Racing in America for a time overlapped in its development with European racing; then it veered off in the direction of oval track racing.
CART and IRL racing in America
Formula racing in America became Indy Car racing, spawning the CART and IRL series of today. These cars look like Formula One cars to a casual onlooker, but a Formula One car is lighter, more agile, and more powerful. Another difference is that Formula One cars never race on ovals; instead they race on purposebuilt road racing tracks or street circuits. Furthermore, each Formula One team designs and builds its own cars rather than buy them off the shelf from a specialist producer.
NASCAR and Touring Car racing
Non-formula, road car-based racing spawned NASCAR in America and Touring Car racing in the rest of the world. Both are for cars that from the outside look like showroom roadgoing models but which underneath the skin are very different. NASCAR tailors for American production models and races mainly �though not exclusively � on ovals. Touring cars are based on European or Australian road cars and, like F1 cars, race on road racing or street tracks.
The feeder formulas
In Europe, feeder formulas to Formula One � where drivers, team owners, designers, and engineers can all hone their craft on the way to Formula One �developed. Today these are classed as Formula 3000 and Formula 3. The names and numbers have changed over the years but Formula One remains what it has always been � the pinnacle. F3 is currently for single-seater cars with engines based on roadgoing production cars not exceeding 2-litre capacity. F3000 is for single seaters powered by a specific 3-litre racing engine defined by the governing body.
The structure and hierarchy of motor racing is extremely complex and not very logical. All you really need to know is that, in global terms, Formula One is at the top of the pyramid.
CART and IRL racing in America
Formula racing in America became Indy Car racing, spawning the CART and IRL series of today. These cars look like Formula One cars to a casual onlooker, but a Formula One car is lighter, more agile, and more powerful. Another difference is that Formula One cars never race on ovals; instead they race on purposebuilt road racing tracks or street circuits. Furthermore, each Formula One team designs and builds its own cars rather than buy them off the shelf from a specialist producer.
NASCAR and Touring Car racing
Non-formula, road car-based racing spawned NASCAR in America and Touring Car racing in the rest of the world. Both are for cars that from the outside look like showroom roadgoing models but which underneath the skin are very different. NASCAR tailors for American production models and races mainly �though not exclusively � on ovals. Touring cars are based on European or Australian road cars and, like F1 cars, race on road racing or street tracks.
The feeder formulas
In Europe, feeder formulas to Formula One � where drivers, team owners, designers, and engineers can all hone their craft on the way to Formula One �developed. Today these are classed as Formula 3000 and Formula 3. The names and numbers have changed over the years but Formula One remains what it has always been � the pinnacle. F3 is currently for single-seater cars with engines based on roadgoing production cars not exceeding 2-litre capacity. F3000 is for single seaters powered by a specific 3-litre racing engine defined by the governing body.
The structure and hierarchy of motor racing is extremely complex and not very logical. All you really need to know is that, in global terms, Formula One is at the top of the pyramid.
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