American Speed From Dirt Tracks To NASCAR By Andretti

Nothing captures mankind’s attention more than the sport of bold color, epic drama, and pure speed of automobile racing. Why does racing capture the interest of people so easily? Andretti answers this question in his novel, American Speed From Dirt Tracks to Indy to NASCAR, stating, “The urge to race is human instinct, and always has been. On foot, in chariots and on horseback, the games of the ancients sough to determine who was the swiftest.” The history of American automobile racing dates back to the early 1900’s, when automobiles were still in diapers. In the beginning, the invention ran off of steam and electricity. Gasoline later became the main source of power for cars (Andretti). The sport started with a European-American rivalry. European

In the beginning, only wealthy Americans could afford the luxury of a car. The custom-made inventions became an extravagance only first class Americans could afford to maintain and repair (Andretti). Henry Ford became on of the first American manufacturers to create a standard automobile, affordable for the everyday working class citizen. Early automobiles did not run on gasoline. The vehicles ran off of electricity and steam power. These original prototypes moved very slow, due to engine design, and had a meager amount of power (Automobile-Timeline). The cars had the appearance of a “horseless carriage” and ran off of few cylinders. In 1880, Germany became the first country to develop an automobile powered by gasoline. Their innovation was later adopted by two American brothers (Andretti). In 1893, the Duryea brothers, Charles and Frank, manufactured the first American gasoline powered automobile in Springfield, Massachusetts. The vehicle ran on one cylinder with a three-speed transmission that topped out at 7.5 mph. A later model of this American-made car created history as the winner of the first official American race (America’s First). Once gasoline flooded the engines of automobiles, the growth of racing’s popularity America would soon

Rules created for the sport may vary for different types of racing. Many rules limit or restrict the engine size, weight, dimension, or technical add-ons to prevent unfair advantages (American Racing). NASCAR has become one of the most popular racing organizations in the United States. Stock car racing originated in the Appalachians and Carolinas during prohibition (Andretti). Bootleggers suped up the engines of factory made cars to outrun the law and transport liquor faster. Moonshiners in the Appalachians raced their “whiskey cars” at the local fairgrounds, on homemade race tracks, and on rural roads. The races created by the moonshiners eventually lead to the birth of NASCAR (Auto Racing). Formula or “Sprint” car racing consists of opened wheel racing. The body style of the smaller race cars allowed brakes to cool easier and reduced weight. Pit stops for maintenance on the automobiles became an easier process due to the easily interchangeable parts. Formula racing began on dirt tracks and eventually moved to paved tracks. Races changed tactics later in the future, and many events took place for other goals other than speed. The 1970’s and 80’s energy crisis caused racers to compete for energy efficiency instead of speed. The Formula races eventually developed into the Indy 500. (American Racing). Drag car racing remains unique to the United States. The exclusive style originated in western