Hello, and welcome to the wonderful world of Nascar! If you’re a new fan of stock car racing, this is the place for you! In this ten-part series we’ll take a look at what you should and could know about America’s #1 auto racing organization. Let’s get started!
10. NASCAR GLOSSARY—What means what
There’s plenty of terms you’ll hear in Nascar that might seem confusing. Here’s a handy guide.
(Note: Thank you to the Wikipedia article “Glossary of Motorsports Terms” for reminding me of a few of these.)
Aero Push—the loss of control/handling of a car when following another car in the “Draft” too closely, caused by "Dirty Air".
All the Boys Back at the Shop—a stereotypical way to thank team members who don’t travel to the track after a win. Popular in the 90’s, now typically only used jokingly.
Backmarker—a team (typically with a low budget) that rarely contends for wins, instead usually finishing in the back of the running order.
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| Banzai Lap, the car running High Wide & Handsome |
Banzai Lap—typically refers to qualifying, when a driver will run his car as fast as possible, risking a crash, in order to post the fastest time possible. See “Runnin Wide Open”.
Behind the Wall—a car that skips making a pit stop and goes directly to the garage to be packed up, resulting in a “DNF”.
(the) Big One—a byproduct of “Restrictor Plate Racing”, which creates dozens of cars running closely together in “Pack Racing”. If one car makes a mistake, the entire field behind it can be wrecked, resulting in the “Big One”, a major wreck collecting numerous cars.
Blown Engine—a terminal issue with an engine that forces the race car to go “Behind the Wall” and “DNF”.
Bump and Run—tapping a driver from behind, causing his car to get “Loose”, allowing the tapper to get by. See “Rubbins Racin”.
Buschwhacker—a Cup driver that regularly competes (and wins) in lower-series events such as Xfinity and Truck Series races. Originally referred to the Xfinity Series’ old name of the “Busch Series”, but now refers to noted Buschwhacker Kyle Busch.
Car Chief—team member in charge of the car’s setup, typically subordinate to the “Crew Chief”. Akin to an assistant head coach.
Catbird Seat—being in prime position to capitalize on a strategy call (example—having enough fuel to win a race when everyone ahead of you is running out).
Catch Fence—a tall fence above the concrete retaining wall separating the fans from the racing surface. Meant to “catch” any debris that goes flying from a crash.
Caution Clock—if a car is damaged in any way, a pit crew has five minutes to fix it. If they can’t, the car goes “Behind The Wall” for a “DNF” and is retired from the race. If they can get the car fixed well enough to return to the track at full-speed, the car can pit again with a fresh five minute Caution Clock.
Charter—Nascar Cup’s version of a franchise. Guarantees all 36 Charter teams a starting spot in each points race. Can be revoked due to poor performance (i.e. if a team was “Start and Park”ing). Opposite of “Open Entry”.
Checkers or Wreckers—an "all or nothing" strategy, typically taken late in the race, where a driver will take major risks to try to win (the checkered flag), upping the chance of a major crash (a wreck).
Clean Air—the advantage the lead car has by not having anyone in front of him to disrupt the aerodynamics of his car. Opposite of “Dirty Air”.
Commercial Caution—when a broadcaster takes a commercial break and a crash happens, necessitating a yellow flag. Missing seeing the action on live TV is a major complaint of race fans.
Competition Caution—a pre-planned caution period early in the race to allow teams to check tire wear. Usually implemented with a “Green Track”.
Concord—refers to Nascar’s R&D headquarters in Concord, North Carolina. A car that Nascar thinks might be trying to bend the rules is often said to be “taken back to Concord”.
Cookie Cutter Track—any 1.5 mile speedway, most of which have only superficial differences from each other.
Coopitition—a portmanteau of “cooperation” and “competition”, referring to drivers needing to work together to “Draft” at “Restrictor Plate Racing” tracks like Daytona and Talladega. Coined by Darrell Waltrip.
Crew Chief—the person in charge of in-race strategy and driver communication. Akin to a head coach.
Daytona—refers to Daytona Beach, Florida, the birthplace and headquarters of Nascar. Major decisions are said to be made “by Daytona”, or “coming from Daytona”. Also obviously refers to Daytona International Speedway.
Decklid—the “trunk” of a race car, located between the rear windshield and the “Spoiler”.
Dirty Air—a car whose aerodynamics are disrupted by running in traffic. Opposite of “Clean Air”. Causes “Aero Push”.
DNF—“Did not finish”, scoring notation for a car that doesn’t finish the race, usually due to a crash, a “Blown Engine”, or other mechanical issues. Sometimes this is done on purpose by a “Start and Park” team. Compare to DNQ—Did not qualify.
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| Pack Racing to take advantage of the Draft at a Restrictor Plate track |
(the) Draft—a slipstream created by a car in front cutting through the air, reducing drag on the car following it. If the car behind starts pushing the car in front, this is known as “Bump Drafting”. The draft is most-important in “Restrictor Plate Racing”. Can also lead to “Aero Push”.
Field Filler—a low-budget team that is only entered because it is guaranteed a starting spot due to a lack of entries. Related to “Start and Park”.
Fire Suit—the fire-retardant racing uniform worn by drivers and most pit crew members.
Flat-spot—after a car locks up its brakes, the skidding will result in a flat spot on each tire where it ground against the asphalt. Will result in a flat tire if not fixed immediately.
Green Track—a track with no “Groove”, usually caused by rain washing off the rubber that had been laid down on the track.
Green-White-Checkered—Nascar’s version of overtime. To avoid having a race end under caution, a caution period near the end of a race will cause the race’s total distance to be extended. After the caution is over, there will be a two-lap shootout to the finish—however, if another caution is called on the green flag lap, the whole process starts over again. Once the white flag is waved, the race ends either with a caution flag or the checkered flag.
Groove—a path around the race track that provides extra grip and speed. Typically has dark lines from the amount of tire rubber being rubbed onto the surface. See “Preferred Line”. Opposite of the “Marbles”.
Hat Dance—in victory lane, pictures are taken with the winning team wearing the hats of each sponsor. The process of putting on a hat, whooping it up for the picture, taking it off, and repeating numerous times is called the hat dance.
HANS Device—Head And Neck Support Device. A head restraint system implemented after a number of deaths in Nascar from basal skull fracture. Keeps the head from whipping forward in a crash.
Happy Hour—the final practice session before a Cup race. Used facetiously since teams are typically frantically trying to get the car just right.
Hauler—the tractor trailer used to haul the cars, team equipment, and other materials from the race shop to the track and back again.
Hung Out to Dry—in “Pack Racing” when a driver falls out of the “Draft”, causing them to slow down and fall to the back.
High, Wide, and Handsome—running the car inches from the wall.
Loose—a car that turns too easily, causing the back end of the car to fishtail out towards the wall. Opposite of “Tight”. Called oversteer in other forms of motorsports.
(in the) Marbles—the non-“Preferred Line”, usually on the outside of the “Groove”. Named for the burned-off rubber that rolls toward the wall, looking like small black marbles.
On a Rail—a car that seems to be set up perfectly, especially to run the “Preferred Line”. The car will adapt to the “Groove” perfectly, making it seem like very little steering is required, thus running like a train on a railroad.
Open Entry—a non-Chartered team (see “Charter”) that has to qualify for a race on time.
Pace car—the car that paces the field during pre-race and caution periods. Occasionally driven by a dignitary during pre-race, but driven by a Nascar official at all other times. Called the safety car in other forms of motorsports.
Pack Racing—a side-effect of “Restrictor Plate Racing” at Daytona and Talladega. Reduced engine power means all cars are roughly the same speed, but can go faster in the “Draft”. The more cars in the draft, the faster they can go. This leads to very compact racing in close quarters, often precipitating “The Big One”.
Paint Scheme—how a car looks. Comes from when all cars were painted—now most are created as vinyl wraps.
Pay Driver—a driver who either brings sponsorship attached to him or is self-funded by a family business. Pejoratively sometimes called a “Daddy’s Money” racer.
Pit Box—the large metal contraption located behind a team’s pit stall. Contains spare parts, video equipment, and space for team members to sit. Also called a “War Wagon”.
Pole Position—the driver starting first in a race. The driver starting second is said to be on the “Outside Pole”.
Polish Victory Lap—a post-race lap by the victor run the opposite way (clockwise), putting the driver closer to the fans. Popularized by Polish-American driver Alan Kulwicki.
Preferred Line—the “Groove” that provides the fastest way around the track.
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| All parts mentioned in this Glossary |
Quarter-panels—the sides of a race car.
Race Shop—the race team’s headquarters. (check out sister site www.raceshopreviews.com!)
Restrictor Plate Racing—Restrictor plates restrict (hence the name) the amount of air flowing into the engine, reducing power and, thus, maximum speed. This leads to “Pack Racing” and increases the importance of “The Draft”. Restrictor plates were used at Daytona and Talladega due to concerns that cars were going so fast, they could fly over the “Catch Fence” and into the stands. While restrictor plates have been largely replaced by tapered spacers to get the same result, the term remains.
Road Course Ringer—a non-Nascar driver—typically a sports car driver, but occasionally an IndyCar driver—hired by a team to run one of the road course events.
Rolling Chicane—a derisive term for a “Backmarker” car that runs slower than the leaders, becoming a moving hazard every time he’s lapped. In road course racing a “chicane” is a tight turn meant to slow down the field.
Room of Doom—Nascar’s inspection station at the track.
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| Note the Rookie Stripes on car 88 |
Rookie Stripes—yellow stripes put on a rookie’s back bumper to denote to other competitors that the driver is a novice.
Roval—a combination road course and oval track. Is almost always a road course INSIDE an oval track. Trademarked by Charlotte Motor Speedway to refer to its own Roval course.
Rubbins Racin—popularized by the movie “Days of Thunder”. Refers to how unlike in other forms of motorsports, contact between cars is allowed and, to a certain extent, encouraged (see “Bump and Run”) in Nascar.
Runnin Wide Open—running at full-throttle (an “open throttle”) for maximum speed. See “Banzai Lap”.
Satellite Team—a race team that receives some sort of support from a larger team. This support can range from engines to complete race cars.
SAFER Barrier—Steel and Foam Energy Reduction Barrier. Adopted by Nascar following the death of Dale Earnhardt Sr., it is a system of metal cushioned by foam held in front of the traditional concrete wall. This absorbs energy from a head-on collision, reducing the impact on the driver’s body. Standard at all Nascar oval tracks. Sometimes called a “soft wall”.
Scanner—a radio device fans can rent that allows them to listen in on team communications between the driver, “Crew Chief”, and “Spotter”.
Scuffs—tires that have been run for a few laps, then allowed to cool in order to toughen up the rubber. Opposite of “Stickers”.
Silly Season—any off-track news in reference to drivers or sponsors switching teams. Popularized by the website Jayski. Originally referred to the offseason but now refers to news and rumors at any time.
Slide Job—when a driver goes low in a turn, then attempts to slide in front of the car they’re passing. Popularized by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at the start of his broadcasting career.
Splash and Go—a late-race pit stop made for fuel only, only stopping for the time needed to add the amount of fuel needed to finish the race.
Splitter—a piece that juts out from the bottom of the nose of the car, meant to provide extra downforce.
Spoiler—piece located on the back of the car between the “Decklid” and the “TV Panel”. Essential in creating downforce to give the car control and better handling.
Spotter—team member who stands high atop the race track (usually above the press box) and “spots” trouble on the track to the driver. One of two team members in constant contact with the driver, along with the “Crew Chief”. Conversations can be heard on a “Scanner”.
Start and Park—a team that qualifies for a race, then after only a few laps pulls in with a mysterious mechanical issue (vibration, handling, etc.). The team makes more money by finishing last than by finishing mid-pack after using up valuable equipment (most notably tires) and risking damage. Related to “Field Filler”.
Stick-and-Ball Sports—term used to differentiate other sports (baseball, football, etc.) from auto racing.
Stickers—brand-new tires. Named for the labels still present on the tires. Opposite of “Scuffs”.
Tear-Off—a clear piece of plastic on the windshield. Gets torn off during a pit stop to eliminate the need to clean the windshield.
Tight—a car that doesn’t want to turn, causing the front end of the car to point towards the wall. Opposite of “Loose”. Called understeer in other forms of motorsports.
TV panel—the space on the back of a race car between the “Spoiler” and the bumper. So-called because it shows up on a trailing car’s in-car camera.
Vortex Theory—the idea that race cars going in circles creates enough of a disturbance to ward off oncoming rain. Popularized by Darrell Waltrip and usually mentioned with a degree of levity.
War Wagon—slang term for a “Pit Box”.