ErnieN85

I was just asked why we go around the track clockwise (backwards) when nascar goes counter clockwise.
Is there a reason?
I said NASCAR was backwards!

Falcon

Because of the Coriolis forces.

ErnieN85

That's just what I thought

John Shiels

Pocono is counter clockwise.

davidfarmer

Laguna Seca is clockwise, but it doubles back on itself, so that really doesn't count.

Actually, from a physics standpoint, NASCAR has it right. Drivers' weight on the INSIDE of the corners!

JimEli

what are you guys talking about? i've got a digital watch.

danswofford

If you ever raced on a dirt track with the large drift angles and all the slamming and banging going on, you would appreciate that the right side of the car is the side facing forward.

Miaugi

For road racing, since the sport was big with European cars originally and they were right hand drive cars, they went clockwise to keep the drivers away from (most of) the outside walls.

As for NASCAR, since this was started using American cars which are left hand drive NASCAR went CC for the same reason, to keep the driver away from the outside wall.


There you have it!

69427

About a dozen years ago I was at a small dirt track in northern Australia. It was pretty wierd watching right hand drive cars going counter-clockwise. Until I saw that, I would have bet that they would run the cars clock-wise.

gonzalezfj

Except when SCCA is running things; with them it's clockwise.

Frank Gonzalez

gonzalezfj

Does that mean that in the Southern Hemisphere tracks run counter-clockwise, since the Coriolis forces are reversed below the Equator?

The important question is: Do they have flamingoes in the Southern Hemisphere or are they only a Big Pine Key phenomenon?

Frank Gonzalez

2000BSME

You mean counter clockwise don't you? What organizations run it clockwise? My GT4 game has it counter... I'll have to ask my brother what way the motorcycles race it... he runs his bike there on occasion, in fact I've got a couple of cool pics of him there.

Tintin

Correct, I held the T1 track record there and it is definitely anti-clockwise. So is Thunderhill...usually... Buttonwillow I have run both ways...

hisvett

Believe it or not...this is more fact than fiction. Back in the early days of racing when you had to have a co-pilot (someone to run the fuel pump) more ride along mechanics died than drivers because they were on the outside plus they fell out of the car first (no seat belts).

Falcon

That's good, Frank. I was wondering if someone would pick up on that.

AU N EGL

Oh great last time I was in south America the toilets flush counter clockwise the other way around.

So if you have a digital clock, which way is clockwise ?

racerjon1

Actually, the general reason is more simple, and um, "Juvenile" than that.

Prior to the American Revolution, we ran races the same way they did in Europe - Clockwise. We are talking horses here of course, but old habits die hard. That is unless you feel wronged, write up a list of complaints, go to war and think "hmm, if they do it, it's not right for us." and start running your horses "backwards" or, counter-clockwise.

When car races went to horse tracks, (read, Ovals) they just went the same way as the horses. Road race circuits still usually run clockwise with a few exceptions, as it was brought over some 100 years later, and we had gotten over things like that

Another interesting note, on the higher-banked ovals if you run counter-clockwise in a right-hand drive car, you have a hard time seeing ahead as you look "up" and across to see what's in front of you.

At some place like Daytona, you sort of end up looking through your driver's-side window and the upper left corner of the windshield. If you tried that same angle in a right-hand drive car, you are looking at the inside of the roof. From what I understand this is why you see the series in Austrailia and such running counter-clockwise... (Not just to be cool)

Jon K

Falcon

Well yea!

Since NASCAR started as a southern sport, it will run in the opposite direction of those Yourpens running in the northern latitudes.

It's just simple science!

AU N EGL

You saying "south'n'r's" are Bass ackwards?

Kanmer

That maybe so but I see way more of them Northerners movin to Dixie than the other way around. Thank God or blame the devil for air conditioning. Depending on your point of view.

As to the point of this thread, How can you go fast and turn left if you go clockwise? Geeze, its no more difficult than that. Read the bumper stickers people.

Bob