Question?

buckaroo

buckaroo

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I know why ovals are raced counter clockwise, but why do they race road courses clockwise? It's the same with open wheeled cars.

For you Aussies: I know that Bathurst is run counter clockwise but don't know about any of the other races. Do the ovals run clockwise? In the US they run counter clockwise because the driver sits on the left side of the car and I know that down under, they sit on the right side.
 
Interestin question, buckaroo. With the left hand side drivers position, it wouldn't be as safe racing ovals in a clockwise direction. Do racing series using a right hand wheel run an oval in the opposite direction?

Which raises the question as to why open ****pit cars like the Indy series also switch directions for Ovals and road races. I haven't watched many Indy races, but I'm pretty sure they do.
 
I'm not sure Sprint cars tell the story. You would have to completely modify them to run in the opposite direction.
 
VaDirt said:
The ovals down under also run counter clockwise.

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While that video might show you are right, I've read and saw other videos that have the Aussies turning right on an oval course. We need one of our Aussie members clear this up if they can. Maybe they race both directions there. BTW, at least here in the south, the local tracks have a series that is called U-Cars that will run in both directions...not at the same time. They will run a few laps CW and then turn around and run the same number of laps CCW.
 
There is a Rockingham raceway in the UK and they still race there. :)
 
An Aussie here.

I was under the impression that it was to keep the driver to the inside of the car compared to against the wall.

Many years ago the was a series in Australia called AUSCAR (failed and no longer exists), using our car makes which was run at our only oval (no longer used) and this series was raced clockwise (keeping the driver to the inside of the car compared to against the wall).

As for Bathurst, this is actually a normal public road which we turn into a awesome race course yearly. Its run counter clockwise but this is to take advantage of the track, as one half goes up the hill and then there is the other half with a run down Conrod Straight. Proberly like most road courses, they are run in the direction that suits the layout. I have attached a in car lap for a quick viewing for those who are unfamiliar.

Sprint cars here are run the same as they do globally which comes down to the design of the car and the driver being in the middle.

 
It is all connected to the science and learnings from gyroscopticalism. The relationship or orientation towards Kannapolis (birthplace of Earnhardt Sr, aka Nascar s Jerusalem) inspires normal folks to go counter clockwise just like he did.




While in Australia they would need to run run clockwise to honor the same gyroscoptical principles.
 
TopGearfan was correct way back there. The original automobile racetracks where horse tracks and they ran them the same direcion as the horse's did. Now I did'nt know the American horse racers where mad at the English horse racers and ran races in the opposite direction from them.
 
We were mad at the British and decided to drive on the right side of the road. That decision dictated the safe way to drive around an oval.
 
FenderBumper said:
We were mad at the British and decided to drive on the right side of the road. That decision dictated the safe way to drive around an oval.
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The way I understood it was that the settlers were mad as _ell at the British. The decided to travel the right sides of the roads and race their horses counterclockwise just to be rebels . Automobiles in America followed suit with left had drive to keep the driver at the center of the road. Since they were racing on horse tracks it made sense.
Bruton Smith might want to change directions to make the races more exciting.:XXROFL:
 
buckaroo said:
I actually thought I would get some decent answers. So much for my thoughts.
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Complain to the mods and have them remove the off topic, innapropiate posts...that's what I do. It quiets stuff to a crawl around here but at least I'm happy and everything's in order.
 
FenderBumper said:
Just joking on how Quebec see's itself. Off topic? Maybe. But Matt did post 'Britian', so he started all this. ;)
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Does the word "question" actually require a question mark? I don't know but I'd be more than willing to discuss Quebec in another thread sometime ;)
 
buckaroo said:
I know why ovals are raced counter clockwise, but why do they race road courses clockwise? It's the same with open wheeled cars.
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I think the first part of the question has been pretty well answered, as far as the second part goes Who cares? I often wonder why NASCAR runs roadcourses at All?
 
FlFlash said:
I'd rather be the Best Damn One At What I Do than be a Jack of all Trades and Master of None!
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Some people like road courses. I find it strange that people like the "racing" at Talladega but they usually draw a decent crowd.
 
See I feel like racin at Daytona, Talladega, Martinsville, Richmond, Darlington is what these cars were built to do, racing at Roadcourses while sometime entertaining is Not what these cars or sport is all about. Were just forced to do it because NASCAR wants a prescence in the New York and West Coast markets. Neither of which really gives a damn about racing or NASCAR.
 
Aren't they saying that road courses are the new short tracks ? More accidents and bumpin than other tracks.
 
Road courses have been around sine the sport began in 1949. Only twice in the history of the sport did the schedule not include at least one road course event. I'd like to see at least one more on the schedule in or out of the chase. Personally I'd like to see them use the same layout that is used for the Rolex 24 race @ Daytona as the last race of the year.
 
FlFlash said:
Why Did they get rid of ALMOST all the short tracks? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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I' m sure they are not the best tracks to watch the race live . TV has better coverage .Not high on my bucket list of tracks to visit.
 
ted@economy said:
I' m sure they are not the best tracks to watch the race live . TV has better coverage .
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If I agreed with this statement we'd both be wrong. There are no races that are worth watching on TV over watching it live. None. Not even a road course where you don't have a view of the entire track.
 
ted@economy said:
I' m sure they are not the best tracks to watch the race live . TV has better coverage .Not high on my bucket list of tracks to visit.
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Let me see if I have this straight, Nascar was wrong when they had more short tracks but corrected themselves by adding 1.5 mile tracks and now they're right?
 
#17D500winner said:
Let me see if I have this straight, Nascar was wrong when they had more short tracks but corrected themselves by adding 1.5 mile tracks and now they're right?
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:confused: ? I though we were talking about road courses . I said I like to watch them on tv because there is a lot of beatin and bangin.
 
ted@economy said:
I' m sure they are not the best tracks to watch the race live . TV has better coverage .Not high on my bucket list of tracks to visit.
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I'm sorry Ted butt I have to disagree There is Nothing like being at a short track with 43 cars Thundering by and making your body QUIVER and being able to see Everything that happens on track. NOTHING!
Yeah I Love my restrictor plate tracks butt if they took one off the schedule and added another short track I'd grin my shiney lil @$$ off and BUY THE TICKETS!!!

BTW I thought the TV coverage of Sonoma was awful especially the racing footage and camera angles without listening to the announcers I had no iadea what was going on. Watkins Glenn always seems much better to me.
 
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