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Behind the wheels: gentlemen, start your engines. Prepare for a tour of the world's ultimate auto races

Men's Fitness, March, 2008 by Noah Johnson

Auto racing fans may be the most enthusiastic sports lovers in the world. For those who've yet to embrace their inner grease monkey, we've compiled a list of the races every guy should check out. Here's a primer on the five greatest auto challenges around.

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DAYTONA 500 Feb. 17, 2008 Daytona Beach, Fla.

This year marks the 50th running of the Super Bowl of stock car racing. Known as the "Great American Race," the Daytona 500 is the most prestigious of its kind in the country--and, with an $18 million purse, also the richest. The race, televised flag to flag each year, is watched by about 20 million fans at home, making it one of the largest televised sporting events in the world. Expect this to be the kickoff to NASCAR's biggest year yet, with a golden anniversary to celebrate and with the usual internal turmoil (Dale Earnhardt Jr. switching teams, Tony Stewart's move to Toyota, and the invasion of the open-wheel drivers).

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24 HOURS OF LE MANS June 14-15, 2008 Le Mans, Sarthe, France

Auto racing is usually a test of speed, but the 24 Hours of Le Mans is different. This event is all about endurance, pitting drivers against one another on closed public roads in France. No wonder so many folks refer to it as the Endurance Grand Prix. In Le Mans, it's not about how fast your car is, but perseverance. The cars are not only built to run fast but also reliably and with as much fuel efficiency as possible. Each year, more than 200,000 spectators watch the event live; 225 million viewers worldwide tune in on TV.

FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX ITALY Sept, 14, 2008 Monza, Italy

With millions of fans in at least two hundred countries, this may be the ultimate four-wheel spectacle. The high performance machines that race on the purpose-built F1 race tracks (and sometimes closed city streets) average more than 200 mph and are capable of pulling 4 g's around corners--close to what a pilot feels in a jet. The Autodromo Nazionale Monza is among the oldest tracks in the sport. It's also one of the fastest tracks around, with numerous long straights that favor top speeds. Strewn with chicane--tight S-shaped curves--this race tests drivers' skills like no other.

BAJA 1000 Nov. 19-22, 2008 Ensenada, Baja California

The toughest off-road race in the world, the trek crosses the worst of the Mojave desert's gnarly terrain. And practically anything goes in this all-out, off-road free-for-all. Competing vehicles include production VWs, lifted production trucks, Porsche powered buggies, ATVs, motorcycles, and off-road racers built specifically for the event, all designed to pillage the desert's thick sand, massive boulders, and crater-size potholes. Racers have just 40 hours to complete the 1,000-mile course, navigating the vast desert expanse while avoiding booby traps, roadblocks, unmanageable terrain, unruly competitors, and local livestock along the way.

WALES RALLY GREAT BRITAIN Nov. 27-30, 2008 Wales, Great Britain

This 75-year-old race is widely regarded as one of the most challenging motor sport competitions in the world. It traverses a variety of terrain, from rugged off-road trails to closed-off paved city streets. The three-day competition takes teams (a driver and a co-driver) through staged routes, where they race against the clock to achieve the fastest times in each. Known for messy wet conditions, cold windy weather, and a fast, slippery track, Rally GB is held in a spectator-friendly clover-shaped course, which draws one of the best crowds in racing. The race is the ultimate embodiment of the sport--rabid fans, insane driving, and nasty conditions. For those who've never seen it, now is the time you did.

Behind the wheels: gentlemen, start your engines. Prepare for a tour of the world's ultimate auto races

Men's Fitness, March, 2008 by Noah Johnson

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