Abdulla Al Suwaidi 1 Car Racing History and Development of Auto
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Abdulla Al Suwaidi 1 Car Racing History and Development of Auto Racing 1894-1900 The initial steps of auto racing Auto racing began to be considered as the type of sport contest after the construction of first gasoline-fueled automobiles, whereby the first recorded race took place in 1894 on the route from Paris to Rouen (Martin, Martin & Saal, 2004). Thereinafter, the motor automobile races from Paris to Bourdeaux and back to Paris, and from Chicago to Illinois that both took place in 1895 incorporated limitations for vehicles with two seats and increased general public interest in such design as automobile (Martin et al., 2004). Back then, racing contests did not require the deployment of rules or means of protection for participants and were run on the public roads. 1900-1918 The creation of regulatory rules and track for racing In early 1900s with the invention of rules for an international race “Coupe Internationale” by James G. Bennett, and taking place of the 353,75 miles-long race from Paris to Lyon, manufacturers and race promoters became concerned with the safety and reliability of cars and race tracks for “cross country trips” (Martin et al., 2004, p. 45). In this sense, with the occurrence of fatal accidents on the part of spectators and participants more emphasize was placed on the dirt horse tracks and the utilization of colored flags as means to communicate with drivers (Martin et al., 2004). It follows that, most of the Abdulla Al Suwaidi 2 current touring, sports and production car racing tournaments originated from the incorporation of circular dirt tracks in the guidelines of contest. 1918-1960 The creation of automobiles for Formula 1 and IndyCar Racing However, the issues of speed and downward force of stock cars that were brought to sell with the allegation of meeting demands of challenging slope trips, encouraged Henry Ford build a 1, 6000 pounds car which was stripped from valve covers and steered by a tiller (Martin et al., 2004). This invention marks the origination of pre-World War II single-seated racing contests, the rules to which were standardized by Federation Internationale de l’Autopmobile (FIA) in 1946 as for Formula 1 while NASCAR created a division for mini version of Indy-Style cars for midget auto racing (Beekman, 2010). In this sense, Beekman (2010) pointed out that the incorporation of mostly stock and endurance-stable cars into racing marked the reduction of the number of dirt races in the 1960s and “breed the production of V8 engines”, which could accelerate the car over 200 mph (p. 351). It follows that, manufacturers of motor racing tried to follow the pace of the expansion of car racing varieties and were eager to offer prototypes and production classes, which could meet the demands of newly originated championships. 1953 and onward. Re-classification of Car Groups for the World Sportscar Championship Thus, although the “World Sportscar Championship” which included only stock cars existed from 1953 to 1992 up to its dismissal, it was renewed in 2010 after the increased popularity of Group C American LeMans Series, the race that required participation GT cars and was run within the day (World Sportscar Championship, 2013, Abdulla Al Suwaidi 3 p. 32). Furthermore, when in 1982 FIA separated rally cars into Group N, Group A, Group B and Group 4 classes due to the increased popularity of touring, sport and production car racing, the races of these classes were since regulated by FIA, NASCAR and SCCA (Shackleford, 2011). Since then, open-wheel domestic-based races became the most prominent type of contest on a local level as well as on the international level. In this respect, auto racing that initially originated from the open road and short- distance contests diversified and became proficient and safe-steady type of sport with the incorporation of regulations and homologation specifications. Kinds and Types of Tournaments a) Formula 1 The Formula 1 race upon splitting from the CART in 1996, included single-seated cars with uncovered wheels, whose improved grip to the track was provided with boasted airfoil wings in the front of vehicle (Martin et al., 2004). Among the most prominent tournaments are IndyCar Series and GP2 that are run on oval closed-circuits or road racing on the purpose-built motor tracks (FIA, 2013). These participants who qualify in accordance with the graded 10 points as the fastest to run on the lap are subsequently accepted for the Formula 1 racing in the midseason (FIA, 2013). b) Touring Car Racing Abdulla Al Suwaidi 4 Unlike speediness and lengths of formula racing contests, touring car racing tournaments require production-modified street car models, whose endurance is influenced by lesser impact of aerodynamic characteristics and which should withstand the race for a maximum of 24 hours (FIA, 2014). Having similarities with stock car racing in terms of ballast weight and GT cars body shell, as the sprint type of race, touring car tournaments include World Touring Car Championship, V8 Supercars, GT Championships, SPEED World Challenge, etc (World Sportscar Championship, 2013). ▪ c) Sport Car Racing Sport car racing tournaments are run on the similar closed-circuit tracks as formula racing and include similar GT cars as touring racing competitions do. Unlike, small speed mechanic devices and large grids that are used in touring tournaments, prototype- based GTs in sports racing have the lighter weight than 2000cc, run on a minimal of 1000 km and require participation of two drivers who switch every two hours of the competition (FIA, 2014). Most tournaments of this type of racing include FIA-regulated GT Championships, including similar to formula series as LeMans Cup that was re- opened in 2010. ▪ d) Production Car Racing Abdulla Al Suwaidi 5 As it was mentioned before, the production-based car racing of Group B, A, 4 and C classes are at the discretion of FIA, in addition to showroom stock racing, that complies with Group N regulations and SCCA regulations for the region (World Sportscar Championship, 2013). In addition to the IMSA championships of these groups, the sports car racing includes road racing, autocross and rallying. It follows that these categories of racing include point-to-point format, where participants drive between the circuit set stages like in rallying, or race against the clock like in autocross when the high demand is placed on the driver’s skills rather than aerodynamic characteristics of modified production cars. Although FIA provides regulations for most of the types of car racing, some homologated specifications are at the discretion of SCAA and NASCAR. Game Components and Rules Regulations for Formula 1 and IndyCar Racing Formula racing regulations issued by FIA, distribute points for participants in the sequence of 25-18-15-12-10-6-4-2-and 1, whereby the driver who gets 25 wins the race in which there are 10 positions (FIA, 2013). However, if the race is stopped at 75% of the distance, half of the points are awarded to all of the participants. All of the participants are split into three sessions of the 305 km lengths-race, so they can qualify for the ten final positions. In this respect, at the end of each twenty minute session, the seven minute break is given when the six cars which come as the ultimate ones are eliminated from the competition (FIA, 2013). Furthermore, Saturday night practice is Abdulla Al Suwaidi 6 imperative for drivers to compete in grand prix. In the case of penalties, stewards appointed and qualified by FIA prescribe penalties for breach of regulations that include blockage of a rival driver, speeding in the pit lane, or jumping to race without the start warning (FIA, 2013). Moreover, the penalties differ within the severity of violation and include seven types, whereby the last one of them presupposes exclusion of the results of race and suspension from future races. Regulations for Racing Cars of Group A, B, C, and 4. Sporting regulations for the touring car racing include the technical specifications for different classes of racing cars as for the Appendix J requirements for homologations and presuppose one qualifying race and one championship race that last for a maximum of one hour or up to twenty-four hours of the event (FIA Public, 2012). Each restricted international event of the championship has the number of twelve contests in which the winner is that driver who gets the maximum points of each event, which are equaled to the distribution of the formula racing contests. The condition of “a dead heat” is associated with two or more drivers who finish the season with the same number of points, when the higher place in the Championship should be awarded to the driver who gets the greatest number of first positions in that season (FIA Public, 2012, p. 6). Considering technical specifications of touring race cars with the minute-speed differences, each driver is required to perform 25-minute driving period during each race with the usage of “the driver timing transponder” (FIA Public, 2012, p. 16). In addition, starting procedure of race includes that stages of drivers’ leaving the grid twenty minutes prior of the start of race, their exit from the pit lane ten minutes prior the second warning signal of the start time, and joining of the race on the particular racing lap after Abdulla Al Suwaidi 7 fifteen seconds of the final audible warning. If these regulations are violated by drivers by any unspecified means, sanctions against drivers and their teams include four types of penalties (FIA Public, 2012). To conclude, sporting regulations for different types of competitions require eligible drivers to comply with technical and sporting specifications of Appendix J of the FIA Sporting Code, as well as to adhere to the regulations of SCCA, NASCAR and other respective authorities of the region of the race.