Amateur racing is one of the many things you can do with your sighthounds. Unlike lure coursing, racing is all about speed and no subjectivity is involved -- the first dog over the finish line wins!

In the United States, amateur racing can be either a straight, 200 yard dash, or around an oval, or u-val. For sighthounds other than whippets, straight racing is usually run under the rules of the Large Gazehound Racing Association (LGRA). This is the "simplest" form of racing available to enthusiasts and most sighthounds will take readily to the game with its highly inviting squawker lure.

National Oval Track Racing Association (NOTRA) racing includes both whippets and "other" sighthound breeds, though Other Breed participation in NOTRA events tends to be lower than in straight racing. Some dogs do not "get" that they are supposed to run around the track, rather than short-cutting through the tape. The lure tends to be plastic bags rather than a squawker, which is also less inviting to many, and the lure tends to get very far ahead of slower dogs, making the incentive to cut even greater.

That said, oval racing can be much more "fun" for the owners, as they get to see much more of the race than in straight racing (one's viewpoint in LGRA is usually the end of the race or the very beginning, as owners choose either to slip or catch their hounds). With the longer distances and the turns, races can change hands -- a slightly slower hound who hugs the rail will often prevail over the faster competition that goes very wide around the turns. NOTRA distances are typically a 270 yard "U-Val", or a 350 yard oval. If a lot of space is available, a quarter-mile oval (440 yards) is sometimes offered.