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Racing Terms N
- NASCAR
- The National
Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. The sanctioning body
for the Winston Cup, Craftsman Truck and Busch Grand National
series among others.
- NEW SPACER
- Term used for
a new engine because it fills the space between the chassis
and transmission.
- OFF LINE
- Driving off the
best racing line. Drivers will go off line to attempt a pass
or to move out of the way of faster cars.
- ON THE
THROTTLE
- A driver has
the pedal to the metal.
- OPEN
WHEEL
- Formula One and
Indy car style race cars which are designed to have the suspension,
wheels and tires exposed, no fenders.
- OUT BRAKE
- A driver gains
time and position on an opponent by applying the brakes later
and deeper into a corner.
- OUTSIDE
GROOVE
- The outside racing
line. Sometimes a car will handle and perform better on the
outside/inside line and a driver opts not to use the optimum
groove.
- OVAL
- An oval-shaped
track such as Atlanta Motor Speedway.
- OVERSTEER
- A condition when
the front of a car has more grip than the rear. This is the
same as a car being "loose."
- OVERTAKE
- A term commonly
used by announcers meaning a pass.
- PACE
CAR
- The car which
leads the field to set the pace before starts and restarts
after cautions.
- PADDOCK
AREA
- The enclosed
portion (or infield) of a race track.
- PARADE
LAP(S)
- The warm-up lap
before a race. Drivers use this lap to warm up their engines
and often zig-zag to warm up tires.
- PARKING
LOT
- After a big crash
which takes out a lot of cars, the track looks like a parking
lot.
- PHYSICAL
CIRCUIT
- Usually refers
to road courses which require a lot of turning and hence,
great physical strength.
- PICK
UP
- Debris built
up on tires from rubber bits and small stones.
- PIT ROW
- The area designated
for teams to set up temporary garages during races accessible
to ("pit out") and from ("pit in") the track. Each team is
allotted one pit area (or space) per car. Drivers pit so crews
can refuel, change tires and make any other repairs or adjustments.
Simply called the pits most often.
- PIT BOARD
- A board used
by crews inform drivers of lap times, lap until pit and other
various information. The board is used along with team radios
to keep in constant communication.
- PIT LIZARD
- Nickname for
a racing groupie.
- PIT STOP
- An integral part
of most racing series where drivers stop in pit row so their
crews can change tires, refuel, and make repairs or other
adjustments.
- PITS
- Short for pit
row or a dejected driver. Also see hot pits for cold pits.
- POINT
PAYING
- In some series
(e.g. CART and Formula One), you must finish a certain place
or higher to receive points towards the championship. Conversely,
NASCAR awards points to any driver who starts a race.
- POINTS
RACE
- The overall competition
to win the Drivers' or Manufacturers' Championship at the
end of the season.
- POLE
POSITION
- The driver qualifying
fastest is awarded the first starting position. This means
the driver will start on the inside (relative to the first
turn) of the first row.
- POP-OFF
VALVE
- In Indy-style
racing, this valve is connected to the plenum exiting the
turbocharger. Many racing groups supplies these valves in
order to restrict the pressure generated by the turbocharger.
- POWER
PLANT
- Commonly used
term for engines.
- PROVISIONAL
STARTING SPOT
- Special performance-based
exemptions for drivers who do not initially qualify for a
race. A driver awarded a provisional spot must start at the
back of the starting grid.
- PUSH
- The rear end
of a car has more grip than the front. This condition makes
a car harder to turn into a corner. Commonly known as understeer.
- PUSHING
AND SHOVING
- Race cars making
contact.
- QUALIFIERS
OR QUALLIES
- Softer compound
tires designed for qualifying only because they provide excellent
traction but only for a very short amount of time.
- QUALIFY
- During designated
sessions, teams must meet established lap times to qualify
for (or enter) a race based on a predetermined number of spots
available.
- RACE
RUBBER
- Race tires as
opposed to qualifying tires.
- RACER'S
TAPE
- Heavy duty duct
tape used to temporarily repair hanging body parts which might
hinder aerodynamic features and decrease performance. Most
commonly used on stock cars (e.g. NASCAR Winston Cup) which
use more paneling than Indy-style cars and are accustomed
to more contact.
- RAIN
TIRES
- Softer compound
with better tread for wet-weather conditions. In dry conditions,
these softer tires wear faster than harder compound tires
with less tread.
- RESTRICTOR
PLATE
- A stainless steel
plate used between the carburetor and the intake manifold
to limit the amount of fuel and air reaching the engine. It
is used to slow down the race cars on certain high speed NASCAR
tracks like Daytona Speedway.
- RETURN
- A vertical flap
attached to a Indy car wing for increased downforce. Please
see Gurney Flap.
- ROAD
COURSE
- A race track
with multiple left and right hand turns. Generally refers
to permanent, purpose-built racing facilities. Can also refer
to temporary street courses built on big city streets which
were popularized in the 1980's.
- ROLL
BAR
- Large, sturdy
bars designed to protect a driver's head if the car rolls
over. Very functional in race cars but used more for style
in production cars. Most production and race cars use anti-roll
(or sway) bars as part of the suspension to prevent the excessive
rolling in corners.
- ROLLING
START
- The race begins
after the pace car leaves the track while the cars are moving.
Formula One opts for a standing start where the cars start
from a standstill.
- ROOSTER
TAIL
- The spray trailing
cars in wet conditions similar to the effect boats create
across water.
- ROUNDY
ROUND
- A slang term
in NASCAR used to describe an oval track.
- RUBBING
- Racing announcers
use this describe cars that make contact but don't crash.
Also called "pushing and shoving."
- RUNNING
ANYWHERE
- A car is handling
so well, a driver can use any racing line (or drive anywhere.)
Sometimes, handling problems lead to a preferred line where
the car handles better.
- RUNNING
LIGHT
- A car is running
with little fuel. Teams qualify with a light load to achieve
maximum speed.
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