What Types of Car Racing Are There?

Photo by Süleyman Şahan from Pexels (What Types of Car Racing Are There?)

When it comes to people who are unfamiliar with the field of motorsports, they might assume that it’s all about racing a car from start to finish. While that’s not wrong, the truth is that there’s so much more to the field of motorsports.

For starters, there are plenty of non-racing motorsports out there for fans to enjoy. That’s right! Some motorsports don’t even have anything to do with racing at all. Even for those that do, there are actually several types of car racing motorsports, many of which most people probably don’t know even exist!

Generally speaking, the many different forms of car racing differ on two criteria: the type of car that’s being raced, as well as the environment where the race takes place.

So, if you’re wondering what types of car racing exist in the world of motorsports, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’re going to look at some of the most popular forms of car racing that you can enjoy today.

Drag Racing

Let’s start with one form of racing you’ve probably experienced already, either in real life or on TV: drag racing. You’ve probably seen this form of racing in movies like The Fast and the Furious and other popular TV shows. This form of racing also happens to be one of the most basic and straightforward ones out there as well. 

And when we say ‘straight’, we mean that literally! Cars in a drag race go from start to finish in one straight line that’s anywhere from 200m to 400m long. Unlike other car racing forms in motorsports, this type does not involve any navigating as there are no turns or any complex terrain to overcome.

The primary focus of a drag racing car is to accelerate as fast as possible. So, whichever car can do that much better than the other will end up winning the drag race!

A drag race can happen almost anywhere, be it on a designated race track or on a regular street. Of course, drag races on ordinary city streets are probably illegal unless they have the necessary approvals and safety precautions put in place (so don’t drag race on public roads, kids!).

Rallying

Now, let’s talk about another popular form of car racing: rallying. Contrary to what some people may believe, rallying doesn’t necessarily take place off-road or on rugged terrain. It also happens on closed-off city streets with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Having said that, yes, rallying also does take place in some very challenging environments. It’s not uncommon for rallying to happen on gravel roads, asphalt paved roads, snow, ice, or even heavy raining environments.

Now, rallying isn’t the kind of race that happens between multiple cars simultaneously. Instead, rally drivers are usually competing with one another based on time. Typically, they’ll have to get from one point to another in the best time to be crowned the winner.

When it comes to rallying, drivers operate modified production cars or specially-built vehicles that are considered road-legal. They also don’t drive alone, as they’ll have co-drivers who will continually advise them about any upcoming turns or changes in the road.

All-year-round, there are plenty of rally races happening all over Malaysia. Among them, one of the most notable ones includes the Malaysian Rally Championships (MRC) and plenty of others.

Formula Racing

If you’re Malaysian or have lived in this country for any length of time, you probably know what formula racing is all about. Without a doubt, this is one of the most popular forms of professional motorsports all across the world.

Typically, formula racing (like F1 racing) involves multiple drivers racing in single-seater, open-wheeled cars. These cars are specially-built only for formula racing, so they’re not road-legal production cars that you’ll find anywhere else.

Formula One racing was a big deal in Malaysia for many years, especially with the Malaysian Grand Prix hosted at the Sepang International Circuit. However, the contract with the Formula One World Championship contract wasn’t renewed beyond 2017 as it became too expensive to run. Still, Formula One continues to be very popular all over the world, most notably in Monaco.

What’s fascinating about formula racing is that there’s a gradual shift towards racing with electric vehicles. For now, there’s the Formula E Championship that only allows for all-electric formula vehicles to participate.

Some believe that electric-only is the future of formula racing, but that’s still left to be seen.

Off-Road Racing

Last but not least, there’s also off-road racing. The name kind of says it all: it’s racing that takes place off-road in rough, unpaved environments. Vehicles that participate in off-road racing involve certain car models, trucks, and even motorcycles!

Naturally, the cars that participate in off-road racing do not need to be street-legal. As a matter of fact, many of them are heavily modified to cope with tough off-road environments like jungles, forests, and even deserts!

In Malaysia, one of the most popular off-road races is the Rainforest Challenge. This annual event is so popular that it attracts participants from the rest of the Asian region and even the rest of the world!

Motorsports Education and Car Racing

Without a doubt, the field of motorsports is one that’s incredibly diverse, involving racing and non-racing events alike. Even the car racing category of motorsports features a long list of different types, each with its own unique qualities.

Still, what do all of these racing and non-racing motorsports have in common? Well, all of them need talented individuals to make those events a success. For instance, racing teams require capable engineers and other automotive professionals to remain competitive.

At the same time, event organisers also need knowledgeable individuals to help them make their events a success!

That’s why a motorsports education is an excellent way to cultivate the talent, knowledge, and skill necessary to keep car racing and other motorsports alive.

To find out more about Motorsports Education in the country, check out TOC Automotive College, Malaysia’s Best Automotive College.