Cooper DuBois Portland CEO, relates that on July 16, 1878, the first car race, which was reserved for “vehicles without horses,” took place in the United States. This famous race saw only two vehicles at the start, both of which boasted steam engines. Later in the nineteenth century, especially in Europe, a specific interest in motor racing began to develop. Although in Italy, this passion came slightly late because the automobile industry did not yet exist in this country. In 1895, the first car race in Italy was organized: the Turin-Asti-Turin, in which five Italian drivers raced with foreign cars, only three of which had four wheels.
Cooper Dubois Portland resident explains that these races became more numerous over the years until, around 1910, the official Grand Prix began.
At first, they were short races from one city to another and later became more substantial races were held on purpose-built circuits. In 1922, the Monza circuit was built, the first in Europe and the third globally. At this time, automotive technology was developing very rapidly and, around the 1930s, world championships with more powerful cars began to appear.
In these early days of world championship auto racing, the Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo and Maserati took almost complete dominance and most of the victories. Famous drivers such as Antonio Ascari, Enzo Ferrari, and Tazio Nuvolari dominated the sport throughout the 1930s. During this period, the Nazi party allocated substantial sums to increase the prestige of the German manufacturers.
Auto racing continued in many forms until 1949 when car racing’s distinctions were subdivided into two main categories. The major groups that emerged were Formula (with open wheels) and Gran Turismo (with covered wheels). The introduction of the first championship of Formula 1, characterized by precise rules and scores, consisted of seven races.
Cooper DuBois Portland CEO, further explains that Formula One races remain the most followed motorsport today, especially in Europe. Over time, other races have developed, including minor Formula races and the Rally, which occur on public roads both asphalted, dirt, or snow-covered using road derivation vehicles. The Gran Turismo is characterized by road, and non-road-covered wheeled cars held only on asphalted circuits. The NASCAR cup is a championship held in America mainly on oval circuits with road cars that receive substantial engine and aerodynamics changes.
NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) is a famous series of car races born in the United States in 1948. Cooper DuBois Portland CEO shares that NASCAR is the second most followed sporting event after the Super Bowl of American football. Some of its most notable races include the Sprint Cup, the Nationwide Series, and Craftsman Truck Serie. The sport’s headquarters are in Daytona Beach, Florida, nicknamed “the Mecca” for motorsport lovers.
NASCAR has its roots in the days of prohibition when to escape the police, alcohol traffickers used to modify the mechanics of production cars and make them faster and more efficient on the road. Towards the end of the 1940s, in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina, the people “that mattered” gathered to discuss rigged cars, organize races and place bets. Cooper Dubois Portland resident shares that this activity helped fuel a real business around the sport of auto racing and helped to make it the multi-billion industry it is today.