During the run up to every summer season, the most popular car and motorcycle magazines all begin to advertise the forthcoming biggest events of the year. Most people will only ever visit a few of these huge shows each year, if any at all. But if you had the transport, the money and the time, not forgetting just one summer season left to live, which shows would jump straight to the top of your list? Let us help you to decide just that. 

Monaco F1 Grand Prix

If you wish to experience the glamour and the excitement of  high speed racing under glorious weather conditions, you must make sure that you visit Monaco for their annual Formula 1 Grand Prix you will not be disappointed at SEMA. This event is different to most, in more ways than one. For starters, it is the only track in the world that is in the middle of a city. If you wish to visit in 2010, the main race is being held on May 16^th 2010.  Not only can you experience the thrills of the race, but you can view it with a beautiful coastal background in the most glamorous and over the top city in the entire world.

http://www.monaco-grand-prix.com

Le Mans 24 Hour Race

Although the name indicates that this event only lasts for 24 hours, the Le Mans 24 hour Race actually lasts for an entire week. It is described as being an experience and thousands of people travel across the globe every year to visit the sights. The first Monday and Tuesday are for the scrutineering, the practice runs on the following 2 days and Friday hosts the drivers’ parade running through the central district of Le Mans. The weekend however, is the main event hosting the 24 hour race, where hundreds of cars race against the clock during the gruelling race. The event has been running steadily since 1923 and every year has grown larger and better known across the globe.

http://www.lemansrace.com

Monterey Historic Automobile Races

Based at the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, the Monterey Historic event has been running since 1957 and doesn’t look set to call an end to the fun any time soon. In 2010 the event will run through a long weekend from August 13^th – 15th and for any classic racing fan, it will not disappoint. The event is traditional and raw in the sense that for 3 days straight, you can watch your favourite racing drivers pair up against each other on the famous 2.24 mile course. Over 400 cars will grace the course over the weekend and there is sure to be crashes, new records broken and a lot of smiles on the drivers’ and spectators’ faces alike. You could also be in the lucky position in perhaps meeting some of your all time favourite drivers from around the globe.

www.mazdaraceway.com 

Indy 500

Should you ever find yourself with a free Memorial Day weekend, make sure you go and watch the Indy 500, the 500 mile long race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indiana. The event has not been named “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” for no valid reason, it has long been the large one day event in the world and each year plays host to approximately 750,000 visitors and is in its 94^th year at the track. Due to the high likelihood of serious accidents occurring, the event is never shown live on television for fear of upset. You will often find famous names from other styles of racing like NASCAR are found racing in the 500, who you can meet after the race has ended and ask questions. Every year is a big event and it is the single show that any dedicated driver tries to gain an entry into.

http://www.indy500.com

NASCAR Coca-Cola World 600

If you’re a fan of NASCAR already, or know little on this style of racing, make sure you visit the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina on Memorial Day weekend. It plays host to the World 600, the 600 mile or 965km long race. There are tens of races within the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, with this being the longest and most popular of them. Because of the notorious heat of North Carolina, the event now begins in the evening, to allow for cooler ait to circulate around the spectators. It then runs long into the night with further shows, smaller races and activities to partake in. Since 1959 this has been a successful event, closely rivalling the Indy 500 but the only way to find out what the best way is of spending your Memorial weekend would be to experience both for yourself and compare.

http://www.nascar.com

Monte Carlo Rally

The official name of this event is the, “Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo” and is organized by the same people as the Monaco Grand Prix. Held along the French Riviera every summer, it has been an extremely popular event since the year of 1911. Of course it has grown immensely since then and attracts rally drivers from all across the world. In it’s conception, the event was designed purely for testing new technologies on vehicles and it has grown into becoming the first race of the FIA World Rally Championship that happens annually. The track used is very unbalanced in that it has great challenges presented due to the wet tarmac area, the dry tarmac, snow and ice sections. This of course, makes it a fantastic spectator sport.

http://www.acm.mc

Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000

Finally, but most certainly not least comes the Bathurst 1000 show on your “must-visit” list. In the eyes of history, the show in this current format is fairly new and began in only the year 2000, but can trace its roots back to 1960. This event is special in the way that it allows only V8 Supercars to race and has recently become an official part of the V8 Supercar Championship Series. With a 1000 kilometre total distance to race in the beastly motors, there is sure to be a lot of serious noise and entertainment. This pinnacle of Australian motorsport is held each year at the Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, New South Wales and offers so much more than many other due to its size and its draw from the dozens of high-end auto manufacturers to their event. 

www.v8supercars.com.au/content/bathurst1000

You might not ever be able to travel across the globe from the USA, to Australia, Monaco and other places, but it can certainly be a target to attempt to complete before you leave this world. Tick each one off as you go, take hundreds of photos of the exhilarating racing that you will see and enjoy the travelling. There is no better excuse for a vacation abroad if only just to see how the rest of the world does it.

By Dawn Smith

Dawn Smith is a freelance writer and proofreader, based in London. With lengthy experience in creative and technical writing, Dawn has written content for many prestigious websites and writes for daily blogs and e-zines. With a strong passion for fitness and motorsport, these are the subjects that she enjoys most to write about.