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Sprint cars are open-wheel race cars, designed primarily for the purpose of running on short oval, circular dirt or paved tracks. Historically known simply as "big cars," distinguishing them from "midget cars," sprint car racing is popular primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
Dirt track racing is a form of motorsport held on clay or dirt surfaced banked oval racetracks. Dirt track racing started in the United States before World War I and became widespread during the 1920s and 1930s using both automobiles and motorcycles, spreading throughout Japan and often running on horse racing tracks.
Sprint Cars are powered by a naturally-aspirated, methanol-injected overhead valve V-8 engines; with a displacement of 410 cubic inches (6.7L) and capable of engine speeds approaching 9000 rpm. [3] A lower-budget and very popular class of sprint cars uses 360-cubic-inch (5.9L) engines that produce approximately 700 horsepower (520 kW).
The "Offy" engine was derived from this Miller marine engine An Offenhauser sprint "midget" racer. The Offenhauser engine, familiarly known as the "Offy", was an overhead cam monoblock 4-stroke internal combustion engine developed by Fred Offenhauser and Harry Arminius Miller. [4] Originally, it was sold as a marine engine.
The class most resembling the North American form of stock car racing are known as Saloon cars. Super Saloons are similar to dirt late models with the main differences being the bodies closer resemble production cars, use iron engines up to 7.1 litres (434 cu in) with no rear offset and run much larger sprint car tyres on the rear.
Dirt track racing is the single most common form of auto racing in the United States. According to the National Speedway Directory there are over 700 dirt oval tracks in operation in the United States. [citation needed] The composition of the dirt on tracks has an effect on the amount of grip available. On many tracks people will find clay is ...
The engine and drivetrain components are mounted in a specially-fabricated area placed outside the left side frame rails. The engine is thus a stressed member of the chassis. This allows weight distribution to favor the left side (often by as much as 70%) and thereby aid cornering around the left-hand turns of an oval track.
Crosskart (also cross car, sprint car, kart cross or off-road kart) is a type of kart racing that takes place on autocross, rallycross, dirt oval or ice racing tracks instead of on paved tracks. Competitions take place in classes that are based on cylinder volume (85 cc, 125 cc, 250 cc, or 650 cc).