During its history, Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport , including Grand Prix motor racing , Formula One , sportscar racing , touring car racing and rallies . They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries (usually under the name Alfa Corse or Autodelta ) and private entries. The first racing car was made in 1913, three years after the foundation of A.L.F.A., the 40/60 HP had 6-litre straight-4 engine. Alfa Romeo quickly gained a good name in motorsport and gave a sporty image to the whole marque.
75-592: Vittorio Brambilla ( Italian pronunciation: [vitˈtɔ.rjo bramˈbil.la] ; 11 November 1937 – 26 May 2001) was an Italian racing driver , who competed in Formula One from 1974 to 1980 . Nicknamed " The Monza Gorilla ", Brambilla won the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix with March . Born and raised in Monza , Brambilla competed in Formula One for March , Surtees and Alfa Romeo . A wet weather specialist, Brambilla won
150-425: A Lola chassis, and Danny Sullivan took over the drive, finishing 11th in the points, with a best finish of 4th. In the end, Alfa Romeo would finish its Indy Car project without scoring a single podium, pole position, or race win. Alfa Romeo cars have also been used in rallying, mostly by private teams. In the 1950s, Alfa Romeo Giulietta won the 1957 Tour de Corse and the 1958 1000 Lakes Rally , as well as
225-486: A March -Alfa Romeo. Noteworthy was the adoption of the Twin Spark engine 1987 which fostered this success. In South America, Alfa Romeo won 4 Formula 3 Sudamericana titles, 7 Mexican Championships , 1 Brazilian Championship , and 3 Chilean Championship . From 2019 to 2020, a Tatuus T-318 powered by an Autotecnica Motori tuned Alfa Romeo 1.75 L 4-cyl turbocharged engine producing 270 metric horsepower (200 kW)
300-406: A transformative shift, echoing past pivots. The industry, much like the cars it champions , has had to navigate through a global pandemic and a persistent chip shortage, each threatening to derail production schedules . At the same time, a new course is being charted towards an electric future, a dramatic change in direction that is challenging the old guard of gasoline engines. There is also
375-618: A "manufacturer's" logo and "vehicle name", yet use components produced by another automobile manufacturer. There are also other stock car governing bodies, most notably the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA). In the UK, British Stock car racing is also referred to as "Short Circuit Racing". UK Stock car racing started in the 1950s and grew rapidly through the 1960s and 1970s. Events take place on shale or tarmac tracks – usually around 1/4 mile long. There are around 35 tracks in
450-538: A 1973 Formula Two race. There were two 10-lap heats covering 271.5 km (168.7 mi). Brambilla won the City of Enna Cup, the 5th 1973 event in the European automaker's championship for 2,000 cc cars. He averaged 195 km/h (121 mph) over 290 km (180 mi). He drove an Abarth - Osella . Brambilla captured the pole for the Monza 4-hour auto race in a BMW 3.5 CSL. In his first year of Formula One, Brambilla
525-846: A Formula One car in the summer of 1980. Brambilla retired at the end of the 1980 season. In the early 1990s he opened a Formula One memorabilia shop in Milan, occasionally driving the safety car during the Italian Grand Prix. He died at Lesmo , near Milan , of a heart attack at the age of 63 while gardening at his home. He reportedly collapsed while mowing the lawn. ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) ( key ) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap) Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance completed. Racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing , motor racing , or automobile racing )
600-693: A Paton. Before becoming a mechanic he also raced go-karts . His older brother, Ernesto ("Tino") , was also a racing driver. He returned to racing in 1968, in Formula 3 and won the Italian championship in 1972, by which time he was already racing Formula 2 . Brambilla was 2nd to Jacky Ickx in a 1970 2-heat Formula Two race at the Salzburg Ring in Salzburg, Austria . He drove a March BMW to 4th place in Hockenheim , in
675-699: A constructor and engine supplier, from 1950 to 1987 . The works Alfa Romeo team dominated the first two years of the Formula One World Championship , using the pre-war 158/159 Alfetta , but withdrew from Formula One at the end of 1951 . During the 1960s, minor teams such as LDS , Cooper , and De Tomaso used the Alfa Romeo straight-four engines . In the early 1970s, a V8 Alfa Romeo appeared in McLaren and March cars. The Brabham team used Alfa Romeo engines from 1976 to 1979 , foreshadowing
750-410: A distance of 8 mi (13 km). It was won by the carriage of Isaac Watt Boulton . Internal combustion auto racing events began soon after the construction of the first successful gasoline -fueled automobiles. The first organized contest was on April 28, 1887, by the chief editor of Paris publication Le Vélocipède , Monsieur Fossier. It ran 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Neuilly Bridge to
825-656: A growing number of events for electric racing cars, such as the Formula E , the Eco Grand Prix or the Electric GT Championship . In single-seater ( open-wheel ) racing, the wheels are not covered, and the cars often have aerofoil wings front and rear to produce downforce and enhance adhesion to the track. The most popular varieties of open-wheel road racing are Formula One (F1), the IndyCar Series and Super Formula . In Europe and Asia, open-wheeled racing
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#1732872846087900-693: A lap at 388 km/h (241 mph). The series' biggest race is the Indianapolis 500 , which is commonly referred to as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" due to being the longest continuously run race in the series and having the largest crowd for a single-day sporting event (350,000+). The other major international single-seater racing series is Formula 2 (formerly known as Formula 3000 and GP2 Series ). Regional series include Super Formula and Formula V6 Asia (specifically in Asia), Formula Renault 3.5 (also known as
975-472: A much easier time following and passing than in open-wheel racing . It often features full-contact racing with subtle bumping and nudging due to the small speed differentials and large grids. The major touring car championships conducted worldwide are the Supercars Championship (Australia), British Touring Car Championship , Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), World Touring Car Championship and
1050-656: A multiple pileup at Monza in the 1978 Italian Grand Prix , Brambilla suffered serious head injuries when he was hit by a flying wheel during a multiple car collision on the opening lap. In reaction to that race, in which Ronnie Peterson sustained fatal injuries, it was announced in October 1978 that the Italian Grand Prix would move to the Autodromo Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola for the next three years although this did not actually happen until 1980. The 1979 Italian Grand Prix
1125-625: A plethora of national championships in Italy (11), France (7), Germany (2), Switzerland (5), Sweden , and Austria (2). Among these, the 1979 Piercarlo Ghinzani victory at the Italian Formula Three Championship driving a Euroracing March 793 with a 2 litre Alfa engine, the four consecutive Italian titles between 1981 and 1984 , and Michele Alboreto 's 1980 victory at the FIA European Formula 3 Championship with
1200-450: A practical mode of transport, but soon became an important way for automobile makers to demonstrate their machines. By the 1930s, specialist racing cars had developed. There are now numerous different categories, each with different rules and regulations. The first prearranged match race of two self-powered road vehicles over a prescribed route occurred at 4:30 A.M. on August 30, 1867, between Ashton-under-Lyne and Old Trafford , England,
1275-463: A return by Alfa Romeo as a constructor from 1979 to 1985 . Alfa Romeo also supplied engines to the small Italian Osella team from 1983 to 1987. For the 1987 season, Alfa Romeo made a deal to supply engines to Ligier , but both deals were cancelled when Fiat took control of Alfa Romeo. In November 2017, Sauber signed a multi-year technical and commercial partnership contract with Alfa Romeo, therefore renaming to Alfa Romeo Sauber F1 Team for
1350-426: A small, low-cost machine on small tracks. Many of the current top drivers began their careers in karts. Formula Ford represents the most popular first open-wheel category for up-and-coming drivers stepping up from karts. The series is still the preferred option, as it has introduced an aero package and slicks, allowing the junior drivers to gain experience in a race car with dynamics closer to F1. The Star Mazda Series
1425-422: A transmission failure forced him to retire after 36 laps. His great day came at the Österreichring in 1975, when he won a wet Austrian Grand Prix . He spun off and wrecked the nose of his car as he took the chequered flag, and completed his slowing down lap with the front of the car destroyed while waving to the crowd. As the race was shortened, with 60% of it completed, he only received 4.5 points instead of 9 for
1500-788: Is NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). NASCAR's premier series is the NASCAR Cup Series , its most famous races being the Daytona 500 , the Southern 500 , the Coca-Cola 600 , and the Brickyard 400 . NASCAR also runs several feeder series, including the Xfinity Series and Craftsman Truck Series (a pickup truck racing series). The series conduct races across the entire continental United States . NASCAR also sanctions series outside of
1575-448: Is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including non-racing disciplines. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various types were organized, with the first recorded as early as 1867. Many of the earliest events were effectively reliability trials , aimed at proving these new machines were
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#17328728460871650-687: Is a worldwide series that runs only street circuit and race tracks . These cars are heavily based on technology and their aerodynamics. The speed record was set in 2005 by Juan Pablo Montoya hitting 373 km/h (232 mph). Some of the most prominent races are the Monaco Grand Prix, the Italian Grand Prix , and the British Grand Prix . The season ends with the crowning of the World Championship for drivers and constructors. In
1725-640: Is another entry-level series. Indy Lights represent the last step on the Road to Indy , being less powerful and lighter than an IndyCar racer. Students at colleges and universities can also take part in single-seater racing through the Formula SAE competition, which involves designing and building a single-seater car in a multidisciplinary team and racing it at the competition. This also develops other soft skills, such as teamwork, while promoting motorsport and engineering. The world's first all-female Formula racing team
1800-594: Is commonly referred to as 'Formula', with appropriate hierarchical suffixes. In North America, the 'Formula' terminology is not followed (with the exception of F1). The sport is usually arranged to follow an international format (such as F1), a regional format (such as the Formula 3 Euro Series), and/or a domestic, or country-specific, format (such as the German Formula 3 championship, or the British Formula Ford). F1
1875-870: Is the FIA World Endurance Championship . The main series for GT car racing is the GT World Challenge Europe , divided into two separate championships: the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup and the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup . This series has formed after the folding of the various FIA GT championships. The prevailing classes of GT cars are GT3 , GT4 and GT2 class cars. GT2 cars have powerful engines, often exceeding 600 horsepower. However, they have less downforce than GT3 cars and also have less driver aids. GT3 cars are far and away
1950-522: Is undergoing a period of transition, but is still the longest-running road racing series in the U.S. The National Auto Sport Association also provides a venue for amateurs to compete in home-built factory-derived vehicles on various local circuits. In sports car racing, production-derived versions of two-seat sports cars , also known as grand tourers (GTs), and purpose-built sports prototype cars compete within their respective classes on closed circuits. The premier championship series of sports car racing
2025-481: The 1976 Dutch Grand Prix . He qualified his March in 8th position for the 1976 United States Grand Prix West . In the race Brambilla was tapped from behind by Carlos Reutemann before they reached the first turn. He lost the right rear wheel on his March on the 35th lap of the 1976 United States Grand Prix after holding fifth place for a time. In 1977, Brambilla moved to the Surtees team, where he scored six points. At
2100-585: The 2018 season. On 1 February 2019, Sauber announced that it would compete in the 2019 season as Alfa Romeo Racing , although the ownership, racing licence , and management structure would remain unchanged. Alfa Romeo ended their partnership with Sauber at the end of the 2023 season, where Sauber will compete as the Audi factory team in 2026. Alfa Romeo has also supplied engines to Formula Three cars. In Europe, Alfa Romeo won five FIA European Formula 3 Championship and five FIA European Formula 3 Cup as well as
2175-705: The 24 Hours of Le Mans , begun in 1923. It is run by the Automobile Club of the West (ACO). Team Ferrari won the race in 2023. With auto construction and racing dominated by France, the French automobile club ACF staged a number of major international races, usually from or to Paris, connecting with another major city, in France or elsewhere in Europe. Aspendale Racecourse , in Australia,
2250-620: The 24 Hours of Le Mans , the Rolex 24 at Daytona , 24 Hours of Spa -Franchorchamps, the 12 Hours of Sebring , the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen , and the 1,000-mile (1,600 km) Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta . There is also the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring on the famed Nordschleife track and the Dubai 24 Hour , which is aimed at GT3 and below cars with a mixture of professional and pro-am drivers. Production-car racing, otherwise known as "showroom stock" in
2325-537: The Alpine Rally in 1956 and 1958. The victories in Alpine Rally were replicated in 1963 ( Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ ), 1964 ( Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ ), 1966 ( Alfa Romeo GTA ) under the management of the racing department Autodelta , making Alfa Romeo the most successful car maker in this competition. Racing versions of the Alfetta GT and GTV were built by Autodelta in the 1970s, initially with an aspirated engine from
Vittorio Brambilla - Misplaced Pages Continue
2400-742: The Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft (DTM) series was won by Nicola Larini with an Alfa Romeo 155 V6 Ti , also achieving the all-time record wins of championship races in a season (11). The successor of the 155, the Alfa Romeo 156 won the European Touring Car Championship four times in a row from 2000 to 2003, with Fabrizio Giovanardi and Gabriele Tarquini . From 2007 to 2009, Alfa Romeo 's cars ( 159 and 147 ) won in Eco Diesel categories (Class G and H) of
2475-615: The Italian Grand Prix , as well as 5 more Grands Prix that year between Nuvolari and Rudolf Caracciola . In 1933, Alfa Romeo became insolvent and was transferred to Enzo Ferrari 's team Scuderia Ferrari , but the P3 continue to win a variety of races that year, including the Italian and Spanish Grand Prix . In 1934, Louis Chiron won the French Grand Prix , but the P3 started to lose its edge while
2550-539: The WeatherTech SportsCar Championship starting in 2014. These races are often conducted over long distances, at least 1,000 km (621 mi), and cars are driven by teams of two or more drivers, switching every few hours. Due to the performance difference between production-based sports cars and purpose-built sports prototypes, one race usually involves several racing classes, each fighting for its own championship. Famous sports car races include
2625-628: The World Championship for Makes in 1975 with the 33TT12 and the World Championship for Sports Cars in 1977 with the Alfa Romeo 33SC12 . The company developed a Group C prototype in the early 1990s, codenamed the SE 048SP , but this never raced. Starting from the 1960s, Alfa Romeo has won many touring car titles. The Alfa Romeo GTA won the European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) in 1966, 1967 and 1969. The later Alfa Romeo GTAm won further ETCC titles in 1970, 1971 and 1972. Among other victories,
2700-637: The World Touring Car Cup . The European Touring Car Cup is a one-day event open to Super 2000 specification touring cars from Europe's many national championships. While Super GT traces its lineage to the now-defunct JGTC , the cars are much more similar to GT3 race cars than proper touring cars, and also have much more aggressive aerodynamics. The Sports Car Club of America 's SPEED World Challenge Touring Car and GT championships are dominant in North America. America's historic Trans-Am Series
2775-524: The 1964 12 Hours of Sebring , the 48th Targa Florio , the 1964 Nürburgring 1000 km , and the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans . In 1967, Carlo Chiti and the Audodelta team designed a new 90-degree V8 engine for their Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 sportscar and ultimately a flat-12 engine for the Alfa Romeo 33TT12 . These cars were raced in the World Sportscar Championship from 1967 to 1977, winning
2850-425: The 1980 season. The company named Patrick Depailler , Brambilla, and Bruno Giacomelli as its drivers. The racer was nearly identical to one driven by Giacomelli in the 1979 Italian Grand Prix . It was a wing car design with a V-12 engine that generated more than 520 hp (388 kW). Alfa Romeo announced that it was working on a 1,500 cubic centimeter turbocharged engine which was to begin track testing in
2925-465: The 1980s and 1990s all over the United States. In North America, stock car racing is the most popular form of auto racing. Primarily raced on oval tracks , stock cars vaguely resemble production cars, but are in fact purpose-built racing machines that are built to tight specifications and, together with touring cars, also called Silhouette racing cars . The largest stock car racing governing body
3000-462: The 24 hours of Le Mans (held annually since 1923) and in the (European) Le Mans series , Asian Le Mans Series and the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship . These cars are referred to as LMP (Le Mans prototype) cars with LMH and LMDh cars being run mainly by manufacturers and the slightly less powerful LMP2 cars run by privateer teams. All three Le Mans Series run GT cars in addition to Le Mans Prototypes; these cars have different restrictions than
3075-588: The Bois de Boulogne. On July 22, 1894, the Parisian magazine Le Petit Journal organized what is considered to be the world's first motoring competition, from Paris to Rouen. One hundred and two competitors paid a 10- franc entrance fee. The first American automobile race is generally considered to be the Thanksgiving Day Chicago Times-Herald race of November 28, 1895. Press coverage of
Vittorio Brambilla - Misplaced Pages Continue
3150-573: The FIA GT cars. Another prototype and GT racing championship exists in the United States; the Grand-Am , which began in 2000, sanctions its own endurance series, the Rolex Sports Car Series , which consists of slower and lower-cost Daytona Prototype race cars compared to LMP and FIA GT cars. The Rolex Sports Car Series and American Le Mans Series announced a merger between the two series forming
3225-544: The GTA won the inaugural Sports Car Club of America 's Under 2 Liter Trans-Am championship in 1966 with Horst Kwech and Gaston Andrey at the wheel. repeating the feat in the 1970 season . The Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6 won four consecutive European Touring Car Championship titles between 1982 and 1985. The British Touring Car Championship was won in 1983 by Andy Rouse driving an Alfetta GTV6 and again in 1994 by Gabriele Tarquini with an Alfa Romeo 155 . In 1993 ,
3300-586: The GTV6 was the last rear-wheel drive car to win the Australian Rally Championship . On March 6, 1963, Alfa Romeo's racing department Autodelta was established to run Alfa Romeo's sportscar programme, directed by ex-Alfa Romeo and Ferrari engineer Carlo Chiti . Competing with the Alfa Romeo TZ , the team began to collect some remarkable wins in its 1.6 category, including in the 1964 Coppa F.I.S.A.,
3375-603: The German Silver Arrows began to dominate. However, the P3 still managed to rack up some Grand Prix wins. 1935 was even tougher as the P3 was simply outclassed by the Silver Arrows, but Tazio Nuvolari gave it one of its most memorable victories by winning the 1935 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring . Notably, Tazio Nuvolari won the 1930 Mille Miglia in a 6C 1750 after having overtaken Achille Varzi with
3450-715: The UK and upwards of 7000 active drivers. The sport is split into three basic divisions – distinguished by the rules regarding car contact during racing. The most famous championship are the BriSCA F1 Stock Cars . Full-contact formulas include Bangers , Bombers, and Rookie Bangers – and racing features Demolition Derbies, Figure of Eight, and Oval Racing. Semi Contact Formulas include BriSCA F1, F2, and Superstox – where bumpers are used tactically. Non-contact formulas include National Hot Rods, Stock Rods, and Lightning Rods. Alfa Romeo in motorsport Alfa Romeo started motor racing almost immediately after it
3525-595: The UK, the major club series are the Monoposto Racing Club , BRSCC F3 (formerly ClubF3, formerly ARP F3), Formula Vee and Club Formula Ford. Each series caters to a section of the market, with some primarily providing low-cost racing, while others aim for an authentic experience using the same regulations as the professional series (BRSCC F3). The SCCA is also responsible for sanctioning single-seater racing in much of North America. There are other categories of single-seater racing, including kart racing , which employs
3600-493: The US, is an economical and rules-restricted version of touring-car racing, mainly used to restrict costs. Numerous production racing categories are based on particular makes of cars. Most series, with a few exceptions, follow the Group N regulation. There are several different series that are run all over the world, most notably, Japan's Super Taikyu and IMSA 's Firehawk Series, which ran in
3675-533: The United States, including the NASCAR Canada Series , NASCAR Mexico Series , NASCAR Whelen Euro Series , and NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race . NASCAR also governs several smaller regional series, such as the Whelen Modified Tour . Modified cars are best described as open-wheel cars. Modified cars have no parts related to the stock vehicle for which they are named after. A number of modified cars display
3750-438: The United States, the most popular series is the IndyCar Series . The cars have traditionally been similar to, though less technologically sophisticated than, F1 cars , with more restrictions on technology aimed at controlling costs. While these cars are not as technologically advanced, they are faster, in part due to their lower downforce compared to F1 cars, and also because they compete on oval race tracks, being able to average
3825-660: The World Series by Renault, succession series of World Series by Nissan ), Formula Three , Formula Palmer Audi and Formula Atlantic . In 2009, the FIA Formula Two Championship brought about the revival of the F2 series. Domestic, or country-specific, series include Formula Three and Formula Renault, with the leading introductory series being Formula Ford . Single-seater racing is not limited merely to professional teams and drivers. There exist many amateur racing clubs. In
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#17328728460873900-432: The automobile designer Vittorio Jano went from FIAT to Alfa, designing the engines that gave Alfa racing success into the late 1930s. In 1925, Alfa Romeo triumphed at the first Automobile World Championship in the history of motorsport, winning the European Grand Prix at Spa and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza . In 1932, Jano designed the sensational P3 which won its first race driven by Tazio Nuvolari at
3975-403: The curtailed Austrian Grand Prix in 1975 with a 27-second margin over James Hunt in only 29 laps. Born in the town of Monza itself, Brambilla began racing motorcycles in 1957 and won the Italian national 175cc title in 1958. He continued to race motorcycles on a casual basis throughout his career, finishing 12th in a guest appearance at the 1969 Italian 500cc motorcycle Grand Prix riding
4050-425: The earlier GTA, for homologation under FIA Group 2 . In this form, they were rallied with moderate success in 1975, winning the Elba and Costa Brava rallies overall, as well as winning the Group 2 category in the Tour de Corse. In 1980, the Alfetta GTV Turbodelta was already homologated in FIA Group 4 , since the required number of production cars had been built. A racing version campaigned in rallies, but once more
4125-399: The effort was abandoned after a single season, despite scoring a win at the Danube Rally. In 1986, Alfa Romeo GTV6 was one of the fastest Group A rally cars. However, FIA reclassified it as a Group B car at the end of 1986, changing it from a winning car to a car that was much less competitive. The GTV6 placed 3rd in 1986 Tour de Corse . In 1987, with Greg Carrbehind the wheel,
4200-400: The event first aroused significant American interest in the automobile. The Targa Florio was an open road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily , Italy near the island's capital of Palermo . Founded in 1906 , it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 and 1973. The oldest surviving sports car racing event is
4275-477: The headlights off at nighttime. Alfa Romeo's cars won the Targa Florio six times in row in the 1930s and the Mille Miglia every year from 1928 to 1938 except for 1931. The 8C 2300 won the Le Mans 24 Hours from 1931 to 1934. In 1938, Clemente Biondetti won the Mille Miglia in an 8C 2900B Corto Spider ; notably, Biondetti will win the first edition of Mille Miglia post-war (1947) with another 8C 2900B. Alfa Romeo participated in Formula One , both as
4350-632: The last step up to premier GT-class racing. Other major GT championships include the GT World Challenge America , GT World Challenge Asia , Super GT , and the International GT Open . There are minor regional and national GT series using mainly GT4 and GT3 cars featuring both amateur and professional drivers. Sports prototypes, unlike GT cars, do not rely on road-legal cars as a base. They are closed-wheel and often closed-cockpit purpose-built race cars intended mainly for endurance racing. They have much lower weight, more horsepower and more downforce compared to GT cars, making them much faster. They are raced in
4425-442: The most popular class of GT cars, with premier racing series such as the FIA World Endurance Championship and IMSA both using GT3 as their top class of GT car. GT3 cars have more significant aero than a GT2 car, but also have less horsepower, typically falling in between 500 and 550 horsepower. GT4 class cars have very little aerodynamics and less horsepower than GT3 machinery, typically around 450 horsepower. GT4 typically serves as
4500-416: The oldest car racing series still active in the world. The first TC competition took place in 1931 with 12 races, each in a different province. Future Formula One star Juan Manuel Fangio (Chevrolet) won the 1940 and 1941 editions of the TC. It was during this time that the series' Chevrolet-Ford rivalry began, with Ford acquiring most of its historical victories. Over the last few years, auto racing has seen
4575-456: The oldest existing purpose-built and still in use automobile race course in the United States is the 2.5-mile-long (4.0 km) Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana . It is the largest capacity sports venue of any variety worldwide, with a top capacity of some 257,000+ seated spectators. NASCAR was founded by Bill France Sr. on February 21, 1948, with the help of several other drivers. The first NASCAR " Strictly Stock " race ever
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#17328728460874650-408: The race at Mugello with a 40/60 HP, whilst Enzo Ferrari was second in Targa Florio in the same year. A year later, Giuseppe Campari won at Mugello again. Ugo Sivocci won the 1923 Targa Florio and Antonio Ascari took second, both with an RL . Sivocci's car was painted with the green cloverleaf on a white background that was to become Alfa's symbol on their sportiest models. In 1923,
4725-437: The reduction of the schedule from 56 to 34 races a year, established 1972 as the beginning of NASCAR's "modern era". The IMSA GT Series evolved into the American Le Mans Series , which ran its first season in 1998. The European races eventually became the closely related European Le Mans Series , both of which mix prototypes and GTs. Turismo Carretera (TC) is a popular touring car racing series in Argentina, and one of
4800-404: The same time he also drove for the Alfa Romeo sports car team, achieving the World Championship for the team. Brambilla finished 8th in the 1977 Monaco Grand Prix . Brambilla continued with Surtees in 1978 . At the 1978 United States Grand Prix West he placed 17th in qualifying, with a time of 1:23.212. His #19 Beta Surtees TS 19 finished 14th after experiencing engine failure on lap 50. In
4875-487: The sport, former Formula 2 champion Jonathan Palmer reopened the F2 category again; most drivers have graduated from the Formula Palmer Audi series. The category is officially registered as the FIA Formula Two championship. Most rounds have two races and are support races to the FIA World Touring Car Championship . Touring car racing is a style of road racing that is run with production-derived four-seat race cars. The lesser use of aerodynamics means following cars have
4950-495: The win. A more serious accident occurred that season when Brambilla crashed his March through a new curve at Watkins Glen during qualifying for the 1975 United States Grand Prix . He backed into a guard rail afterwards but was unhurt. The session ended at that point with Niki Lauda leading. Before his accident Brambilla was second fastest with a lap of 190.24 km/h (118.21 mph). During 1976 he suffered several accidents and mechanical retirements, collecting only one point at
5025-400: Was as quick as his teammate Stuck, although more accident-prone. In the Swedish GP he ran in fifth until an engine problem. Brambilla finished tied for 18th, last, in the 1974 Formula One World Championship standings. In 1975 he amazed many at the Belgian GP, where he led until encountering brakes problems after 54 laps, and at the 1975 Swedish Grand Prix , where he secured pole position until
5100-410: Was at Monza again, and Brambilla recovered and returned to participate in that race. Brambilla drove briefly for the Alfa Romeo Formula One team in 1979 and 1980. On the first day of qualifying for the 1979 United States Grand Prix Brambilla was timed at 134.98 km/h (83.87 mph). Heavy rain caused a slick track and slower times. In December 1979 Alfa Romeo revealed its Formula One race car for
5175-415: Was created in 2006. The group was an assemblage of drivers from different racing disciplines and formed for an MTV reality pilot, which was shot at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca . In December 2005, the FIA gave approval to Superleague Formula racing, which debuted in 2008, whereby the racing teams are owned and run by prominent sports clubs such as A.C. Milan and Liverpool F.C. After 25 years away from
5250-404: Was founded. A.L.F.A. ventured into motor racing in 1911, with drivers Franchini and Ronzoni competing in the Targa Florio with two 24 HP models. The marque's first success came in 1913 when Nino Franchini finished second in the Parma-Poggio Berceto race with a 40/60 HP . Giuseppe Merosi built a very advanced racing car in 1914, which was named " Grand Prix ". In 1920, Giuseppe Campari won
5325-518: Was held on June 19, 1949, at Daytona Beach, Florida , U.S.. From 1962, sports cars temporarily took a back seat to GT cars , with the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) replacing the World Championship for Sports Cars with the International Championship for GT Manufacturers. From 1962 through 2003, NASCAR's premier series was called the Winston Cup Series, sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette brand Winston . The changes that resulted from RJR's involvement, as well as
5400-473: Was mated to a chassis specially built by March and prepared by Alex Morales Motorsports , with Roberto Guerrero at the wheel. Guerrero only managed a best of 8th place at Detroit , before both driver and engine moved onto Patrick Racing for 1990 , again with a March chassis. That season proved to be an improvement, as Guerrero finished 16th place in the points standings, with a best finish of 5th place. The next year would be Alfa's last. The team switched to
5475-475: Was replaced by a more powerful Quadrifoglio Verde engine. In 1992, a European Championship (Formula Boxer Europe) was launched and the choice of chassis was liberalised. The last Formula Alfa Boxer series season was held in 1995. From 1989 to 1991, Alfa Romeo participated in the PPG Indy Car World Series . The 2648 cc, turbocharged V8 engine produced 720 bhp. In the 1989 season , the engine
5550-565: Was the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit , opening in January 1906. The pear-shaped track was close to a mile in length, with slightly banked curves and a gravel surface of crushed cement. Brooklands , in Surrey, England, was the first purpose-built 'banked' motor racing venue, opening in June 1907. It featured a 4.43 km (2.75 mi) concrete track with high-speed banked corners. One of
5625-672: Was used in the Formula Regional European Championship , the Formula Regional Asian Championship , and the W Series . After the great success of the one-make championship Trofeo Alfasud, in 1987 Alfa Romeo launched the new Formula Alfa Boxer racing car which had an engine derived from the 33 and the Sprint . Amato Ferrari won the debut championship in 1987, followed by Mirko Savoldi in 1988 and Alessandro Zampedri in 1989. In 1990, this engine
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