Comparison With Road Racing
Oval track racing requires different tactics than road racing. While the driver doesn't have to shift gears as frequently or brake as heavily as in road racing, drivers are still challenged by negotiating the track. Each type of racing places physical demands on the driver. A driver in an IndyCar race at Richmond International Raceway may be subject to as many lateral g-forces as a Formula One driver at Istanbul Park.
Weather also plays a different role in each discipline. Road racing offers a variety of fast and slow corners that allow the use of rain tires. Paved ovals cannot support rain tires because the turns are all very fast and the soft rubber compound used in the tread would not survive long against the forces inflicted upon it. Dirt ovals will sometimes support a light rain. Some tracks (Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA) have "rain or shine" rules requiring races to be run in rain.
Safety has also been a point of difference between the two. While a road course usually has abundant run-off areas, gravel traps, and tire barriers, ovals usually have a concrete retaining wall separating the track from the fans. Innovations have been made to change this, however. The SAFER barrier was created to provide a less dangerous alternative to a traditional concrete wall. The barrier can be retrofit onto an existing wall or may take the place of a concrete wall completely.
Read more about this topic: Oval Track Racing
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