Figure 8 racing
Encyclopedia
Demolition derby
Demolition derby is a motorsport usually presented at county fairs and festivals. While rules vary from event to event, the typical demolition derby event consists of five or more drivers competing by deliberately ramming their vehicles into one another...
, and road racing
Road racing
Road racing is a general term for most forms of motor racing held on paved, purpose-built race tracks , as opposed to oval tracks and off-road racing...
.
Track
Racing is done on a track shaped like an 8. The cars cross paths at the center of the 8, which is known as the "crossover". Because of this layout, crashes are inevitable. Figure 8 racing is a unique sport that requires strict attention to detail and timing to successfully navigate the crossover.History
Figure 8 track racing began right after World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in the late 1940s. The track may have had an overpass so that the cars did not cross each other's paths. Most historians believe that the first track where drivers crossed each other's paths was the 1/5 mile long Indianapolis Speedrome. The sport received nationwide publicity when it was frequently televised on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Wide World of Sports in the 1960s, usually from the Islip Speedway
Islip Speedway
Islip Speedway was a .2-mile oval race track in Islip, New York which was open from 1947 until 1984. It is the smallest track ever to host NASCAR's Grand National Series , from 1964 to 1971. The first demolition derby took place at Islip Speedway in 1958...
in Islip, New York
Islip (town), New York
The Town of Islip is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York . Located on the south shore of Long Island, the town population was 322,612 at the 2000 census. The smaller, unincorporated hamlet of Islip lies within the town.-Demographics:...
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Vehicle
The cars used are often standard cars, but are usually modified for lightness and safety. A wing much like a sprint carSprint car racing
Sprint cars are high-powered race cars designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval or circular dirt or paved tracks. Sprint car racing is popular in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa....
may be placed on the roof to increase downforce
Downforce
Downforce is a downwards thrust created by the aerodynamic characteristics of a car. The purpose of downforce is to allow a car to travel faster through a corner by increasing the vertical force on the tires, thus creating more grip....
. The cars' bodies are typically made out of sheet metal
Sheet metal
Sheet metal is simply metal formed into thin and flat pieces. It is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and can be cut and bent into a variety of different shapes. Countless everyday objects are constructed of the material...
.
World championship
The oldest operating figure 8 track in the United States is Indianapolis Speedrome in Indianapolis, IndianaIndianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
. The track has been in operation since the 1940s. It hosts the annual World Figure 8 race, which is considered the world championship event. The first 3 hour long endurance race was held in 1977.
United States championship
The national championship in the United States is held at Riverhead RacewayRiverhead Raceway
Riverhead Raceway is a quarter-mile oval race track with a Figure 8 course, located in Riverhead, New York. It is the only auto racing venue on Long Island since Westhampton Raceway closed down in 2003...
in Riverhead, New York.
Notable Figure 8 tracks
- Columbus Motor SpeedwayColumbus Motor SpeedwayColumbus Motor Speedway or CMS, is a 1/3 mile asphalt oval and figure 8 racing track located south of Columbus, Ohio within the town limits of Obetz.- Track History :...
- Evergreen SpeedwayEvergreen SpeedwayEvergreen Speedway is an automobile racetrack located within the confines of the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, Washington. The stadium can accommodate up to 7500 spectators in the covered grandstand and an additional 7500 in the uncovered modular grandstands...
- Flat Rock SpeedwayFlat Rock SpeedwayFlat Rock Speedway is a racetrack located in Ash Township, Monroe County, Michigan, though the mailing address is Flat Rock, Michigan. It is owned by ARCA and is considered the sister track to Toledo Speedway...
see Figure 8 School bus racing - Indianapolis Speedrome
- Irwindale SpeedwayIrwindale SpeedwayToyota Speedway at Irwindale is a motorsports facility located in Irwindale, California, United States. It features banked, paved 1/2- and 1/3-mile oval tracks and a 1/8-mile drag strip. It opened on March 27, 1999, as Irwindale Speedway and held that name until Toyota purchased the naming rights...
- Little Valley SpeedwayLittle Valley SpeedwayThe Little Valley Speedway is a multi-purpose race track based in the village of Little Valley, New York, USA. The one-half-mile dirt track is situated in the western portion of the village and is part of the Cattaraugus County Fairgrounds facility.-Uses:...
- Manzanita SpeedwayManzanita SpeedwayThe Manzanita Speedway was a dirt track racing facility located in the suburban southwestern part of Phoenix, Arizona, USA. The facility had a 1/3 mile and 1/2 mile tracks. The track held USAC events up through the 2009 Sprint Car season opener...
- Riverhead RacewayRiverhead RacewayRiverhead Raceway is a quarter-mile oval race track with a Figure 8 course, located in Riverhead, New York. It is the only auto racing venue on Long Island since Westhampton Raceway closed down in 2003...
- Rockford SpeedwayRockford SpeedwayRockford Speedway is a 1/4 mile short track high banked asphalt oval. It is located in the city of Loves Park on Illinois Route 173 near Rockford. Rockford Speedway is the only racetrack running under NASCAR sanction in Illinois....
- Seekonk SpeedwaySeekonk SpeedwaySeekonk Speedway is a semi-banked 1/3 mile paved oval located on U.S. Route 6 in Seekonk, Massachusetts.The track holds the distinction of being the longest continually operated race track in the United States, under the guidance of the Venditti family since it opened on May 30, 1946...
- Slinger Super SpeedwaySlinger Super SpeedwayThe Slinger Speedway is a quarter mile paved oval automobile race track with a 33-degree bank located in Slinger, Wisconsin....
- Toledo SpeedwayToledo SpeedwayToledo Speedway is a racetrack located in Toledo, Ohio. It is owned jointly by Roy Mott and ARCA President Ron Drager. It is operated by ARCA and run as the sister track to Flat Rock Speedway in Flat Rock, Michigan.-Weekly program:...
- Wisconsin International RacewayWisconsin International RacewayThe Wisconsin International Raceway is a stockcar racing oval and drag strip in the Town of Buchanan, in Outagamie County, just outside Kaukauna, Wisconsin, USA.-Stockcar track:...
- Anderson SpeedwayAnderson SpeedwayAnderson Speedway is a quarter mile high-banked paved short track in Anderson, Indiana. Weekly racing includes several stock car divisions.The corners are banked at 17 degrees. The 2010 track record of 10.28 seconds in a winged sprint car was the world record for quarter-mile paved ovals until a...
Media
External links
- National Organization of Figure Eight Automobile Racing web site, accessed August 2006
- NEFigure8n.com, Nebraska Figure 8 Racing Association, accessed September 2011