Top speeds of 200 miles per hour, 100 to 0 breaking in 40 feet, 1000 horsepower. These crazy numbers are the norm for the top end of motorsports, sports like Formula 1 and LMP1 are among the most technologically advanced industries in the world, where even a 1 percent increase in efficiency can mean a championship title or not. However, many people are unfamiliar with these amazing machines and the incredibly brave drivers that race them.

    After the critically acclaimed “Ford vs. Ferrari” came out, the interest in motorsports such as the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and Formula 1 increased tremendously. Especially in regards to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an endurance race in France that features some of the most technologically advanced race cars in the world, as well as being one of the most difficult tracks to race on.

What makes Le Mans and the rest of the races on the WEC calendar interesting is the fact that they have to race for upwards of 24 hours, meaning and the cars have to be able to be driven at the limit for the longest time out of any other motorsport.

  The races in Formula 1 are much different. One of the main differences is the cars, owing mainly due to the fact that Formula 1 cars are open-wheel, meaning that there cannot be anything covering the wheel.

Another distinguishing difference is the race times: Formula 1 cars race for an average of an hour and a half; significantly shorter than the up to 24 hours that WEC cars race for.

However, this makes for much closer and more action-packed racing than most WEC races.

You don’t need to be a professional driver to participate in racing. There are many race tracks around California that will let you drive on them for a fee as long as you’re of legal age.

And that’s exactly what junior Arabella Cairone’s dad,  Andrea Cairone, does during his free time. “Well, I suppose that like with many sports, the attraction is to remove yourself from daily life and be forced to concentrate intensely on something you don’t do every day.  It’s also fun to meet people from all walks of life (it’s not just people with fancy cars at the track days I usually go to) joined together by a common passion.”

There are lots of people at school that love racing, and there are a hundred different ways to get into it.

Whether you’re an F1 fan or a WEC fan, there’s something for everyone in motorsport.