Glossary
Aftermarket - Generally, the replacement parts and high performance products market.
Air dam - Used to direct or block airflow. Used in front to prevent airflow to undercarriage, intended to prevent turbulence and lift.
Arm restraints - Restraining straps to restrict are movement.
Ballast - A controlled amount of weight. Functionally positioned, used to help traction or prevent wheelstands.
Belly pan - Generally, a skin of aluminum or fiberglass used to cover the undercarriage of a vehicle, assisting in preventing turbulence and air drag.
Break out - Spinning of rear wheels at high RPM in water to heat and clean drive tire rubber prior to a run, resulting in increased traction.
Camber - Tilting of the top wheels from the vertical. When tilt is outward, camber is positive.
Castor - Tilting of steering axis forward or backward to provide directional steering ability. Positive castor is recommended in drag racing.
Catch-can - A container used to collect liquid overflow preventing spillage on the racetrack. Also known as catch tank.
Christmas Tree - An electronic starting device incorporating calibrated lights displaying a visual countdown for each driver, activated by a designated official.
Chromoly - Also Chrome Moly or Moly. Short for Chromium Molybdenum steel. A very strong tubing highly adaptable for racecar construction.
Chute - Short for parachute or drag chute. Used to assist high speed barking.
Competition area - The staging lanes, racetrack, and return road area.
Delay box - A devise that causes a delay between the release of a button and the action of the vehicle.
Dial-in - Elapsed time selection which relates to the vehicle's actual elapsed times in practice. The elapsed time a racer thinks his car will run.
Driver's suit - Generally, protective clothing made of fire-resistant material.
E.T. - Elapsed time. The total time it takes to go from starting line to finish line.
Eliminations - When vehicles are raced two at a time, resulting in one winner and one loser. Loser is eliminated and winner continues to race in tournament-style competition.
Fire resistant - Represented by the manufacturer as being fire resistant.
Fishtail - Rear of vehicle swaying from side to side. Generally the result of traction loss.
Flash shield - A device to encompass the air inlet of a carburetor's sides, top, and rear. To protect driver in case of engine backfire.
Foul start - When a vehicle leaves the starting line before the green light starting signal.
Fuel injection - (F.I.) A system replacing conventional carburetion which fuel under pressure into combustion chamber or into air flow prior to entering chamber.
Gussett - A reinforcement addition adding web-like or triangular reinforcement to car structure, usually welded in place.
Halon - Special Freon fire extinguisher. (Ref FE 1301) Generally a 3% to 5% concentration will extinguish fire.
Headers - Fine-tuned exhaust system routing exhaust from engine. Replaces conventional exhaust manifolds.
Hole shot - A starting line advantage achieved by the quicker reacting driver.
Hotchkiss-type - An open or exposed driveline assembly. The type of rear suspension in which the springs absorb the rear axle torque.
Ladder bars - A 3 point traction device with two attachment points at the rear axle housing and one point at the frame.
Lexan - A trade name of General Electric used for a durable and clear plastic material. Used for replacement windows and windshields.
M.I.G. - Metal Inert Gas arc welding. Uses a continuous - feed filler rod material pulled through the torch from a roll of wire.
M.P.H. - Miles per hour.
Magnaflux - The process of using a special electromagnet and magnetic powder to detect cracks in iron which may be visible to the naked eye.
Nomex - Trade name of DuPont, a fire resistant fabric used in the manufacture of protective clothing.
O.E.M. - Original Equipment Manufacturer. Original automobile manufacturer.
Otto cycle - The four operations of intake, compression, power, and exhaust (4-cycle engine). Named for inventor Doctor Nikolaus Otto.
Pilot chute - A spring-loaded device which pulls the braking parachute from its pack.
Planetary transmission - A transmission in which the various gears revolve around one another.
R.P.M. - Revolutions per minute.
S.E.M.A. - Specialty Equipment Market Association.
S.F.I. - SEMA Foundation Incorporated.
Shoulders harness - An upper torso restraining device.
Slider clutch - A multi-disc assembly clutch designed to slip until a predetermined R.P.M. decreases shock load to drive wheel.
Snell - Snell Memorial Foundation. A foundation generally known for its helmet specifications.
Spoiler - See Air Dam.
Spool - A one-piece ring gear carrier providing equal rotational drive to both axles.
Staging lanes - The designed build-up area for lining up before making runs.
Stick - Generally a manual transmission requiring a clutch and gear changes.
Stock - As originally produced by O.E.M.
Street - Equipment generally required by law or needed for legal street operation; license plates, windshield wipers, horn, lights, etc.
Subframe - Utilized in construction of unibody vehicle when a full front-to-rear frame is not used.
Supercharger - Crank driven air/fuel compressor (blower). Raises atmospheric pressure in engine resulting in added horsepower.
T.I.G. - Tungsten Inert Gas arc welding. Uses filler material which is fed into the molten puddle from the side of the torch by hand. Produces high quality, but very time consuming weld. Preferred for racecar production.
Tech Committee - Any local dragway or NHRA Technical staff.
Terminal speed - Maximum or top speed at the finish line.
Traction bars - A device to control rear-end torque and stabilizing suspension. Transmits torque to frame, increasing traction.
Transmission blanket - A flexible wrap intended to contain parts in case of transmission disintegration.
Treadwidth - The measurement from centerline of left tire to the centerline of right tire.
Turbocharger - Exhaust-driver intake air compressor (turbo). See Supercharger.
Weight transfer - The setting up of suspension to transfer weight from the front to the rear during takeoff & acceleration. In drag racing weight transfer is critical for traction.
Wheelie bars - Bars with wheels at the rear to prevent excessive front- end lift.
Windscreen - Used to deflect wind and/or debris from driver. Used on some cars in place of windshield.
Wings/Airfoil - Stabilizer, generally used to create downforces, increasing stability and tire-to-track adherence at high speeds.
Air dam - Used to direct or block airflow. Used in front to prevent airflow to undercarriage, intended to prevent turbulence and lift.
Arm restraints - Restraining straps to restrict are movement.
Ballast - A controlled amount of weight. Functionally positioned, used to help traction or prevent wheelstands.
Belly pan - Generally, a skin of aluminum or fiberglass used to cover the undercarriage of a vehicle, assisting in preventing turbulence and air drag.
Break out - Spinning of rear wheels at high RPM in water to heat and clean drive tire rubber prior to a run, resulting in increased traction.
Camber - Tilting of the top wheels from the vertical. When tilt is outward, camber is positive.
Castor - Tilting of steering axis forward or backward to provide directional steering ability. Positive castor is recommended in drag racing.
Catch-can - A container used to collect liquid overflow preventing spillage on the racetrack. Also known as catch tank.
Christmas Tree - An electronic starting device incorporating calibrated lights displaying a visual countdown for each driver, activated by a designated official.
Chromoly - Also Chrome Moly or Moly. Short for Chromium Molybdenum steel. A very strong tubing highly adaptable for racecar construction.
Chute - Short for parachute or drag chute. Used to assist high speed barking.
Competition area - The staging lanes, racetrack, and return road area.
Delay box - A devise that causes a delay between the release of a button and the action of the vehicle.
Dial-in - Elapsed time selection which relates to the vehicle's actual elapsed times in practice. The elapsed time a racer thinks his car will run.
Driver's suit - Generally, protective clothing made of fire-resistant material.
E.T. - Elapsed time. The total time it takes to go from starting line to finish line.
Eliminations - When vehicles are raced two at a time, resulting in one winner and one loser. Loser is eliminated and winner continues to race in tournament-style competition.
Fire resistant - Represented by the manufacturer as being fire resistant.
Fishtail - Rear of vehicle swaying from side to side. Generally the result of traction loss.
Flash shield - A device to encompass the air inlet of a carburetor's sides, top, and rear. To protect driver in case of engine backfire.
Foul start - When a vehicle leaves the starting line before the green light starting signal.
Fuel injection - (F.I.) A system replacing conventional carburetion which fuel under pressure into combustion chamber or into air flow prior to entering chamber.
Gussett - A reinforcement addition adding web-like or triangular reinforcement to car structure, usually welded in place.
Halon - Special Freon fire extinguisher. (Ref FE 1301) Generally a 3% to 5% concentration will extinguish fire.
Headers - Fine-tuned exhaust system routing exhaust from engine. Replaces conventional exhaust manifolds.
Hole shot - A starting line advantage achieved by the quicker reacting driver.
Hotchkiss-type - An open or exposed driveline assembly. The type of rear suspension in which the springs absorb the rear axle torque.
Ladder bars - A 3 point traction device with two attachment points at the rear axle housing and one point at the frame.
Lexan - A trade name of General Electric used for a durable and clear plastic material. Used for replacement windows and windshields.
M.I.G. - Metal Inert Gas arc welding. Uses a continuous - feed filler rod material pulled through the torch from a roll of wire.
M.P.H. - Miles per hour.
Magnaflux - The process of using a special electromagnet and magnetic powder to detect cracks in iron which may be visible to the naked eye.
Nomex - Trade name of DuPont, a fire resistant fabric used in the manufacture of protective clothing.
O.E.M. - Original Equipment Manufacturer. Original automobile manufacturer.
Otto cycle - The four operations of intake, compression, power, and exhaust (4-cycle engine). Named for inventor Doctor Nikolaus Otto.
Pilot chute - A spring-loaded device which pulls the braking parachute from its pack.
Planetary transmission - A transmission in which the various gears revolve around one another.
R.P.M. - Revolutions per minute.
S.E.M.A. - Specialty Equipment Market Association.
S.F.I. - SEMA Foundation Incorporated.
Shoulders harness - An upper torso restraining device.
Slider clutch - A multi-disc assembly clutch designed to slip until a predetermined R.P.M. decreases shock load to drive wheel.
Snell - Snell Memorial Foundation. A foundation generally known for its helmet specifications.
Spoiler - See Air Dam.
Spool - A one-piece ring gear carrier providing equal rotational drive to both axles.
Staging lanes - The designed build-up area for lining up before making runs.
Stick - Generally a manual transmission requiring a clutch and gear changes.
Stock - As originally produced by O.E.M.
Street - Equipment generally required by law or needed for legal street operation; license plates, windshield wipers, horn, lights, etc.
Subframe - Utilized in construction of unibody vehicle when a full front-to-rear frame is not used.
Supercharger - Crank driven air/fuel compressor (blower). Raises atmospheric pressure in engine resulting in added horsepower.
T.I.G. - Tungsten Inert Gas arc welding. Uses filler material which is fed into the molten puddle from the side of the torch by hand. Produces high quality, but very time consuming weld. Preferred for racecar production.
Tech Committee - Any local dragway or NHRA Technical staff.
Terminal speed - Maximum or top speed at the finish line.
Traction bars - A device to control rear-end torque and stabilizing suspension. Transmits torque to frame, increasing traction.
Transmission blanket - A flexible wrap intended to contain parts in case of transmission disintegration.
Treadwidth - The measurement from centerline of left tire to the centerline of right tire.
Turbocharger - Exhaust-driver intake air compressor (turbo). See Supercharger.
Weight transfer - The setting up of suspension to transfer weight from the front to the rear during takeoff & acceleration. In drag racing weight transfer is critical for traction.
Wheelie bars - Bars with wheels at the rear to prevent excessive front- end lift.
Windscreen - Used to deflect wind and/or debris from driver. Used on some cars in place of windshield.
Wings/Airfoil - Stabilizer, generally used to create downforces, increasing stability and tire-to-track adherence at high speeds.