Sport is a major aspect of the Australian culture, with games like cricket and Aussie rules football among the nation's favourite pastimes. In addition to these classic team sports, racing sports are also very widespread in the land down under, with modern racing events rising in popularity in recent years. So, from boat races to athletics, what are the most popular racing sports among Australians?

According to a survey of Australians, the most popular racing sport in the country is car racing such as Formula 1 and NASCAR. Among the survey respondents who said they watch races, 37.6 per cent of them said they watch car races. Australia has its fair share of fantastic race car drivers, including 2003 and 2004 Australia V8 Supercar champion Marcos Ambrose, who is a native of Tasmania. Another Australian star of the sport is Formula 1 driver Mark Webber. Having only debuted in 2002, Webber's career has been one to watch for his many Aussie fans.

The second most popular racing sport among Australians is athletics, with 26.1 per cent of race-watching respondents saying they watch the classic sport. The country has a rich history in regard to athletics, with athletes like triple jumper Nick Winter and distance runner Ron CIarke paving the way for more recent achievements, such as race walker Nathan Deakes' 2006 world record 50km walk. Interestingly, the survey revealed that athletics is more popular among women, whereas car racing is more popular among men.

Another fairly popular racing sport in Australia is horse racing, with 24.1 per cent of race-watching survey respondents saying they follow the sport. Horse racing has been present in Australia since the country's earliest beginnings. The sport has been supported and nurtured throughout the generations and Australia is currently one of the top three thoroughbred horse racing countries in the world. The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most famous racing event and it is known to be one of the richest turf races in all of horse racing.

Among the racing sports that didn't score so high on the popularity scale were dog races and boat races, however both still have a niche following. Plus, even though a large number of people claim to watch car racing, less than half of them (45 per cent) said they plan to watch the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix. Clearly, the sport has its share of casual fans as well as its die-hard followers.

So, while you may associate Australia with surfing, cricket and Aussie rules football, opinion surveys show that racing sports also play a role in the country's sport culture. With such a variety of quality racing sports on offer, there's no need to pick a favourite and you can simply enjoy each one in its own right.

Sean Burke writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.