Why does the US race counter clockwise? Our car races and horse races go counter clockwise.?

Question

Why does the US race counter clockwise? Our car races and horse races go counter clockwise.?

Answer 1

from livescience.com Life's Little Mysteries:

Why are Races Run Counterclockwise?

Thursday October 5, 2006  

It's believed to be easier for righties, who make up the majority of world population, to run in a counterclockwise motion. Putting their right foot forward and leaning into a turn feels more comfortable and provides more power and balance than the reverse direction, say physicists.

That's not the whole story though, since other animals like dogs and horses—with no hands to speak of—run their races that way too. Even NASCAR uses the convention, and those guys are just sitting on their butts.

Going counterclockwise just looks more natural, with runners passing the observer in the way most people, and especially the folks in charge of track and field regulations, read and organize chronological time (that's left-to-right, if you're in need of a visual). Needing to choose one for the sake of standardizing international competitions, counterclockwise got the collective nod.

Answer 2

I dont know that there is a lot of science involved...since people in asia and europe have been running races and driving in the other direction for many years longer than we have here stateside... one must remember that our country is young, and that racing came to us long long after it did to other places... the above poster makes sense...but knowing american thinking they might have done it just to be different from the brits...

Answer 3

This is due to the Coriolis effect.  That, and the fact that NASCAR racers figured if a hurricane ever hit Daytona during a race, the spiraling winds might help set a new track record.