Short Track

Short Track
In North American auto racing, particularly with regard to NASCAR, a short track is a racetrack of less than one mile (1.6km) in length. Short track racing, often associated with fairgrounds and similar venues, is where stock car racing first got off of the back roads and into organized and regulated competition. Many traditional fans and purists still see short track racing as the "real" NASCAR, because the lower speeds make "paint swapping", where the bodies of the cars actually rub against one another, practical without a very high likelihood of serious accidents. In fact, NASCAR sanctions such "club" racing, offering the Whelen Weekly Series as a national championship for the drivers. In some cases a NEXTEL Cup star or two will race in a weekly short-track event held usually on a short track near that week's race, or in a midweek special, such as the Slinger Nationals at Wisconsin's Slinger Super Speedway, a quarter-mile track (but is not NASCAR-sanctioned).

In recent years, there has been a gradual push away from short track venues for Nextel Cup (the highest level of NASCAR) in favor of longer tracks. This is due to larger venues having accommodations for more fans (although the short track in Bristol, Tennessee, Bristol Motor Speedway, now has over 160,000 seats) and higher speeds.

External Links
http://www.speedwaysonline.com/

Dirt Track
Dirt track racing is a type of auto racing performed on oval tracks. It began in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 30s. Two different types of racecars predominated—open wheel racers in the Northeast and West and stock cars in the South. The open wheel racers were built for racing, and the stock cars were ordinary automobiles modified to varying degrees. Dirt track racing is the single most common form of auto racing in the United States. There are hundreds of local and regional racetracks throughout the nation: some estimates range as high as 1500. The sport is popular in Australia and Canada also. Many of the cars may also race on asphalt short tracks during the racing season.

External Links
http://www.dirtmotorsports.com/
http://www.dirtmotorsports.com/sprint/index.php/
http://www.dirttrackrealitytv.com/
http://www.umpracing.com/
http://www.imca.com/
http://www.midsouthracing.com/marsindex.htm
http://www.worldkarting.com/series/dirt/dirtmain.html
http://www.acu.org.uk/info/disciplines/trackracing.aspx