As with everything worthwhile, one can learn a lot about the modern incarnation by looking at history. With auto racing, the situation is the same. From Cherry Hill to Paris, automotive racing has been a part of the fabric of our times and has introduced the idea of competition between two or more machines with style and substance all its own.
Auto racing pretty much began with the introduction of petro-fuelled automobiles. Prior to automobiles, individuals raced in horse-drawn carts, buggies, on horseback, on foot, and on or in any other type of vehicle from boats to sleds. Racing, the idea of seeing who would finish “first,” was one of the earliest indicators of competition. In many ways, all sporting events are based around the concept of a race and finishing in first place. Racing, it could be said, is a natural part of our humanity.
As racing evolved to include automobiles, races were organized. The first race ever organized, by the chief editor of Paris publication Le Vélocipède, Monsieur Fossier, was on April 28 1887 and ran from Neuilly Bridge to the Bois de Boulogne. The winner of the race was Georges Bouton by default, as he was the only racer to show up. Still, the hype and pomp of the event soon sparked others and the sport evolved into what we know it as today.
Whether NASCAR or ARCA Racing, there is a rich history behind the roar of the engines well worth exploring.