Why do NASCAR cars only turn one way?

Question

Before I begin, I'd like to state that I don't mean any offense by asking this.

I just can't work out why there don't seem to be any tracks in which the cars have to turn in more than one direction. Wouldn't that make things more exciting than just going around in an oval all the time?

Is it just tradition, like harking back to the old Roman chariot races and stuff like that?

Thanks for any answers!

Answer 1

You either love oval racing or you hate it, I think it is just a lack of demand from the Nascar fans to put in another road course. Personally, I think the two we have now is perfect but I will not be mad with an installment of 1 or 2 more.

Answer 2

Ovals are popular because the fans can see the entire race and all the action.  I'll agree that in theory, road courses should be cooler.  But I went to a road course race once and only seeing the cars go by once every minute got old.  The ovals go counter clockwise because the driver sits in the left side of the car thus it is safer.  And the cars are designed to turn left.  The tires are designed to turn left.  It would be very costly for teams to have to worry about going both ways around an oval.  Anyway, I could on and on.

Answer 3

Infineon Raceway

Watkins Glen International

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

Autodroma Hermanos Rodriguez

They do too turn left and right

Answer 4

Actually, oval racing requires a lot of steering input to the right.

And here's the hard part. It must be done more by feel, less by sight. If done by sight only, it's generally too late to recover a loose car by turning right. It's feel that determines how far right to turn. Don't have the feel, sight will only tell you which wall you are about to hit.

It's not like the oval racer is looking ahead and seeing the right turn so he can plan and execute it. To the oval racer, the right turn is invisible and he must execute it by instinct.

It's like driving an unfamiliar road, at night, as fast as you dare.

Talent resides in how quickly a driver can translate feel into brake, steering and throttle input to get a car that wants turn too much, or slide 4 tires, to run a smoother, faster line than a car which actually may have more straight line speed.

Just like in road racing, fastest through the turns usually wins races and in oval racing, tracks are mostly turns.

There is a long list of very, very good road racers which can testify to the fact it's not as easy to do as it may appear.

Answer 5

because us rednecks don't know how to turn right!........j/k

the do turn right at infineon and watkins glen.... but nascar is not known for it's street races were are known for our track races......

i think it is fun t watch even if they only turn left.... you should try it it is a load of fun....

you may get dizzy though doing it but it is a blast.....

Answer 6

actually down the backstretch at Texas the drivers do have to keep their wheels turned to the right.

Answer 7

two words-road course

Answer 8

NASCAR cars turn right at four different road courses every year for a total of five races between the two series.The Sprint Cup Series guys will be be racing at Infineon Raceway(Sonoma,California) in two weeks and then at Watkins Glen,NY in August.As for the Nationwide guys,they race at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City(April),Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Canada(August),and at Watkins Glen,NY the week after the Canadian race.I love it when they go to the road courses because it is a change from the norm.I would recommend watching those races if you are curious about NASCAR and like road course racing!!

Answer 9

So the track will make a oval

Answer 10

If you've ever watched a nascar driver in a loose car you'll notice them turning the wheel both directions HAHA

Answer 11

Wow how neanderthal to come in without doing research and ask such a dumb question!  Okay lets play.  Its a design flaw if they turn right they blow up.

Answer 12

They don't - there are two road courses per year but none in the chase which there should be.

Answer 13

they dont they turn right and left at infineon and watkins glen

Answer 14

It goes back too the cave men. Being that most humanoids are right handed, that was the hand they carried their club in. Leaving their left hand open

Without proper balance, this made the early humanoids tend to always drift left. Eventually this developed into a circular/oval pattern.

Thus the established direction for all racing, footraces, skating, horse racing, power boating, and car races.

So, it's because of human DNA.

Answer 15

basically for safety, if they turned right the driver would be closer to the wall. Only @ the  road courses do they turn right

Answer 16

Much of it goes back to the grass roots of stock car racing with only turning left, but, some left and right turn tracks(road courses) have been included (Watkins Glen and Infineon Raceway)

Answer 17

Do a little more research.  Two times a year they turn left AND right.  Infineon (CA) and Watkins Glen (NY).

Answer 18

im sure others have pointed out that there are road courses. so they do mix it up a bit . i love them i wish they would put one in the chase...but the cars themselves turn right very well....

Answer 19

Dave Despain did a special on why road courses aren't so popular in NASCAR, but I haven't seen it since Speedweeks.  It has something to do with the popularity of using horse tracks for early races in the US, as opposed to the closed road courses in Europe.  However, the cup series drives road courses at Infineon and Watkins Glen, as many others have pointed out.  Also, Nationwide runs road courses in Montreal and at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

Answer 20

they are built to turn one way and not so well the other. its just an old fasioned speedway thing

Answer 21

They turn right at the two road courses.

This is for the person who asked the question.Why do you turn right to go left on dirt? (This is from the movie Cars and this is done on all dirt track races.)