Upon first glance the differences are highly noticable. For one, the use of the full course caution seems to be the biggest difference. Take this year's 24 Hours @ Daytona in the Rolex Sports Car Series for example. Over night the full field ran under yellow for a long period of time as fog set in on Daytona Beach and the field was releaced only once it lifted later on in the moring allowing the race to finish as 2 around 8 hour stents rather than 1 24 hour one that would have existed in an internationaly sanctioned race.

Starting methods are a slight difference. Almost every North American series starts with a rolling start and a pace lap, where as many Internationaly sanctioned events start from a parked grid more often than America.

Sure, our 2 biggest racing events are oval races: The Daytona 500 and the Indy 500, but we do still like our road course races: 24 Hours at Daytona and the Rolex Sports Car Series along with the Indy Series when it goes to the road course, and NASCAR doesn't even forget the road courses as the top two series go to them combined 5 times a year.

Dirt track ovals and paved ovals are mostly our specialty, but you know, it's America, we have a mix of everything, and we always seem to try and mix everything together. Rather it's better that way in some cases, or rather it's worse in others.

Generaly, Internationaly Sanctioned events are ran with stricter rules of racing and American Sanctioning is a little freer with in-race administration, and generaly is more geared towards excitement for those in attendace more so than those in the cars.

That's American Motorsports as I look at it. I don't get out to internationaly sanctioned events often, but I told myself that this year (2012) I would start to. What are thoughts, opinions, and view points on the topic? I've given most of mine.

I'd say full course cautions do exist in International Motorsport, just they're known as safety-car periods (In the UK this is signified by stationary yellow flags and a board with 'SC' on it displayed at each marshals post, not sure what the practice is elsewhere). Its also not uncommon for longer International endurance races such as Le Mans to be under safety car for quite some time after heavy accidents or particularly dangerous weather conditions, and in the case of Le mans they use several safety-cars, bunching the field up into several 'trains' around the circuit.

Daytona is an interesting case though being as close as it is to the sea, I can't off the top of my head think of any other endurance racing circuit particularly susceptible to sea fog.

There are some interesting differences which I'd put that down to the separate evolution of Motorsport in America and in International racing, which is traditionally largely European based. One noticeable difference is how unlike Europe, American style circuits often have the Pit garages separate from the pit lane. I put this partly down to climate, with Europeans having a greater need to have shelter in the pits given that Europe is predominantly wetter and cooler continent that North America. Also it may be down to the fact that in some of its form's American racing is considered a dry weather only sport.

Also noticeable in America is the predominance of 'Victory Lane', over the Podium more traditional in Europe, it seems that in much of American racing only the winner is celebrated.

I find it interesting how car and Motorsport culture has developed its own regional quirks and traditions in such a short period of history, its a shame that there are those who wish to homogenise Motorsport for profit, hopefully variety will prevail.

Quote from 5haz :

(In the UK this is signified by stationary yellow flags and a board with 'SC' on it displayed at each marshals post

You mean waved yellow flags + SC boards.

Generally the difference between SCs/FCCs are what they are brought out for, and their length. If you had watched Petit Le Mans for instance, you'd know they are brought out in America when generally in the rest of the world they'd be covered by waved yellows and a snatch vehicle. And they last a lot longer, when you've got the danger cleared away within a lap or two, the pits are still closed and the pass by is being conducted, then the pits open for LMP/GT on separate laps, then you have the wave by, and finally back to green after what seems like ages.

Just do some searching on youtube for various international series "le mans 2011 crash" etc will get you plenty of stuff to watch and see the differences.

Actually just remembered that the Britcar 24 hour race at Silverstone was red flagged a couple of years ago in the late night/morning due to fog - basically if you can't see the next marshals' post you know there's a visibility problem!

You also have things like http://www.youtube.com/watch?f ... e&v=KzbxytdHnQE#t=40s where the last cars on a 1:16 lap collide and the car is out of the way before the leaders come back round!

In most North American road course racing the waved yellow is standard and local usually. The full course is also waved, but less frantically. However, in my experiance, here the local yellows are largely ignored.

Quote from Cornys :

Generaly, Internationaly Sanctioned events are ran with stricter rules of racing and American Sanctioning is a little freer with in-race administration, and generaly is more geared towards excitement for those in attendace more so than those in the cars.

The biggest thing for me is that American events tend to be artificially geared towards excitement, and that cheapens the whole experience. Exciting moments become far less exciting when they happen every 5 minutes in every race. There is a point where "exciting" becomes "normal/mundane" and that point is largely a function of frequency. You need plenty of boring moments to balance it out. Quality over quantity.

International events are guilty of this too (F1 is a major example) but I think to a lesser extent.

Motorbike racing in the US is probably the most International-like type of Pro racing we have, although there are ongoing efforts to Americanize it.

Club-level roadracing definitely focuses more on the driver's enjoyment and pure competition.

I think it comes from the fact they use oval safety procedures for road course, not exactly for entertainment. See on an oval a full course caution is required if there's in incident and they seem to carry the logic on to road course where really it isn't required.

Quote from Cornys :

Take this year's 24 Hours @ Daytona in the Rolex Sports Car Series for example. Over night the full field ran under yellow for a long period of time as fog set in on Daytona Beach and the field was releaced only once it lifted later on in the moring allowing the race to finish as 2 around 8 hour stents rather than 1 24 hour one that would have existed in an internationaly sanctioned race.

A similar action would happen in Europe, racing in poor visibility is a no no. The Britcar 24 hour race ran under safety car for about two hours in the early hours in 2009 due to extreme rain. In Europe it is probably much more likely an endurance race will be red flagged with the clock left running, there were certainly a number of people upset at the said Britcar race who felt driving round behind the safety car was a pointless activity and a complete waste of fuel. There are certain races, like Le Mans though that stubbornly refuse to ever stop the race, regardless of how bad an accident has occurred and against the wishes of drivers and teams (eg. 1955 and 1984 - warning fatal).

Quote :

Starting methods are a slight difference. Almost every North American series starts with a rolling start and a pace lap, where as many Internationaly sanctioned events start from a parked grid more often than America.

Rolling starts are becoming more common in European motorsport, bizarrely this move has come from historic racing classes where the move has been made because it is considered safer, mainly because it reduces the risk of start line transmission failures in old cars. I know a number of UK club series have made the move to rolling starts next year on the grounds of safety, personally I think it'll be unmitigated disaster. Most UK racers are inexperienced with rolling starts and when it does go wrong on a rolling start it hurts a lot more, there was the serious start accident at the 2008 Britcar 24 hours and a similar accident with less serious consequences in a Britcar race in 2009.

Quote :

Generaly, Internationaly Sanctioned events are ran with stricter rules of racing and American Sanctioning is a little freer with in-race administration, and generaly is more geared towards excitement for those in attendace more so than those in the cars.

This is probably the biggest difference, in the UK the only officially sanctioned motorsport body is the MSA, the national affiliate body of the FIA. All FIA affiliate clubs use the same basic FIA rules for all levels of competition, but do have some leeway for local variation in the rules. Licensing and appeals and tribunals all happen at a national or international level.

Quote :

Dirt track ovals and paved ovals are mostly our specialty, but you know, it's America, we have a mix of everything, and we always seem to try and mix everything together. Rather it's better that way in some cases, or rather it's worse in others.

UK oval racing is very different to US spec oval racing. They don't have a national sanctioning body and events are still run by individual track owners, which I think is more like US grassroots motorsport. We turn right in non-contact classes and left in contact classes. Track quality varies from smooth but only lightly banked short circuits to flat but very rough tarmac ovals, dirt tracks and temporary grass ovals.

In the UK it is normal to race on ovals in rain and we use local yellow flags. As far as I understand neither of these are ever done on short tracks in the US? I can't really see the grounds why it isn't safe to race on relatively slow ovals (or any oval for that matter) in the wet. Local yellow flags stop races being constantly interrupted and provide just as fast a warning to a car that has spun/danger that will recover itself than using cautions or stopping the race.

Quote from Cornys :

However, in my experiance, here the local yellows are largely ignored.

This is a big difference with FIA/MSA sanctioned racing, yellow flags are very strictly policed. Passing under yellow flags normally results in disqualification and any incident under yellow flags are taken extremely seriously.

American racing is PR and advertising orientated.

European racing is slightly tailored towards engineering, but I think that is going to change.

Please excuse my generalization.

I tend to think in europe it goes more to the engineering side to be honest. Atm, racing (except F1) in general is not "green" enough to be in any way popular with the general public.

So the series' focus more on accessibility for new teams and drivers, not spectators. Hence why the GT3, S2000 and whatever regs are so sucessfull: Its relativly easy for someone who gets hooked on racing to participate directly.

A race win won't increase your car sales, how much batteries you can fit in your boot will.

Quote from ajp71 :

Rolling starts are becoming more common in European motorsport, bizarrely this move has come from historic racing classes where the move has been made because it is considered safer, mainly because it reduces the risk of start line transmission failures in old cars. I know a number of UK club series have made the move to rolling starts next year on the grounds of safety, personally I think it'll be unmitigated disaster. Most UK racers are inexperienced with rolling starts and when it does go wrong on a rolling start it hurts a lot more, there was the serious start accident at the 2008 Britcar 24 hours and a similar accident with less serious consequences in a Britcar race in 2009.

Only time I've seen rolling starts at Knockhill off the top of my head is with Legends and British GT, Classics have run there for years with standing starts. Andy Neate's crash was because he hit the outisde wall at the s/f and bounced back onto the track obviously a rolling start didn't help but he'd be fine at the new Silverstone.

Quote from ajp71 :

This is probably the biggest difference, in the UK the only officially sanctioned motorsport body is the MSA, the national affiliate body of the FIA. All FIA affiliate clubs use the same basic FIA rules for all levels of competition, but do have some leeway for local variation in the rules. Licensing and appeals and tribunals all happen at a national or international level.

That is true, I didn't realise until I read the ALMS rules with the IMSA code that basically every big series in the US has its own sanctioning body like the MSA over here. In the UK it's just one sanctioning body, but a good few organising clubs which run series, under MSA rules.

Typical americanisms:
White flag - last lap
World Series - if it also visits Cannada
Pit Wall - instead of pit stalls

Quote from heson :

Typical americanisms:
White flag - last lap
World Series - if it also visits Cannada
Pit Wall - instead of pit stalls

We say pit stalls. I think the one you are looking for is "Pit road" and "Pit lane". Which we also use both interchangably.

And yes I don't understand the point of "World Series" here. I guess they keep it that because they have players from around the globe, eventhough they only play in North America (excluding the one-offs in Europe, Asia, Japan).

Quote from heson :

Typical americanisms:
White flag - last lap
World Series - if it also visits Cannada
Pit Wall - instead of pit stalls

World Series retains that name from times when Baseball was basically an American only Sport. The tradition will never change there likely.

American is about entertaining

European is about technology/engineering (I mean the technology the rules allows)

Btw both are interesting, but I love V8 supercar which is somewhere between American and European style

Quote from MoMo92i :

Btw both are interesting, but I love V8 supercar which is somewhere between American and European style

I've seen that it is like that . I like it as well, but I still prerfer NASCAR just because of the drivers that know and tracks that I love.

You can tell one oval from another?

I've actually been on the Pocono oval, but only very briefly as part of one of the infield road circuits. Mostly that part is just used as a toilet by NASCAR fans.

One uses speed and grace to pass and the other uses bumpers and pure luck.

Quote from PMD9409 :

We say pit stalls. I think the one you are looking for is "Pit road" and "Pit lane". Which we also use both interchangably.

And yes I don't understand the point of "World Series" here. I guess they keep it that because they have players from around the globe, eventhough they only play in North America (excluding the one-offs in Europe, Asia, Japan).

I mean a fat wall with nothing on the dangerous side except when there is a parked car there to be serviced, opposed to a row of open garages.

Since many years, almost all national series have international drivers in the lineup.

Quote from heson :

Since many years, almost all national series have international drivers in the lineup.

Well they thought you meant the Baseball championship play-offs called "World Series" Go Red Sox! Still I don't understand what the point is. ChampCar World Series was called that way because they held races in Asia, Europe and Australia, moreover in Mexico, Brazil and Canada aswell. Apart of that, I do not remember any motorsport series called World Series.

Btw one has to accept that the champion of each of the top 4 sports leagues in America are defacto world champions in their sport. NHL differs a bit due to the strong russian based KHL.

Quote from Sueycide_FD :

One uses speed and grace to pass

Please enlighten me and show me the grace hidden in the DRS

Quote from TFalke55 :

Apart of that, I do not remember any motorsport series called World Series.

World Series by Renault? Except that they haven't been further than Eastern/Central Europe for quite a while now.

Quote from GreyBull [CHA] :

World Series by Renault? Except that they haven't been further than Eastern/Central Europe for quite a while now.

yeah you're right... it actually destroyes the theory it is typical American

Quote from heson :

I mean a fat wall with nothing on the dangerous side except when there is a parked car there to be serviced, opposed to a row of open garages.

Since many years, almost all national series have international drivers in the lineup.

Oh yes, pit garages. Yeah we separate those.