Endurance racing
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Endurance racing can refer to races involving persons running in events such as marathons or triathlons, long cross-country skiing events, the racing of horses or other animals, or motorsport. The discussion in this article is focused on automobile motorsport. There are also motorcycle endurance races.
Endurance racing is a test of the durability of equipment used to race, and to a lesser extent, the drivers as well. The most famous automobile endurance race in sports car racing is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a road racing event held annually in Le Mans, France. Rather than racing a set distance of miles or kilometers, the stated purpose is to drive the vehicle the longest possible distance over the course during the stated period of time.
Most endurance races are for either 1000km or six, nine, twelve, or twenty-four hours over road racing courses. At one time driver endurance was a huge factor in that persons would attempt to complete a twenty-four hour race by themselves, and for many years the standard driving team was two drivers; in modern times solo driving is not permitted and the standard team for a twenty-four hour race consists of three professional drivers or four amateurs.
Some of the more famous endurance races include:
- Bathurst 1000
- Bol d'Or
- Coca Cola 600
- Dakar Rally
- 1000km Nürburgring
- 1000km Spa
- 1000km Monza
- 1000km Suzuka
- 12 Hours of Sebring
- 24 Hours of Daytona
- 24 Hours of Le Mans
- 24 Hours Nürburgring
- 24 Hours Spa
- Petit Le Mans
- Mil Milhas
- Suzuka 8 Hours
