Editing Race track (section)

==History==
Some evidence remains of racetracks being developed in several ancient civilizations. The most developed ancient race tracks were the [[hippodrome]]s of the [[Ancient Greece|Ancient Greeks]] and the circuses (''circi'') of the [[Roman Empire]]. Both of these structures were designed for horse and [[chariot]] racing. The stadium of the [[Circus Maximus]] in [[Ancient Rome]] could hold 200,000 spectators.

Racing facilities existed during the [[Middle Ages]], and records exist  of a public racecourse being opened at [[Newmarket Racecourse|Newmarket]], in London, in 1174. In 1780, the [[Earl of Derby]] created a horse-racing course on his estate at Epsom; the [[Epsom Derby|English Derby]] continues to be held there today. Racecourses in the British Isles are based on grass, known as turf tracks. In the United States, the race tracks are soil.

[[File:1911boardtrackracing.jpg|thumb|right|Motorcycles racing on a highly banked board track in 1911]]
With the advent of the automobile in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, race tracks were designed to suit the nature of powered machines. The earliest tracks were modified horse-racing courses. Racing automobiles in such facilities began in September 1896, at [[Narragansett Park (1867–1924)|Narragansett Park]] in [[Cranston, Rhode Island]]. The [[Indianapolis Motor Speedway]] was opened in August 1909.

Beginning in the early 1900s, motorcycle races were run on high, banked, wooden race tracks called [[board track racing|board tracks]]. During the 1920s, many of the races on the [[American Automobile Association|AAA]] Championship circuit were run on such board tracks.
Modern racetracks are designed with spectator safety being paramount, following incidents of spectator and [[track marshal]]s fatalities. These often involve run-off areas, barriers, and high fencing.