Track racing

Track racing is a form of motorcycle racing where teams or individuals race opponents around an oval track. There are differing variants, with each variant racing on a different surface type.

The most common variant is Speedway which has many professional domestic and international competitions in a number of countries.

Administered internationally by the (FIM), the sport became popular in the 1920s and remains so today.

Track racing involves between 4 and 6 sometimes 8 competitors riding around an oval track in a counter-clockwise direction over a set amount of laps - usually 4 to 6 sometimes 8 - with points being awarded to all but the last finisher on a sliding scale.

These points are accumulated over a number of heats, with the winner being the team or individual who has scored the most overall.

The machines used are customised motorcycles, these have no brakes and are fuelled with methanol. Speedway also uses motorcycles with no gears or rear suspension. The use of methanol means the engines can run high compression ratios, resulting in more power and higher speeds (approx 80 mph or 130 km/h when cornering) although the skill of Track Racing lies in the overall ability of the rider to control his motorcycle when cornering and thus avoid losing places through deceleration.

This has resulted in powersliding or broadsiding being used as a technique in most variants of the sport to progress around the track.

Competitions take place on tracks which are defined by the FIM as being of the following:

Speedway racing takes place on a flat oval track usually consisting of dirt or loosely packed shale, competitors use this surface to slide their machines sideways into the bends using the rear wheel to scrub-off speed while still providing the drive to power the bike forward and around the bend.

FIM regulations state that the motorcycles used must have no brakes, run on methanol,petrol, use only one gear and weigh a minimum of 78 kg. Races consist of between 4 and 6 riders competing over 4 to 6 laps.

Originating in New South Wales, Australia in the 1920s, there are now both domestic and international competitions in a number of countries including the Speedway World Cup whilst the highest overall scoring individual in the Speedway Grand Prix events is pronounced the Speedway world champion.

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