An oval track is a dedicated motorsport circuit, primarily in the USA, which differs from a road course in that it only has turns in one direction, which is almost universally left. Oval tracks often have banked turns as well. Despite the name, tracks do not have to be precisely oval, such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, to be classed as oval tracks.
The racing held on these tracks is referred to as 'oval racing', and is a type of motorsport, primarily American, that involves running multiple cars wheel-to-wheel in a race around the track. Major forms of oval racing include stock car racing, sprint car racing, and forms of open-wheel racing currently sanctioned by the Indy Racing League or IRL. For many years the premiere oval race in the United States was the Indianapolis 500 (an open wheel race), but among some pundits this has been largely superseded by the Daytona 500 (a stock car race).
Contents |
Track classification
Oval tracks are classified based upon their size, surface, and shape. Their size can range from only a few hundred feet to over two and a half miles. Track surfaces can be dirt, concrete, asphalt, or a combination of concrete and asphalt. Some ovals in the early twentieth century had wood surfaces.
By size
Short tracks
A short track is an oval less than 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) long. Short tracks are often used as a starting point for drivers seeking careers in oval track racing.
Superspeedways
Superspeedways are at least 2 miles in length [1], featuring only left turns. The most famous superspeedways are Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Daytona International Speedway. These tracks were built in 1909 and 1959 respectively. Indianapolis Motor Speedway was built as a facility for the automotive industry to conduct research and development.[1] Daytona International Speedway was built as a replacement for the Daytona Beach Road Course, which combined the town's main street and its famous beach, the track holds the Daytona 500, NASCAR's most important single race.
The longest and fastest superspeedway is the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. Built in the 1960s, it is 2.66 miles (4.20 kilometers) long, and holds the current record for fastest speed in a stock car, 228 miles per hour (367 km/h). [2]
By shape
Tri-ovals
Ovals are not always symmetrical in shape. An example of this would be Pocono Raceway, which has a triangular shape with rounded corners. Tri-ovals have become preferable to track builders as they offer superior sightlines. However, the recent construction boom of 1 ½ mile tri-oval shaped tracks has given these tracks a “cookie-cutter” label.[3]
Rovals
Rovals combine some of the characteristics of ovals and road courses, sometimes as a result of building a road course inside an oval. The term can also refer to an asymmetrical oval track. Since 1966, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona has been one of the most notable roval races. Due to the limitations of infield dimensions, rovals often compromise the road course. While the oval’s sightlines are popular, some fans may feel that the racing itself is lackluster.[2] Notable rovals include:
- Calder Park Thunderdome(no infield corse but outfield course connected to oval) (located in Australia)
- Daytona International Speedway
- Talladega Superspeedway (Formerly; infield road course abandoned)
- Indianapolis Motor Speedway
- Atlanta Motor Speedway
- Lowe's Motor Speedway
- Texas Motor Speedway
- Pocono Raceway (While technically an oval, Pocono’s unique shape often causes it to be described as a roval, as it features driving characteristics similar to those of a road course)
- California Speedway
- Emerson Fittipaldi Speedway (Like Pocono, this oval has also been referred to as a roval)
- Rockingham Motor Speedway
- EuroSpeedway Lausitz
- Michigan International Speedway (Formerly; infield road course abandoned and outfield road course now used only for private testing)
- Texas World Speedway
- Homestead-Miami Speedway
- Phoenix International Raceway (Formerly; no infield road course, outfield road course no longer connected to oval)
- Autodrome de Montlhéry
- Brooklands
- Autodromo Nazionale Monza
- AVUS
- Fuji Speedway (Formerly; originally built as an oval, was then converted to half oval which was used until 1974)
Pack racing
Pack racing is a phenomenon found on fast, high-banked superspeedways. It occurs when the vehicles racing are cornering at their limit of aerodynamic drag, but within their limit of traction. This allows drivers to race around the track constantly at wide open throttle. Since the vehicles are within their limit of traction, drafting through corners will not hinder a vehicle’s performance. As cars running together are faster than cars running individually, all cars in the field will draft each other simultaneously in one large pack. In stock car racing this is often referred to as “restrictor plate racing” because NASCAR mandates that each car use an air restrictor to reduce horsepower. The results of pack racing may vary. As drivers are forced to race in a confined space, overtaking is very common as vehicles may travel two and three abreast. This forces drivers to use strong mental discipline in negotiating traffic. There are drawbacks, however. Should an accident occour at the front of the pack, the results could block the track in a short amount of time. This leaves drivers at the back of the pack with very little time to react. The results of this are often catastrophic as several cars may be destroyed in a single accident. This type of accident is often called "The Big One". NASCAR drivers have developed strategies to form smaller packs away from the lead pack early in a race. This gives them extra reaction time in event of a crash.[4]
Comparison with Road Racing
Oval track racing requires different tactics than road racing. While the driver doesn’t have to shift gears as frequently or brake as heavily as in road racing, drivers are still challenged by negotiating the track. A road course usually has one preferred line. An oval can have several depending on banking, the radius of the turn, the width of the track, and the age of the surface.[5] Each type of racing places physical demands on the driver. A driver in an IndyCar race at Richmond International Raceway may be subject to as many lateral g-forces as a Formula One driver at Istanbul Park. Weather also plays a different role in each discipline. Road racing offers a variety of fast and slow corners that allow the use of rain tires. Paved ovals cannot support rain tires because the turns are all very fast and the soft rubber compound used in the tread would not survive long against the forces inflicted upon it. Dirt ovals will sometimes support a light rain. Safety has also been a point of difference between the two. While a road course usually has plenty of runoff space, gravel traps, and tire barriers, ovals usually have a concrete retaining wall separating the track from the fans. Innovations have been made to change this, however. The SAFER barrier was created to provide a less dangerous alternative to a traditional concrete wall. The barrier can be retrofit onto an existing wall or may take the place of a concrete wall completely.
See also
- Short track motor racing
- Dirt track racing
- Board track racing
- Roval
- Road racing
- Drag strip
- Track racing
References
- ^ Indystar.com"History of the Indianapolis 500" Retrieved November 19, 2007
- ^ http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/cup/06/10/rwallace_talladega/index.html
- ^ USAToday article on "cookie-cutter" tracks
- ^ CNNSI"Hangin' Back" retrieved November 17, 2007
- ^ Fordracing.com “’’Iron Man Ready To Take on Batman’’” Retrieved 11/27/07
