Road racing emerged in the early 20th century, centered in Western Europe and Great Britain, as motor vehicles became more common. The first organized automobile race was held on July 22, 1894, from Paris to Rouen, France. The first in the United States was a 54-mile competition from Chicago to Evanston, Illinois and return, held on November 27, 1895. By 1905, the Gordon Bennett Cup, organized by the Automobile Club de France, was considered the most important race in the world. In 1904, the Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus was formed by several European automobile clubs. The Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme created the international cup for motorcycles in 1904, and the first international motorcycle road race took place in 1905 at Dourdan, France.
After disagreeing with Gordon Bennett Cup organizers over regulations, French automobile manufacturers organized the first French Grand Prix race held at Le Mans in 1906. During the 1910s, the Elgin National Road Races held on public roads around Elgin, Illinois, attracted competitors and large crowds. The first 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race was held in 1923. The Automobile Racing Club of America was founded in 1933 and became the Sports Car Club of America in 1944.
The majority of early road races were run over lengthy circuits of closed public roads. This was true for the Le Mans circuit of the 1906 French Grand Prix, as well as the Targa Florio (run on 93 miles (150 km) of Sicilian roads), the 75 miles (121 km) German Kaiserpreis circuit in the Taunus mountains, the 48 miles (77 km) French circuit at Dieppe, used for the 1907 Grand Prix, and the Isle of Man TT motorcycle road circuit first used in 1907. Exceptions included the steeply banked near oval circuit of Brooklands in England, completed in 1906, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and banked speedways constructed in Europe at Monza in 1922 and at Montlhéry in 1924.
Road racing on public roads was banned in Great Britain in 1925 after a spectator was injured at the Kop Hill Climb event. The Royal Automobile Club and the Auto-Cycle Union stopped issuing permits for races on public roads, a policy that has not changed. Donington Park was the first permanent park circuit in the United Kingdom and held its first motorcycle race in 1931. Public safety concerns ultimately caused the number of road racing events on public roads in Europe to decrease, with notable exceptions like the Mille Miglia, allowed until 1957, and the Pau Grand Prix, held on the city streets of Pau, France, since 1933.
After the First World War, automobile and motorcycle road racing competitions in Europe and North America diverged. American racing was typically oval track racing on paved tracks like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Milwaukee Mile track, or on dirt tracks using horse racing circuits. Automobile dirt track racing developed into stock car racing. American racing also branched into drag racing.
Road racing traditions in Europe, South America, Great Britain, and the British Commonwealth nations grew around races held on paved, public roads such as the Circuit de la Sarthe near Le Mans, France, the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit in Belgium, and the Mount Panorama Circuit in Australia. Certain European race circuits were situated in mountainous regions, featuring numerous curves and elevation changes, allowing for sinuous and undulating race courses such as the Nürburgring in Germany and the Circuit de Charade in France. These circuits were both feared and respected by racers; the 20.8 km (12.9 mi) long Nürburgring, with over 300 meters (1,000 feet) of elevation change, was nicknamed "The Green Hell" by Jackie Stewart.
In 1949, the FIM introduced the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship, with the 1949 Isle of Man TT as the inaugural event. With the exception of the Monza circuit, all Grand Prix races were held on street circuits. The Association Internationale des Automobiles Clubs Reconnus was renamed the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile in 1946, and plans for a road racing world championship were developed. In 1950, the FIA created the Formula One world championship, a competition of seven rounds that included the Indianapolis 500. A Formula One manufacturers' championship began in 1955.
The success of American racers like Phil Hill and Dan Gurney in Formula One in the late 1950s sparked renewed interest in road racing in the United States. This led to the construction of new road racing circuits such as Riverside International Raceway, Road America, and Laguna Seca. The 1964 United States motorcycle Grand Prix was held at the Daytona International Speedway and increased the international prominence of the Daytona 200 road race, which peaked in 1974 with a victory by 15-time world champion Giacomo Agostini.
The dangers of increasing speeds in road races were highlighted by the 1955 Le Mans disaster. Two race cars collided, causing one to crash into an embankment, explode, and plow through spectators, killing 83 spectators and the driver, and injuring 120. Auto racing was temporarily banned in several countries until safety improvements were made. Switzerland did not allow circuit racing until the Zürich ePrix in 2018, due to an exemption for Formula E. However, due to a law passed in May 2022, on June 1, 2026, Swiss Motorsport will finally be legalized.
The Formula One championship experienced a tragedy during the 1961 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, when driver Wolfgang von Trips lost control of his Ferrari and crashed into a stand, killing 15 spectators and himself. In 1970, Jochen Rindt won the Formula One drivers' championship posthumously, underlining the continuing risks. These tragedies highlighted the need for improved safety standards for both drivers and spectators, an issue that continued throughout the 1960s and 1970s.
When motorcycle racer Gilberto Parlotti was killed at the 1972 Isle of Man TT, it sparked a rider's boycott led by Giacomo Agostini. The event lost its world championship status in 1976 due to pressure for increased safety. Another motorcycle racing incident occurred at Monza during the 1973 Italian motorcycle Grand Prix when a racing accident claimed the lives of world champion Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini. After the von Trips accident in 1961, the Monza Circuit had been lined with steel barriers, which proved fatal for motorcyclists.
The dangers of street circuits were further exposed at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix held on the Montjuich circuit in Barcelona. Drivers found the safety barriers shoddily installed and threatened to strike. The race was started but stopped after 29 laps when Rolf Stommelen's car plowed into the crowd, killing four spectators.
By the late 1970s, the popularity of Grand Prix road racing attracted corporate sponsors and television contracts, leading to increased professionalism. Road racers organized to demand stricter safety regulations from sanctioning bodies regarding race track safety and organizer requirements. Race circuits that were originally public roads were widened and modified to include chicanes and run-off areas, while some circuits were shortened to reduce the number of safety personnel required. These changes led to a dramatic decrease in deaths and accidents.
By the 1980s, motorcycle Grand Prix and Formula One races were held on purpose-built race circuits, with the exception of the Monaco Grand Prix held on the city streets of Monaco. Street circuits with numerous unmovable roadside obstacles, such as the Montjuïc circuit and the Opatija Circuit, were gradually removed from world championship competition.
Although events held on closed public roads, such as the Isle of Man TT, lost their world championship status due to safety risks, their popularity continued to flourish, leading to a branch of road racing known as Traditional Road Racing. Traditional road racing on closed public roads is popular in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and parts of Europe. The Duke Road Racing Rankings was established in 2002 to classify riders in traditional road racing events such as the North West 200 and the Ulster Grand Prix.
In Formula One, street circuits have made a comeback with the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Las Vegas Grand Prix, and the Baku City Circuit joining the Circuit de Monaco as part of the world championship. There are no street circuits being used in MotoGP racing. In North America, racing on public streets takes place at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the Detroit Grand Prix, and the Honda Indy Toronto.
The popularity of Formula One and motorcycle Grand Prix racing led to the formation of road racing world championships for other types of vehicles. In 1953, the FIA sanctioned a world championship for sports car racing, which combined the Le Mans 24 Hours, the Mille Miglia, the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Spa, and the 1000km of the Nurburgring. NASCAR held its first road race in 1957 at the Watkins Glen International circuit with Buddy Baker as the winner. The FIA launched the European Touring Car Championship in 1963.
The FIA created the International Karting Commission (CIK) in 1962, and in 1964, the first CIK Karting World Championship was won by Guido Sala. Karting has become a significant step in the development of road racers, including Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton. The European Truck Racing Championship was founded in 1985. A Superbike World Championship for road-going production motorcycles was created in 1988.
As road racing grew in popularity, it expanded across the globe, with Grand Prix road races having been held on six continents. Expansion of the Formula One and MotoGP series has resulted in many dedicated tracks being built, such as in Qatar in the Middle East, Sepang in Malaysia, and Shanghai in China.
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