US2146631A - Race track - Google Patents

Description

Feb.7,1939. A.'C..KI SH 2,146,631

RACE TRACK Filed June 16, 1937 INVENTOR ARNOLD c. KISH BY HIS ATTORNEYS {UNITED STATE Patented Feb. 7, 1939 RACE TRACK Arnold o. Kish, Erie, Pa. Application June 16, 1937, Serial No. 148,615

' 6 Claims.

This invention relates to a racetrack and a method-of racing thereon. More particularly it relates to track for racing automobiles, but the invention is not limited in its application to automobile racing. The invention also relates to a method of use of such track to provide a maximum degree of interest for the spectators.

Heretofore racetracks for automobile racing, horse racing and other types of racing for entertainment have usually been constructed in the form of an oval with straight parallel runways joined at their ends by curved runways, The length of these tracks have been varied to suit the requirements of use. For example, tracks for racing midget automobiles are customarily of much shorter length than those for larger cars. Another reason for shortening the length of the track has been to provide an additional amount of action and thrill to hold the spectators interest ln the race. However, these oval tracks have all been subject to the difliculty that once the race is started and the racers have come through the first turn they fall into order and almost invariably continue in that same order for the entire race, unless a car should develop a mechanical fault or the driver should make a mistake in judging the distanceso as to cause'him to lose his place or run off the track. Due to perfection of the present-day automobiles and the proficiency of the drivers, it has been very difficult for a driver when once he has fallen into a place among the racing cars to better his position in an attempt to win the race.

It is an object of my invention to provide a new racetrack and method of racing which will provide maximum interest for the spectators and give opportunity for exercise of the maximum amount of skill of the drivers. Another object of my invention is to provide a racecourse which will overcome the tendency of the racing drivers to become bunched together in such a manner that the driver who is placed at a disadvantage at the outset is unable, except with great difflculty, to overcome that disadvantage during the course of the race. Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing the single figure illustrates diagrammatically a racetrack constructed according to the principles of my invention.

According to my invention I provide aracetrack of novel construction which in general has the appearance of two of the heretofore known common oval tracks superposed upon one another in offset relation. My track consists of parallel straight courses 3 and which are joined at one 'end by separate curved courses i and i and'are joined at the other end by similar curved courses 6 and 8. The cars in races as heretofore run customarily have started in pairs, one pair being in back of another. According to my new method of racing upon my novel track, the race will start at some point such as 2 on the straightaway 3 and the first pair of cars will go around the outer curve i and come down the opposite straight-away 5 and around the inner curve 6 at the opposite end of the track. The second pair of cars, starting at the starting point 2, will go up the straight-away 3 and around the inner curve I and down the opposite straightaway 5 and around the outer curve 8 at the other end of the track.

A racer following the first course, that is, taking the outer curve 4 and the inner curve '6, will Want to be on the inside of the straightaway 5 in order to make the turn into the curve 6 and will want to be in'the middle or near the outside of the straight-away 3 in order not to be interfered with as he goes into the curve 4. Correspondingly, the racer taking the inner curve I and the outer curve 8 will wish to be on the inside of the straight-away 3 in order to enter the curve 1 and he will want to be on the outside of the straight-away 5 in order to go into the curve 8 without hindrance. Thus, at the points I0 and. [2 of the track, the drivers taking the outer curve 4 and the inner curve 6 will cross the paths of the drivers taking the inner curve I and outer curve 8, these points being at the intersection of the curves 4 and 1 and 6 and 8.

The necessity of crossing the path of another racer adds to the interest of the race to the spectators and gives opportunity to the driver for exercise of skill in manoeuvring each time he 40 comes to the point in the track where he must cross the course of the other racer. Of course, it is not essential that a racer cross the course of another racer at the'points Ill and I2. These points have-beenchosen for illustrative purposes 45 and not as limiting the invention.

One advantage of my new form of racetrack and method of racing is that it tends to eliminate bunching of the cars with them all crowded together at the same turn with each driver striving 5 for the best position. Also, when the drivers have completed their first turn no matter which course they follow they will not all be in one group but will come out of the turns in two groups, thus increasing the spectators interest and excitement 5 as to who is going to be first to come out of the curve into the straight-away. Furthermore, the drivers, instead of following each other, must cross each others paths in order to stay in their proper courses and they will come together and separate at the intersections of the curved portions of the track. Thus, they must separate twice and join twice and cross one anothers paths twice in each lap. The race may continue for as many laps as desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a novel track and method ofracing thereon which does away with the drawbacks of the oval tracks as commonly constructed and gives wide opportunity for exercise of skill of the drivers, while at the same time providing greater amount of action and spectator interest than in the oval tracks heretofore used.

It will be obvious that my invention could be practiced on a track having more than two curved routes connecting the straight-aways at each end and that succeeding cars could be required to take difierent routes at each end so long as the courses followed by each car remained equal in length and in difiiculty to travel. In practice it is desirable that the straight-aways be parallel but they need not necessarily be exactly straight nor parallel to practise the invention.

Other modifications within the scope of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore I do not limit the invention to the exact details of the track and method disclosed, but I claima 1. A racing track comprising two equal substantially oval courses having coincident straight portions and separate spaced curved end portions at each end.

2. A racing track comprising two equal substantially oval courses having parallel straight portions coinciding throughout part of their extent and having identical curved end portions spaced apart.

3. A racing track comprising identical courses including straight portions and curved portions, the corresponding straight portions of the courses being coincident during at least a portion of their extent, and the corresponding curved portions being spaced apart.

l. A racing track comprising a plurality of similar courses each comprising straight portions joined at their ends to separate curved portions, the corresponding straight portions of the courses being coincident for at least a portion of their extent, and the corresponding curved portions being spaced apart at each end.

5. A race track comprising a plurality of courses of equal length and equal difficulty to follow, said courses having coincident portions and separate portions necessitating drivers following one course to cross another course at least two times before completing either of said courses.

6. A race track comprising straight portions joined together at their ends by spaced curved portions forming at least two courses of equal.

length, necessitating drivers following one course to cross another course at least two times before completing either of said courses.

ARNOLD C. KISH.

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