Motor sport

Motor sport includes car and motorcycle racing for spectators. There are motor sport events at all levels, from international series such as the Formula One, to casual amateur contests.

• Formula One or F1 is the premier category of motor sport, with cars racing at over 350 kph, usually on dedicated circuits but occasionally on closed streets such as Monaco. Cars are "out-wheeled" - large wheels project beyond the body to maximise drive, grip and stability.

Grand Prix is the annual calendar of 24 F1 races, with winners totting up points towards the World Championships.

F2, F3 and F-E (electric) are lower car categories. Their races are interspersed with F1 over a three-day Grand Prix weekend.

• IndyCar is roughly the US equivalent to F1, racing out-wheeled cars with similar performance. Only two manufacturers supply engines, and many aspects of the cars are standardised, eg they all use the same chassis. Their fuel is ethanol. Their championship is decided over some 20 races, best known being Indianapolis which gave Indycars their name. Half the tracks are oval, never used in F1, as the cars always corner in the same direction and it's more a test of engine power than driving skill.
• MotoGP is the premier category of motorcycle racing, equivalent to F1 and using many of the same racetracks. There are 20-some races in the World Championship. Moto2 and Moto3 are the lower categories.

• NASCAR is another US category: SC stands for stock-car. The original concept was that cars were from routine stock as bought by the public, likewise any parts or modifications fitted. They arose from the Prohibition era when bootleggers needed vehicles that outran the police but looked ordinary, not attracting suspicion. The concept broke down in the 1970s when technology created gas-guzzling monsters unsaleable to the public in more than token numbers. So now they’re "silhouette vehicles" resembling street-legal cars but much more advanced within, with speeds and revs close to those of F1. They race on oval tracks with 30-some meetings in the annual NASCAR Cup: the best-known venue is Daytona Beach in Ohio.
• Stock-car racing now means something different: it’s also called banger-racing, as battered vehicles mill and jostle with each other. Barging rivals out of the way is all part of the fun.
• Supercars Championship takes place in Australia but also includes one race in New Zealand. It's a touring car series. Americans: think NASCAR, but run only on road courses. Europeans: think of it as an Australian equivalent to the German-based DTM series.
• Rallying is staged over a road circuit or point-to-point, where vehicles don't start head-to-head but are flagged off at intervals. That's more suitable for narrow roads or forestry trails where overtaking is difficult, and massed vehicles racing abreast isn't possible. The World Rally Championship is an annual series with about a dozen events: the "Dakar Rally" since 2020 is held in Saudi Arabia, while the "Monte Carlo Rally" is still in the south of France but seldom visits Monaco.

• Go-karting: the next generation of F1 drivers has to start somewhere. But if you seat a bunch of excitable 8-year-olds in racing cars and encourage them to drive hell-for-leather, you've a responsibility to ensure that the resultant crashes are survivable and the repairs are affordable. Go-karts are low-set, low-powered vehicles designed for young drivers, and spectators are usually just family.
• Offroad races take place in remote areas with challenging terrain including deserts, mountains, swamps, and glaciers. The most famous of these is the Baja 1000 which is a 1,000 mile route through Mexico's Baja Peninsula. The Dakar Rally is one of the longest races. It began as a 5,000 km route across the Sahara desert in northern Africa, though recent races have taken place in South America.
• Motorcycle speedway involves motorcycles racing around an oval-shaped track.

Despite significant improvements in safety over the past several decades, motor sports remain an inherently dangerous activity for both drivers and spectators. Strong fences surround the spectator areas at nearly every race track, but there is still a risk of car parts breaking through or even flying over the fence and causing injuries should an incident occur nearby. If one does, move away from the area immediately and follow the directions of the track's safety personnel.

Ear protection is also strongly recommended for attendees, as prolonged exposure to the very loud noise generated by racing engines can lead to hearing damage.

• Skydiving gets you moving at 200+ kph but you leave the motor behind: the aircraft lifts you to altitude then you dive out into freefall.