The Straight Dope is a great resource for this type of question. From Cecil Adams' archives circa 1990:
http://www.straightdope.com/
With regard to car racing in the U.S. he mentions:
"Oval tracks for stock-car racing are common in the U.S.; they're counterclockwise because in stock cars the driver is on the left and if he loses control and crashes into a wall the right side will absorb most of the impact."
Kevin Moran
Bloomington, Indiana
USA