Car Racing: Research Sources about Car Racing and Racers’ Challenging Situations

Abstract

This article explores car racing and the various challenges that drivers may go through. Car accidents have been highlighted. In the course of doing this, I highlighted one method that NASCAR is participating in accident campaigns to help eliminate accidents on the roads. Other concepts that are analyzed are the history of car racing and the measures of ensuring safety.

Car Racing: Research Sources about Car Racing and Racers’ Challenging Situations

Car racing began in the early 1900s. Initially, it was only done for the excitement of the drivers. There were no rules other than one should outrun their competitor. Drivers used all means to get their cars to move faster. It could not have been more unsafe. It was initially illegal and was mostly a sport for those drivers who wanted to outrun police cars. Today’s car racing is far removed from the traditional car racing. There are rules and regulations, and vehicles are strengthened to enhance both performance and safety.

Car racing is characterized by various factors especially in the US. First, Americans love pure speed. Unlike Europeans, Americans do not have a high regard for other facorts of car racing. The chief aim of every racer is to move fast. On the other hand, their fans look out for speed rather than braking, transmission, and suspensions. To favor this concept, car racing in the US is done on oval super elevated lanes which are in essence the same as moving a long a straight line. On the contrary, European tracks have more twists and turns.

In America, there is a desire to watch the entire race at the same time. For this reason, ovals are constructed in such a way that fans can view the entire race. The viewers and fans are then given a feeling of how the entire race is going.

American racers also prefer shorter races. The most famous race is the Indianapolis race which is 500 miles. It however took a long tikme to obtain its acceptance. In its place were 100 mile races which were conducted on 1 mile ovals. Today, the higher speeds that can be reached on superspeedways have made longer races more acceptable. Even shorter, are drag races. They only take a little over five seconds hence enabling many races to be held on one evening or afternoon.

Insularity

Americans have a resistance to influence from elsewhere. As Americans create their own culture, they also despise the cultures of others in regard to car racing. American racing is only unique in situations where the racers are dealing with other nations. On the contrary, those who prefer certain froms of American racing are opposed to other forms. A good example, ythose individuals who like NASCAR are opposed to Indy car racing and vice versa.

The relationship between car owners and drivers is minimal. The sports car racers have been the most outgoing and have even adopted European manufactured cars to compete with. On another note, sports racers are secluded from the rest of the racing community. Rcers divide themselves into groups which can be placed as follows

• Drag racing
• Land-speed racing
• Off-road racing and
• Sports racing

Commercialism is common in American racing. Advertising with the use of car racing has been has been in existence since the early years of car racing. Auto racing has been tapped for advertising in various ways. Some companies support the events and are then allocated advertising space on the precincts of the organization. Second, there are those who support specific racers by providing vehicles for the sake of advertising those and other cars.

In the course of such races, there exist situations when accidents can happen. When they do, the lives of the drivers and any other participants are at risk. There is also property that is lost especially to the car owners and the sponsors. This paper explores various articles that have contributed to the concept of car racing.

The article The Relationship between Mental Skills, Experience, And Stock Car Racing Performance by Ebben and Gagnon explores how car racers perform under different levels of mental skills and performance. In their opinion, both mental skills and experience are important factors of competition. Upon research, the authors find that self confidence and anxiety coping are both correlated to each other and to success. This is, according to them, in consistence with previously held knowledge that mental skills are directly correlated to mental performance.

Competitive Crowding and Risk Taking in a Tournament: Evidence from NASCAR Racing  by Bothner, Kang, and Stuart explores the concept of risk taking and its relationship with competitive crowding. According to this article, the risk of a driver crashing is increased if lower rank drivers crowd around him in NASCAR. According t this article, the level of risk is much higher when inferior competitors compete than when superior ones do. The most effect in this case is felt when the there is stability in the hierarchy of ranks’ positions.

According to an article named Portable Inspection for Race Cars, racers are the author introduces a method of analyzing the various properties of a racecar prior to the race. This ensures that the various requirements of racecars in specific races are accepted. According to this article, this method is one that should be adopted for more efficient racing.

The article Leveraging and activating NASCAR sponsorships with NASCAR-linked sales promotions by DeGaris, West and Dodds explores the importabce of advertising for the supporters of NASCAR. In certain cases, it is important to advertise their sponsorship for NASCAR if organizations want to tap into the market of loyal customers whenever they are able to acknowledge such sponsorships.

The article Automobile Safety Regulation and the Incentive to Drive Recklessly: Evidence from NASCAR by Sobel and Nesbitf assesses the nature of accidents in car racing. In their study, they note that car racers have been allowed to drive carelessly in the course of their racing. The impact is an increase in the number of accidents in the course of the training. The authors however note that it is important for such measures to be sustained for racers to be able to participate in races more efficiently. In their opinion, therefore, the carelessness is important for car racing to continue getting strengthened.

The article NASCAR Drivers Promote Safety Messages considers a driver named Dale Earnhardt who has recently been aired in the US attempting to promote the transport. This move was taken based on the high viewership of NASCAR. This makes a driver from NASCAR one of the best chances for promoting people.

References

NASCAR Drivers Promote Safety Messages. (2005). Professional Safety, 50(4), 22.

DeGaris, L., West, C., & Dodds, M. (2009). Leveraging and activating NASCAR sponsorships with NASCAR-linked sales promotions. Journal Of Sponsorship, 3(1), 88-97.

Sobel, R. S., & Nesbit, T. M. (2007). Automobile Safety Regulation and the Incentive to Drive Recklessly: Evidence from NASCAR. Southern Economic Journal, 74(1), 71-84.

Portable Inspection for Race Cars. (2008). Mechanical Engineering, 130(5), 47-49.

Bothner, M. S., Jeong-han, K., & Stuart, T. E. (2007). Competitive Crowding and Risk Taking in a Tournament: Evidence from NASCAR Racing. Administrative Science Quarterly, 52(2), 208-247.

Ebben, W. P., & Gagnon, J. (2012). The relationship between mental skills, experience, and stock car racing performance. Journal of Exercise Physiology, 15(3), 10-18.