# Origin and Reason for Racing Stripes **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 4, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627 "2007-01-04T01:58:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/1 "2007-01-04T01:58:43Z")
I got to wondering why people started puting racing stripes on race cars. I understand that the practice goes back decades. Was it to increase visibility (of the car to other drivers), simple styling, or some other reason. FML ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/2 "2007-01-04T02:15:08Z")
I can’t tell you all that stuff, but I can tell you what they meant on the early Cobras. All the cars in the team were the same color, but the stripes signified the nationality of the driver. Green=Britain Red=Italy Blue=USA I don’t remember the rest of the color chart. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/3 "2007-01-04T03:38:19Z")
Going back to the fifties, a racing stripe allowed the driver to have an “aiming” point for his turn, and gave him a quick reference exactly where the center of his hood was. You also have to remember that back then tires were skinny, wings were something that was on an airplane (on a treadmill) and the fastest way around a corner was a drift. [Classic racing stripe](http://www.britishcarlinks.com/Lotus%207.jpg) Having the stripe just made it a little easier for the driver to judge his cornering and drift. At first they were just one stripe down the center, then one wide stripe with a narrow on each side. Then they were offset to one side or the other. Then it morphed into some [stupid shit like this](http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-stuv/Triumph-TR250-red-fa-lr.jpg) (FTR I like TR5/TR250s, but that stripe placement is stoopid) ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/4 "2007-01-04T03:44:55Z")
You mean the stripes _don’t_ make the car go faster? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/5 "2007-01-04T03:47:05Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] Then it morphed into some [stupid shit like this](http://www.seriouswheels.com/pics-stuv/Triumph-TR250-red-fa-lr.jpg) (FTR I like TR5/TR250s, but that stripe placement is stoopid) [/QUOTE] I dunno, **Rick**. I don’t find the TR-250 stripes particularly _stoopid_. They’re not really offensive or anything. I did find them odd the first time I saw them though. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/6 "2007-01-04T05:15:08Z")
_Racing Stripes_ was a bad movie about an indestructible cheerleader riding a zebra. …either that or it made for easy long-distance identification of race cars. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/7 "2007-01-04T05:18:46Z")
For those interested, [here’s](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_auto_racing_colors) a nifty list of internation race car colors. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/8 "2007-01-04T06:26:47Z")
When I hit submit, I somehow knew you would post about my post. 🙂 Different strokes and all that. I think the stripes need to go lengthwise. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/9 "2007-01-04T13:25:59Z")
[QUOTE=Rick] When I hit submit, I somehow knew you would post about my post. 🙂 Different strokes and all that. I think the stripes need to go lengthwise. [/QUOTE] Me, post to a car thread? Gwan! I know what you’re saying about the stripes, though. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/10 "2007-01-04T15:13:32Z")
[QUOTE=sturmhauke] You mean the stripes _don’t_ make the car go faster? :eek: [/QUOTE] Only if they’re red, and you’re an ork… ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/11 "2007-01-04T15:28:30Z")
[QUOTE=Ludovic] Only if they’re red, and you’re an ork… [/QUOTE] I suspected you were Horde, dude. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/12 "2007-01-04T16:50:22Z")
In earlier times, not only were the car bodies a certain color (often a “national” color reflecting the country), but many countries painted the then-visible chassis a different color. As chassis became concealed, the chassis color was portrayed by the stripe(s). Cite [here.](http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=806920) ---
**Author:** ![mittu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@mittu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mittu)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/13 "2007-01-04T16:59:25Z")
[Everything2.com](http://Everything2.com) offers this: > [@](#): > > On a more interesting note, I’ve heard an interesting story as to the origin of racing stripes, I cannot confirm nor deny this story, as I was unable to find any references to it. Evidently racing stripes entered usage in the early 20th century, as the first generation of race car drivers began to face competition from signifigantly younger drivers. The older drivers, who had more influence in the various leagues, had rules put in place that made new drivers apply a stripe to their cars, so as to mark their lack of experience. If a new driver were to prove themselves competent over time, they would be allowed to remove the stripe. Anyone who had a stripe was subject to extra ridicule and criticism. As I mentioned earlier, I have no idea if this is true or not, but it is a cute little story. The person who related it to me used it as a way to bash people with go-faster stripes on their cars, stating that the people who put such stripes on were emulating the “bad drivers”, and that they were a sign of cluelessness. I would have thought that if anything it would be the other way around with veterans “earning their stripes”. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/14 "2007-01-04T17:18:55Z")
[QUOTE=mittu] I would have thought that if anything it would be the other way around with veterans “earning their stripes”. [/QUOTE] Yeah, IF there were any indication that the stripes related to the DRIVERS. Since they relate to the COUNTRIES, I think it’s safe to relegate this explanation to the “wishful thinking” (= horsecrap) bin. ---
**Author:** ![Madd\_Maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Madd\_Maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Madd_Maxx)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/15 "2007-01-04T17:33:32Z")
Actually NASCAR does exactly what **mittu** is saying, in a way. The rookies all have a flourescent stripe on the front and rear bumpers of their vehicles to let the other drivers know they are rookies. [Link](http://nascar.about.com/library/glossary/bldef-rookiestripe.htm) ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/16 "2007-01-04T17:49:56Z")
A snail went into a body shop and asked them to paint a racing stripe the length of his shell. He also wanted a big letter “S” right in the middle of the stripe. The manager agreed to do it, but asked, “Why in the world do you want a paint job like this?” The snail replied, "So everybody who sees me will say, “Wow, look at that S-car go!’” ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/17 "2007-01-04T18:18:24Z")
At the _Indianapolis 500_, drivers who have never raced there must take a “rookie test,” and until they pass it, the car wears a **“rookie stripe”** on the back to warn other drivers in practice that they’re following somebody of limited experience. It becomes silly sometimes, when a driver with plenty of experience in some other kind of top-level racing comes to Indy and has to take the rookie test. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/18 "2007-01-04T18:32:48Z")
[QUOTE=mittu] [Everything2.com](http://Everything2.com) offers this: I would have thought that if anything it would be the other way around with veterans “earning their stripes”. [/QUOTE] Maybe the stripes belong to the more experienced drivers who put it in the rookie’s car and once he is deemed competent he “earns his stripes” and they become his and he is free to take them off (and store them to put them on some other newb’s car) ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/19 "2007-01-04T18:52:40Z")
[QUOTE=Madd Maxx] Actually NASCAR does exactly what **mittu** is saying, in a way. The rookies all have a flourescent stripe on the front and rear bumpers of their vehicles to let the other drivers know they are rookies. [Link](http://nascar.about.com/library/glossary/bldef-rookiestripe.htm) [/QUOTE] In addition, someone who may no longer be considered a “series rookie” may still be required to place the stripe on his (or her) car on tracks which they have not previously run in that series. [Jayski Says: Rookie Stripes: rookies will be noted on the car they drive by a yellow stripe on the rear bumper of the car.](http://www.jayski.com/stats/2005/roty2005.htm) ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-and-reason-for-racing-stripes/386627/20 "2007-01-05T01:07:24Z")
I thought “earning his stripes” was a military expression, the stripes signifying rank.