If you’re looking for some thrills, the Airport Raceway right here in Finney county is a great way to spend the day. Whether you’re a life-long race fan or a total novice, watching drivers race for the finish line is an experience you won’t soon forget. However, if you’re new to the sport, it can help to have some idea about the details of the racing game before you dive in.
This article is part two of a three-part series about car racing here in Finney County. The first part provided a basic overview of the sport of auto racing, this second part explains the various types of races, and the third part will cover the details you need to know to get the most out of your raceway experience.
Types of Races
When it comes to car racing, you can be sure that if a vehicle has wheels, it has been raced in competition by someone at some time. In fact, there are more types of car races than could possibly be covered in a single article.
Here we’ll focus on the most popular race types you need to know about, as well as the ones you’re most likely to find on the schedule at the Airport Speedway.
World Class Events
As mentioned in the previous article, auto racing is an expensive sport, and the higher the competition, the more expensive and exclusive everything becomes. So first, let’s take a look at these elite world-class racing events just to get an idea of how extreme the sport can get.
Formula Car Racing
Formula car racing is the most elite racing sport in the world. Also known as open-wheel cars, these vehicles have wheels outside the main part of the car and usually have just one seat. These cars are true speed machines designed and built exclusively for racing and can move at over 220 mph. Races are long, usually covering hundreds of miles and requiring complex pit-crew teams for constant maintenance during competition.
The most popular open-wheel races are the Indy series here in the US and the F1 series in most of the rest of the world. The Indianapolis 500 is the biggest and most prestigious open-wheel race in the US.
Stock Car Racing
Stock Car racing is the most popular type of racing in North America, with millions of spectators tuning in to every event. NASCAR is the largest stock-car organization in the US, and the biggest NASCAR race is the annual Daytona 500. Cars can average up to 200 mph around an oval track as driver’s jockey for position to secure victory.
The idea behind stock car racing is that everyone is driving a “stock” car, so it isn’t just a measure of who can buy or design the best car, but rather which driver has the best reflexes, timing, and overall driving skills. Of course, while the concept of “stock” is used loosely here, the sport retains this core value of wanting to test drivers rather than cars.
Touring Car Racing
Touring car racing is similar to stock car racing in that the cars are at least based on production models, though it’s different because touring car races pit different makes and models of cars against each other. The speeds are also slower, so you see more bumping and collisions throughout the races, which would be catastrophic in races such as F1.
Unlike Stock Car racing, Touring races typically occur on closed road tracks rather than specially designed oval loops.
Sports Car Racing
Sports cars are similar to touring cars in that races include cars that look like models you might be able to buy at a local dealership. In this case, the cars include sports cars such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati. As with touring cars, races occur on closed winding roads rather than oval tracks.
Airport Speedway Races
Now, let’s take a look at the kinds of racing competitions you might find here at the Airport Raceway. The schedule is always changing, so be sure to check it out in advance if you plan to make a trip down to the track.
Sprint Car Racing
Sprint cars are a type of open-wheel vehicle, but the cars are slower, much cheaper to buy and maintain than formula cars, and races occur on much smaller tracks. The idea is that by having lower-cost races, the sport becomes more accessible to both competitors and spectators. In fact, many top pro drivers got their start in sprint racing.
Sprint racing also includes Micro Sprint, which uses even smaller cars, and Junior Sprint, which gives drivers under the age of 16 the opportunity to compete with other drivers in their age group. Just like any other sport, reaching maximum potential requires competitors to begin developing as early in life as possible.
Midget Car Racing
Compared to normal race cars, Midget cars are small, use four-cylinder engines, and have a very high power-to-weight ratio. Because the cars are so powerful yet so small, roll cages are required in competition. Midget races are usually short, covering anywhere from 2.5 to 25 miles.
Similar to sprint racing, Midget Car Racing provides a low-cost entry opportunity for drivers and fans to gain access to the sport.
Dwarf Car Racing
Dwarf cars are ⅝-scale replicas of vintage racing cars. Dwarf races are kind of a niche interest for both drivers and spectators, but they can be fascinating to watch. Races take place on oval tracks, and while speeds are much slower compared to other types of races, you get the unique opportunity to watch these antique-style cars compete.
Hornet Racing
Hornet racing is generally considered a stepping stone category to true stock car racing and NASCAR. If your dream is to drive in NASCAR, Hornets is where you begin. Cars must be stock and are usually four-cylinder, front-wheel drive vehicles. Unlike NASCAR, Hornet racing actually uses stock vehicles just like you would find at any car dealership.
Kart Racing
This type of race pits go-karts in competition against each other. As with sprint racing, many high-level pro drivers got their start racing karts. While the vehicle might be smaller than a lawnmower (and about as powerful), it still fulfills the need for speed and provides an opportunity to develop driving skills and strategies.
Conclusion
Now, you should have a basic idea about what kind of races are out there in the world, and what kind of races you might see or participate in here at the Airport Speedway. In the next article in this series, we’ll cover the details of race organization, rules, and terminology.
If you are interested in learning more about what the speedway has to offer, or if you want to begin your journey as a race car driver, you can check out the Airport Raceway website or Facebook page for more information.
If you’re planning to visit Finney County or Garden City, feel free to check out the other great content available on our site.
Image Source: Airport Raceway Facebook page
