Britannica dates the first Grand Prix to 1906 in France and the first Indianapolis 500 to 1911, and notes that European and North American racing grew up largely apart until the 1950s, when Grand Prix racing became organized on a world scale. Before either, there were town-to-town trials on public roads in France. After them came purpose-built tracks, national racing colours, the Formula One World Championship, stock cars on a Florida beach, rallying's wildest years and a long, hard-won shift toward safety.
A short timeline
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 22 July 1894 | Paris-Rouen, a judged trial for "horseless carriages" promoted by Le Petit Journal (Grace's Guide, Mercedes-Benz archive). |
| June 1895 | Paris-Bordeaux-Paris: Émile Levassor arrives first, but the official first prize goes to a Peugeot. |
| 1900 | The Gordon Bennett Cup is first contested, in France (Grace's Guide). |
| 1904 | The AIACR, forerunner of the FIA, is founded in Paris on 20 June; the first Vanderbilt Cup runs on Long Island on 8 October. |
| 1906 | The Automobile Club de France runs the first Grand Prix near Le Mans, won by Ferenc Szisz (Renault). The Targa Florio begins in Sicily. |
| 1907 | Brooklands opens; Historic England calls it the world's first purpose-built motor racing circuit. |
| 1911 | Ray Harroun wins the first Indianapolis 500. Britannica dates the first Monte Carlo Rally to the same year. |
| 1923 | The first 24 Hours of Le Mans starts on 26 May. |
| 1934 | A 750 kg maximum-weight formula begins; the Mercedes-Benz W 25 wins on its debut. |
| 1946 | The AIACR becomes the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). |
| 1947 or 1948 | NASCAR: Bill France Sr.'s Daytona Beach meeting is in December 1947 (Britannica uses 1947); incorporation is on 21 February 1948 (Jayski). |
| 13 May 1950 | The first World Championship race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. |
| 1955 | The Le Mans disaster on 11 June. Sources give the death toll as 82, 83 or 84; see safety. |
| 1959 | The first Daytona 500. Jack Brabham wins the F1 title in the rear-engined Cooper T51. |
| 1966 | Ford wins Le Mans for the first of four straight years (Wikipedia). |
| 1968 | Inverted wings arrive in Formula One (Goodwood). |
| 1977 | The ground-effect Lotus 78 races, and Renault brings the first turbocharged car to Formula One. |
| 1982 to 1986 | Group B rallying, banned from the World Rally Championship from 1987 (Wikipedia). |
| 1994 | Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna die at Imola, prompting a long FIA safety programme. |
| 2001 | After Dale Earnhardt's death, NASCAR requires head-and-neck restraints from October. |
| 2018 | The FIA introduces the halo cockpit protection. |
| 2026 | New F1 aerodynamic and power unit rules; Switzerland allows circuit racing again from 1 July. The 2026 F1 and NASCAR Cup seasons were still in progress as of October 2026. |
What is in this section
- Early racing: the town-to-town trials, the Gordon Bennett Cup, the first Grand Prix, the Vanderbilt Cup, the Targa Florio, Brooklands and Indianapolis.
- The Grand Prix era: the AIACR and FIA, the Silver Arrows, the 1950 championship and how the cars changed.
- American racing: the Indy 500, NASCAR's origins, drag racing, karting, Can-Am and Ford against Ferrari.
- Safety: from 1955 at Le Mans to the HANS and the halo.
- Technology, rallying and notable drivers and records.
How we handle the sources
Every page in this section lists its sources. Wikipedia is used only as a secondary source and is named in the text wherever it is our only source, which is the case for much of the Ford against Ferrari story, rallying, Can-Am and many driver records. Where sources disagree, as they do on the number of starters at Paris-Rouen, NASCAR's founding year, the first constructors' title, the Silver Arrows paint story, the venue of the first turbo win, the year the FIA widened its head-and-neck rule and the 1955 death toll, we give each version and who says it. Claims we could not confirm are labelled or left out. Records carry the season they are current to. For racing as it stands today, see the events section.
Sources
- Britannica, automobile racing: American, European and international racing
- Grace's Guide, 1894 Paris-Rouen Race
- Mercedes-Benz public archive, first automobile race Paris-Rouen
- Grace's Guide, 1895 Paris-Bordeaux-Paris Race
- Grace's Guide, Gordon Bennett Cup
- FIA, 120 years of the FIA
- Vanderbilt Cup Races, the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race
- Forix 8W, the first Grand Prix (1906)
- Ferrari, paying tribute to the Targa Florio
- Historic England, the oldest motor racing circuit in the world
- National Park Service, Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- ACO, how the 24 Hours of Le Mans came into being
- Mercedes-AMG F1, the birth of the Silver Arrows
- Formula 1, facts about the very first F1 Grand Prix
- Jayski, 60th anniversary of NASCAR being incorporated
- Hagerty, the 1955 Le Mans disaster
- History.com, tragedy at Le Mans
- GrandPrix.com, Switzerland lifts 71-year ban on circuit racing
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway encyclopedia, United States Auto Club
- History.com, Lee Petty wins first Daytona 500
- Goodwood, Cooper T53
- Ford GT40 (Wikipedia)
- Goodwood, winging it: when F1 really started to fly
- Motor Sport, five classic F1 ground effect cars
- Goodwood, the best F1 engine eras ranked
- Zwischengas, 40 years since the first turbo win in Formula 1
- Group B (Wikipedia)
- Gulf Times (Reuters), for Mosley safety is Senna's lasting legacy
- Washington Times, NASCAR head-and-neck restraint rule (2001)
- FIA, Imola 1994 safety legacy
- Formula 1, 2026 regulations explained