Figure-8 racing is a form of motorsports that dates back to the end of World War II.
It continues to be a fan favorite, particularly for those looking for edge-of-your-seat action and hoping to see spectacular crashes. Although Figure-8 racing lost popularity for a short time, it‘s slowly coming back — bigger and better.
This form of auto racing is usually contested on tracks three-eighths-mile in length or shorter. Cars intersect each other while racing through an “X” or “crossover” carved out in the middle of a dirt or asphalt oval.
Lap after lap, the cars come inches from crashing into each other and occasionally, they do crash.
The drivers who compete in this style of racing take it seriously. They view it as racing, not a demolition derby, as many older promoters have tried to label it over the years.
To be successful, it takes a special kind of driver who is fearless and possesses excellent timing.
Late model Figure-8 driver Mike Riddle Jr. is a second-generation racer from Greenwood, Ind. The former National Crown champion who competes at the Indianapolis Speedrome explained how important timing is when attempting to safely navigate the crossover.
“You start looking at the crossover when you’re in the center of the turn,” Riddle noted. “You know what your speed is and the speed of cars around you that you’re racing with. If you’re meeting a guy in the crossover and you know you’re faster than him, you gotta put down a good lap in the turn. Hopefully, he has a little bobble in the turn at the other end. There is no right of way rule, but racing etiquette usually is given to the leader.”
Riddle agrees one must have nerves of steel to be a successful Figure-8 driver.
“You don’t think about getting hit at the crossover while you’re racing, but when it’s over you think what just happened? It takes a special kind of driver. I guarantee you half these guys in NASCAR right now couldn’t run Figure-8,” Riddle said.
Historians claim the first Figure-8 race occurred in 1947. It is believed to have taken place at the fifth-mile Indianapolis Speedrome. Historians also believe this concept was introduced a few years earlier with a bridge where cars would race above the crossover.
But the Speedrome Figure-8 race was the first where cars came in close quarters with each other without a bridge in place.
The Figure-8 boom occurred in the early 1960s. Figure-8 tracks began popping up all over the country. Cars were inexpensive to build and fans were coming out in record numbers to watch these events with hopes of witnessing a crash.
In 1962, Islip Speedway on New York’s Long Island, added a Figure-8 class that became an instant hit. Track promoter Larry Mendelsohn wanted to create a true national event that attract competitors from across the country and annually crown a national Figure-8 champion.
The first World Figure-8 Championship occurred at Islip Speedway in 1964. Any Figure-8 track champions from the previous season were guaranteed a starting spot in the event. In addition, Mendelsohn convinced ABC-TV to televise the event on its popular series “Wide World of Sports.” The race was an instant sensation and annually drew hundreds of cars.
Drivers from several states, including New York, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Florida and Maryland, were crowned national champions during the Islip years. The event remained the premier Figure-8 event in the country until the track closed after the 1984 season.
Figure-8 racing began to lose its appeal with fans during the late 1970s. Car counts began dwindling and many tracks removed the class from their schedules. Drivers no longer had the same interests as their fathers had two decades earlier. In addition, the cars were becoming faster and more expensive.
By the early 1980s, a handful of tracks that were still running Figure-8 events experimented with opening up the rules. They let teams run late models, use wider tires, taller spoilers and even wings. The new concept appeared to revive the sport in a lot of ways. It provided the same thrill of a possible collision, but now using a much faster and more expensive machine.
During this time, the Indianapolis Speedrome embraced the concept and saw car counts and interest in Figure-8 racing increase. The speedway also became the new home of the World Figure-8 Championship. Each September late model Figure-8 teams from around the country migrate to Indianapolis to battle it out in a three-hour endurance race.
World championship bragging rights and a $20,000 winner’s payday are annually on the line.
Figure-8 racing still exists in select areas of the country. Stock and front-wheel-drive cars are used, but the late model Figure-8 is the most popular class right now.
Figure-8 racing, particularly late models, can be found in the Northwest, Southern California, Florida, Midwest and Long Island. The late model Figure-8 cars usually employ a wing package of some sort. The wider tires create breathtaking speeds and near missies at the crossover become a lot faster, making the class popular with the fans. There are several $10,000-to-win races annually across the country.
In 2009, a handful of traveling late model Figure-8 series began emerging in the Midwest over the next decade. The International Outlaw Figure-8 Series, Winged Outlaw Figure-8 Series and World Figure-8 Tour began barnstorming the Midwest and Florida.
This public relations move created new awareness and eventually led to a larger fan base. Circle Track Magazine featured the division twice on the cover of its magazine during this time as interest in Figure-8 racing was at an all-time high.
The Indianapolis Speedrome has benefited greatly from the renewed interest in Figure-8 racing during recent years. The track features the division weekly and a good number of the teams are based in the Indianapolis area. The speedway also hosts numerous high-paying events with a packed house each week.
One of the challenges of the division might be the pipeline of future talent. Stock and compact Figure-8 racing isn’t particularly strong throughout the country. To combat this issue, the Indianapolis Speedrome is debuting a mini late model Figure-8 class this season. It is hoped this new class will serve as a feeder system for late model Figure-8 racing.
“There just hasn’t been an entry-level Figure-8 class to feed into the late model Figure-8s,” explained Speedrome general manager Jonathan Byrd II. “The front-wheel-drive Figure-8 never really took off. It has been Speedrome owner Kevin Garrigus’ dream to figure out how to do that. We developed this car from scratch. It was fabricated at our Third Turn performance division here at the track. It seems to have had some early success. We’ve already sold 20 or so cars. It’s been a nice start off. These cars will race on the oval and the Figure-8.
“It’s very similar to a Legend Car as far as scale. It’s a decent size race car,” Byrd continued. “We have fabricated a lot of the parts. If you happen to have a Legend Car, you could maybe transfer some of these pieces over, if you took one of our chassis. A suspension piece here, or a suspension piece there. But this is a straight-up fabricated race car.
“They’re going to have serial numbers on them and they are our race cars,” Byrd added. “They’re probably gonna have a 120cc Yamaha motorcycle engine in it. This is just something to give guys a feel of a real race car and experience the Figure-8. Once they feel comfortable doing it, they will be able to move up in a couple of seasons.”
The Speedrome’s efforts will help ensure that Figure-8 racing is alive and well for future generations to enjoy.