Motorsports Trivia Thread!

  • Thread starter Cap'n Jack
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In general, the story of racing is one of continually improving performance and speed. This is despite wars, depressions, rules changes, etc. In particular, this has been true of the Indy 500. Every decade has seen increases in both qualifying speed and race average speed over the previous decade. Except for one. Identity the decade (last digit of which starting in 0 and ending in 9) in which neither qualifying speed nor race average speed never exceeded the records established in the previous decade. Briefly explain the reasons why.
 
image.jpeg

the same size and weight as my lotus 51.,..
Pete05
When you consider the F2 of the era were 1.6 producing around 220bhp, I'm surprised they had to add weight to race the more powerful 3.0 litre F1.
Makes me wonder what Ickx would've done in a truly legal F2.
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he would have won...IMHO
 
Dotini
In general, the story of racing is one of continually improving performance and speed. This is despite wars, depressions, rules changes, etc. In particular, this has been true of the Indy 500. Every decade has seen increases in both qualifying speed and race average speed over the previous decade. Except for one. Identity the decade (last digit of which starting in 0 and ending in 9) in which neither qualifying speed nor race average speed never exceeded the records established in the previous decade. Briefly explain the reasons why.
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I'm going to take a stab at this even though I am a fringe Indy enthusiast.

I can remember the '92 Pole being set by Roberto Guerrero at 236mph & him dumping it in the wall before the green flag.
It was the first 500 I watched from start to finish at an ungodly hour in Australia.

To answer your question @Dotini
I think the decade was 2000-2009
for reasons of 'control' components be it Engine, Chassis or Tyres.
 
Pete05
I'm going to take a stab at this even though I am a fringe Indy enthusiast.

I can remember the '92 Pole being set by Roberto Guerrero at 236mph & him dumping it in the wall before the green flag.
It was the first 500 I watched from start to finish at an ungodly hour in Australia.

To answer your question @Dotini
I think the decade was 2000-2009
for reasons of 'control' components be it Engine, Chassis or Tyres.
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You are correct on all accounts. The political machinations of the George family, the IRL/CART/Champ Car feuds, the imposition of "spec" cars, engines and tires, and the banning of turbochargers all played significant roles in reducing the quality of racing in that decade. The 500 is still struggling to make progress in qualifying speed, as the records from 1996 remain unsurpassed, and the race average from 1990 has only barely been eclipsed. Safety, economics and familial infighting have upstaged the continuous improvement in performance which once was the hallmark of the Indy 500.
 
I'll take it.

What is universally considered to be the first documented automobile race?

Not just officiated events, any.
 
Obelisk
I'll take it.

What is universally considered to be the first documented automobile race?

Not just officiated events, any.
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One candidate would be the Paris-Rouen reliability run of 1894.
Paris-Bordeaux-Paris of 1895 would be another. The Circuit of the Ardennes beginning in 1902 was perhaps the first over a closed course.
 
I'll let you have the next question since you're right about the 1894 event, but hey! I knew something that even stumped Dotini.

Quoted from a script I'm working on:

The first documented automotive race occurred on August 30, 1867 at 4:30 PM, starting at Ashton-under-Lyne in Manchester and ending at the Old Trafford football stadium - a meager eight miles from start to finish. The two competitors were Daniel Adamson and Isaac Watt Boulton (...) The winner of that race was Boulton’s carriage.
 
Obelisk
The first documented automotive race occurred on August 30, 1867 at 4:30 PM, starting at Ashton-under-Lyne in Manchester and ending at the Old Trafford football stadium - a meager eight miles from start to finish. The two competitors were Daniel Adamson and Isaac Watt Boulton (...) The winner of that race was Boulton’s carriage.
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They weren't internal combustion engines though, they were steam engines (that was Boulton's famous speciality). If you're going to count that as "automotive" racing then you can go back a lot further than 1867 ;)
 
Obelisk
The first documented automotive race occurred on August 30, 1867 at 4:30 PM, starting at Ashton-under-Lyne in Manchester and ending at the Old Trafford football stadium
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A stadium which didn't exist until 1910.

Old Trafford cricket ground however, was opened in 1857 and is more likely to be the finishing point.
 
Liquid
A stadium which didn't exist until 1910.

Old Trafford cricket ground however, was opened in 1857 and is more likely to be the finishing point.
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Oops. Thanks for correcting me on that.

TenEightyOne
They weren't internal combustion engines though, they were steam engines (that was Boulton's famous speciality). If you're going to count that as "automotive" racing then you can go back a lot further than 1867 ;)
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It's what I found through my research. I can't find any earlier events, so that seems to be the earliest one.

Also, yes - I know they were steam engines. Boulton's carriage was developed from a scrapped John Bridge Adams light-rail vehicle and one of six different ones he ran.

It's the oldest prearranged race thus far.
 
Obelisk
It's what I found through my research. I can't find any earlier events, so that seems to be the earliest one.

Also, yes - I know they were steam engines. Boulton's carriage was developed from a scrapped John Bridge Adams light-rail vehicle and one of six different ones he ran.

It's the oldest prearranged race thus far.
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Fair enough, but it wouldn't be surprising to find that the Parisians did it earlier as they had numerous steam carriages in public service on the roads. Good find though :D
 
Wwww and name of flagman and the color of his suit.I just got hacked..an inappropriate but interesting picture was just uploaded. I caught it because I ALLWAYS check my posts. here is the PROPER picture
IMG_4933.JPG
 
GTP_Nail
Wwww and name of flagman and the color of his suit.I just got hacked..an inappropriate but interesting picture was just uploaded. I caught it because I ALLWAYS check my posts. here is the PROPER picture
View attachment 652116
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Jim Clark, Lotus-BRM, US GP at Watkins Glen, 1966.
The flagman is Tex Hopkins wearing his lavender suit.
 
Le Mans trivia question in 2 parts:

1) Identify (car, drivers, year) the first closed body coupe to win the 24 hour race at Le Mans.

2) Identify (car, drivers, year) the first closed body coupe to hold a commanding lead at Le Mans.

- extra credit for photos -
 
Dotini
Le Mans trivia question in 2 parts:

1) Identify (car, drivers, year) the first closed body coupe to win the 24 hour race at Le Mans.

2) Identify (car, drivers, year) the first closed body coupe to hold a commanding lead at Le Mans.

- extra credit for photos -
Click to expand...

Not sure, but I'd guess it was a Kamm car?
 
Has there ever been a six wheel race car with this setup?

4WD with two axles in front but the front most axle is just for steering. This way you have four tires controlling the power and another two to simply steer it.
 

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