Top 10 Toughest Motorsports

The story continues in the next slide.

10. The Gumball 3000

The Gumball 3000 is an international road race that takes place on public roads in Britain. The cars that participate in this event are very well known to ignore traffic rules and eventually end up speeding which has attracted police to intervene multiple times and keep the racers under control. There have been numerous accidents that have involved innocent non participants as well.

9. RFC

At number nine is the Rainforest Challenge. This is a very challenging off road motorsport which souped up 4X4s are pushed to the limits through rocks, mud and rivers. Every participating car should have a driver and a navigator to tackle difficult terrain that takes hours to cover a kilometre and longer if stuck. This sport tests the limit of endurance for a week in the jungles of Malaysia.

8. The Nurburgring 24

At number eight is a 24 hour race in the most daunting race track ever. The track is consistently hard on the cars as well as the drivers that make it tough. With the length of the lap being 25.3 km long, 200 cars with 700 drivers participate. The winner is the team that does the most distance. In 2014, team Phoenix racing won setting a new record of 159 laps, that is 4022.7 kms in 24 hours.

7. Pikes Peak

At number seven in our countdown of the toughest motorsports is the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This is also known as The Race to the Clouds, where cars and bikes challenge time to get up the hill the fastest. This is situated at the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA. This is simply a dangerous sport because of steep drops and unguarded roads which when a corner is missed, could lead to disaster.

6. WRC

At number six is very well known World Rally Championship. This sport needs guts of steel and furthermore faith in the co driver. This sport takes participants through almost every terrain possible including snow and to add to the toughness is the speed. The sport takes place in different countries and through a variety of weather. The team with the best time wins.

5. Erzberg

The Erzberg Rodeo takes our number 5 position. This is purely because this two wheeler race needs pure endurance and a determination that cannot be shaken off no matter what. The race starts off with 1000 plus riders and only a handful finish the race. In 2009, only nine riders made it across the finish line.

4. Le Mans

At number four is the Le Mans, a track famous for high speed crashes and testing the drivers endurance. The teams are again pushed to race for 24 hours straight, the team that has covered the maximum distance wins. The drivers are made to race through any kind of weather mother nature throws at them.

3. Isle Of Man TT

The Isle Of Man TT comes in at the third place purely because of the danger and speeds involved. This motorcycle race is held through the narrow streets of this British island. Riders reach top speeds of 200mph and every bike is set off just seconds after the previous one. The race has claimed over 200 deaths.

2. Baja

At number two is one of the toughest off-roading events that takes place during the third week of November. It takes place in Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. Various vehicles participate including motorcycles, production cars and specially built vehicles. The course is over 1000 miles long and what makes it so tough is booby-traps, covered holes, diverted rivers, bandits, and even hostage-taking!

1. Dakar

The toughest motorsport in our list is the Dakar Rally. Formerly known as Paris-Dakar, it is an off road endurance race. The vehicles used are purpose built for this course and a normal modified vehicle would not last a day in this sport. Participants have to race section-wise every day, sometimes covering up to 900 km a day, The overall course length is around 5,600 miles. The participant must race across dunes, mud, camel grass and rocks. There have even been reports where drivers die of heart attack due to the stress and rough terrain.