In 1825, George Stephenson raced his engine Locomotion against a team of horses, and won. For the first time ever, he showed that a mechanical vehicle could travel more quickly than a horse-drawn carriage.
Amazing! Racing machines have been around for a very long time. The Romans used to race horse-drawn chariots more than 2000 years ago. Their chariots had two wheels which were connected by a wooden axle. It must have been a bumpy ride. The drivers used to stand up to drive, for balance. The more horses, the faster the chariot went.
Is it true? In 1897, a cyclist beat a motorbike in a race.
Yes. A man called W.J. Stocks pedalled over 43 kilometres on his bicycle in one hour, and beat a motorbike by 270 metres. The rider of the motorbike was not happy. He said that the crowd was too noisy and had put him off!
Who first raced in cars?
The first ever race was in 1894 between Paris and Rouen in France. The Count de Dion won in a steam-powered car, which could only manage 18 kph. Early motor races showed people that cars were as fast and reliable as horses.
Picture Credit : Google