63-496: The DeltaWing is a racing car designed by British race car designer and engineer Ben Bowlby and debuted at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans . The entry was run under the Project 56 name, composed of Ben Bowlby (design), Dan Gurney 's All American Racers (constructor), Duncan Dayton's Highcroft Racing (racing team) and International Motor Sports Association owner Don Panoz (managing partner). Nissan 's NISMO division provided
126-406: A transformative shift, echoing past pivots. The industry, much like the cars it champions , has had to navigate through a global pandemic and a persistent chip shortage, each threatening to derail production schedules . At the same time, a new course is being charted towards an electric future, a dramatic change in direction that is challenging the old guard of gasoline engines. There is also
189-631: A "manufacturer's" logo and "vehicle name", yet use components produced by another automobile manufacturer. There are also other stock car governing bodies, most notably the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In the UK, British Stock car racing is also referred to as "Short Circuit Racing". UK Stock car racing started in the 1950s and grew rapidly through the 1960s and 1970s. Events take place on shale or tarmac tracks – usually around 1/4 mile long. There are around 35 tracks in
252-420: A 40 litres (8.8 imp gal; 11 US gal) fuel tank, bespoke BBS 38 centimetres (15 in) wheels and Michelin tyres, a weight of 475 kilograms (1,047 lb), a power-to-weight ratio of 631 horsepower (464 kW) per ton, and a drag coefficient of 0.35. The braking system weighs 13.2 kilograms (29.2 lb), about half the normal weight for a race car. Also unique compared to other race cars
315-481: A 40-litre fuel tank (26.67 L/100 km or 8.82 mi/gal). After failing to complete the 24 hours of Le Mans, DeltaWing was granted an unclassified entry to the 2012 Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta . After rebuilding the car from a collision in practice the DeltaWing went on to finish fifth overall, completing 388 laps to the overall winner's 394. The car also underwent testing for its potential inclusion as
378-550: A category reserved for experimental vehicles. Despite skepticism over the project, the DeltaWing made its on-track debut on March 1, 2012, completing a shakedown at Buttonwillow Raceway Park . The DeltaWing was planned to compete at the 2012 Petit Le Mans . Panoz stated that he hoped that the car would be allowed under the LMP1 and LMP2 regulations of the American Le Mans Series in 2013, or that it would replace
441-561: A classified entry in the American Le Mans Series starting in 2013. The DeltaWing was entered in the 2013 American Le Mans Series in the P1 class, now using an Élan chassis and a 1.9 liter four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine producing 350 bhp, built by Élan and based on a Mazda design. The team was headed by David Price, former owner of David Price Racing . The new car debuted at 12 Hours of Sebring , where it
504-410: A distance of 8 mi (13 km). It was won by the carriage of Isaac Watt Boulton . Internal combustion auto racing events began soon after the construction of the first successful gasoline -fueled automobiles. The first organized contest was on April 28, 1887, by the chief editor of Paris publication Le Vélocipède , Monsieur Fossier. It ran 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Neuilly Bridge to
567-734: A growing number of events for electric racing cars, such as the Formula E , the Eco Grand Prix or the Electric GT Championship . In single-seater ( open-wheel ) racing, the wheels are not covered, and the cars often have aerofoil wings front and rear to produce downforce and enhance adhesion to the track. The most popular varieties of open-wheel road racing are Formula One (F1), the IndyCar Series and Super Formula . In Europe and Asia, open-wheeled racing
630-707: A lap at 388 km/h (241 mph). The series' biggest race is the Indianapolis 500 , which is commonly referred to as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" due to being the longest continuously run race in the series and having the largest crowd for a single-day sporting event (350,000+). The other major international single-seater racing series is Formula 2 (formerly known as Formula 3000 and GP2 Series ). Regional series include Super Formula and Formula V6 Asia (specifically in Asia), Formula Renault 3.5 (also known as
693-482: A much easier time following and passing than in open-wheel racing . It often features full-contact racing with subtle bumping and nudging due to the small speed differentials and large grids. The major touring car championships conducted worldwide are the Supercars Championship (Australia), British Touring Car Championship , Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), World Touring Car Championship and
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#1732780012293756-450: A practical mode of transport, but soon became an important way for automobile makers to demonstrate their machines. By the 1930s, specialist racing cars had developed. There are now numerous different categories, each with different rules and regulations. The first prearranged match race of two self-powered road vehicles over a prescribed route occurred at 4:30 A.M. on August 30, 1867, between Ashton-under-Lyne and Old Trafford , England,
819-426: A small, low-cost machine on small tracks. Many of the current top drivers began their careers in karts. Formula Ford represents the most popular first open-wheel category for up-and-coming drivers stepping up from karts. The series is still the preferred option, as it has introduced an aero package and slicks, allowing the junior drivers to gain experience in a race car with dynamics closer to F1. The Star Mazda Series
882-515: A time of 3:42.612, which was 18.825 behind the lead car. The car was retired after 75 laps following an accident in which the DeltaWing ran into a concrete barrier at the Porsche Curves after a collision with Kazuki Nakajima 's Toyota TS030 Hybrid . The DeltaWing recorded a best race lap time of 3:45.737, rivaling some of the LMP2 teams. The car did 11 laps on one tank, that is 150 km on
945-823: Is NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). NASCAR's premier series is the NASCAR Cup Series , its most famous races being the Daytona 500 , the Southern 500 , the Coca-Cola 600 , and the Brickyard 400 . NASCAR also runs several feeder series, including the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series (a pickup truck racing series). The series conduct races across the entire continental United States . NASCAR also sanctions series outside of
1008-448: Is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non-racing disciplines. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various types were organized, with the first recorded as early as 1867. Many of the earliest events were effectively reliability trials , aimed at proving these new machines were
1071-719: Is a worldwide series that runs only street circuit and race tracks . These cars are heavily based on technology and their aerodynamics. The speed record was set in 2005 by Juan Pablo Montoya hitting 373 km/h (232 mph). Some of the most prominent races are the Monaco Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix , and the British Grand Prix . The season ends with the crowning of the World Championship for drivers and constructors. In
1134-650: Is another entry-level series. Indy Lights represent the last step on the Road to Indy , being less powerful and lighter than an IndyCar racer. Students at colleges and universities can also take part in single-seater racing through the Formula SAE competition, which involves designing and building a single-seater car in a multidisciplinary team and racing it at the competition. This also develops other soft skills, such as teamwork, while promoting motorsport and engineering. The world's first all-female Formula racing team
1197-615: Is commonly referred to as 'Formula', with appropriate hierarchical suffixes. In North America, the 'Formula' terminology is not followed (with the exception of F1). The sport is usually arranged to follow an international format (such as F1), a regional format (such as the Formula 3 Euro Series), and/or a domestic, or country-specific, format (such as the German Formula 3 championship, or the British Formula Ford). F1
1260-530: Is that 72.5 percent of the mass and 76 percent of the downforce is at the rear. It has a moveable Gurney flap , normally not allowed but can be used by experimental vehicles. In 2013, a coupe variant of the DeltaWing was unveiled at the 12 Hours of Sebring race and made its race debut at the 2013 American Le Mans Series round at Austin in September. The redesign was intended to bring the DeltaWing in line with Le Mans Prototype P1 regulations, and to minimize
1323-923: Is the FIA World Endurance Championship . The main series for GT car racing is the GT World Challenge Europe , divided into two separate championships: the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup . This series has formed after the folding of the various FIA GT championships. The prevailing classes of GT cars are GT3 , GT4 and GT2 class cars. GT2 cars have powerful engines, often exceeding 600 horsepower. However, they have less downforce than GT3 cars and also have less driver aids. GT3 cars are far and away
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#17327800122931386-522: Is undergoing a period of transition, but is still the longest-running road racing series in the U.S. The National Auto Sport Association also provides a venue for amateurs to compete in home-built factory-derived vehicles on various local circuits. In sports car racing, production-derived versions of two-seat sports cars , also known as grand tourers (GTs), and purpose-built sports prototype cars compete within their respective classes on closed circuits. The premier championship series of sports car racing
1449-733: The 24 Hours of Le Mans , begun in 1923. It is run by the Automobile Club of the West (ACO). Team Ferrari won the race in 2023. With auto construction and racing dominated by France, the French automobile club ACF staged a number of major international races, usually from or to Paris, connecting with another major city, in France or elsewhere in Europe. Aspendale Racecourse , in Australia,
1512-634: The 24 Hours of Le Mans , the Rolex 24 at Daytona , 24 Hours of Spa -Franchorchamps, the 12 Hours of Sebring , the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen , and the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta . There is also the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring on the famed Nordschleife track and the Dubai 24 Hour , which is aimed at GT3 and below cars with a mixture of professional and pro-am drivers. Production-car racing, otherwise known as "showroom stock" in
1575-468: The Chicago Auto Show . Ganassi and the team partners own the car and its patents. In July 2010, IndyCar chose a Dallara design instead. Bowlby then worked with Don Panoz to present the idea to representatives from the Automobile Club de l'Ouest , organizers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans . They applied for and received an invitation to race in the 2012 Le Mans race as a "Garage 56" entrant,
1638-535: The Oreca FLM09 as the LMP Challenge spec car. On February 5, 2013, Marshall Pruett of Speed Channel revealed that Don Panoz would enter the DeltaWing in the road course events on the American Le Mans Series for the 2013 season. Panoz will develop the car without the DeltaWing's original partners Nissan , All American Racers and Michelin . Instead of the car being set to P2 regulations, Panoz made
1701-553: The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting in 2014. These races are often conducted over long distances, at least 1,000 km (621 mi), and cars are driven by teams of two or more drivers, switching every few hours. Due to the performance difference between production-based sports cars and purpose-built sports prototypes, one race usually involves several racing classes, each fighting for its own championship. Famous sports car races include
1764-653: The World Touring Car Cup . The European Touring Car Cup is a one-day event open to Super 2000 specification touring cars from Europe's many national championships. While Super GT traces its lineage to the now-defunct JGTC , the cars are much more similar to GT3 race cars than proper touring cars, and also have much more aggressive aerodynamics. The Sports Car Club of America 's SPEED World Challenge Touring Car and GT championships are dominant in North America. America's historic Trans-Am Series
1827-472: The 1980s and 1990s all over the United States. In North America, stock car racing is the most popular form of auto racing. Primarily raced on oval tracks , stock cars vaguely resemble production cars, but are in fact purpose-built racing machines that are built to tight specifications and, together with touring cars, also called Silhouette racing cars . The largest stock car racing governing body
1890-492: The 2013 model to P1 specifications as well as enable the car to compete for points as a fully classified P1 entry. The Sebring version continued to be an open top prototype, but later versions were closed top. The power plant was a 2.0L Mazda MZR-based engine produced by Élan Motorsport Technologies which is currently producing 345 hp on the dyno and is lighter than the RML-built Nissan engine of 2012. A lawsuit
1953-462: The 24 hours of Le Mans (held annually since 1923) and in the (European) Le Mans series , Asian Le Mans Series and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship . These cars are referred to as LMP (Le Mans prototype) cars with LMH and LMDh cars being run mainly by manufacturers and the slightly less powerful LMP2 cars run by privateer teams. All three Le Mans Series run GT cars in addition to Le Mans Prototypes; these cars have different restrictions than
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2016-612: The Bois de Boulogne. On July 22, 1894, the Parisian magazine Le Petit Journal organized what is considered to be the world's first motoring competition, from Paris to Rouen. One hundred and two competitors paid a 10- franc entrance fee. The first American automobile race is generally considered to be the Thanksgiving Day Chicago Times-Herald race of November 28, 1895. Press coverage of
2079-592: The FIA GT cars. Another prototype and GT racing championship exists in the United States; the Grand-Am , which began in 2000, sanctions its own endurance series, the Rolex Sports Car Series , which consists of slower and lower-cost Daytona Prototype race cars compared to LMP and FIA GT cars. The Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series announced a merger between the two series forming
2142-651: The P1 class no longer competes in the USCC the DeltaWing race team continued to run in their P1 specification of 490 kg and 350 bhp. The DeltaWing led 15 laps of the 10-hour finale at Road Atlanta , the Petit Le Mans , en route to a season-high fourth-place finish. For the 2015 United SportsCar Championship, Legge had a new partner in Memo Rojas , whereas Meyrick joined at Daytona and Sebring, and Gabby Chaves at Daytona. The team spent significant time at
2205-696: The UK and upwards of 7000 active drivers. The sport is split into three basic divisions – distinguished by the rules regarding car contact during racing. The most famous championship are the BriSCA F1 Stock Cars . Full-contact formulas include Bangers , Bombers, and Rookie Bangers – and racing features Demolition Derbies, Figure of Eight, and Oval Racing. Semi Contact Formulas include BriSCA F1, F2, and Superstox – where bumpers are used tactically. Non-contact formulas include National Hot Rods, Stock Rods, and Lightning Rods. RML Group Too Many Requests If you report this error to
2268-604: The UK, the major club series are the Monoposto Racing Club , BRSCC F3 (formerly ClubF3, formerly ARP F3), Formula Vee and Club Formula Ford. Each series caters to a section of the market, with some primarily providing low-cost racing, while others aim for an authentic experience using the same regulations as the professional series (BRSCC F3). The SCCA is also responsible for sanctioning single-seater racing in much of North America. There are other categories of single-seater racing, including kart racing , which employs
2331-500: The US, is an economical and rules-restricted version of touring-car racing, mainly used to restrict costs. Numerous production racing categories are based on particular makes of cars. Most series, with a few exceptions, follow the Group N regulation. There are several different series that are run all over the world, most notably, Japan's Super Taikyu and IMSA 's Firehawk Series, which ran in
2394-551: The United States, including the NASCAR Canada Series , NASCAR Mexico Series , NASCAR Whelen Euro Series , and NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race . NASCAR also governs several smaller regional series, such as the Whelen Modified Tour . Modified cars are best described as open-wheel cars. Modified cars have no parts related to the stock vehicle for which they are named after. A number of modified cars display
2457-438: The United States, the most popular series is the IndyCar Series . The cars have traditionally been similar to, though less technologically sophisticated than, F1 cars , with more restrictions on technology aimed at controlling costs. While these cars are not as technologically advanced, they are faster, in part due to their lower downforce compared to F1 cars, and also because they compete on oval race tracks, being able to average
2520-681: The World Series by Renault, succession series of World Series by Nissan ), Formula Three , Formula Palmer Audi and Formula Atlantic . In 2009, the FIA Formula Two Championship brought about the revival of the F2 series. Domestic, or country-specific, series include Formula Three and Formula Renault, with the leading introductory series being Formula Ford . Single-seater racing is not limited merely to professional teams and drivers. There exist many amateur racing clubs. In
2583-463: The bumps of the street course), the team encountered braking issues that would plague them until an engine failure forced the car to be retired. After the 2016 season it wouldn't be possible anymore to race with the DeltaWing, due to changed regulations. Don Panoz told the press that they had some unfinished business with the Rolex 24. It would be in the same class as the new DPi's and LMP2's according to
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2646-598: The car debuted at The Circuit of the America's race. It qualified last in P1; 8 seconds slower than the leading P1 car and was also slower than all the P2 cars. In the race it completed 66 laps to the winner's 83 and finished 29th overall and last in the P1 class. The DeltaWing began competing in the new United SportsCar Championship in 2014. The four drivers at the 24 Hours of Daytona were Meyrick, Legge, eventual Indy Lights champion Gabby Chaves and Alexander Rossi . Whilst
2709-464: The chance of the driver's head being hit in the event of an accident. There are also several other changes to the design: including the adoption of a purpose-built monocoque (rather than the Aston Martin derived one used on the previous car), and addition of a roof mounted air intake. The car was first tested in September 2013. The new closed top chassis was given the designation DWC13 as opposed to
2772-583: The engine in return for naming rights for part of 2012. The DeltaWing was built and maintained at Panoz headquarters in Braselton, Georgia , US. The project began in January 2009, when British designer Ben Bowlby created a potential new IndyCar Series design for the 2012 season . With financial backing from Chip Ganassi , owner of Chip Ganassi Racing , the prototype was unveiled in February 2010 at
2835-482: The event first aroused significant American interest in the automobile. The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily , Italy near the island's capital of Palermo . Founded in 1906 , it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973. The oldest surviving sports car racing event is
2898-409: The field, leading a total of 29 laps between Legge and Meyrick before the latter crashed into a stationary vehicle in the semi-blind Turn 1. The bad luck followed the team to Sebring, where the steering broke while running in eighth position, leaving the car to retire from the event. After starting sixth at Long Beach (which had skipped the event every year since 2013 due to fears of suspension trouble on
2961-789: The front of the field during the first 90 minutes, only to retire due to recurring problems with the car's redesigned gearbox. The team finished only three out of nine appearances, with a best results of sixth at Road America. They finished eighth in the Prototypes teams standings. In 2016, Legge would have two part-time co-drivers in Andy Meyrick and Sean Rayhall sharing a seat and driving together in North American Endurance Cup , with Andreas Wirth joining them at Daytona. The team elected not to qualify at Daytona because of poor conditions, but quickly moving through
3024-783: The last step up to premier GT-class racing. Other major GT championships include the GT World Challenge America , GT World Challenge Asia , Super GT , and the International GT Open . There are minor regional and national GT series using mainly GT4 and GT3 cars featuring both amateur and professional drivers. Sports prototypes, unlike GT cars, do not rely on road-legal cars as a base. They are closed-wheel and often closed-cockpit purpose-built race cars intended mainly for endurance racing. They have much lower weight, more horsepower and more downforce compared to GT cars, making them much faster. They are raced in
3087-442: The most popular class of GT cars, with premier racing series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA both using GT3 as their top class of GT car. GT3 cars have more significant aero than a GT2 car, but also have less horsepower, typically falling in between 500 and 550 horsepower. GT4 class cars have very little aerodynamics and less horsepower than GT3 machinery, typically around 450 horsepower. GT4 typically serves as
3150-442: The name suggests, it has a delta wing shape, with an unusually narrow 2.0 feet (61 cm) front track and a more traditional 1.7 metres (5 ft 7 in) rear track. The car lacks any front or rear wings – downforce comes from the underbody. In 2012, the engine was a four-cylinder turbocharged direct injection 300 bhp unit assembled by Ray Mallock Engineering with largely Chevrolet parts. The model to run at Le Mans had
3213-464: The oldest car racing series still active in the world. The first TC competition took place in 1931 with 12 races, each in a different province. Future Formula One star Juan Manuel Fangio (Chevrolet) won the 1940 and 1941 editions of the TC. It was during this time that the series' Chevrolet-Ford rivalry began, with Ford acquiring most of its historical victories. Over the last few years, auto racing has seen
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#17327800122933276-511: The oldest existing purpose-built and still in use automobile race course in the United States is the 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana . It is the largest capacity sports venue of any variety worldwide, with a top capacity of some 257,000+ seated spectators. NASCAR was founded by Bill France Sr. on February 21, 1948, with the help of several other drivers. The first NASCAR " Strictly Stock " race ever
3339-420: The open top DWC12 used previously, although some unofficial sources still refer to the coupe as DWC12. In June 2011 it was announced that the car would fill the 56th garage at the 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans , reserved for experimental vehicles. As with all Le Mans cars, the DeltaWing was a two-seater. Marino Franchitti , Michael Krumm and Satoshi Motoyama drove the DeltaWing at Le Mans. It qualified 29th with
3402-596: The organization. In November 2016 it was confirmed that the DeltaWing wouldn't race in the 2017 Rolex 24. (key) Races in bold indicates pole position . Races in italics indicates fastest lap. Did not finish the race but was classified as they completed more than 70% of the race distance. (key) Races in bold indicates pole position . Races in italics indicates fastest lap. (key) Races in bold indicates pole position . Races in italics indicates fastest lap. Racing car Auto racing (also known as car racing , motor racing , or automobile racing )
3465-494: The reduction of the schedule from 56 to 34 races a year, established 1972 as the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era". The IMSA GT Series evolved into the American Le Mans Series , which ran its first season in 1998. The European races eventually became the closely related European Le Mans Series , both of which mix prototypes and GTs. Turismo Carretera (TC) is a popular touring car racing series in Argentina, and one of
3528-556: The season with drivers Meyrick and Katherine Legge . It only scored two times, with a best place of 5th overall at Road America (last in P1 and beaten by 2 PC-class cars). The car was notably absent from Long Beach and Baltimore, the reason given by the Deltawing Team Manager, Dave Price was "At the moment, we're not planning to do Long Beach or Baltimore, principally because we're not convinced it would be ideally suited for those [street] circuits". The coupe version of
3591-471: The similarly designed and technologically derived Nissan ZEOD RC and BladeGlider concept car, was settled out of court for confidential terms in March 2016. The DeltaWing was designed to reduce aerodynamic drag dramatically, to allow a marginally faster straight and corner speed than a 2009–2011 Dallara IndyCar on both ovals and road/street courses with half as much weight, engine power and fuel consumption. As
3654-711: The sport, former Formula 2 champion Jonathan Palmer reopened the F2 category again; most drivers have graduated from the Formula Palmer Audi series. The category is officially registered as the FIA Formula Two championship. Most rounds have two races and are support races to the FIA World Touring Car Championship . Touring car racing is a style of road racing that is run with production-derived four-seat race cars. The lesser use of aerodynamics means following cars have
3717-463: Was created in 2006. The group was an assemblage of drivers from different racing disciplines and formed for an MTV reality pilot, which was shot at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca . In December 2005, the FIA gave approval to Superleague Formula racing, which debuted in 2008, whereby the racing teams are owned and run by prominent sports clubs such as A.C. Milan and Liverpool F.C. After 25 years away from
3780-486: Was driven by Olivier Pla and Andy Meyrick . Pla qualified the car in fifteenth place, ten seconds off the pace the Audi R18 that qualified on pole, and five seconds slower than its nearest rival in the P1 class, but 5 seconds ahead of the fastest GT class car. After struggling with temperatures all week, the car retired in the second hour with a terminal engine failure after only ten laps. The DeltaWing competed most of
3843-418: Was filed on November 22, 2013, by the DeltaWing consortium (Don Panoz, Chip Ganassi) against the former designer of the DeltaWing, Ben Bowlby and former engine-supplier Nissan for “damages and injunctive relief arising out of theft of confidential and proprietary information, misappropriation of trade secrets, breach of contracts, unjust enrichment, fraud, and negligent misrepresentation. The lawsuit, arising from
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#17327800122933906-744: Was held on June 19, 1949, at Daytona Beach, Florida , U.S.. From 1962, sports cars temporarily took a back seat to GT cars , with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) replacing the World Championship for Sports Cars with the International Championship for GT Manufacturers. From 1962 through 2003, NASCAR's premier series was called the Winston Cup Series, sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette brand Winston . The changes that resulted from RJR's involvement, as well as
3969-523: Was the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit , opening in January 1906. The pear-shaped track was close to a mile in length, with slightly banked curves and a gravel surface of crushed cement. Brooklands , in Surrey, England, was the first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing venue, opening in June 1907. It featured a 4.43 km (2.75 mi) concrete track with high-speed banked corners. One of
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