Drag Racing Lingo Aftermarket: Generally, the replacement parts and high-performance products market. The design and selling of custom parts for automobiles. ANDRA: Australian National Drag Racing Association, the sport’s sanctioning body in Australia. Ballast: A controlled amount of weight, functionally positioned, used to help cars meet minimum class weight requirements. Blueprinting: The meticulous matching to factory specifications all parts and/or components. Braking area: The portion of the track after the finish line that drivers use to slow their machines following a run. Breakout: In handicap racing, when the contestant has run quicker than his dial-in. Burn down: When both cars intentionally hesitate before moving out of “pre-stage” and into the "stage" position at the Christmas tree, therefore delaying the start of the race. Drivers seek to gain a psychological advantage over their opponent through this process by attempting to interrupt the other driver's normal start/stage routine. Burnout: Spinning of rear wheels at high RPM in water to heat and clean the tyre rubber and heat the tyre prior to a run, resulting in increased traction. Burned piston: A condition where a cylinder runs lean (too much air in the air-to-fuel mixture) creating sufficient heat to burn a hole through the piston. Burst panel: A section of the front of a supercharger intake manifold designed to relieve pressure and minimise the effects of a supercharger explosion or backfire. Catch can: A container used to catch liquid overflow, preventing spillage on the race track. Chassis: The frame of the race car. Christmas tree: The vertical electronic starting device incorporating calibrated lights displaying a visual countdown for each driver, activated by a designated official. Chromoly: Also chrome moly. Short for chromium molybdenum steel. A very strong type of steel tubing used to build the frames for many drag racing vehicles. Chute: Short for parachute or drag chute. Used to assist high-speed braking. Clutch can: Bellhousing, the housing used to encase the clutch and flywheel. Clutch dust: Carbon dust created by the wearing of the surface of the clutch disks as they slide together during the clutch lock-up process. Clutch lock-up: The progression of clutch disk engagement controlled by an air timer management system. Corrected altitude: Result of factoring barometric pressure, humidity, temperature and grains of water per pound of air to provide a theoretical altitude. Information is used for race vehicle tuning purposes.
Deep staged: A driver is deep staged when, after staging, he or she rolls a few inches farther, which causes the prestage light to go out. In that position, the driver is closer to the finish line but dangerously close to a foul start. Dial-in: In Group Three handicap racing, the elapsed time selected by the driver that is usually the car's most consistent qualifying time. Disc: In brakes, the rotor, the part which revolves, and against which brake linings are pressed to provide braking. Displacement: In an engine, the total volume of air/fuel mixture an engine is theoretically capable of drawing into all cylinders during one operating cycle. Doorslammer: A race vehicle with opening doors. See also Top Doorslammer. Downforce: Vertical aerodynamic downloading which aids a race car in achieving traction. Driver's suit: Generally, protective fire-resistant material. Dropped cylinder: A cylinder becomes filled with too much fuel in the air-to-fuel mixture and prevents the spark plug(s) from firing. Dynomometer: A stationary device used to measure an engine's torque to determine horsepower. ET: Elapsed time. The total time it takes for a vehicle to cover the standing quarter mile from starting line to finish line. Measured from the time the vehicle moves off the start line, not when the green light comes on. Eliminations: When cars are racing two at a time in tournament-style competition, resulting in one winner and one runner-up in each category of racing. Fire bottle: Fire extinguishers in various positions on different cars. These bottles contain fire retardant and are activated by the driver in the event of a fire. Foul: When a car leaves start line before the green-light start signal and the competitor is automatically disqualified. Fuel check: A tech station used to inspect fuels to ensure content is within limits allowed for that particular class. Full tree: The consecutive appearance of all three amber lights on the Christmas tree four-tenths of a second apart, followed four-tenths later by the green starting light. Used in all Group Two and Three categories, in which a handicap starting system is used to equalise competition. A perfect reaction time on a full tree is .000 at WSID. Gilmer belt: Toothed or splined drive belt used with matching pulley, generally a non-slip drive belt for the supercharger. Halon: Special freon fire extinguisher, Generally a 3-to-5 percent concentration will extinguish a fire, Headers: Fine-tuned exhaust system from the engine. Replaces conventional manifolds. Heads-up: A race in which both vehicles receive the green start light at the same time and can leave the start line together. Hemi: An engine with a combustion chamber resembling a hemisphere or round ball cut in half. Holeshot: Start line advantage achieved by a quicker-reacting driver. Horsepower: Numeric value given to the amount of power produced by an engine, Hydraulic: A cylinder fills with too much fuel, prohibiting compression by the cylinder, causing a mechanical malfunction (usually a broken con rod or crankshaft). Index: Elapsed time assigned by ANDRA to allow various classes to race together with an equitable handicap starting system. The Index is determined by a formulae based on performances close to or below the existing class record.
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Interval timers: Part of a secondary timing system that records elapsed times, primarily for the racers' benefit, at 60, 330, 660 and 1000 feet along the quarter mile (total 1320 feet). Lexan: Trade name of General Electric used for a durable thermal resistant plastic material used where transparent material is required (ie goggles, windows, etc,). Line-loc: A lock on the front brakes to allow a car to do a burnout, as well as remain still on the start line prior to the launch of a run. Magnaflux: The process of using a special electromagnet and magnetic powder to detect cracks in iron that may be invisible to the naked eye. Methanol: Pure methyl alcohol produced by synthesis for use in race engines. Minimum weight: The lowest allowed weight for a vehicle in a particular class. Nappy: A blanket made from ballistic and absorbent material (often Kevlar) that surrounds the oil pan and serves as a containment device during engine explosions. Nitromethane: A fuel produced specifically for drag racing. It is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane. Nomex: Trade name of DuPont, a fire-resistant fabric used in the manufacture of protective clothing. OHC: Overhead cam, On board data recorder: Electronic recording device that provides specific performance data following a run. The data recorder cannot be used to control race car functions during a run. Pedaling: When a driver lifts off the throttle, then gets back on it again, in an attempt to regain traction with the rear tyres. Pilot chute: A spring-loaded device which pulls the braking chute from its pack. Port: The opening in an engine where the valve operates and through which the air-fuel mixture or exhaust passes. Pre-staged: When a driver is approximately seven inches behind the start line and the small yellow light atop his or her side of the Christmas tree is illuminated. Protest: A complaint filed against a competitor, investigated by officials. Pro tree: Used in Top Fuel, Top Alcohol, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Top Bike, Pro Stock Motorcycle and Super Gas competition, all of which feature heads-up competition. All three amber lights on the Christmas tree flash simultaneously, followed four-tenths of a second later by the green starting light. A perfect reaction time on a Pro Tree is .000. RPM: Revolutions per minute. Reaction time: The time it takes a driver to react to the green start light on the Christmas tree, measured in thousandths of a second. The reaction time counter begins when the last amber light flashes on the tree and stops when the vehicle clears the stage beam. Roll cage: Reinforced steel compartment that encloses the driver in the car. Rollout: The measurement of one complete revolution of a tyre. Rollout equals 3.14 times the tyre’s diameter. Seating the clutch: The process of loading the clutch pack to allow the clutch discs and floaters to properly align with each other before a run. Scales: Used to weigh cars to assure that they meet class weight requirements. Shift light: A light activated on the dash when it is necessary for the driver to shift gears.
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Shoulder harness: An upper-torso restraint device. Sixty-foot time: The time it takes a vehicle to cover the first 60 feet of the race track. It is the most accurate measure of the launch from the starting line, which in most cases determines how quick the rest of the run will be. Slider clutch: A multi-disc clutch designed to slip until a predetermined RPM. Decreases shock load to the drive wheels. Snell: Snell Memorial Foundation. A foundation generally known for its helmet specifications. Speed trap: The final 66 feet of the track before the finish line, where top speed is recorded. Spoiler: Aerodynamic device attached directly to the vehicle body (usually to the rear deck lid) such that airflow passes only over the top of the device. Used to create downforce, aiding in traction and stability. Spool: A one-piece ring gear carrier providing equal rotational drive to both rear axles. Staged: A driver is staged when the front wheels of the car are on the start line and the small yellow light below the pre-stage light on his or her side of the Christmas tree is illuminated. Once a driver is staged, the calibrated countdown of the amber lights leading to the green start light may begin at any time. Staging lanes: Area of race facility which leads to the racing surface, where cars are lined up and/or paired before making a run. Stick shift: Generally a manual transmission requiring a clutch and manual gear changes. Street equipment: Equipment generally required by law or needed for legal street operation: license plates, windshield wipers, horns, lights, etc. Subframe: Used in construction of unibody vehicles when a full front-to-rear frame is not used. Supercharger: Crank-driven air/fuel compressor (AKA: blower). Raises atmospheric pressure in engine resulting in added horsepower. Favoured in drag racing because of the instant throttle response. Teardown: Physical inspection by stewards to ensure that vehicles meet class specifications. Terminal speed: Maximum or top speed at the end of the quarter mile. Throttle stop: A device that limits throttle travel in a burnout or a run. Top Doorslammer: A Group One ANDRA category in which Top Alcohol engines are mated to sedan bodied race vehicles. Traction bars: A device to control rear end torque and stabilise suspension. Transmits torque to the frame, increasing traction. Transmission blanket: A flexible wrapping to contain parts in case of a transmission explosion. Turbocharger: Exhaust-driven intake (turbo). (See Supercharger). Weight transfer: In drag racing, weight transfer is critical to traction. Vehicles are set up to provide a desired weight transfer to the rear wheels. When the vehicle accelerates, the front wheels lift and weight shifts to the rear wheels, making the tyres less likely to spin. Wheelie bars: Used to prevent excessive front-wheel lift. Wheelstand: The lifting of the front wheels clear of the ground at the instant of a vehicle commencing a run down the track. Wind tunnel: Stationary device used to study a race car's aerodynamics. Wing: An aerodynamic device mounted such that air flow passes over and under the device. Used to create downforce, aiding in traction and stability. Also known as an airfoil.
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