Racing
50857
225058134
2008-07-11T18:05:15Z
JLG 2701
7362238
/* Cycle racing */
{{dablink|This article is about the speed competition. For the sport commonly referred to in the United Kingdom, as "racing", see [[horse racing]]. For the football clubs starting with Racing, see [[Racing Club]]}}
{| align=right
|[[image:racing.inflatables.arp.750pix.jpg|thumb|right|Offshore inflatable racing (Thundercat class) at Ilfracombe, north Devon, England.These boats can reach 60 mph]]
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|[[image:aircraft.racing.arp.jpg|thumb|right|Air racing:Hungarian aerobatics pilot Peter Besenyei at speed in his Extra 300 at an air race in England]]
|}
A '''race''' is a [[competition]] of [[speed]], against an objective criteria, usually a [[clock]]. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of [[time]]. Typically this involves [[traversing]] some [[distance]], but it can be any other task involving speed.
[[Running]] a distance is the most basic form of racing, but races are often conducted in [[vehicle]]s, such as [[boat]]s, [[automobile|car]]s and [[aircraft]], or with [[animal]]s such as [[horse]]s.
A race may be run continuously from start to finish or may be made of several segments called heats or [[stage (bicycle race)|stage]]s (stages are also known as legs). A heat is usually run over the same course at different times. A stage is a shorter section of a much longer course or a [[Individual time trial|time trial]].
Early records of races are evident on [[pottery]] from [[ancient Greece]], which depicted running men vying for first place. A [[chariot racing|chariot race]] is described in [[Homer]]'s ''[[Iliad]]''.
== Types of racing ==
=== Unassisted human racing ===
Using only the [[human body]]'s own [[muscle]]s:
* [[Running]]:
** [[Cross country running]]
** [[marathon (sport)|Marathon]]
** [[Road running]]
** [[Track running]] in [[Athletics (track and field)|Athletics]]
** [[Fell running]]
** [[Relay Race]]
* [[Amateur Radio Direction Finding]]
* [[Orienteering]]
* [[Rogaining]]
* [[Racewalking]]
* [[Swimming]]
===Cycle racing ===
[[Bicycle racing]]:
* [[Track cycling]], such as a [[Points race]]
* [[Road bicycle racing]], such as the [[Tour de France]]
* [[Mountain biking|Mountain (offroad) cycling]]
* [[BMX]] (Bicycle Motocross)
=== Ski racing ===
Skiing with [[ski]]s, on [[snow]]:
* [[Alpine skiing]] such as [[Slalom skiing]] or [[Downhill skiing]]
* [[Cross-country skiing]]
=== Animal racing ===
[[Image:OstrichCartJacksonville1.jpg|thumb|[[Ostrich]] racing]]Animals alone, or with human riders on the animal's back or in a conveyance:
* [[Camel racing]]
* [[Dog racing]]
** [[Greyhound racing]]
** [[Dogsled racing]], such as the [[Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race]]
* [[Horse-racing]], see also [[United Kingdom horse-racing]] and [[Equestrianism]]
** [[Chariot racing]]
** [[Flat racing]]
** [[Thoroughbred horse race]]s, such as [[Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing]] or a [[Derby (horse race)|Derby]].
** [[Trotting]]
** [[steeplechase (horse racing)|Steeplechase]]
* [[Pigeon racing]]
* [[Pig racing]]
* [[Ostrich#Ostrich racing|Ostrich racing]]
* [[Snail racing]]
===Aircraft racing===
* [[Air racing]]
=== Motorized racing (motorsport)===
[[Machine]]s powered by [[Internal combustion engine|motor]]s, on [[Earth|land]]:
* [[Auto racing]] (also known as ''automobile racing'', ''motor racing'' or ''autosport'')
**[[Board track racing]]
** [[Drag racing]]
*** [[National Hot Rod Association|NHRA]]+
**** Powerade Drag Racing Series
**** Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series (Sportsman)
**** Summit Racing Series (E.T Drag Racing Series)
**** Jr Drag Racing League (JDRL)
**** NOPI Drag Racing Series
*** [[Sand Drag Racing]]
*** International Hot Rod Association (IHRA)
** [[Dirt track racing]]
** [[Grand Prix motor racing]]
** [[Ice racing]]
** [[Open wheel racing]]
*** [[A1 Grand Prix]]
*** [[Champ Car]]
*** [[Formula One]], [[Formula Ford]], [[GP2 Series]] (Replacement for [[Formula 3000]])
*** [[Indy Racing League]]
*** [[Midget car racing]]
*** [[Sprint car racing]]
** [[Offroad racing]]
*** [[Motocross]]
**** [[Supercross]]
**** Beachcross
** [[Production car racing]]
** [[Rally racing]]
*** European Rallycross
*** [[SCCA RallyCross]]
** [[Road racing]]
** [[Sports car racing]]
** [[Stock car racing]]
*** [[NASCAR]]
** [[Touring car racing]]
** [[Truck racing]]
*** [[NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series]]
* [[Kart racing]]
* [[Lawnmower racing]]
* [[Motorcycle sport|Motorcycle racing]]
** Tarmac (aka Road Racing)
*** [[Grand Prix motorcycle racing]]
*** [[Pocketbike Racing]]
*** [[Production Bike Racing]]
*** [[Superbike racing]]
*** Track Racing
**** Flat Track
**** [[Motorcycle speedway|Speedway]]
**** [[Grasstrack]] (aka Long Track)
**70% Tarmac 30% Off Road
***[[Supermoto]] (aka Supermotard)
* [[All-terrain vehicle]]
* Snowmobile racing
=== Boat racing ===
[[Boat]]s on [[water]]:
* [[Drag boat racing]]
* [[Dragon boat race|Dragon boat racing]]
* [[Hydroplane racing]]
* [[Jet sprint boat racing]]
* [[Offshore powerboat racing]]
* [[Outrigger Canoe racing]]
* [[Sport rowing|Rowing]]
* [[Sailing]] or [[yacht racing]] also [[match race]] such as [[America's Cup]] races or [[team racing]].
=== Other types ===
Some races involve multiple modes of transport:
*[[Adventure racing]]
*[[Kinetic sculpture race|Kinetic sculpture racing]]
== Etymology ==
The word ''race'' comes from a [[Viking]] word. This Viking word arrived in [[France]] during the invading of [[Normandy]] and gave the word ''raz'' which means "swift water" in [[Brittany]], as in a [[mill race]]; it can be found in "[[Pointe du Raz]]" (the most western point of France, in Brittany), and "''raz-de-marée''" ([[tsunami]]).
A race and its name are often associated with the place of origin, the means of transport and the distance of the race. As a couple of examples, see the [[Dakar Rally]] or the [[Athens marathon]].
== External links ==
*[http://www.grandprix-live.com/ Grandprix-Live.com] - Covers all the major Grand Prix motorsport championships, including Formula One, MotoGP, Nascar, IRL, WSBK, WRC Rally and many more.
== See also ==
* [[Pace race]]
* [[Sport]]
* [[Gambling]]
* [[Totalisator]]
* [[Pacemaker (track)|Pacemaker]]
* [[Nuclear arms race]]
* [[Space Race]]
* [[Racing game]]
* [[Surf lifesaving]]
[[Category:Racing sports| ]]
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