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]] |- |[[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| ]] [[br:Redadeg]] [[es:Carrera (competición)]] [[gv:Ratçhal]] [[id:Balap]] [[he:מירוץ]] [[ja:競走]] [[no:Veddeløp]] [[pl:Wyścig]] [[pt:Corrida]] [[sl:Dirka]] [[sv:Racing]] [[yi:געיעג]]