Oval racing is counter-clockwise to offer more protection and crumple the RH side and not the driver's side when hitting the wall..
I learned this the hard way 25 yrs ago racing a LH drive dune-buggy on a clockwise track...caught a trackside tree, snapped my Left Femur, spent 3 months in Hospital traction plus the next year in casts and learning to walk again.
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~ Pete