Photo: mnapoleonWith the exception of a few road course races, most of the NASCAR races are held on ovals. The cars always race counter-clockwise on the ovals, meaning the cars only turn left.
Given all the attention that learning and expertise has been getting, I’m deeply curious as to what would happen if for one race NASCAR went in the opposite direction, so that it was all right turns. I understand that they would probably have to do a lot of work to the cars, because the cars must be optimized for left turns, but put that aside. Would lap times be appreciably worse because the drivers would have trouble cornering? Would there be more crashes? Would the same drivers excel?
I think NASCAR should give it a shot. It would generate a lot of interest. I suspect, both among hardcore NASCAR fans and more casual sports fans.
I’ve even got the obvious name for the race: The Rite Aid 400.
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NASCAR does turn right every so often, since there are races at Watkins Glen, NY and at Infineon in California. Why they don’t do it more often is more than anything based on their own history. NASCAR started as a single race split between Route A1A and the beaches of Daytona Beach, FL. The cars went down A1A for two miles, turned onto the beach, and came back up for two miles. The first venue to open other than the beach was the oval at Darlington, SC. Simple lap racing is their heritage.
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Levitt:
This is one area where you thankfully will have to remain deeply curious. I am not even a little bit curious.
I thought one of the main reasons for the left turns was driver safety. It might not be as big of a problem now with the modern cars, but it might still come into play. Maybe part of the car redesign would put the driver on the right side a la the UK. That would change things up.
It would be interesting o see them go the other way.
I believe the left turns have a lot to do with the driver being on the left side of the car and having a better view of the low and inside of turns, being able to stay on the inside line and pitting on the left side etc. It is much easier to judge how far you are from the pit wall, when the driver is closer to the wall than having the wall on the opposite side. Just think about pulling in to a gas station. Do you feel more comfortable/confident when the gas tank is on the driver side or the passenger side?
They’d likely need to build RHD cars for safety reasons, which would put the pit wall on the driver’s side while keeping the (dangerous) outer wall away from the driver’s side.
I propose that half of the cars go one direction, and the other half go the other direction simultaneously. THAT would generate some interest.
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Would viewers end up with neckaches from having to turn to look in the opposite direction?
More obscure potential name: UPS 400
Why don’t you just turn your television upside down?
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That wouldn’t do anything…
Watch the TV in a mirror.
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Huh? Yeah, I am sure casual sports fans who find a race around an oval with nothing but left turns will be thrilled at the prospect of a race consisting of nothing but right turns. It’s totally different! Oh my god!
Oh wait, not , NASCAR is boring beyond belief except for perhaps the final 20 laps or so. Having the cars move clockwise, instead of counter-clockwise changes nothing about that central fact.