page_title: Oval track racing
section_title: Unique shapes
hierarchical_section_title: Oval track racing / Track classification (shape) / Unique shapes
caption_attribution_description: English: This is a basic map showing the track and pitlane of Nazareth Speedway prior to its closure in 2004.
context_page_description: Oval track racing is a form of closed-circuit motorsport that is contested on an oval-shaped race track. An oval track differs from a road course in that the layout resembles an oval with turns in only one direction, and the direction of traffic is almost universally counter-clockwise. Oval tracks are dedicated motorsport circuits, used predominantly in the United States. They often have banked turns and some, despite the name, are not precisely oval, and the shape of the track can vary.
  Major forms of oval track racing include stock car racing, open-wheel racing, sprint car racing, modified car racing, midget car racing and dirt track motorcycles.
  Oval track racing is the predominant form of auto racing in the United States. According to the 2013 National Speedway Directory, the total number of oval tracks, drag strips and road courses in the United States is 1,262, with 901 of those being oval tracks and 683 of those being dirt tracks. Among the most famous oval tracks in North America are the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.
context_section_description: There are a lot of oval tracks, which neither have a classical geometric shape nor still represent a modern tri-oval in the strict sense.  While these courses still technically fall under the category of ovals, their unique shape, flat corners, hard braking zones, or increased difficulty, often produces driving characteristics similar to those of a road course.
caption: Nazareth Speedway
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