Thread by @mama_gforce

New to #IndyCar ovals and want to try watching them?

I've got you covered with an oval racing beginner's guide. Let's bust some myths and get you excited to watch cars go around in circles! 😉

First of all, let's talk about WHY #IndyCar races on ovals.

It's simple really: ovals are where IndyCar got its start over a century ago. Racing on ovals connects modern IndyCar to its history, and it separates it from other major open-wheel racing series. Plus it is FUN!

Many drivers who were initially skeptical about oval racing come around to become advocates once they learn just how complex and advanced the racing is.

It's not what it seems from the outside! Oval racing isn't right for everyone—but it might be right for you.

Let's bust some myths about #IndyCar oval racing!

First up the myth that oval racing is just turning left—completely false!

Oval racing is incredibly complex. We don't have space to cover it all, but let's cover a few things you may not have known about oval racing.

First up: the driver isn't just sitting in the cockpit daydreaming while they slightly turn the wheel every few seconds.

A driver has tools that they *actively* use every lap (and sometimes every corner) to physically adjust the setup of the car.

It's hard to put into words just how complex the engineering and setup is for these cars. We're talking TRILLIONS of possible setup combinations for an IndyCar on an oval race weekend.

Miss one setting by a fraction of an inch, and you're running at the back of the pack.

Aerodynamics is always important in #IndyCar, but nowhere more important than in oval racing. There is SO much to cover in this area, but we'll just start you off with two concepts you need to understand: clean air and dirty air.

Let's bust the myth that oval racing is BORING. In fact, once you are educated and know what to look for, oval racing can be some of the most exciting events on the calendar!

One of the most beautiful aspects of oval racing is the unpredictability—it's not unusual for an oval winner to come from the back of the field or even a lap down. Anything can happen!

Part of oval racing's unpredictability comes from how sensitive ovals are to both weather and track conditions. A driver can have a great car on Saturday and a terrible car on Sunday—just due to weather changes.

The next myth we are destroying: if you've seen one oval, you've seen them all, right?

NOPE. All ovals are *drastically* different.

Lumping all the ovals together under one category is like comparing apples to tennis balls—they are the same general shape, but the similarities stop there.

Let's compare just two ovals on the schedule: the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Iowa Speedway.

There are really three types of ovals you'll see on the #IndyCar schedule, and they all race drastically differently—the cars even use entirely different rear wings depending on the category!

Let's bust our final myth: oval racing is WAY too dangerous, right?

Well, the truth is, no racing is safe, but oval racing is actually safer than ever!

Driver safety starts with the driver themselves and what they wear. The first layer of protection (and information) is on their bodies.

The #IndyCar Safety and Medical Teams are widely thought to be the best in all of motorsports—and for good reason. IndyCar has one of the few traveling, full-time, dedicated safety teams in all of racing.

The DW12 #IndyCar features over a decade of safety advancements and improvements that help make it the safest IndyCar that has ever run.

The SAFER barrier was designed in part by the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and was first installed on IndyCar tracks starting in 2002. It reduces the impact of a crash from 30-80%.

A huge aspect of safety on oval tracks are team spotters. These team members have a bird's eye view of the action and act as a second set of eyes for the drivers on the ground.

Now that we've busted some oval myths, let's cover a few competition items you'll need to know before you watch oval racing. First of all, let's learn about how #IndyCar oval qualifying works.

Now let's talk oval tires—historically and at most oval races this season, there will only be one type of tire on the ovals. But #IndyCar is testing a new alternate tire compound at Gateway this year.

Yellow flags in #IndyCar oval racing are different from road and street racing in that EVERY yellow flag on an oval is a full-course caution with a safety car.

Blue flag rules are also different for ovals! The important thing to remember about blue flags on ovals: they are simply a notification. A driver is not required to pull over to let faster cars through.

We just scratched the surface of all that goes into oval racing, but, I hope this guide helped you understand a bit more about how complex, interesting, and exciting it can be!

As always, if you have any questions, drop them below. Happy to help get you answers!

Reminder: I'm just a fan putting out info about a sport I love. Errors are pretty much guaranteed. Please be gentle and kind when suggesting revisions.

Huge thank you to @ryan_caminiti and @texanhombre for being my proofreaders and fact-checkers. Bless my racing friends. ❤️