Columbia Encyclopedia

Search results

411 results found

automobile racing

(Encyclopedia)automobile racing, sport in which specially designed or modified automobiles race on any of various courses. Automobile racing originated in France in 1894 and appeared in the United States the follow...

racing

(Encyclopedia)racing: see horse racing; automobile racing; track and field athletics; dog racing; for boat racing, see motorboating; rowing; and sailing; and for bicycle racing, see under bicycle. ...

automobile

(Encyclopedia)CE5 Automobile chassis CE5 Two views of a six-cylinder automobile engine automobile, self-propelled vehicle used for travel on land. The term is commonly applied to a four-wheeled vehicle desig...

automobile industry

(Encyclopedia)automobile industry, the business of producing and selling self-powered vehicles, including passenger cars, trucks, farm equipment, and other commercial vehicles. By allowing consumers to commute long...

dog racing

(Encyclopedia)dog racing, trials of speed between dogs. Now contested on oval tracks, the sport developed from the ancient practice of coursing, in which specially trained dogs chase game animals in the open field....

horse racing

(Encyclopedia)horse racing, trials of speed involving two or more horses. It includes races among harnessed horses with one of two particular gaits, among saddled Thoroughbreds (or, less frequently, quarterhorses) ...

bicycle racing

(Encyclopedia)bicycle racing or cycling, an internationally popular sport conducted on closed courses or the open road. Track racing takes place at a velodrome, usually a banked 1,093.6 ft (.333 km) oval. Olympic m...

Campbell, Sir Malcolm

(Encyclopedia)Campbell, Sir Malcolm, 1885–1949, English automobile and speedboat racer. A racing enthusiast from boyhood, Campbell set many speed records for motorcycles, airplanes, automobiles, and motorboats an...

Formula One

(Encyclopedia)Formula One (F1), type of racecar used in Grand Prix automobile racing. Capable of speeds exceeding 230 mph (370 kph), the technologically sophisticated F1 cars are low-slung, open-wheeled, single-sea...

Browse by Subject