Motorsports
Motorsports have been around for nearly as long as motors have been inside cars. Two of the most famous racing circuits are NASCAR in the United States and the intercontinental open-wheel F1, though motorsports also include off-road rally-car racing, drag racing, and motorcycle racing.
NASCAR was founded in 1948, began contesting races in 1949, and held its first Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious and famous events in North American racing, in 1959. NASCAR contests Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Camping World Truck Series races across the United States. Star drivers such as Cale Yarborough, David Pearson, Richard Petty, Jeff Gordon, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Year founded: 1948
President: Steve Phelps
Winningest driver, races: Richard Petty (200)
Winningest driver, cup titles: Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Sr. (7)
Formula 1 started racing in 1950 and has since become the premier racing series in the world. F1 contests more than 20 races on five continents each year, with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) serving as the governing body. Renowned drivers such as Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Ayrton Senna starred on the F1 circuit.
Year founded: 1950
FIA President: Mohammed Ben Sulayem
Winningest driver, races: Lewis Hamilton
Winningest driver, championships: Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton (7)
Featured articles:
Read the latest news, rumors, and analysis on NASCAR and F1:
Rising NASCAR star Chris Trickle was tragically murdered in the late 1990s and the driver who took over his car was then-19-year-old Kurt Busch.
Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer went from NASCAR opponents to peers with Fox. Which driver-turned-broadcaster has the higher net worth?
As Denny Hamlin prepares to win his third straight Daytona 500, be sure not to call him Dennis.
The 1979 Daytona 500 morphed from a car race to a wild wrestling match between Cale Yarborough and the Allison brothers.
Jeff Gordon and Clint Bowyer are now working together at Fox covering NASCAR but it was just a few years ago the pair had a fierce rivalry that included an all-out brawl between their teams after a race.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. always cringed when he received a specific compliment about his past, according to his son, Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. once had a dream in which he won the Daytona 500 without his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., in the field, which eerily came true.
NASCAR’s Austin Dillon faced intense pressure as a 12-year-old in a different sport.
Tom Brady just one-upped Michael Jordan by winning his seventh Super Bowl, but MJ can get him right back with a win at the Daytona 500.
At the tail end of 2020, Michael Jordan became the owner of a NASCAR team. His relationship with the sport, however, is nothing new.
