Global InformationSports car racing information
 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (April 2023) |
 | |
| Highest governing body | ACO (1923–present) FIA (2012–present) IMSA (1969–present) GARRA (2000–2013) |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Yes |
| Team members | Yes |
| Mixed-sex | Yes |
| Type | Outdoor |
| Venue | Road and street courses (Oval minority) |
Sports car racing is a form of motorsport road racing which utilises sports cars that have two seats and enclosed wheels. They may be purpose-built prototypes or grand tourers based on road-going models. Sports car racing is one of the main types of circuit auto racing, alongside open-wheel racing (such as Formula One), touring car racing (such as the British Touring Car Championship, which is based on 'saloon cars' as opposed to the 'exotics' seen in sports cars) and stock car racing (such as NASCAR). Sports car races are often, though not always, endurance races that are run over particularly long distances or large amounts of time, resulting in a larger emphasis on the reliability and efficiency of the car and its drivers as opposed to outright car performance or driver skills. The FIA World Endurance Championship is an example of one of the best known sports car racing series.
A type of hybrid between the purism of open-wheelers and the familiarity of touring car racing, this style is often best associated with the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. First run in 1923, Le Mans is one of the oldest motor races still in existence.[1] Other classic but now defunct sports car races include the Italian classics, the Targa Florio (1906–1977) and Mille Miglia (1927–1957), and the Mexican Carrera Panamericana (1950–1954). Most top-class sports car races emphasise endurance (generally between 6 and 24 hours), reliability, and strategy, over pure speed. Longer races usually involve complex pit strategy and regular driver changes. As a result, sports car racing is seen more as a team endeavour than an individual sport, with team managers such as John Wyer, Tom Walkinshaw, driver-turned-constructor Henri Pescarolo, Peter Sauber and Reinhold Joest becoming almost as famous as some of their drivers.
The prestige of storied marques such as Porsche, Audi,[2] Chevrolet, Ferrari, Jaguar, Bentley, Aston Martin, Lotus, Maserati, Lamborghini, Alfa Romeo, Lancia, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW is built in part upon success in sports car racing. These makers' top road cars have often been very similar both in engineering and styling to those raced. This close association with the 'exotic' nature of the cars serves as a useful distinction between sports car racing and touring cars.[3]
The 12 Hours of Sebring, 24 Hours of Daytona, and 24 Hours of Le Mans have in the past been considered the Triple Crown of endurance car racing.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:0was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Audi Sport". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
- ^ Brooklyn, Billie B. (15 December 2014). Sports Car Racing. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. ISBN 978-1-4994-0166-0.