The lights go green, and in unison, a swarm of high-dollar machinery springs to life, engines roaring, tire smoke rising into the atmosphere, front aerodynamics springing ahead in full-throttle acceleration. Out of nowhere, a challenger appears for the lead, dicing through traffic and saddling up to the car in pole position. Juking left then right, the challenger flashes the lead car’s mirrors, but he’s undeterred, and the pack slides into a single-file line behind him. Suddenly, an overambitious back marker locks up his brakes, careering into an unsuspecting driver mid pack, and out come the flags…

Exciting stuff, no doubt. But how do we make motorsport even more engaging than it already is? It shouldn’t be too hard, right? After all, even though the cars have all advanced light years ahead of those first competition vehicles of the early 20th century, the basic format isn’t all that different. Sure, there’s rally racing, stock cars, formula cars, endurance racing, and the like, but hey – we’re already well on our way to 2018, so what can be done to up the entertainment factor?

Continue reading to learn more about making racing more exciting.

More Interactivity

Don’t worry – there’s a few ideas floating around out there. For example, Renault recently released its R.S. 2027 Vision concept, a look at Formula 1 racing ten years into the future, and buried beneath descriptions of LEDs and design strategy is the suggestion that video game players get a chance to run against the pros in an online video game environment.

I love this idea – imagine battling your heroes from home, following their lines, getting into the thick of it, all without risking life, limb, and personal finance. Using sensors mounted to the cars, the position, speed, and movement of the pros could be broadcast in real time, allowing spectators to see it all unfold from the most exciting position on track.

As Renault suggests, additional data would help as well. Between pit strategies, similar car specs, and differing classes, racing can be quite complex, so the viewer should get as much info as they can handle to stay engaged.

More Variability

Beyond the insanely twisty roads and huge drop offs, one of the most exciting things about the Mt. Washington hill climb is the fact that it involves a variety of surfaces, including both dirt and tarmac. That makes car set-up particularly important, and drivers have to adapt to the changing levels of grip.

The Global Rallycross series does a particularly good job with the variable track thing, throwing in not only a variety of surfaces, but jumps and possible detours (the Joker lap) as well. We need more of that, across several series while we’re at it.

Finally, I wouldn’t mind seeing a greater mix of cars dicing it up. More variability inevitably leads to more interesting racing – think about the David and Goliath factor when you’ve got cornering speed versus acceleration. We need more of that.

Conclusion

So there you have it, a few suggestions for making motor racing even more exciting. What are thoughts? Post ‘em along with your suggestions in the comments section below.

References

Renault R.S. 2027 Vision Concept

Read our full review on the Renault R.S. 2027 Vision Concept.

Global Rallycross

Read more on our Global Rallycross cars.

Mt. Washington Hill Climb

Read more on the Mt. Washington Hill Climb.