Sports car racing

Sports car racing is a form of circuit racing, with purpose-built cars that nevertheless have enclosed wheel wells and often have closed cockpits.

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A kind of hybrid between the purism of open-wheelers and the familiarity of touring car racing, this racing is often associated with the annual Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, one of the oldest motor races still in existence. There are currently two series of sports car races based on the rules in use at Le Mans, the American Le Mans Series in North America and the Le Mans Endurance Series in Europe. However, sports car racing in general extends far beyond these rules, encompassing the Grand-Am professional series in North America as well as amateur road racing classes in the Sports Car Club of America.

Related Topics:
Open-wheeler - Touring car racing - Le Mans 24 Hours - American Le Mans - Le Mans Endurance Series - Grand-Am - Road racing - Sports Car Club of America

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The prestige of Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, and Aston Martin derives in part from success in sports car racing. Road cars sold by these manufacturers have in many cases been very similar to sportscars raced, both in engineering and styling. It is this close association with the 'exotic' nature of the cars used that serves as a useful distinction between sports car racing and Touring Cars.

Related Topics:
Ferrari - Porsche - Lotus - Maserati - Alfa Romeo - Mercedes-Benz - Jaguar - Aston Martin

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