The earliest documented prearranged match race between two self-powered road vehicles took place in the north-west of England at 4:30 a.m. on 30 August 1867, between Ashton-under-Lyne and Old Trafford, Manchester, covering eight miles. The race involved Isaac Watt Boulton and Daniel Adamson, both of whom were violating the red-flag law then in force.
In the United States, the Wisconsin legislature passed an act in 1875 offering a substantial purse for a motor race, which was run on 16 July 1878 over a 200-mile course through several Wisconsin cities, with only two vehicles — the Oshkosh and the Green Bay — actually competing.
The event widely accepted as the world's first motorsport event involving automobiles was organised in 1894 by the French newspaper Le Petit Journal: a contest for horseless carriages featuring a run from Paris to Rouen. The first motorsport event in the United States is considered to be the Chicago Times-Herald race of 28 November 1895, which ran from Chicago to Evanston and back over sixty miles. The Gordon Bennett Cup was established in 1900, the same year motorsport appeared as a demonstration event at the Summer Olympics.
Following World War I, European countries organised Grand Prix races over closed courses, while dirt track racing grew popular in the United States. After World War II, the Grand Prix circuit became more formally organised, and stock car racing and drag racing became firmly established in America.
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), formed in 1904, is the oldest and most prominent international governing body for automobile sport. It claims authority over land vehicles with four or more wheels, while the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) governs vehicles with one to three wheels. Both bodies are recognised by the International Olympic Committee.
Within the FIA's structure, each affiliated National Sporting Authority (ASN) is recognised as the sole authority in its nation. ASNs vary in character: some are private companies, such as Motorsport UK; some are state-supported, such as France's FFSA; and in the United States, ACCUS functions as a council of sanctioning bodies that represents the country at FIA meetings.
Not all governing organisations operate within the FIA structure. Bodies such as SCORE International, the National Auto Sport Association, and the National Off-Road Racing Association of the United States are not FIA members but may cooperate with affiliated bodies on international matters.
Circuit racing takes place on sealed-surface courses at permanent autodromes or temporary street circuits. Competitors race over a set number of laps with the winner being the first to finish, or over a set time period with the winner having completed the most laps. Aspendale Racecourse in Australia in 1906 was the first purpose-built motor racing track in the world.
Formula racing is an informal collection of single-seater open-wheel series defined by specific design regulations. The most prominent international series are Formula One and Formula Two, with others including Formula 3, Formula Ford, Formula Renault, Super Formula, and Formula Four. Formula One is governed by the FIA and promoted by the privately owned Formula One Group. Formula E, conceived in 2012 with its inaugural championship starting in Beijing on 13 September 2014, applies the same framework to fully electric open-wheel cars.
The IndyCar Series traces its origins to 12 June 1909 in Portland, Oregon; the Indianapolis Motor Speedway opened that same year, and the Indianapolis 500 began on 11 May 1911.
Sports car racing encompasses both production-based grand touring and GT cars on one hand, and closed-bodied racing prototypes on the other. The flagship event is the 24 Hours of Le Mans, held annually in France and a constituent race of the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Stock car racing, most prominently organised by NASCAR in the US, Canada, and Brazil, uses vehicles with a silhouette body resembling a production road car. Touring car racing uses modified production cars; FIA regulations require a minimum production quota and a minimum of four seats for the road car on which the racing version is based.
Rallying involves driving to a set itinerary, following a prescribed route between control points with penalties for arriving late or early. Closed special stages, where competitors drive against the clock, form the basis of the World Rally Championship. Rally raid or cross-country rallies — of which the Dakar Rally is the most famous example — follow routes that cover off-road terrain.
Rallycross, born in Great Britain in 1967, features short sprint races on compact circuits using both asphalt and dirt surfaces. Hillclimbing is the most widely known time-trial form of motorsport, with Pikes Peak in Colorado at 12.42 miles being among the longer examples.
Off-road racing on open terrain is exemplified by the Baja 1000, organised by SCORE International. The FIA also sanctions Extreme E, an electric off-road series.
Drag racing is an acceleration contest from a standing start along a short, straight course. Kart racing, regulated by the FIA under the name CIK, permits licensed competition from the age of eight upward and is widely regarded as the most economical form of four-wheeled motorsport. Drifting involves drivers intentionally losing traction in corners through oversteering while maintaining momentum with throttle and corrective steering, with judges scoring artistry and car control.
Motorcycle sport is governed internationally by the FIM and encompasses disciplines including motorcycle racing, enduro, speedway, freestyle motocross, and motorcycle trials. Powerboating falls under the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM), founded in 1922. Air racing and drone racing are governed by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).