NASCAR Jargon Buster

A

Adhesion

Adhesion refers to the bond between two touching objects. It’s a Static condition. Think of super glue between your fingers. When you try to pull your fingers apart, you just about loose the skin on your fingers, because the superglue provides excellent adhesion between your fingers. If you do the same experiment with normal paper blue your fingers come apart a lot easier, cause the adhesion is very weak. Don’t get this confused with traction, although in my opinion they go hand in hand (Adhesion and Traction). Traction is a dynamic condition because it only occurs while objects are moving. Adhesion occurs when the object is stationary.

B

Bear grease

When a race track ages, it gets many cracks, small holes at times and the material used to "patch" those holes, to smooth the track and restore the racing surface is called "Bear Grease" Sometimes the Bear grease is applied so well drivers don't really feel it but other times its real rough. 

C

Chute

Many drivers refer to the racetracks straightaway as a chute.

D

Drafting (Slip Streaming)

You often hear this when you listen to the commentary on NASCAR. This is when two or more cars are running run nose-to-tail and sometimes it looks like they may start touching each other. The car in front (lead car) displaces the air in front of it, pushing the air out of the way so to speak. This creates  a vacuum behind the lead car. The car following the lead car is "Sucked" into that vacuum and is pulled along. This is also sometimes referred to as getting a tow. The vacuum causes the car behind the leading car to be faster because there is less wind resistance and the car behind saves fuel.  If you are from Europe this phenomena is known and slip streaming. In F1 the DRS systems (Drag Reduction System) shows how the car behind another car opens this system, reducing drag on the car, combined with the vacuum caused by the leading car (Draft or Slipstream) enables the trailing car to blast past the leading car on a straight. Drafting in NASCAR or Plate Racing is essential to winning. In F1 its less essential but still important

Draft (Slip Stream)

The aerodynamic effect mentioned above. You will often hear a commentator say, "He's lost that draft and is no longer in the front group" In NASCAR its essential to remain in the "Draft" at all times, if you don't you will fall to the back of the field and then out of contention. Running without other cars around in NASCAR puts you at a massive disadvantage.

E

Esses

On road courses you often get a succession of quick gradual left and right turns. When you view the track from a map these curves look like a set of Esses. 
 

F

Fan

If you listen in on the team radio during a race you will often hear a team manager instruct the driver to use the fan. Airflow on a NASCAR is very restricted. When a car runs in the draft for a long time, it may be necessary to use the fans to stop the cars from over heating. The fans dissipate  the heat of the hot liquids, such as oil and coolants  in the radiators. Running the fan though does have an impact on performance and when cars are as closely matched as a NASCAR field, loosing a single horse power to a fan can really drop you to the back of a field, especially if you are at a superspeedway. The saving grace is that most drivers will be using their fans.

G

Groove (line)

Also referred to as "the Line" This refers to the quickest way around the track. Depending on track conditions and the weather, drivers use the “high groove” close to the outside wall or the “low groove” close to the apron.
 

H

Heat cycle

Every time a tire reaches its optimum racing temperature its referred to as "The Heat Cycle" 

I

Interval

This refers to the time-distance between two cars. Normally measured in seconds.

J

K

L

Loose (Over steer)

You hear this a lot if you listen to the drivers radio in NASCAR. When the drivers say, "Its very loose! or I'm very loose" they are not talking about their own morals in any way ..... This occurs when the rear of the car has a tendency of stepping out or does not stick well. If your in Europe drivers talk about the car being "Tail Happy". Many drivers like this in moderation and others don't, its a preference really. At some tracks drivers might want this to be more prominent as it could be an advantage.

M

N

Neutral

 When a car is neither loose nor tight. You may think that a driver would be happy with the cars handling if he or she uses this term but drivers may still not be happy with the car, but it does indicate to the team that what ever is wrong with the cars performance may not be as straight forward as handling.

O

P

A Post-entry

A team or driver who submits an entry for a race after the deadline for submission has passed. A post-entry receives no driver or owner points.

Q

Quarter-panel

The sheet metal on both sides of the car that run from the C-post to the rear bumper all the way around below the deck lid and above the wheel well. Typically this area is normally damaged badly in a collision and may require panel beating with those trusty sledge hammers. 

 

R

Restrictor plate

Used at two superspeedways, Daytona and Talladega to keep speeds down by restricting horse power. Its a thin plate that restricts airflow to the engine

S

Slick

Normally a refernce to track conditions. This does not mean the track is slippery because its wet or perhaps has oil on it, it means that for some reason the tires are not as affective and are not really "Biting" the surface well affecting traction. 
 

 T

Tight (Under Steer)

The exact opposite of Over Steer. The front wheels seem to drift or loose traction. Its often described as the car not turning and just carrying on in one direction.

U

V

W

Wedge

Changing the pressure on the rear springs to adjust the cars handling.



X

Y

Z