 Grand Prix - “competition of nations”, made in contrast to Formula 1. Unlike Formula 1, this is a mono class: only one car is allowed. Designed for lower financial costs of teams, shorter duration of the race and more entertainment than Formula 1.
• Formula Russia - Russian class ring racing on race cars Formula RUS. There was from 2001 to 2006. This is a mono class: only one car is allowed. Unlike many other mono-classes, in the Formula RUS Championship, servicing and repairing machines is done only by the organizer, all pilots have the same race car settings. From 2013 to 2015 was held under the name Formula Masters.
• ShortCut CUP - Russian project KB 527 - Monoclass only for ShortCut cars, the production of ShortCut cars under license of KB 527 - the company DK Racing is engaged.

Endurance Racing

• 24 hours Le Mans
• Le Mans Series
• Russian Endurance Challenge - Russian 4-hour endurance race.

Rally

Rally is a type of races where riders travel from point A to point B, that is, the track in this type of race is not closed (and part of the track can be passed more than once). Unlike the ring car races, where the tracks are built specially, the rally tracks are most often public roads, partially blocked only during the competition or in general terrain. The type of coating, respectively, is different: soil, asphalt, snow (ice), gravel, sand. In such races there is no strict fencing of the track. On the tracks of this type, there are often jumps and complex bundles of turns, which each of the crews goes through in its own way (there is no ideal trajectory).

For orientation at very high speed, pilots use the help of navigators, who follow special road maps and inform pilots of upcoming turns and obstacles.

For a long time, the rally did not attract many spectators, as the spectator on the track saw the cars very rarely and almost never saw a real fight for a place (overtaking). But with the development of television, rally gained considerable popularity among television viewers.

The rally route of the first category ( Championship and Cup of Russia) consists of high-speed sections (specially blocked sections of the road) connected by a stretch of roads (public roads). Crews start at high-speed sections (SU) at intervals, usually 1 or 2 minutes, and must drive the entire route of each special stage as quickly as possible. On hauls the speed of the crews is limited by the rules (SDA) and the time norms set by the organizer of the competition. The winner is the crew that passed the special stages for the minimum time (the sum of all SUs).

Trophy

Trophy is a competition for off-road vehicles (sometimes trucks, special motorcycles, less often on cars) over rough terrain. This type includes, for example, trophy raids . For the trophy, the organizers choose routes with the most poor conditions for driving (swamps, rivers, impassable forests, snow-covered areas or any other off-road type). Therefore, despite the fact that the competition is held for a while, the riders pass the track in a rather slow mode. Basically, all competitions consist, as in other disciplines, of several special stages (SU), cars are issued one by one, the winner is the one who will go the distance in less time. The special stages are linear and navigation (held in the form of orientation ). In the navigation sections, there is often a general start for all participants.

Very often, the crew consists of more than two people to be able to overcome very difficult obstacles, and special tools and equipment are used for this: shovels, home-made platforms, winches, ropes, etc.

At competitions of this kind, the one who, in principle, will be able to overcome obstacles, often wins, since the other participants will not be able to do this at all, so the participants use their technique very slowly and carefully. Since the complexity and danger of a competition is very high (the death of participants happens quite often), mutual assistance is widespread at these competitions even among direct competitors. We can say that the trophy is a walking tour on wheels.

Participate in such competitions to test themselves and their equipment. Fans are very often members of the team, and there are almost never spectators, as such competitions are held in impassable places far from populated areas. About such competitions in specialized media there are reports on the results of the competition.

Autocross

Racing on the dirt ring road. They are popular on the territory of the former USSR , since a sufficiently modified road car is enough for participation, and these races are quite spectacular:

• viewers see most of the track;
• riders compete directly with each other, and not for a while;
• often occur touch between cars;
• surface irregularities, pits, springboards, descents and ascents add to the appeal.

Autocross suit on cars and trucks, as well as buggy - single cars with exterior wheels and frame structure, made specifically for such races.

Currently in Russia, stages of championships, cups and national championships are held annually, using all types of the above equipment ^[4] . Plus, there are a number of local races, for example, the Silver Boat autocross, which takes place on the Day of Machine Builder in Togliatti .

Note: In different countries, the term autocross means different racing disciplines. For example, in the United States , the word autocross or Solo means a sport that most resembles an autoslide - single runs on a flat asphalt ground on a highway marked with cones.

Autoslice

Avtoslalom ("figure driving", "high-speed maneuvering") - a race for a time on the territory marked with racks (cones, tires) with a difficult track (sharp turns, snakes, turns 180 degrees back and forth, etc.). The driver needs to feel well the dimensions of his car, to be able to maneuver in reverse, to accurately meter out the traction on the driving wheels, to choose the best trajectory of movement, to master the methods of stabilization and high-speed turns. At any time, there is only one car on the track, which excludes the possibility of contact between the participants. Due to low speeds and the absence of hard obstacles, the autoslide is mainly carried out on production cars (without safety cages), the rider is fastened with the usual three-point belt, sometimes the presence of a helmet is obligatory. He was invented in the Soviet Union for professional civilian drivers in order to stimulate improved driving skills. For participants, not only athletes, but also ordinary amateurs, they developed several typical "figures", for example, "box", "courtyard" or "pads", which actually reproduced the most problematic cases that occur in ordinary urban conditions.

Autotrial (Trial)

Competitions to overcome almost impassable, very short, often specially prepared tracks. Especially spectacular is the Tractal ( monster truck competition).

Drag Racing

Competitions for overclocking in a straight line.

Even before the Second World War, motorists organized competitions for dispersal on public roads, mainly for a quarter of a mile (402 m ). In 1950 , in the city of Santa Ana , California , the first official drag racing competition was held at a local aerodrome . By the way, NHRA ( National Hot Rod Association ) was created in order to stop the race on the streets. The most common distance is a classic ¼ mile.

Drag racing is arranged both on ordinary cars and on race cars built specifically for this ( drag sever ). A road car travels a quarter mile in 16 seconds , while a Top Fuel class dregster covers it in less than 5 s, developing acceleration in excess of 4 g .

Amateur drag racing is gaining popularity in Russia. In many large cities, competitions are held periodically. The construction of the first drag racing route in Russia was completed on May 29, 2005, near the settlement of Balakht and the Krasnoyarsk Zagorje sanatorium 200 km from Krasnoyarsk. June 24, 2006 the track was named in honor of Michael Dereshev. Until 2007, drag racing competitions were held on the route - “GT-Session of Siberia and the Far East”. Until 2008, the largest competition in Russia was the Absolute Drag Battle in the middle of Russia , which took place in Krasnoyarsk since 2004 .

Drift

Competitions on cars when driving in a controlled drift. In contrast to the traditional types of motor sport, the decisive factors affecting the victory are not the time of passing the track, but the technique of driving a car in a drift, passing clip-points and entertainment. It is because of the latter factor that drifting is often not perceived as a serious form of motor sport, but rather as a kind of show. However, in such regions of the world as Japan (the homeland of drift), the USA, England, Europe and Australia, drift has already gained enough momentum to be considered a separate discipline of motor sport. In 2010, the RAF ^[5] . made a drift in the list of official disciplines.

Race for survival

Competition on the cross ring with sports regulations, allowing you to push rivals off the track or on your way with impunity. This type of racing has been held in Russia since 1992-1993. It was designed to make the track the most dangerous and bumpy for participants. Some organizers of the race for survival make dangerous turns, ramps and ups on the track in order to increase the entertainment of races. Usually there are winter and summer stages of the race for survival. There are special arenas (platforms fenced by a barrier) in which participants crash into each other.

Carting

Racing on the cards - small cars consisting of a frame, a motorcycle engine and a seat. The card is cheaper than any race car, and is relatively safe. Therefore, karting is an ideal sport for beginner riders - as well as recreation for people not associated with auto racing. The pleasure card has an engine with a power of about 9 horsepower and has a speed of about 50 km / h ; sports can develop over 200 km / h.

Other types of competitions

There were and still are many other varieties of competitions, for example, uphill competitions, endurance races (including 24-hour marathons) and other, much less traditional forms of motor sport.

The main motor sport organization is the International Automobile Federation (IAF). Under her subordination are the national federations of motor racing, including the Russian Automobile Federation (RAF).

• Road-racing auto racing:
  • Formulas: Formula 1 , IndyCar , Super League Formula , Formula 2 , GP2 , GP2 Asia , Formula 3 , World Renault Series , International Formula Master , Formula Russia .
  • Sports prototypes: Le Mans Series (SLM) , American Le Mans Series (ASLM) , Grand Am .
  • Body races: RRC , FIA GT , Le Mans Series (SLM) , NASCAR , DTM , World Championship Touring , SpeedCar , Superstars .

• Rally :
  • Classic Rally: World Rally Championship , Intercontinental Rally Championship
  • Rally raids : Dakar Rally , Rally Raid World Cup , Rally, Africa Rally, Silk Road Rally .

Greatest Races

• Monaco Grand Prix (Formula 1)
• 24 Hours Nürburgring (Body Championship)
• 500 miles of Indianapolis (IndyCar)
• 24 Hours Le Mans (WEC)
• 24 Hours Daytona (Grand Am)
• 24 Hours Spa (European Championship FIA GT2)
• Monte Carlo Rally
• Dakar Rally
• Macau Grand Prix (Formula 3)

Unusual Races

• Bison-Track-Show Tractor Racing.

• Avtodor
• Motorsport in the USSR
• Russia in motor sports
• Auto Racing Dictionary

• Motor sport in Russia and in the world
• Motorsport in Russia
• International Automobile Federation (eng.)
• Motor sport in Russia and in the world
• Motorsport in Belarus
• History of Motorsport in Russian