Auto Racing History

Richard Petty

Richard Petty was a major hero of professional auto racing, and helped make NASCAR so popular

Automobile Racing is a very popular sport worldwide, with many fans in the United States following the NASCAR circuit. Some of the most popular race car drivers in history include Kyle Petty, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Kasey Kahne and Danica Patrick are two popular younger race car drivers.

The history of Auto, or Car Racing in America goes back to at least 1895 when Charles Duryea won the first “official” American auto race. This race was held on a snowy Thanksgiving Day in Illinois, with the cars starting in Chicago driving to Evanston, Illinois, and then back again to Chicago. Duryea averaged 7.5 miles per hour on a course covered in snow and ice in his own company’s Duryea Motor Wagon, a one-cylinder four-horsepower car. His car traveled a total 54 miles in this race.

From that cold, slow, and short race, a new type of sports competition was begun. Today, the term “Auto Racing” includes a variety of race and vehicle types. Among these types of races are: Indianapolis-styleracing, stock car racing, drag racing, sports car racing, land-speed record racing, off-road racing, go-kart racing and more.

Many auto-related companies now sponsor these races, including Valvoline, STP, Car manufacturers, and parts companies, such as Partsgeek LLC. As you can see in the photo of the late Richard Petty (above), not just the racing cars are adorned in advertising!

Below is a listing of Sportshistory pages dealing with auto racing.

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