If you are tired of football, do not rush to throw away the TV.
Beds, toilet bowls, balloons, lawn mowers, even coffins and pumpkins - that just does not serve as race cars! But cars are the most popular. But which ones and how exactly to compete on them is also a matter of a huge choice. Together with the Discovery Channel, we will tell you about the five main types of car racing. What is it for? Yes, to the fact that the Discovery Channel is approaching the finale of the Week of Speed. Her heroes are ready to strike sparks from the track for the sake of victory.
No. 1. Circuit racing
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship touring car, photo by Mercedes-AMG
Track:
indoor racing track of complex configuration with a large number of turns.
Coating: Rules.On paper, the conditions are simple: you need to drive a few laps faster than your rivals and successfully pass the turns. But in fact, all these hairpins, apexes, esques and chicanes bring a lot of adrenaline to pilots and spectators. Ring races are the ones that everyone dreams about: speed, fireballs with a bunch of buttons, overalls that do not take burning fuel, the roar of engines, the squeal of tires ... In general, quite a man's music.
Formula 1 is a legendary design-class circuit race in open-wheel cars that originates from British horse racing. This is the world championship where everything is the best: the fastest cars, the biggest budgets, the most successful pilots and the coolest engineering teams that are fighting for their constructors' championship. The stages are called Grand Prix, to access each of them you need to meet many conditions, and participation itself is the dream of any rider. This year, the fight also promises to be hot, although Formula 1. There is no one higher than the stars of these races in motorsport: Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Rubens Barrichello, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen... The names speak for themselves.
NASCAR is the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, which gave its name to the NASCAR Cup Series, the premier auto racing championship in the United States, the progenitor of which is illegal bootlegging racing. A powerful engine is hidden under light bodies, stylized as civilian cars, and the pilot is reliably protected by a safety cage. At each of the 36 racing stages of the year, cars turn left all the time on the ring track and try not to crash into the stands or rivals. Wheel explosions, car crashes, crashes into a concrete wall at speed, and fights after the finish line - that's all NASCAR. And the coolest pilot is Richard "King" Petty, who not only glorified these races, but also made them financially successful.
The Indy 500 (also Indianapolis 500 and The 500) claims to be the world's oldest regular auto race (although we believe it's the Sicilian Targa Florio), it's one of the most prestigious circuit races in the world and has been running since 1911. A distance of 500 miles of cars pass along the track, nicknamed the "old brick": for a long time the surface was made of bricks, which now remain only at the start-finish line. On Pole Day, after the qualifying heats, the order of drivers at the start is determined; on Push-Out Day, the losers are eliminated. Before the race, the owners of the track say "Gentlemen, start the engines!" (and ladies, if any). Millions of viewers from different countries watch the broadcasts of the Indy 500 races on TV, and already at the end of May you will be able to see everything with your own eyes, including a unique tradition: the leader at the finish line does not drink champagne, as in other races, but milk. But he receives a million dollars as a reward, so you can be patient.
Here it is, the famous track in Indianapolis. Photo: Doug Mathews/www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com
No. 2. Rally
Track:
mostly closed public roads.
Coating:asphalt, soil, gravel, ice, snow, sand, stones.
Rules.Any rally is both an exam and a lottery. On the track there are stages on ordinary roads, special stages and even super special stages - they are more difficult, and it is there that there is a serious struggle for skill and time. There are no seasonal barriers, so it is not always clear in advance what kind of surface the pilots will meet on the way from point A to point B. Of course, in the rally there is a detailed description of the route - a transcript, which is voiced by the navigator. But from the fact that you are kindly informed about the springboard or the pit ahead, somehow it doesn’t get any easier. The main competition in this category is the WRC (World Rally Championship) - the world rally championship under the auspices of the FIA, which is held at any time of the year.
Russian Rally Championship- a sequel to the Soviet racing series, the main tournament project of the Russian Automobile Federation and the opportunity to get, along with the title of the best racer in the country, a pass to big motorsport. The conditions are generally simple: your car has all the documents in order, and you yourself removed the yellow “U” sticker from the rear window a long time ago, received a RAF license and are ready to go through all the stages with maximum profit.
In the same paragraph, we will also mention rally raids, although they have little in common with rallies. The length of such races is measured in thousands of kilometers, they often pass through the territory of several countries and last for weeks. You can read our report on the Silk Way rally-raid.
Dakar is the former Paris-Dakar rally-raid, now held in South America, an annual transcontinental marathon in which professionals and amateurs compete in different classes, from cars to ATVs and trucks (in the latter, the traditional favorite is the Russian team " KAMAZ-master"). Each participant has a navigator, a GPS tracker in case of an emergency and a "legend" - a map on which to move. Cheaters are shamefully removed from the race, but this rarely happens - there are few people who want to go to a foggy future through dunes and stones. The winner will be the one who comes first and does not break on the way - both literally and figuratively. Throughout the days of the race, drivers and cars are working to the limit of their capabilities, and all breakdowns have to be fixed at night instead of well-deserved hours of sleep. That is why in the Dakar racers are often taken off the track to a hospital bed - to recuperate.
"KAMAZ-master" on the "Dakar". Photo: Eric Vargiolu/DPPI
Budapest - Bamako(or Great African Run) - the world's largest amateur rally from Hungary to Mali under the motto "Anyone, anything, anyway". There are no conditions: the composition of the crew, the type of transport, the accuracy of the route and time are not important, and you can even walk to the finish line. The main thing is to help starving African children and other poor along the way. No, this is not a bearded joke, but the meaning of the whole action: the rally participants, for example, donated an ambulance to a hospital in Mali, dug a well in the village, bought medicines for a clinic in the slums, textbooks for children and bicycles for women who travel far to work. For the best help, Mother Teresa's award is due - not that everything was done for her sake, but it's nice, right?
Run Budapest - Bamako, 2016. Photo: BudapestBamako
No. 3. Trophy
Trophy Ladoga Forest, 2017. Photo: www.ladoga-trophy.ru
Track:
rugged terrain.
Coating:swamps, rivers, windbreak, virgin snow, mud.
Rules.Pilots of trophy-raids do not consider Russian roads a disaster: when the RAF Committee chooses a route according to the principle “the worse, the better”, it has more than enough options. This is the territory of all-wheel drive, high ground clearance, mud wheels and differential locks. Pilots on trained off-road vehicles, motorcycles and ATVs must pass the obstacle course without delay, errors and breakdowns. The last condition is not easy to fulfill: on the linear and navigation special stages, the probability of accidents and forced stops exceeds 146%, so the crews are equipped with shovels, hijacks, winches, cables and fearless navigators ready to get into the mud up to their waists. Trophy is one of the few tournaments where it is customary to help a competitor: if he drowns in a swamp because you drove past, no victory will fix it.
Expedition Trophy- the world's longest winter rally, in which cold and logic tasks are added to the virgin impassability. You need to navigate, drive, overtake, look for waypoints and live in field conditions for two whole weeks, moving from Murmansk to Vladivostok. In 2015, the race was decided to be held every five years, and if everything goes according to plan, the next one will take place in 2020. The promised prize for the winner is $100,000. There are smaller analogues of the Expedition-Trophy abroad: in Croatia (Croatia-Trophy), New Zealand (Outback Challenge), Ukraine (Ukraine-Trophy) and Malaysia (Rainforest Challenge).
Expedition Trophy, 2015. Photo: expedition-trophy.ru
Ladoga-Trophy - a raid with a start and finish on St. Isaac's Square in St. Petersburg. Competitors on advanced motorcycles, trophy bikes, ATVs and off-road vehicles must cover a 1200 km course, of which difficult special stages cover 150-400 km depending on the route in the legend. There are nine categories in Ladoga, including ATVs, sports and tourism, this year the trophy-raid in Karelia and the Leningrad Region will take place from May 26 to June 3.
Ladoga Forest 2017
Susanin-Trophy is an international raid made in Kostroma, which is supported by local media and the administration of the region, and the list of one hundred participating crews includes Belarusian, Georgian, Kazakh and Russian teams from different cities. One of the public's favorite features is the "viewpoints": these are banners that jeepers must reach at a time determined by the legend and touch them with their hands without leaving the car. The navigator takes a proof photo, and the audience can get into the frame and, at the same time, into the history of the trophy raid. As in the Budapest-Bamako rally, Susanin-Trophy has a charitable component: since 2009, participants have been helping one of the region's orphanages, and every year a new one.
#4 Endurance Racing
"24 Hours of Le Mans", 2017
Track:
indoor racing tracks.
Coating: Rules.The name speaks for itself: you need to demonstrate not only skill, but also the fortitude of the spirit and body. And technicians! Like mere mortals, pilots have needs like food and sleep, but when it comes to racing, road, speed, and following the rules come first. Two classes of prototypes and two touring cars - GT participate in the world championship. At pit stops, pilots change and check the condition of the cars: it is necessary to pass the track first in its class, but breakdowns interfere, which sometimes have to be fixed for an hour or more.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans) is the world's oldest endurance race, which has been taking place in France at the Sarte circuit since 1923. The winner is the crew that was able to cover the greatest distance in 24 hours, because the goal of this race has always been the same - to determine the most reliable and economical car. The race is held in the summer, and the matter is often complicated by the heat, but no difficulties stop those who want to put on the symbolic “Triple Crown” of endurance racing, winning also the “24 Hours of Daytona” and “12 Hours of Sebring”. By the way, Le Mans races are also included in the triple combo of all motorsport: this is a victory in them, Formula 1 and IndyCar races. The authority of the 24 Hours of Le Mans is such that winning this race is considered by many drivers and teams to be more important than winning the entire World Championship.
24 Hours of Spa - the annual race of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium on the track Spa - Francorchamps, the second oldest after the French daily race of pilots. It was first held in 1924. Racers rush along the seven-kilometer ring, trying to save the car and get ahead of their rivals, overcome weather conditions, fatigue and hunger. "24 Hours Spa" is not at all the spa that the girls talk about: it will not work to relax.
24 hours Nurburgring- a race that has existed since 1970 and is supported by the largest in Europe (and in the world!) German car club ADAC. The Nordschleife of the Nürburgring is called the "Green Hell" for a reason - it is one of the most dangerous tracks in the world. The start on the Nordschleife, which is divided into three groups, includes 220 sports cars. There are about eight hundred riders, three to six people per crew, each of which has the right to spend no more than two and a half hours behind the wheel. By the way, the "Green Hell" in 1996 was conquered by the racer Sabina Schmitz, and a year later she again accepted his challenge - and won.
A single-seat (monoposto) car designed to participate in car races, including for setting speed records (record racing and ultra-fast cars "bolides"). Foreign firms began to build G. ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
RACING CAR- single (monoposto) car, intended for for high-speed competitions on ring closed (for other transport) routes. It differs from passenger cars in its low weight, powerful engine, wheel arrangement (outside the body), ... ...
racing car- lenktyninis automobilis statusas T sritis Kūno kultūra ir sportas apibrėžtis Specialus vienvietis automobilis su atviru kėbulu, pritaikytas greičio lenktynėms. atitikmenys: engl. racing car vok. Rennwagen, m rus. racing car … Sporto terminų žodynas
Racing car- a single-seat car for participation in car races ... Automobile dictionary
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open wheel car- Mercedes Benz racing car of the Formula 1 class, 2011 ... Wikipedia
Automobile- (Cars) Contents Contents 1. The history of the creation of the first car 2. The history of brands Aston Martin Bentley Bugatti Cadillac Chevrolet Dodge Division Ferrari Ford Jaguar 3. Classification By purpose By size By body type By displacement ... ... Encyclopedia of the investor
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automobile- n., m., use. often Morphology: (no) what? car, why? car, (see) what? car than? car about what? about the car; pl. What? cars, (no) what? cars, why? cars, (see) what? cars than? Dictionary of Dmitriev
AUTOMOBILE- (from auto ... and lat. mobilis mobile, easily moving) transport. trackless vehicle on a wheeled or half-tracked course, propelled by its own. engine. By appointment, A. can be passenger (car and bus), cargo, ... ... Big encyclopedic polytechnic dictionary
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“What Russian does not like to drive fast!” This expression has long since left the borders of our Fatherland. Probably even the Negroes in Jamaica understand what it means. They also understand that fast driving is simply impossible without a fast car. But not everyone can distinguish a sports car from a racing car. Let's try to understand all the subtleties.
What is a sports car
Sports cars - this name includes a long list of different sports cars. The name itself consists of two parts - the English words "sport" and "car". A sports car is easy enough to figure out among the mass of other cars. As a rule, sports cars are predominantly two-seat cars, however, there are also four seats. The second way sports cars differ from cars for a wide audience is high speed. In addition, they have a special body shape and landing.
In everyday language, a sports car is the most ordinary car with increased speed and a somewhat specific look. These cars are purchased primarily to emphasize the position in society. Their cost is higher than that of simple cars, so this acquisition also indicates the financial condition of the owner.
Often such a car is a sports two-door roadster or coupe. However, there are deviations from the rule. It can be a hatchback (Ford Focus ST) or a sedan (Bentley Continental).
Reference! Despite the fact that such cars are intended for public roads, they are equipped with a stiffer suspension and an increased number of gears.
Sports car classification
Given the rather wide range of vehicles in this class, several groups have been identified. When dividing into them, such criteria as speed, cost, level of exclusivity are taken into account. There is no clear classification.
Separately distinguish "supercars" and "hypercars". But in most cases, no one will be able to highlight the fundamental differences between these machines.
sports cars
In this case, the name does not represent a generalized group, but only indicates the first step in the hierarchy of sports cars. They are quite affordable and have a clearly defined sports focus.
Family members:
Cars for city racing
This type of car is characterized by increased power. It's on the next level. However, the name "racing" is not entirely correct in this case, since it only defines cars for racing. Therefore, such cars are classified as a subspecies of sports cars.
Family members:
Supercars
The main features are shocking appearance and a speed ceiling above 300 kilometers per hour.
They shock, first of all, with their cost. Sometimes it is believed that they are deliberately overpriced to make them more exclusive.
Family members:
exotic cars
They are distinguished by their extreme characteristics and no less extreme cost. They are super coveted, especially since they are limited editions.
Family members:
Hypercars
Very fast, rare and exclusive cars. To describe them, the definition of “the best in the whole world!” is more suitable. Just because you can light a cigar off a hundred bucks bill doesn't mean you can buy a hypercar. To buy such a “machine”, you need to stand in linefor several years. The model has not yet been launched into production, and there are already a huge number of applications from those eager to buy it.
Family members:
Racing car features
Racing cars are released only for participation in competitions. Despite this, a large number of manufacturers of this class of cars have models that organically combine comfort and design ergonomics with high speed performance. 
Racing cars are distinguished by a unique structure, a very light body. They lack a number of controls, as well as security systems. This makes the car lighter. While sports cars are meant for everyday use, racing cars don't drive on public roads.
Racing life requires very high speed and excellent aerodynamics. Therefore, only high-quality alloys are used in the design, and the weight is lightened to the maximum.
The best models of racing cars
There are quite a lot of racing-class cars that can fully satisfy all the needs of a professional pilot. In 2007, KTM introduced a unique model - X-Bow. The development was carried out jointly with the concern Audi. The car has a unique structure. It has a 240 horsepower engine. The speed ceiling is 250 kilometers per hour, and if you put special tires on it, then the speed can increase to 290 kilometers per hour. 
Differences between a sports car and a regular car
Under the name "sports car" lies a fairly large list of cars. They have distinctive features that you should be aware of.
One of the main ones is a powerful engine that has the ability to accelerate the car in a short time to huge speeds. In addition, in the classic version there are only two doors, a low seating position, and the body is several times lighter when compared with an ordinary city car. However, in recent years, more and more often you can find four-door sports cars.
It is a misconception that a sports car and a racing car are one and the same. Only the car that is mass-produced is called sports. In addition, each sports car must be registered, it must have a license plate.
The difference between a sports car and a racing car
The cars that take part in the races do not differ in their appearance from the production versions.
The body of a sports model for racing has practically no differences from models that are allowed on the streets of the city. But despite this, there are still differences. Let's look at the differences between sports cars and serial assembly models.
Representatives of the serial versions have an almost silent ride, but the racing ones have a loud roar. As they rush past the stands, they emit a sound of 100 decibels. 
Reference! Airplanes emit a sound of 140 decibels, and 150 decibels are dangerous for a person's hearing aid.
A serial production car is always under a window or in a garage. You can sit down and go to it at any time. Out-of-competition racing cars are taken apart so that technicians can service and repair them.
The racing version weighs much lighter than the regular version. This makes it possible to achieve high speed and fit into the turn without any problems. 
A sports car gets rid of all unnecessary details, and some cars are intentionally lightened.
Reference! The racing version of the BMW E90 has a mass of 1 t 200 kg, including the driver. And the serial version is two hundred kilograms more and without taking into account the weight of the driver.
Production versions are used to carry passengers and luggage. In a racing car there is only a place for the pilot.
Naturally, these are not all the differences. You can delve into all the technical characteristics of one and the other representative of the four-wheeled “horses” for a long time.
Since its inception, car racing began to gather hordes of fans around the world. There are not so many of those who did not limit themselves to contemplation and became a professional race car driver - a thin school notebook with a dozen sheets is enough to enumerate. They fully quenched their thirst for high speeds and strong g-forces in competitions, while the rest could only lick their lips. But there were also enthusiasts among them who were ready to spend some of their time, money and effort on creating their own fast car. So, the salt lakes of California served as a testing ground for lovers of high speeds almost a hundred years ago. As we said in the article, by the middle of the last century, this phenomenon had become so massive that it was just right to compare it in scale with professional motorsport. The flight of fancy when building cars was often not even limited by common sense, but today we will tell about the other side of this tuning - copies of racing cars or replicas.
Why is this needed?
There are several reasons for the appearance of racing car replicas. The main one is the desire to touch motorsport and keep for oneself the most important part of it - the car. For example, among football fans, the ball and the uniform of the players who played their triumphant match are valuable; in hockey, sticks and helmets are such attributes. But if serious battles are played out for equipment at auctions, then it is almost impossible to buy a real car. In any case, for sane money. But creating a copy of such a machine is possible even in your own garage.
Such machines are also being prepared for participation in expositions and filming. In this case, budgets sometimes allow the use of genuine copies, but the difficulty in finding them pushes customers to make copies. Finally, this type of tuning is less common than others, due to which the replicas attract much more attention than their counterparts in the "regular" tuning.
Who are we copying?
Of course, we are not talking about recreating Formula class cars or sports prototypes, since they have practically nothing in common with production models. Therefore, the production of such a replica will require many times larger budgets and labor costs.
The "mainstream" of this tuning are the "body" classes of circuit and rally disciplines - WRC, WTCC and the like, as well as "charged" versions and limited series of popular models. The most banal example is to make a BMW 520i look and drive like an M5, and modify a Subaru WRX in the manner of Petter Solberg's rally car. If you're a fan of the 9,000 rpm cutoff and your Honda Civic doesn't have red badges, you'll probably want to turn it into a Type R. As with any style of tuning, there are no hard and fast rules, but we'll only look at typical examples when the final project resembles its prototype as a whole, and not by individual elements.
Where do they meet?
The final appearance and technical characteristics of replicas primarily depend on the goals that are set for them. If the project is destined to visit exhibitions, there is no need to interfere in the technical aspects, keeping the main units in native specification with a corresponding change in appearance and interior. Urban operation of the “artificial race” will require the preservation of the functionality of the cabin and the presence of comfort elements in it. The technique in this case is being finalized in accordance with the wishes and budgets of the owner. Finally, the replica can "beat" on the tracks, not inferior to the original fireballs, attacking the apexes and soaring into the air on the crest of the springboards. But the preparation of such a machine affects almost every element, with an eye to the regulations of the sports discipline for which it is being prepared. Below we will take a closer look at the main techniques used in the creation of such machines.
The technical side of the issue
As we said above, the "technical" is completely dictated by the scope of the car. In the case of rally and ring cars, everything is decided by the class regulations, which allow for quite definite changes not only in the engine and transmission, but also in all other components - from brake pads and tires to the thickness of anti-roll bars. There can be no question of a complete coincidence with the prototype, since the technical requirements change annually. One thing remains unchanged: the car is also focused on the minimum time to cover a given distance with maximum safety for the pilot. For this reason, an automatic fire extinguishing system is installed in all such machines, and an automatic fire extinguishing system is “on duty” under the hood.
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It follows from this that a city or exhibition replica can be even faster and more powerful than a real one - there are no restrictions! But even "vegetable" copies, with full external compliance with the original, must have "adult" brakes, a suspension adjusted to the desired clearance and sports tires. Otherwise, the substitution can be recognized without even lifting the hood.
Outside
Unlike, the concept of which requires the complete preservation of the standard appearance, a modified exterior is a mandatory attribute of any racing replica. Depending on which car and with what accuracy it is necessary to copy, the amount of changes also differs. The simplest scheme is when the race body differs only in a couple of elements: for example, air intakes and spoilers. In this case, you can limit yourself to changing the existing external parts without resorting to replacing them.
Another thing is when an expansion of the body is required. So, to turn the BMW E30 Coupe into the M3 Evo version, it is necessary to reshape the entire rear of the body, replace almost all elements in the front and install hubs with five-bolt wheels instead of the standard four-by-one. Fortunately, some companies have already launched the production of appropriate fiberglass parts, thanks to which tuners are spared the search for rare lots and save a lot of money.
Even more difficult when it comes to building a replica racing car. Indeed, on many of them, the wheels are fastened with a central nut, the glasses are replaced with lightweight polycarbonate ones without the possibility of lowering, and it is difficult to make copies of some parts. Thus, the exterior, being the "cover" of the replica, is often the most difficult stage of construction.
