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:
Brad Keselowski enters the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series without a long-term contract despite being a consistent winner over the years.
Kevin Harvick has been one of NASCAR’s top drivers for years. His 2021 crew is looking for help and the job interview starts during the Daytona 500.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has made plenty of money on the NASCAR circuit, but he once had to pay a $10,000 fine after letting a four-letter word slip.
When Dale Earnhardt realized Jeff Gordon was a threat to his NASCAR reign in the 1995 season, he resorted to a Gordon voodoo doll and the results were eerily successful.
While Dale Earnhardt Sr. was a NASCAR legend, his ‘dirty driving’ still made him the target of a troubling death threat in 1987.
Ernie Irvan was having the best season of his NASCAR career in 1994 when he violently crashed at Michigan. A doctor saved his life performing an emergency tracheotomy on the track using a pocketknife.
While Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon were rivals, the two drivers respected each other. Earnhardt would sometimes surprise Gordon during races with a crazy in-car move he’d perform.
Not only did Jimmie Johnson win seven NASCAR Cup Series titles, but he created a classy tradition to connect current and future champions.
Jeff Gordon was known as ‘The Rainbow Warrior’ for his multicolored scheme car. One of his 1996-97 cars went on the auction block and was purchased by a surprise buyer for an eye-popping amount.
NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr. put his honeymoon on pause for a few seconds in 2017 because of quarterback Kirk Cousins.
