Motorsport (also called motor racing) is the broad family of competitive sports built around racing motorised vehicles — cars, motorcycles, karts and more. Competitors race either against each other on a circuit, or against the clock across stages, with the winner decided by who is fastest over a set distance or time.
It splits into several broad families:
- Open-wheel racing — single-seater cars with exposed wheels, led by Formula 1, plus IndyCar, Formula E and the junior formulae.
- Motorcycle racing — Grand Prix racing (MotoGP) and production-based World Superbikes.
- Endurance and GT racing — long races measured in hours, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
- Rally — racing against the clock on closed public roads, gravel, snow and tarmac.
- Stock cars and ovals — the American tradition led by NASCAR.
Most professional motorsport is overseen by international governing bodies: the FIA for four-wheeled sport and the FIM for motorcycling. They set the technical rules, the sporting regulations and the safety standards that make modern racing possible.