NEW YORK — Auto racing has riveted the public’s attention since the first auto races took place in the late 1880s. Closed tracks didn’t exist then, so drivers raced on regular roads from one town to another. An 1895 round-trip trek from Paris to Bordeaux and back, credited as the first true auto race, covered more than 1,100 kilometers (roughly 683 miles) with the winner notching an average speed of 24 kph. Modern speeds, of course, are much higher. In 2013, the Indy 500 witnessed a record average race speed of 187 mph. While most of us will never get behind the wheel of a competitive race car, we can vicariously experience the thrill by collecting automotive racing posters.