Banking

Banking is the angled or sloped design of a racetrack surface, where the track tilts upward from the inside edge toward the outside edge, particularly through corners.

Imagine driving around a corner on a regular flat road versus driving around a corner where the road is tilted like a bowl. That tilt is banking. Race engineers design tracks with this intentional slope to help cars go faster and safer through turns. The steeper the banking angle, the more dramatically the track surface rises from the inside to the outside of the corner.

When a race car enters a banked turn, the angled surface works with gravity to help push the vehicle down onto the track. This downward force gives the tires better grip on the racing surface. Without banking, cars would need to slow down much more through corners to avoid sliding off the track due to centrifugal force—the outward push you feel when turning.

Different racetracks feature varying degrees of banking depending on their design purpose and the type of racing they host. Oval tracks used in NASCAR and IndyCar racing typically have the most dramatic banking. For example, Talladega Superspeedway features corners banked at 33 degrees, while Daytona International Speedway has 31-degree banking. These steep angles allow stock cars to maintain speeds exceeding 180 miles per hour through the turns.

Road courses and street circuits generally have less banking than oval tracks, though some feature notably banked sections. The Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands, which hosts Formula 1 races, includes steeply banked corners that challenge drivers. The famous Karussell corner at Germany's Nürburgring is another iconic example where drivers dip down into a concrete-banked section of track.

The angle of banking must match the expected speeds on that section of track. If banking is too steep for slower speeds, cars might slide down toward the inside. If banking is too shallow for high speeds, cars risk losing control and sliding up toward the outside wall. Track designers use physics calculations to determine the optimal banking angle for each corner.

Banked corners create unique challenges for racing teams. Engineers must adjust vehicle setup, including suspension settings and tire pressures, to handle the specific banking angles at each track. Drivers also adapt their racing lines and techniques when navigating banked turns compared to flat corners.

While banking generally improves safety by allowing better grip and control, extremely steep banking combined with very high speeds can increase accident severity if something goes wrong. Historical tracks like the AVUS in Berlin featured a dangerous 43-degree banking that contributed to serious accidents before the track was modified.