Better than F1? Strange and unusual motorsports

02/02/12

If you’re a keen driver, then you’ll probably be interested in at least one type of motorsport as well – Formula One is obviously one of our favourites! But watching super-fast, super-shiny cars speed round a track ridiculously fast isn’t the only enjoyable motorsport; in fact, we love motorsports that make the most of teamwork, banged up cars, and a good old fashioned dose of madness too!

One of the most well-known ‘alternative’ motorsporting events around is the Le Mons 24 hour drive. This year, the Le Mons event is being held at least 18 different speedways, with (slightly crazy) drivers busting their old banger (that has to cost less than $500) round the track in two stints of 12 hour driving madness. The fast and the furious, eat your heart out!

A similar but slightly longer race is the BA/BE rally, sister race of Staples2Naples and Home2Rome. BA/BE involves the same cost as Le Mons, with participants’ cars having to cost no more than $500, but in this race they have to make it from New York City to New Orleans. This fantastic race obviously produces brilliant video footage and some fantastic friendships – if you fancy taking part yourself, the European versions include Staples2Naples, where you have to drive from Calais to Naples. Yes, that’s right, across the Swiss Alps in a beat up old banger – or possibly a lovely used car if you can find one for the right price.

For more extreme alternative motorsports, try the King of the Hammers, a 135 mile race across open desert and rocky landscapes. Entrants arrive from all over the world in custom made buggies to try and compete – and win – this intensive race. However, due to the nature of the race and the difficulty of the course, less than 45% of all entrants cross the finish line.

If you fancy a race which is a little less extreme, then why not have a look at banger, school bus or lawnmower racing? Taking vehicles that wouldn’t normally be race-ready and hurling round a course at breakneck speed is always exciting, especially when those vehicles would normally be in the service of lawn-cutting or shuttling kids to and from school. Banger racing, where old or banged up cars are raced round a track (either singly, tied together, or even on top of each other) is fantastically popular across the world, and makes a nice change from watching clean, shiny racing cars whizz round a track with ne’er a scratch on them!