- #GET INTO STOCK CAR RACING DRIVERS#
- #GET INTO STOCK CAR RACING DRIVER#
- #GET INTO STOCK CAR RACING FULL#
Most quarter midgets can reach speeds of anywhere between 30 to 45 mph and this is considered safe due to the limited size of the tracks they compete on.
#GET INTO STOCK CAR RACING DRIVERS#
Drivers are usually restricted to the ages of 5 to 16 years old and there are upwards of 4,000 quarter midget racers in the United States.
![get into stock car racing get into stock car racing](https://img.dtcn.com/image/themanual/bahrain-international-circuit-fia-500x500.jpg)
#GET INTO STOCK CAR RACING FULL#
A quarter midget is ¼ the size of a full midget sprint car. Quarter Midgets are a popular class of entry level racing and the next step up from racing karts.
![get into stock car racing get into stock car racing](https://www.dragzine.com/files/2010/11/dragway.jpg)
Positions for the 20 lap feature event are determined by qualifying times. Karts equipped with transponders are sent out onto the track in groups of 5 or less to try to achieve the fastest lap time. The other popular format is time qualifying. Finishing positions in the two heat races are used to calculate the starting position in the feature race. Some tracks use a racing format of two 10 lap heats followed by a 20 lap final. One of two types of qualifying and race formats can be used. During a typical Saturday night racing program the karts are usually the first class on the track and the races tend to be very short, anything ranging from 4 laps for a trophy dash to 20 laps for a feature event. Drivers can start racing karts as young as 7 or 8, however there are different classes divided between different age groups. Karts are usually the entry level class at most tracks and people looking to get into the sport find this an economical way to test the waters before committing serious money on a true race car. Most karts are open and have no roll cage, but on many dirt tracks a cage is required due to the higher speeds being reached and the increased chance of a rollover or flip usually caused by close contact racing. Racing karts are single seat vehicles that can reach speeds up to 160 mph but the typical dirt track kart usually reaches speeds ranging from 30 to 50 mph. We will explain what each type and most common types of open wheel dirt track race cars are and where you can see them race.Ī go-kart is a small tubular frame open wheel vehicle that typically uses small 2-stroke or 4-stroke gasoline powered engines. While on West Coast you will find the highest concentration of non-wing sprint cars which always put on death-defying if not sometimes dangerous shows. In the Northeast, modifieds are king with the big block Super DIRT Modifieds always being crowd favorites. In contrast throughout the Midwest and oddly enough Pennsylvania sprint cars are the most popular form of dirt track racing although you will find a few stock cars here or there. You will be hard pressed to find any tracks there running sprint cars on a weekly basis. For example, in the South and Southeast stock cars dominate the scene.
![get into stock car racing get into stock car racing](https://cdn.hiconsumption.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/The-15-Best-Race-Car-Drivers-Of-All-Time-00-Hero.jpg)
Although dirt tracks are sprinkled throughout the United States and Canada the types of cars competing will vary from place to place. First and foremost one must understand that dirt track racing is a very regionalized sport and the types of cars, classes, and race procedures differ from region to region and track to track. How do you make sense of it all? Like what is that funny-looking car with the big wings on it, or is that really a go-kart zipping around the track, and what is that behemoth rumbling around the track shaking the grandstands as it speeds by?Īs any fan will tell you it all begins to make sense after you attend a few races and get to know what the different classes or divisions are and what types of cars compete in each. Walking into the gates of your local dirt track for the first time can be both exciting and a bit overwhelming with the plethora of different cars in the garage area and on the track. As opposed to off road racing an open wheel race car races on dedicated purpose built road courses or temporary street circuits, however these types of races and tracks are beyond the scope of this discussion and we will be focusing on dirt track oval racing from here on out. Both types of cars are rear wheel drive and depending on class rules many types are allowed to have wings at the front and rear of the vehicle, as well as a very low and virtually flat undertray that helps achieve additional aerodynamic downforce pushing the car onto the racing surface.
#GET INTO STOCK CAR RACING DRIVER#
In modern open wheel racecars the engine is typically located directly behind the driver such as in Indy Car and Formula One racing however modifieds and sprint cars retain the standard set up where the engine is in front of the driver. The exception to this being modified stock cars which the drivers head and body is contained in the car similar to that of a conventional passenger car. The standard open wheel race car is simple in basic design with a small cockpit sufficient only to enclose the driver's body, with the head exposed to the air.