Watching car racing events is exciting, particularly in person. When you’re in the stands, everything from the bright colors to the roar of the engines to the scream of the crowd gets your adrenaline going. But what makes car racing one of the most popular spectator sports in the world? Perhaps it is the drivers, many of whom have gone on to become household names. Here are some of racing’s most influential drivers.
Formula 1 Drivers
As one of the most popular forms of auto racing, Formula 1, or F1, is sure to have a few of the most famous drivers of the sport.
Lewis Hamilton
British race car driver Lewis Hamilton was born on January 7, 1985. He began kart racing at the age of 8 and won the British Kart Championship at 10. By 13, he was receiving support through the McLaren and Mercedes-Benz Young Driver Support Program. When he was 15, he was the youngest driver to earn the No. 1 driver in the sport.
Hamilton’s first professional race was the 2007 Australian Grand Prix; since then, he has won over 100 races, with world championships in 2008, 2014, 2015, and 2017-20.
Michael Schumacher
German-born driver Michael Schumacher was born on January 3, 1969, and has a little under 100 wins in the F1 series. He has a record seven World Drivers’ Championships (tied with Hamilton).
Schumacher’s interest in go-kart racing was the start of his racing career. He won the German junior karting championships in 1984 and 1985. At 19, he became a driver for Formula Three, winning the German F3 championship in 1990. A year later, he entered the world of F1 racing.
Formula E Drivers
As one of the newest open-top races, Formula E, or FE, has gained momentum since its start in 2014. Unlike other races, all-electric race cars go head-to-head during Formula E events.
Stoffel Vandoorne
Born on March 26, 1992, Belgium native Stoffel Vandoorne began racing at 6, inspired by his visit to the World Karts kart track. He joined the FE races for the 2018-19 racing season. He became the FE World champion in 2021-22, racing with the Mercedes-EQ Team.
During his first racing season, Vandoorne earned six victories. These include the 2010 F4 Eurocup 1.6, the 2012 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0, and the 2015 GP2 Series.
Mitch Evans
New Zealander Mitch Evans was born on June 24, 1994. He made his first Formula E appearance in 2016 when he was part of the Panasonic Jaguar Racing winning team.
Like many race car drivers, Evans’ passion for racing started with karting as a child. At 16, he won the New Zealand Grand Prix, making him the youngest driver to win the title at the time. By 18, Evans was already part of some of the biggest races in New Zealand, soon to be followed by international events.
Indy Car Drivers
Indy Car races are known for taking place on F1-style road courses as well as the oval tracks of speedways. These races typically have much longer courses than F1 and cover roughly 500 miles per race.
Alex Palou
Spaniard Alex Palou was born in 1997 and started karting at the age of 5. He entered the Euro F3 races in 2013, placing third in his first season. After four years in junior competitions, Palou entered the Super Formula Championship, where he earned third place and won the rookie championship.
Josef Newgarden
Josef Newgarden is an American race car driver born on December 22, 1990. After witnessing the beauty and intensity of Indy cars, Newgarden begged his father for a go-kart. He finally got one at age 13.
Needless to say, the rest was history. In 2006 Newgarden won two titles: KRA Junior Yamaha & Junior TAG World Championship. After entering several national and international races and winning more titles, Newgarden became part of the Indy Car races in 2011.
NASCAR Drivers
NASCAR boasts some of the world’s most famous names in race car history. This exciting series is a thrill for spectators and a goal for many professional drivers.
Richard Petty
This North Carolina native is probably NASCAR’s most famous name in the sport. Coming from a family of racers, Richard Petty was born on July 2, 1937. He’s considered the American stock car’s most successful driver.
He joined NASCAR in 1958 and retired in 1992 with over 1,100 races under his belt. During his career, Petty won 200 NASCAR races, including seven Winston Cups.
Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt is another name synonymous with professional car racing. Born on April 29, 1951, in North Carolina, he took the NASCAR world by storm in the 1980s and 1990s.
Earnhardt began pursuing a career in car racing in 1967 after dropping out of high school. Roughly eight years later, he made his appearance at the NASCAR World 600 in Charlotte. He won 76 of the 676 Winston Cup races he entered and won four International Race of Champions series.