American motorsport began on public streets before it quickly became clear that horse racing tracks offered safer and more manageable venues for both drivers and spectators. In the 1910s, board track racing — modelled on the velodrome used in cycling — became widely popular. The tracks were inexpensive to build and capable of sustaining very high speeds, but they were difficult to maintain and, being made of wood, highly flammable. Most closed or burned down within a few years, and the format was largely abandoned by the end of the 1920s.
The principles behind board tracks, particularly the elliptical banked layout and smooth running surface, carried forward into oval racing. Indianapolis Motor Speedway pioneered the brickyard surface in 1909 and later asphalt, providing the same speed benefits without the fire risk. This legacy entrenched oval racing as the dominant form of American competition while road racing largely receded.
The Indianapolis 500 was historically the most widely followed race in the country and the centrepiece of American open-wheel racing. An acrimonious split in 1994 between the primary series, CART (later Champ Car), and Indianapolis Motor Speedway led to the formation of the Indy Racing League, which launched a rival IndyCar Series in 1996. The feud fragmented audiences and caused a steep decline in open-wheel racing's popularity. A merger in 2008 eventually reunified the sport under the IndyCar banner, though enormous damage had already been done to its following.
Recovery was gradual. The 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 in 2016 drew the largest crowd in more than two decades, and local media lifted a long-standing television blackout after the race sold out. Takuma Sato won the 2017 edition, Will Power the 2018, and Simon Pagenaud the 2019.
In November 2019, businessman Roger Penske purchased Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the IndyCar series, and IMS Productions, consolidating control of American open-wheel racing under a single owner. Notable IndyCar champions and stars have included A.J. Foyt, Rick Mears, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Al Unser Jr., Bobby Unser, Dario Franchitti, and Scott Dixon.
NASCAR grew from a regional circuit concentrated in the American South into a national spectacle. The NASCAR Cup Series routinely draws approximately eight million television viewers per race. The Daytona 500, held each February at the start of the season, is the series' most prestigious event. Popular drivers who defined the Cup Series era include Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Kyle Busch. In recent years both attendance and television ratings have declined, with fans citing rising ticket and travel costs and rule changes as contributing factors.
Formula One has conducted races in the United States at various venues over the decades, including Sebring, Riverside, Watkins Glen, Phoenix, Long Beach, and the Indianapolis road course. After the last US Grand Prix at Indianapolis in 2007, the series returned in 2012 at a purpose-built circuit, Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, which also hosts MotoGP and NASCAR Cup events.
A second American race, the Miami Grand Prix, was added in 2022. A third followed in 2023 as the Las Vegas Grand Prix, contested on a new street circuit on the Las Vegas Strip — Formula One's first return to the city since 1982. A proposed New Jersey race overlooking the New York City skyline, intended for the 2013 season, was delayed and ultimately abandoned.
Two Americans have won the Formula One world championship: Phil Hill in 1961 driving for Scuderia Ferrari, and Mario Andretti in 1978 driving for Team Lotus. Andretti also holds the record for most wins by an American in Formula One with twelve victories; his last, the 1978 Dutch Grand Prix, marked the last win by a US driver in the championship. Eddie Cheever holds the record for most Formula One starts by an American at 143. In total, 58 American drivers have competed in Formula One, excluding those who only entered the Indianapolis 500 during its years as a championship round from 1950 to 1960.
Notable American constructors in Formula One have included All American Racers, Penske, and Shadow, each achieving podium finishes. Haas F1 Team entered Formula One in 2016 as the next American constructor. In 2025, General Motors confirmed it would enter the 2026 season under the Cadillac Formula 1 Team name.
Drag racing is one of the most popular indigenous motor sports in the United States. The National Hot Rod Association counts 80,000 members and more than 35,000 licensed competitors, with nationwide television coverage. Other homegrown forms include monster truck events — Monster Jam regularly sells out large stadiums on national tours — as well as demolition derby, figure-eight racing, sprint car racing on dirt and asphalt regional circuits, tractor pulling, and mud bogging.
Sports car endurance racing in the United States centres on the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. The series' landmark events are the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and Petit Le Mans. Both Sebring and Daytona have served as rounds in various world championships over the years.
Seven Americans have combined to win fifteen championships in MotoGP. Eddie Lawson leads all Americans with four titles. Five American riders have collectively won eight Superbike World Championship titles. Despite these achievements, international road motorcycle racing has never matched the mainstream audience commanded by its off-road counterpart, motocross.
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