Zooming speed. Twisting turns. Rushing adrenaline. Car-guy or not, it is highly unlikely that you would take a hard pass when given a chance to watch in person some of the biggest and grandest auto car racing events that exist on the planet. In some countries where car racing is an annual expectation and spectacle, witnessing these car races with one’s very eyes is a way of life itself — a social experience that, once missed, would surely leave a dent inside a person.
It’s hard to imagine the world of sports entertainment without motorsports. When we first invented automobiles, we knew it was not only meant to be used as means of transportation. We knew it could be something else — something thrilling, something exhilarating. Motorsports like 24 Hours Le Mans, Nürburgring, and Indianapolis 500, for example, are more than enough to make anyone who sees them fall in love with motorsports and speed races, and there are a lot of them – even more than you can imagine. We have listed here the Top 5 Motorsports Event in the World. Feel free to include them on your bucket list. Make sure you also read about the most famous motorcycle races in the world.
DAKAR RALLY
(Saudi Arabia, since 2020)
Formerly known as Paris-Dakar Rally, The Dakar, is hailed as the world’s greatest rally-raid in the world. It is not merely a race – it is the ultimate test of man and his machine. As an off-road endurance event, Dakar Rally poses a tougher competition to its participants due to the terrain’s harsh nature. Competitors typically use legit off-road vehicles and motorcycles as opposed to specifically modified race cars. This event promises an off-road adventure, traversing dunes, ergs, rocks, and mud under unpredictable conditions and covering short distances up to 800–900 kilometers (500–560 mi) per day at a given stage.
DAYTONA 500
(Daytona Beach, Florida, United States)
Daytona 500 is regarded as the highlight race event on the NASCAR calendar. First raced in 1959, Daytona 500 had been bringing in thousands of viewership to NASCAR. This NASCAR Cup Series motor race is the apex of stock car racing, rivaling the Indy 500 in terms of popularity in North America. It is a speed race of 500 miles (802 km) on Daytona International Speedway, consisting of three stages. Asking what makes Daytona 500 really special and unique from other motor race events is a sin for NASCAR die-hards. But what is it, though? NASCAR’s Daytona 500 had quite an interesting history and development. Its very first race with a controversial finish in 1959 paved the way for NASCAR. Its first live T.V. broadcast in 1979 highlighted by a fist-fight between race leaders Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison after an unexpected collision earned NASCAR a national recognition – the moment which permanently woven Daytona 500 into the fabric of NASCAR.
MONACO GRAND PRIX
(Circuit de Monaco, Monaco)
The Monaco Grand Prix is considered among the most prestigious and important automobile races in the sports entertainment landscape held in May since 1929. It is an annual Formula 1 race event in the narrow course laid out in the streets in Monte Carlo. The 3.337-kilometer track is riddled with random elevation changes and tight turns, making this race event especially challenging for the driver, with barriers on the sides ready to smash every racer’s dream with a single misstep. This twisty track provides virtually no run-off areas, which leaves the racer a slim chance to recover once he/she takes an unsuccessful move in doing a passing maneuver. Not surprising that in this event, driving spends more time using brakes than stepping on the gas. These unique race elements make Monaco Grand Prix deserving of its place as one of the Triple Crown of Motorsports.
INDIANAPOLIS 500
(Speedway, Indiana, United States)
Commonly known simply as ‘Indy 500’, Indianapolis 500 is an annual automobile race in one of the world’s oldest speedways, the Indiana Motor Speedway, which was first constructed in 1909. This speed race that lasts for almost three hours in a 2.5 mile or approximately 4.2-kilometer track is a perfect venue for both racing enthusiasts and newcomers who want to watch the event in its entirety since it is held in the largest capacity sports venue in the world. The race comprises 200 laps counter-clockwise, which totals 500 miles all-in-all, hence the name. Amazingly enough, this event has been running for more than a century up to this day.
24 HOURS OF LE MANS
(Le Mans, France)
First took off in 1923 near Le Mans, France, 24 Heures du Mans (its French name) is the world’s oldest active sports car race. This prestigious event is held annually and went by the name ‘Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency’ for a very good reason. Many other famous sports car races determine the winner in terms of who reaches the finish line first in a fixed-distance track at the minimum amount of time; 24 Hours Le Mans is different. This motorsports event is not only about being the top finisher. This event’s main goal is to cover the greatest distance possible in the span of 24 hours. Since it features both speed and endurance competition, race teams must ensure the vehicles’ ability to run for 24 hours with minimum chance of mechanical failure. The 24 Hours Le Mans is one of the Triple Crown of Motorsports reigning alongside the Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Grand Prix. It still proves to be worthy of its throne, inspiring other 24-hour car races worldwide, such as the Rolex 24 At Daytona in Daytona Beach, Florida, 24 Hours Nürburgring in central Germany, Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium, and Bathurst in New South Wales, Australia.