Hi List,
In auto racing, the race tracks of countries with left-hand drive cars are predominantly counter-clockwise. On a counter-clockwise track there are more left hand turns than right hand turns (you have to turn left 360 degrees to come back to the same point). Turning left in a left hand drive car allows the driver to see the inside of the turn better and be more precise in placing the car in the most advantageous spot such as the apex of the turn. When the car is traveling around a turn at high speeds, the load is shifted to the outside of the turn. With a left hand drive car making a left turn the load is shifted to the right of the car and is countered somewhat by the weight of the driver helping with the balance of the car. All things being equal a left hand drive car would have a slight advantage over a right hand drive car on a counter clockwise track. The opposite would be true for countries with right hand drive cars.
Perhaps because of the above, people got used to seeing counter-clockwise tracks in North America and most of Europe and establish running tracks and bicycle racing tracks the same way?
Respectably submitted,
Felix Chiu
Vancouver, BC, Canada