Support Race

A support race is a shorter racing event that takes place before or after the main race during a motorsport weekend, designed to provide additional entertainment and track activity for spectators.

Think of support races like the opening acts at a concert - they warm up the crowd and add value to the overall experience. While the headliner is the main event everyone came to see, the opening acts give you more entertainment for your ticket price.

These races typically feature different types of cars or lower-tier racing series than the main event. For example, at a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend, you might see Formula 2 or Formula 3 cars racing as support events. The cars are usually less powerful and the races shorter than the featured race.

Support races serve multiple important purposes in motorsport. They keep fans entertained throughout the entire race weekend, ensuring there's always something happening on track. Without support races, spectators might only see one or two hours of actual racing during a whole weekend.

For drivers, support races provide a crucial stepping stone in their careers. Young racers use these events to gain experience, improve their skills, and catch the attention of teams in higher racing series. Many current Formula 1 drivers first made their mark in support race series.

Common examples include GT sports car races supporting major endurance events, touring car championships running alongside premier series, and junior formula categories appearing at Grand Prix weekends. These races often feature close, exciting competition since the cars are more evenly matched than in top-tier series.

The duration of support races varies but they're generally shorter than main events - often lasting 30 minutes to an hour compared to main races that might run for several hours. This keeps the pace of the weekend moving while still providing substantial racing action.