Why are track and field events moving counter clockwise?
Track Direction Most races (be it humans, machines or animals) on a circular or oval track run in a counterclockwise direction. The exceptions being the Australian version of NASCAR (AUSCAR) and some European horse tracks. The reason for the counter clockwise direction for some sport like NASCAR is fairly obvious. Since the driver is on the left side of the car (in this country at least) driving counterclockwise provides a lot of physical advantages: drivers are shielded from the wall on banked turns, they have better visibility on the left side of the car where most people pass and the position of the driver is conducive to the effect of centrifical force. Since the boys from down under have the steering wheel on the right side of the car it only makes sense that they would drive clockwise. Life, liberty and the pursuit of win, place and show In the case of American horse racing the reason has less to do with physics and much more to do with politics. In 1780, the first circular US ra
