Welcome to NOTRA
The National Oval Track Racing Association
Results of the 2024 Ballots go into effect January 1st 2025!.
Dear NOTRA Members,
We are pleased to announce the results of this year’s NOTRA rule change process. A total of 10 proposals were submitted by member clubs for consideration. After careful review and voting by eligible clubs, 5 proposals received the necessary two-thirds majority approval and will officially go into effect on January 1, 2025.
We sincerely appreciate the participation of all clubs in shaping the future of NOTRA. Your engagement ensures the continued growth and improvement of oval track racing for all involved.
Detailed information on the approved changes, along with an updated version of the NOTRA Rulebook reflecting these amendments, will be available shortly. Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
Thank you for your commitment to NOTRA and to the sport of oval track racing. We look forward to another great year!
Plus......
The 2025 Master Schedule is now posted!
We are working to update the Official Rulebook to reflect the adoption of the passed proposals, as well as the website with the updated grading guides.
Please be patient, but feel free to contact any member of the Board with issues or oversights as we work through the updates.
Ballot Results • 19 Voting Clubs of 23 Eligible Clubs
The 2025 Whippet Nationals is hereby awarded to Indiana Whippet Club (IWC) and will be held September 28th, 2025 in New Castle IN.
The 2025 Other Breed National is hereby awarded to Lehigh Valley Coursing Club/Count Basie Racing Association co-bid (LVCC/COBRA) and will be held November 2nd, 2025 in Kingswood Township, NJ.
These clubs have demonstrated their dedication to the sport, and we are confident they will put on fantastic meets that showcase the best of oval track racing. We look forward to seeing our community come together for these premier events and appreciate the hard work that will go into making them a success.
More details on dates, locations, and event specifics are available from the individual clubs. In the meantime, please join us in congratulating both clubs on this exciting opportunity!
The National Oval Track Racing Association (NOTRA) was formed in 1992 to encourage within each breed of registered Sighthound under a uniformly high standard of competitive oval racing. Included is an Oval Racing Championship (ORC) award program designed to reward outstanding racing Sighthounds when they have earned the necessary ORC points. The Rulebook, which has been modified over time via majority voting of member clubs, was created to offer a set of rules that can be operated by local race groups. The underlying goal and purpose to is to have fun with our hounds.
RulebookWhippets are a sighthound of medium sized that originated in England in the 1800’s, likely descending from greyhounds (with terrier thrown into the mix). Later, when hunting laws were repealed, whippets also became popular in the sport of dog racing. Whippets were first recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1891 and the American Kennel Club followed in 1888.
Whippet racing has been present in many varying forms since the mid-nineteenth century. One of the first forms of the sport was “rag racing” where the handler would hand slip the dog and the dog would run to a partner waving a white rag. Later, like greyhounds, whippets ran a mechanical lure. Today, whippets run straight track (in the US through NAWRA, WRA or CWA), oval (NOTRA) or lure course (AKC, ASFA). This site contains information regarding oval racing and the records of race meets and title information for those racers.
Whippet Registration
In NOTRA, "other breeds" refers to the non-whippet racers (as historically whippets have the greatest number of racers). The other breeds include Afghan Hounds, Basenji, Borzoi, Cirneco dell’Etna, Greyhounds, Ibizan Hounds, Irish Wolfhounds, Italian Greyhounds, Magyar Agar, Pharaoh Hounds, Portuguese Podengo, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Salukis, Scottish Deerhounds, Silken Windhounds, and Sloughis