# Racing Counterclockwise **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [August 21, 1999, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racing-counterclockwise/735 "1999-08-21T18:31:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racing-counterclockwise/735/41 "2000-02-12T05:33:00Z")
[[Jill’s link was a quote from my first post, and it got messed up in the UBB, I imagine.]] Sorry bout that. ---
**Author:** ![landtuna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ce73a5/32.png) [@landtuna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/landtuna)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racing-counterclockwise/735/42 "2000-02-12T15:12:00Z")
I got an idea of why races are run counterclockwise when I thought about the skating rink example in the original article. Since most humans are right-handed and pushing off with one’s right foot causes one to go left, skating counterclockwise is easier. You might make the same arguments for track races. Because the right leg is stronger, you give it the job which needs to do more work - turning left. To turn left, your right leg has to travel a longer distance than your left leg. — Jim ---
**Author:** ![lazza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9dc877/32.png) [@lazza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazza)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2000, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racing-counterclockwise/735/43 "2000-02-29T16:33:00Z")
I own and drive a race car (A- modified) class, thats a fully modified (6- cylinder). I race at the local speedway in Australia, Melbourne and we drive clockwise, allthough on the same track, the super- sedane (v8’s )cars drive anti-clockwise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racing-counterclockwise/735.md?page=2)