NASCAR TERMINOLOGY

AERODYNAMICS

Study of airflow in regard to a stock car.

DRAG

The resistance a car experiences when passing through air at high speeds.

DOWNFORCE

Downforce can be altered to improve the car's grip or traction by adjusting the spoiler as well as other aerodynamic changes to the car and its setup. As downforce is increased, the grip/traction is increased as well as tire wear. Increasing downforce comes at the expense of creating more drag, which will reduce fuel efficiency.

DRAFT

The aerodynamic effect that allows two or more cars traveling nose to tail to run faster than a single car. When one car follows another closely, the one in front punches through the air and provides a cleaner, less resistant path for the trailing cars.

DRAFTING

The practice of two or more cars running nose to tail to create more speed for the group. The lead car displaces the air in front of it, creates a vacuum effect between its rear end and the nose of the second car and pulls the trailing cars along with it with less overall resistance. Two or more cars drafting will travel faster than a single car.

TIGHT

Also known as understeer. This occurs when the front wheels lose traction before the rear wheels. It causes the stock car to have trouble steering sharply and smoothly through the turns as the front end pushes toward the wall.

LOOSE

Also known as oversteer. This occurs when the rear tires of the stock car have trouble sticking in the corners. This causes the car to "fishtail" as the rear end swings outward while turning in the corners. During a pit stop, one of the crewmen will sometimes add or subtract spring pressure by attaching a ratchet and manually rotating it one way or the other. This tightens or loosens the spring and brings the frame and trailing arm forward or away from each other, applying more or less pressure on the tire when the car goes into a turn. This is known as adding or subtracting wedge.

BANKING

Most oval NASCAR tracks are banked at various degrees to create greater momentum and velocity through the turns. Banking on the tracks that host NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races range from a relatively steep 36 degrees at Talladega Superspeedway, to a somewhat flat 12 degrees at Martinsville Speedway. "Progressively banked" oval tracks, such as Bristol Motor Speedway, feature a racing surface that gradually increases in degrees of banking – 24 to 30 degrees – as the track gets closer to the outside retaining wall. This permits cars in the longer outside lanes to maintain higher speeds through the corners than those in the shorter inside lanes, resulting in more competitive racing.

PIT & GARAGE

PIT ROAD

Pit Road usually runs parallel to the front stretch and is connected at each end to the main track. The length and width of pit road varies from track to track.

PIT STALL

Each team is assigned a pit stall on pit road to service their car during the race. Pit stalls are assigned based on qualifying results.The team qualifying 1st has first choice of stall. Pit stall length and width also varies from track to track.

PIT BOX

Often referred to as the “war wagon” it is the main communication center during the race. The boxes are equipped with monitors that show race data and the television broadcast. These tools are used to help analyze the car up close during any moment of the race. The box also houses the equipment needed to service the car while it is on pit road. Items frequently seen on the pit box include: drills, air guns, grinders, blowers, scales and mechanics tools.

PIT STOP

Drivers come to pit road for a variety of reasons, but a full-blown pit stop consists of the following -- changing four tires, adding a full tank of Sunoco racing fuel, wiping the grille clean and making minor adjustments to the car.

PIT CREW

Often referred to as “Road Warriors” the pit crew generally consist of both “over the wall” crew and several “road crew”. The crew chief, car chief, mechanics, engine tuners and tire specialists are some positions considered part of the road crew. The tire carriers, tire changers, fuel man & jack man are considered the over the wall crew.

GOODYEAR TIRE STATION

Goodyear is the official tire of NASCAR. Teams lease tires from Goodyear every week. The tires are distributed to the teams at the beginning of the weekend and returned after each race weekend. The number of tires varies from track to track and cost approximately $30K a weekend.

SUNOCO FUEL STATION

Sunoco is the official fuel of NASCAR. Teams are allowed four full fuel cans during the race. Each can holds approximately 12 gallons and weighs approximately 80 pounds when full. Teams typically use two cans per pit stop and then refill the cans after the pit stop is complete.

TEAM HAULER

The Team Hauler or transporter is the hub of all activity during the weekend. The team hauler not only carries two fully prepared racecars to the track every weekend, but it also serves as a fully stocked garage, mobile kitchen, locker room and team office.

TECHNICAL INSPECTION STATIONS

Cars are inspected for items like height and weight, aerodynamics, engines, chassis and fuel cells. The winning and second-place cars as well as a randomly selected car are inspected by NASCAR at the end of the race.