Daytona Raceway track map.
Race tracks come in multiple varieties, each of which provides a different challenge. The main types of race tracks are:
- Road track venues resemble actual roads that might be found during normal driving. Their features may include hills, long straights, tight curves, large, sweeping curves, and other features. It should be noted that these venues have nothing to do with actual driving on the street even though the name may imply otherwise. When there are race cars in track, the conditions are strictly controlled with corner workers, an emergency vehicle on standby, and have a wide variety of safety features built into the track itself.
- Street circuit venues, in contrast to road tracks, are actually run on real streets. However, it should be noted that during the race weekend of a street circuit, the entire area is cordoned off, safety features are temporarily installed, and the circuit is treated as a road track. You will never see street cars on the street where an actual street circuit race is occurring.
- Roval is a term associated with a combination road track and oval track. Most large oval tracks have a large interior space where a separate, small road track is incorporated and connected to the oval on specific race weekends. The race track consists of a portion of the oval track and will then proceed on the inner road track and eventually will re-join the oval track.
- Oval race tracks are what NASCAR fans typically think of as race tracks. These are drastically different from road or street tracks in that the track is in the form of an oval and cars always turn in the same direction.
