1 of 3

No

Write now Article Tools

Should Congress Ban Auto Racing?

I believe banning auto racing would be a mistake, for several reasons. The first of which is freedom. Whatever happened to the guarantee of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Each day, congress seems to put more laws on the books restricting our actions. Obviously, we cannot have total freedom and need some rules to guide us, but I wonder if we will one day have so many laws to observe that it could be considered slavery. Even now, many times, I feel like I am a slave to the government (especially around April fifteenth).

Another good reason not to ban racing is the technology advancement that trickles down into the autos we drive daily. Have you ever watched a race car lose control at two hundred plus MPH, fly into hundreds of pieces as it bounces off walls and other vehicles, only to see the driver undo the seat belts and walk away? The cars we drive today contain much of the same technology that was developed for auto racing. Crumple zones, collapsible steering columns, and seat belts just to name a few. You, or your relatives might be alive today, thanks to auto racing, if any of you have survived a serious car accident.

Auto racing has brought to the forefront another aspect of car design, aerodynamics. To get the highest possible speed from an automobile, it must be able to move through the air as easily as possible. Racing teams use wind tunnels to test their designs for efficiency. Obviously, our daily commuter cars do not have to run at racing speeds and therefore, their drag coefficient is not as critical. Still, the easier our vehicles move through the air the less power it takes to propel them at speed. This translates to better fuel efficiency which these days is certainly a worth while pursuit.

How your car handles can also be associated with auto racing. The vehicles we drive today are easier and safer to maneuver than ever before. Race cars must be designed to handle well at the very edge of their performance envelope. Their suspension must keep the tire in contact with the road while under the stress of high g-forces. Our everyday vehicles do not normally operate under these conditions, however, I'm sure all of us drivers out there have had to do some fancy high stress maneuvering around someone who cuts us off or pulls out at the wrong time. What has been learned from racing is built into our vehicles and made it possible for us to avoid those collisions.

There are many other aspects of racing that have made our daily commuters better. Race cars must be built light to go fast. Our cars must be built light for lower fuel consumption. Race car engines must be built strong to stand the stress. Our car engines must be built strong to last. The list goes on and on. So many of the necessities for a race car can be used to the advantage of our everyday vehicles.

Some people say all these achievements would be possible without the racing industry. They say car manufacturers could make all these advancements on their own. I agree that they could. My question is whether or not they would. Necessity is the mother of invention. In racing these advancements are a necessity. For our everyday cars they are not. I do not believe we would have the cars of today without auto racing. I believe it should not only be allowed, but encouraged, and our cars of tomorrow will be better for it.

Learn more about this author, James Dreamer.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Should Congress ban auto racing??
We want to hear your view. Write now!