The 5 best flavors of motorsport, according to you

Motorsport is arguably the heart-and-soul niche of the car community and a gateway for many enthusiasts. The uncompromising, aggressive, and performance-focused cars are stimulating to pilot but also thrilling to watch from afar. Our readers have spoken about their favorite ways to burn rubber or watch the action. Here are the top five flavors of motorsport that speed freak Hagerty readers can’t get enough of.

Trans Am

If there was one reason that people seem to love the Trans Am series, it’s that elusive “back in the day” element. The heyday of Trans Am was 1966–72, as many models that are considered muscle cars took to road courses and let the booming V-8s run free. Many of those same cars are still being pitched into turns and squirming around on ’60s suspension technology. They run at tracks across the U.S. and can even be spotted in replays of big events.

Autocross

The draw of the track is undeniable, but the simplicity of autocross (or Solo, as the SCCA defines it) are a big draw for driving enthusiasts. After all, it is an event that just about anyone can organize with a parking lot, some cones, and a few friends. The course layout can keep speeds low while still keeping the fun factor high. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Drag

In the horsepower games, drag racing proudly sits at the top of the pyramid. The top fuel dragsters are roaring 11,000-horsepower monsters that spit flames on their way to sub-four-second 1000-foot runs at over 300 mph. Drag racing can be approachable too, with many tracks across the country hosting bracket racing events designed around consistent driving regardless of speed. Where else can a 100-hp Toyota pickup “beat” a 650-hp Camaro in a race?

Anything affordable

For the most part, all forms of racing are expensive, but there are some that are still approachable to the enthusiast who still works the 9–5 most days. The responses didn’t specify exactly what motorsport this might be, but multiple comments pointed out that they enjoy anything where regular enthusiasts can get involved with the racing. When we think of that description, circle track racing comes to mind. 

With classes for four-cylinder cars and rules restricting big-buck builds in most classes, there has never been more fun to be had on Friday night while only going in circles. Of course, if you’re looking for cheap thrills (and we mean cheap), check out lawnmower racing.

NASCAR

NASCAR got multiple mentions in the Hagerty Forums reader responses, and most of them were positive. A lot of chatter about NASCAR lately has been negative, with the championship formula getting more and more confusing as the cars stray further and further away from their production counterparts. The left-turn-only jokes are tired, but checkers or wreckers is still funny. The current crop of drivers make it look easy, and that might be a bad thing, but the ability for these cars to race as fast as they do for as long as they do is undeniably amazing.

This list was composed from the comments on our weekly Hagerty Forums Question of the Week. If you want to get your voice heard, be sure to check in weekly and cast your vote on each week’s new topic. This week we’re asking: Do you name your car? Don’t worry, we won’t judge.