Motorsport Bulbs Explained: A Simple Guide

When it comes to lighting in motorsport, there are several types of bulbs used, each working in a different way. Understanding how they create light helps explain why some are brighter or more efficient — and why some may or may not be allowed in certain events.

How Different Motorsport Bulbs Work

Halogen Bulbs

• How they work: Halogen bulbs have a tungsten filament inside, like a traditional bulb, but with halogen gas (like iodine or bromine) filling the bulb.

• The filament heats up when electricity flows through it, producing light.

• The halogen gas recycles tungsten atoms, allowing the filament to run hotter, glow brighter, and last longer than a regular incandescent bulb.

• Power: Usually higher wattage (e.g., 55-100W) to get bright light.

• No special electronics needed — they run on standard voltage.

Xenon Gas-Filled Halogen Bulbs

• Similar to halogen bulbs but filled with xenon gas instead of halogen.

• They still have a filament, so light is produced by the filament glowing.

• The xenon gas helps the filament run hotter and produce whiter, brighter light than traditional halogen gas.

• Also no ballast needed.

Gas Discharge Bulbs (Including Xenon HID)

• These bulbs don’t have a filament. Instead, they create light by an electric arc passing through gas (like xenon) inside a sealed tube.

• The gas itself produces light directly when excited by electricity, which is why these bulbs can be much brighter while using less power (e.g., 35W Xenon HID can outshine a 100W halogen).

• Require a ballast — an electronic device that provides the high-voltage start and regulates current to maintain the arc.

• Often called HID (High-Intensity Discharge) lamps or Xenon HID lamps.

• Usually not allowed in some motorsport events due to their brightness and advantage.

LED Bulbs

• Use semiconductor chips to produce light when electric current passes through them.

• Very efficient, bright, and long-lasting.

• Instant-on light without warm-up time.

• Low power consumption and durable.

• Increasingly popular in motorsport for reliability and performance.

Optic Bulbs

• Designed with special internal structures (like lenses or reflectors) to focus or shape the beam of light.

• Can be halogen, LED, or gas discharge types but have optics built-in to improve light projection and distribution.

• Useful in motorsport for precise lighting on stages or tracks.

Why Is Xenon HID Brighter Than Halogen Even at Lower Watts?

• Xenon HID bulbs produce light from a gas arc, which is more efficient than heating a filament.

• This means a 35W Xenon HID can emit more light than a 100W halogen bulb because the light source itself is brighter and focused differently.

What About Ballasts?

• Xenon HID bulbs need a ballast — this device gives the bulb the initial high-voltage spark to start the arc and then regulates the current to keep the light stable.

• Halogen and xenon gas-filled halogen bulbs don’t need ballasts; they run on normal voltage.

When “Gas Bulbs” Are Banned — What Can You Use?

• If an event bans gas discharge lamps (like Xenon HID), you cannot use Xenon HID units because they are true gas discharge bulbs without filaments.

• However, xenon gas-filled halogen-style bulbs (which still have filaments) are usually allowed because they function like standard halogen bulbs, just with a different gas inside.

• Regular halogen bulbs are also allowed since they are incandescent filament bulbs.

Lumens vs Lux: What’s the Difference?

When you’re picking lights, you might see lumens and lux mentioned a lot. Here’s a quick, simple way to understand them.

• Lumens measure how much light a bulb puts out in total — the overall light power.

• Lux measures how bright that light looks on a specific surface — how much light actually lands there.

Think of it like this:
If you shine a torch on a big wall, the light spreads out and looks dim (low lux). But shine it on a book close by, and it’s much brighter (high lux) because the light is concentrated on a smaller spot.

Some manufacturers list lumens, others use lux, which can make it confusing. To compare, imagine trying to read a newspaper 700 metres away:

• At 0.25 lux, the light hitting the paper is very faint — barely visible.

• At 1 lumen spread over that distance, the light is even less focused and wouldn’t help you read at all.

So, lux gives a clearer idea of how useful the light is at a distance, while lumens just tell you how much light the bulb produces overall.

Understanding this helps explain why some lower-wattage bulbs can look brighter — they focus their light better, giving higher lux even with fewer lumens.

Quick Summary Table

Need to buy some bulbs or lamps ? Just click here