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65-459: Altamont Raceway Park is a motorsports race track in the western United States , located in northern California , west of Tracy . It opened on July 22, 1966, and operated under the names Altamont Speedway , Altamont Raceway , Altamont Motorsports Park , Altamont Raceway Park and Arena , and Bernal Memorial Raceway . After 42 years' operation, the speedway closed in October 2008; the site

130-410: A 250 hp Honda K20A engine . A1 Grand Prix ( A1GP ) was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport". Also, the series attracted equal numbers of (former or future) Formula One drivers and IndyCar Series drivers. The concept

195-434: A choice of chassis or engines and the control or "spec" formula that relies on a single supplier for chassis and engines. Formula Three is an example of an open formula, while Formula BMW is a control formula. There are also some exceptions on these two forms like Formula Ford where there is an open chassis formula but a restricted single brand engine formula. While Formula One is the most expensive form of motorsport in

260-427: A discipline are formula racing , touring car racing , sports car racing , etc. The first prearranged match race of two self-powered road vehicles over a prescribed route occurred in the north west of England at 4:30 A.M. on August 30, 1867, between Ashton-under-Lyne and Old Trafford, Manchester , a distance of eight miles. It was won by the locomotive of Isaac Watt Boulton , one of six he said he had run over

325-411: A driver to earn up to €2.2 million over the course of the season. This was all done to give drivers a chance to earn a living from motorsport. By 2011, the link with football was fading with more than half the teams no longer associated with football teams, The later races of the season did not take place, and no further seasons were organised. See: Formula Challenge Japan Formula Asia V6 (Renault)

390-593: A high-speed test, car handling manoeuvres can be tested such as precision drifting , donuts, handbrake turns, reversing and so on. Other disciplines of automobile sport include: The international motorcycle sport governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee is the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Disciplines include: The international powerboating governing body recognised by

455-591: A hill, at private and closed roadways where higher speeds and distances can be reached than at an autotesting course for example. Time attack are terms used by series that run sprints at racing circuits where competitors try to set the quickest lap time rather than racing head-to-head with others. Time trials are run by the Sports Car Club of America , amongst others. Rallysprints are mainly sanctioned and held in continental Europe. Ultimately, they are similar to other time trial sprints but originate from

520-403: A much more important role. Occasionally the term “wings and slicks racing” is used to distinguish the faster categories. In the process of reviving Grand Prix racing after the end of World War II, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile 's Commission Sportive Internationale was responsible for defining the standardised regulations of Formula One (F1) in 1946. The first race to be run to

585-678: A new addition to the Road to Indy pathway, sanctioned by USAC in 2022, it is the equivalent to Formula 4. Super Formula , previously known as Formula Nippon , is the premier level of Japanese formula racing. It began as the Japanese Formula 2000 series in 1973 and continued to use Formula Two regulations after European Formula Two had ended in 1984. In 1987 the series switched to the Formula 3000 standard so that Japanese and European regulations paralleled one another again. However, in 1996,

650-461: A number of controversial rule changes that brought the series out of alignment with similar SCCA classes, which led to a reduction in participation and the end of the series in 2006. In 2010, the series returned under the leadership of Andersen with the intent to return F2000 to its status as a feeder formula for higher open wheel racing classes in the United States . The USF Juniors is

715-452: A race is between competitors running head-to-head, in its International Sporting Code, the FIA defines racing as two or more cars competing on the same course simultaneously. Circuit racing takes place on sealed-surface courses at permanent autodromes or on temporary street circuits . Competitors race over a set number of laps of the circuit with the winner being the first to finish, or for

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780-600: A race on the NASCAR Camping World West Series schedule, the Dan Gamel RV Centers 200 in the fall. Additionally, Formula 4, Sprint Cars, Motorcycle races and the 24 Hours of LeMons were held at the racetrack, the latter being a play on the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans . However, in the place of top dollar racing machines, the 24 Hours of LeMons features cars with a maximum price of $ 500 (excluding safety gear, brakes and tires), hence

845-464: A sealed surface such as asphalt or concrete. Notable off-road races on open terrain include the Baja 1000 desert race, organised by SCORE International . The FIA authorise Extreme E , an electric off-road series whose organisers have announced a hydrogen fuel series, Extreme H, to begin in 2025. Examples of off-road racing disciplines and series include: Drag racing is an acceleration contest from

910-493: A set length of time with the winner having completed the highest number of laps, with others classified subsequently. Circuit racing replaced point-to-point (city-to-city) racing early in the history of motorsport, for both spectator appeal and as safety concerns brought in regulation of the sport, forcing organisers to use closed, marshalled and policed circuits on closed public roads. Aspendale Racecourse in Australia in 1906

975-399: A standing start along a short and straight course. Vehicles of various types can compete, usually between two vehicles. Winners can be the first to finish of competing pairs or by setting the fastest time, and competitions may have heats and/or series of runs. Kart racing is a form of circuit racing using very small and low vehicles not considered as automobiles known as go-karts. It is one of

1040-453: Is a form of motorsport where drivers intentionally lose rolling traction in corners through oversteering but maintain momentum with effective throttle control, clutch use and corrective steering. In competition a panel of judges award marks on artistry and car control through the corner or series of corners. Competitions often feature pairs of cars driving together where a lead car and a chase car go head-to-head, with only one car going through to

1105-582: Is an open-wheel racing car category intended for junior drivers. There is no global championship, but rather individual nations or regions can host their own championships in compliance with a universal set of rules and specifications. The category was created by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)—the International sanctioning and administrative body for motorsport—as an entry-level category for young drivers, bridging

1170-495: Is any of several forms of open-wheeled single-seater motorsport . The origin of the term lies in the nomenclature that was adopted by the FIA for all of its post- World War II single-seater regulations, or formulae. The best known of these formulae are Formula One , Formula E , Formula Two , Formula Three , regional Formula Three and Formula Four . Common usage of "formula racing" encompasses other single-seater series, including

1235-498: Is called a series, and a grouping of competitions often forms the basis of a championship , cup or trophy . Not all nations have a sporting authority affiliated with the FIA, some disciplines may not fall within the FIA's remit of control, or organisations may choose to ignore the claim of the authority of others. Examples include banger racing and stock car racing in the United Kingdom which are claimed by both

1300-404: Is just south of the junction of Interstates 205 and 580 . The Raceway Park contained a variety of different racetrack configurations including a 1/2 mile oval, 1/4 mile oval, 1.1-mile (1.8 km) road course, and a figure 8 track . The course was the state's largest oval racetrack north of Los Angeles. The track featured a pit lane that was uncharacteristic when compared to larger ovals for

1365-530: Is the top feeder series for the IndyCar Series , similar to F1 's relationship with Formula 2 . The original Indy Lights (known as "American Racing Series") acted as a developmental circuit for CART from 1986 to 2001 . The current series was founded in 2002 by IndyCar. The USF Pro 2000 Championship formally known as Indy Pro 2000 Championship has been an officially sanctioned development series since 2011, when it became governed by IndyCar, although

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1430-481: The IndyCar Series and the Super Formula Championship . Lower categories such as Formula Three and Formula Two are described as junior formulae , lower formulae or feeder formulae , referring to their position below top-level series like Formula One on their respective career ladders of single-seater motor racing. There are two primary forms of racing formula: the open formula that allows

1495-744: The International Olympic Committee is the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM). The organisation's origins date back to 1922. The international air sports governing body recognised by the International Olympic Committee is the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). The FAI also governs non-powered air sport such as gliding and ballooning, however its motorised sports include: Formula racing Formula racing , also known as open-wheel racing in North America,

1560-632: The United States , dirt track racing became popular. After World War II , the Grand Prix circuit became more formally organised. In the United States, stock car racing and drag racing became firmly established. The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), formed in 1904, is the oldest and most prominent international governing body. It claims to be the sole international motor sporting authority for automobiles and other land vehicles with four or more wheels, whilst acknowledging

1625-631: The ASNs must be obtained to organise events using their rules, and their licenses must be held by participants. Not all ASNs function in the same manner, some are private companies such as Motorsport UK, some are supported by the state such as France's FFSA, or in the case of the US's ACCUS, a council of sanctioning bodies is the national representative at FIA meetings. ASNs, their affiliated clubs or independent commercial promotors organise motorsport events which often include competitions . A collective of events

1690-456: The F1 events format. It was created to take over from the various F3 championships around the world after the FIA deemed that the title "Formula 3" would be exclusively used by the series that runs on F1 weekends known previously as GP3. Each championship corresponds to one specific region: Asia, Americas, Europe, India, Japan, Middle East and Oceania (New Zealand). FIA Formula 4 , also called FIA F4,

1755-473: The International Formula 3000 series became a one-make format to reduce costs and the Japanese Formula broke away, changing the series' name to Formula Nippon. Formula Nippon featured chassis supplied by Lola , Reynard and G-Force until 2001 and 2002 when G-Force and Reynard withdrew, while Mugen - Honda supplied most engines. In 2006, the regulations were changed drastically – the chassis

1820-620: The Italian Formula 3000 series. At first, nearly all races were held in Italy, but the series expanded throughout Europe quickly. In 2001 the series became European Formula 3000 and in 2004 Superfund became the title sponsor, planning to set up the Formula Superfund series. However, the funding was pulled and the series was cancelled. Therefore, Coloni Motorsport re-established the Italian Formula 3000 and expanded this in 2006 to

1885-639: The Oshkosh and the Green Bay (the machines were referred to by their town of origin). This is examined and illustrated in detail in The Great Race of 1878 by Richard Backus, Farm Collector, May/June 2004. In 1894, the French newspaper Le Petit Journal organised a contest for horseless carriages featuring a run from Paris to Rouen. This is widely accepted as the world's first motorsport event, and

1950-690: The Oval Racing Council and the National Stock car Association, despite the claim by the FIA affiliated ASN, Motorsport UK , to be the "governing body of all four-wheel motorsport in the UK". SCORE International , National Auto Sport Association and National Off-Road Racing Association of the United States are also not members of the FIA affiliation system but may work with members for international matters. Although English dictionaries do not unanimously agree and singularly define that

2015-412: The authority of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) over vehicles with one to three wheels, which FIM calls motorcycle sport. FIM and FIA are both recognised as international sports federations by the International Olympic Committee . Within the FIA's structure, each affiliated National Sporting Authority ( ASN ) is recognised as the sole authority in their nation. Permission of

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2080-519: The cars and courses used in special stage rallying with the elements of navigation and itinerary removed, and not necessarily requiring a co-driver to call pacenotes . Rallying involves driving to a set itinerary, following a prescribed route and arriving and departing at control points at set times with penalties applied for diverging from the route or arriving late and early. Rallies nearly always involve routes on open roads, closed special stages are used on some rallies where competitors drive against

2145-462: The cars, although many cars ran with smaller engines. International Formula Master , a.k.a. Formula Super 2000 , was conceived as a competitor for Formula Three . It started in 2005 as the 3000 Pro Series , organised by Peroni Promotion. MTC Organisation took over in 2006 and turned it into a support series for the WTCC . Drivers used second-hand Formula 2000 cars made by Tatuus that were powered by

2210-698: The championship was intended by the FIA to serve as an R&D platform for the electric vehicle and promote interest in EVs and sustainability. The series races predominately on temporary circuits in cities such as New York , Hong Kong , Zürich , Berlin , Rome , and Paris in events known as "ePrix". In order to cap costs but maintain technological development, the series uses a spec chassis and battery that must be used by all entrants, with competing teams permitted to design and build their own motors, inverter and rear suspension. The series has gained significant traction in recent years. The FIA Formula 2 Championship

2275-699: The clock, the winner having the shortest, lowest average or total time. Hillclimbing events often include classes of competition for various categories and ages of vehicle and so may be incorporated into car shows or festivals of motoring such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed . Hill climb courses can be short at less than 1 mile, or several miles long such as the 12.42 mile Pikes Peak course in Colorado , USA. Sprints are governed by national FIA member ASNs in United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia, amongst other places. They are held on courses that do not climb

2340-519: The clock. The classification of these rallies are determined by summing the times set with the fastest crews being victorious, as found in the World Rally Championship . This method is often called rally racing or stage rallying informally, whilst rallies that do not include special stages are distinctly regularity rallies . Rallies that include routes that cover terrain off-road are also known as rally raid or cross-country rallies,

2405-538: The details of the vehicles are recorded in the contemporary press, The Engineer , and in Fletcher's books. The Wisconsin legislature passed an act in 1875 offering a substantial purse for the first US motor race, which was run on July 16, 1878, over a 200-mile course from Green Bay to Appleton, Oshkosh, Waupon, Watertown, Fort Atkinson and Janesville, then turning north and ending in Madison. Only two actually competed:

2470-580: The early Formula One regulations was a non-championship Grand Prix in Turin in September 1946. The first officially recognised Formula One season was held in 1947 and the World Championship for Drivers was inaugurated in 1950 . Formula E is the highest class of competition for single-seat, electrically powered racing cars , which held its inaugural season in 2014–15 . Conceived in 2012,

2535-468: The gap between karting and Formula 3. The series is a part of the FIA Global Pathway. The IndyCar Series is the premier level of formula racing in North America . The sport, in general, traces its roots as far back as 1905. The current series, founded by then- Indianapolis Motor Speedway CEO Tony George , began in 1996 as the "Indy Racing League" (IRL). In 2008 , the series merged with

2600-439: The general form of time trials and sprints. Hillclimbing is the most widely known form of time-trial due to its status as the only time trial or sprint form to have international FIA championships and endorsement. Its origins begin near the start of motorsport, particularly with the trials held that tested the capabilities of early automobiles to tackle uphill gradients. Contestants complete an uphill course individually and against

2665-447: The general rule of participants completing a course individually with the intention of setting the shortest time or highest average speed. This form of motorsport can be recreational or when competitive, rules may vary slightly such as whether to include the total time of several runs, the best time set, or the average pace of multiple courses to classify competitors. Qualifying sessions for circuit races and special stages in rallying take

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2730-582: The most famous example being the Dakar Rally . In the United States, the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) was founded in 1967 along with the Baja 1000 . Since the 1990s, this race has been organised by SCORE International whilst NORRA's events have closer followed the FIA regulations and standards for cross country rallies, although the association has no affiliation to ACCUS , the US's FIA member. Drifting

2795-494: The next heat or winning the competition. Autocross has multiple general meanings based on country of use. Also known as Autocross in US and Canada and Autoslalom in Continental Europe, these similar disciplines are held in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. They involve precise car control, usually but not always against the clock on very short and compact temporary courses. Rather than being

2860-527: The notorious and ill-fated Altamont Free Concert , featuring Santana , Jefferson Airplane , The Flying Burrito Brothers , Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young , and The Rolling Stones . During the Stones' set, Meredith Hunter , a concert-goer high on methamphetamine and brandishing his revolver , was stabbed to death by a member of the Hells Angels , which had been hired to provide security, in front of

2925-556: The original series started in 1991 as the Star Mazda Championship . Drivers currently use Tatuus IP-22 cars. The USF2000 Championship formally known as U.S. F2000 National Championship is an American variation of the Formula Ford . The series was initially founded by Dan Andersen and Mike Foschi in 1990 and regularly fielded over 60 entries per race. In 2001, the series was sold to Jon Baytos who introduced

2990-466: The rival Champ Car World Series , formerly known as CART, to form the IndyCar Series. A typical IndyCar season contains races on a mixture of natural terrain road courses, temporary street circuits, small ovals (also known as short tracks ), and larger, high-speed ovals (also known as superspeedways ); including the historic Indianapolis 500 . Indy NXT , previously known as Indy Lights ,

3055-596: The same way that GP2 was rebranded as Formula 2 in 2017. The series' first drivers' champion was Robert Shwartzman driving for Prema Racing , who also won the Constructors' Championship for that year. At the end of the year, the FIA Formula 3 World Cup takes place during the Macau Grand Prix as a non-championship, season-ending event. Formula Regional is the last category that takes place outside

3120-527: The sports regulated by FIA (under the name of CIK), permitting licensed competition racing for anyone from the age of 8 onward. It is generally accepted as the most economical form of motorsport available on four wheels. As a free-time activity, it can be performed by almost anybody, and as karting circuits can be indoors and not take as much space as other forms of motorsport, it can be accessible to retail consumers without much qualification or training. Non-racing speed competitions have various names but all carry

3185-433: The stage as the band played. The death was captured on film and appears in the documentary Gimme Shelter (1970). In 2004, the track appeared in an episode of the popular Discovery Channel show MythBusters . In the episode, the show's hosts Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage used the track to test the myth that a car will have better fuel mileage with the air conditioner on and windows closed than it would with all of

3250-555: The title ' lemons '. Motorsport Different manifestations of motorsport with their own objectives and specific rules are called disciplines. Examples include circuit racing , rallying and trials . Governing bodies, also called sanctioning bodies, often have general rules for each discipline, but allow supplementary rules to define the character of a particular competition, series or championship. Groups of these are often categorised informally, such as by vehicle type, surface type or propulsion method. Examples of categories within

3315-434: The weekly events. The pit lane was located on the outside of the course on the opposite side of the oval from the start finish line. However, during Grand National West races, the pit lane was moved to the 1/4 mile oval so as to be inside the larger oval, as is customary for most oval tracks, since live pit stops are used during the higher-level NASCAR-sanctioned race. The park is well known for its December 6, 1969, hosting of

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3380-542: The windows down. In 2006, the park came under the ownership of Riverside Motorsports Park, LLC. They initiated several upgrades to the park including fresh asphalt, the addition of the 1.1-mile (1.8 km) road course and the new Figure 8 track. Altamont staged a variety of motorsports events, including NASCAR Whelen All-American Series raced weekly as the schedule permitted for the California State and Whelen National Championships. The park also played host to

3445-572: The world, not all formula series are high-cost professional events. Some formulas are intended for juniors and amateurs, including categories such as Formula 1000 and Formula Vee are among the least expensive forms of circuit racing. Most contemporary formula categories allow the use of racing slicks , and extensive use of wings and Ground effects to increase cornering speeds. However, there are popular amateur categories such as Formula Ford and Formula Vee which do not, and consequently have much slower cornering speeds and in which “drafting” plays

3510-438: The years, perhaps driven by his 22-year-old son, James W. The race was against Daniel Adamson's carriage, likely the one made for Mr. Schmidt and perhaps driven by Mr. Schmidt himself. The reports do not indicate who was driving, since both were violating the red-flag law then fully in force. Boulton's carriage was developed from a scrapped John Bridge Adams light-rail vehicle. These were solid fired steam carriages. This event and

3575-524: Was also present as the series employed a system based on a group stage to knock-out format used in some football tournaments. Another unique feature of Superleague Formula was the Super Final, a five-lap shootout between the six best drivers of a weekend. In 2010, the series offered the biggest prize fund in European motorsport with the champion set to earn €1 million. In theory, it would be possible for

3640-445: Was created by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in 1985 to become the final step for drivers before entering Formula One . Formula Two had become too expensive and was dominated by works-run cars with factory engines. Formula 3000 offered quicker, cheaper, more open racing. The series began as an open formula, but in 1986 tyres were standardized, followed by engines and chassis in 1996 . The series ran until 2004 and

3705-405: Was founded by Sheikh Al Maktoum of Dubai in 2004, but sold to the FIA in 2005. The races were held in the traditional Formula One off-season, the northern hemisphere winter. Between 2005 and 2009 29 countries from five continents participated. Using 750 hp V12 engines , Superleague Formula introduced team sponsorship by association football clubs. In qualifying, the link with football

3770-472: Was introduced in 2017 by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore following the rebranding of the long-term F1 feeder series – GP2 Series . Designed to make racing affordable and to make it the perfect training ground for life in F1, F2 has made it mandatory for all of the teams to use the same chassis, engine, and tyre supplier. In 2019, the GP3 Series was replaced by international Formula 3, just in

3835-447: Was launched in 2006 to give Southeast Asian -based drivers a chance to progress from karting through junior single-seaters to international motorsport. Karun Chandhok , for example, won the 2006 championship and was rewarded with a test in a World Series by Renault car at Paul Ricard . Drivers ran with Tatuus chassis, a Renault 3.5L V6 engine and Michelin tyres. The Auto GP World Series' roots can be traced back to 1999 and

3900-561: Was not unusual for some Formula One events to include a number of F2 entries in the same field and the entries in the World Championship seasons of 1952–53 comprised exclusively F2 cars for reasons of cost. F2 had a patchy history until the inauguration of the European Formula Two Championship in 1967. F2 was an open formula that allowed the use of any chassis that met the prescribed regulations; it

3965-406: Was replaced and engines were now provided by Toyota and Honda . The engines had the same specifications as those used in the 2005 IndyCar Series . Formula series from the 21st century that could be categorised between Tier 1 and Tier 5 (see top of page), but are now defunct, are described below. The Formula Two regulations were first defined in 1947 as a form of B-class below Formula One. It

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4030-480: Was replaced in 2005 by the GP2 Series . Formula 5000 (or F5000 ) was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula. The '5000' denomination comes from the maximum 5.0 litre engine capacity allowed in

4095-483: Was the first purpose-built motor racing track in the world. After which, permanent autodromes popularly replaced circuits on public roads. In North America, the term road racing is used to describe racing and courses that have origins in racing on public highways; distinguished from oval racing , which has origins at purpose-built speedways using concrete or wooden boards . Off-road racing can take place on open terrain with no set path, or on circuits that do not have

4160-645: Was the first to involve what would become known as automobiles. On 28 November 1895, the Chicago Times-Herald race , running from Chicago to Evanston and back, a distance of sixty miles, was held. This is believed to be the first motorsport event in the United States of America. In 1900, the Gordon Bennett Cup was established. Motorsport was a demonstration event at the 1900 Summer Olympics . Following World War I , European countries organised Grand Prix races over closed courses. In

4225-506: Was well supported during the 1970s, with chassis from Tecno , March Engineering , Toleman , Ralt , Matra and others. The European championship ran continually until the creation of its successor, Formula 3000 , in 1985. In 2008 it was announced by the FIA that Formula Two would return in 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship . This series was discontinued after the 2012 season. The Formula 3000

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