Glossary: G-Q

• Glossary: A-F | G-Q | R-Z

G

Garage: The covered area where cars are prepared at a racetrack.

Gas Can: What the gas man uses to add gas to a car during a pit stop.

Grand National Division: In its day, the Grand National division was NASCAR's top racing division. In 1972, the Grand National division became the Winston Cup Series.

The Gray: The part of the racetrack, usually on the outside of a turn, that has had little traffic rolling over it. Also where the wads of rubber that have been scrubbed off of tires collects. The Gray is not a place to drive a race car as there is rarely much traction there.

Green: A term used to describe a racetrack that has very little rubber scrubbed into the racing line. A green track is a slippery track.

Green Flag: The flag that indicates it is safe to race. It is used to start a race and resume a race following a caution period.

The Groove (High & Low): The path through a turn that is the optimum racing line. Some tracks have both a high groove and a low groove. In the high groove, a car is faster through the corner, has a faster exit speed, but must travel a greater distance. In the low groove, the car has less distance to travel, prevents others from getting inside and passing, but sacrifices speed through the corner and exit speed.

H

HANS Device: Head and Neck Support device developed by Dr. Robert Hubbard. The HANS device is a mandatory safety device worn by drivers that protects against severe whiplash and certain head and neck injuries.

Happy Hour: A nickname for the last official practice session before the actual race.

Hat Dance: The ritual performed in front of cameras by a driver and his crew after he/they win a race. The hats are from that driver's sponsors, the race's sponsors and the sanctioning body of the race.

Hauler: The semi-tractor trailer that hauls the car and its gear from the race shop to the racetrack and back.

Heel and Toe: A technique used by drivers during road course races whereby the driver pushes the clutch with the left foot and uses the right foot to simultaneously work the brake and the throttle. A driver uses the heel and toe technique to slow the car down, shift gears and bring the engine RPM up to where it will be once the clutch is all the way out.

Hooked Up: A slang term used to describe a car that has the perfect set up and is pulling away from the field. Horsepower Technically, one horsepower equals 746 watts of power. Practically, it's the amount of power generated by a motor at the top end of its RPM range.

I

Impound Races: A few races during the season are designated by NASCAR as impound races. At impound races, all cars are impounded by NASCAR immediately after qualifying. No work can be done on the cars until race day. Even then, only minor changes may be made to the car.

Infield: The enclosed area within the confines of the racetrack.

Inner Liner: A safety feature first developed in 1966, think of it as a tire within a tire. The inner liner is inflated approximately 10 psi higher than the outer portion of the Goodyear Eagle race tire. Inner liners are used at oval tracks one mile or more in length.

Inside Line: The racing line that is closest to the inside of a straightaway or the apex a turn.

Inspections: The chief means of ensuring all cars conform to the rulebook, inspections of the car by NASCAR officials take place every time that car rolls onto the racetrack.

IROC: The International Race of Champions

ISC: International Speedway Corporation. The company (closely associated with NASCAR) that owns and operates 12 of the racetracks where NASCAR races, including: California Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Kansas Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Phoenix International Speedway, Richmond International Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, Watkins Glen International.

K

"The King": Richard Petty. Err, King Richard Petty. Need we say more?

Kiss the Bricks: The ritual of kissing the yard of bricks that make up the start/finish line of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Usually performed by the winning team of the Brickyard 400.

L

Lapped Car: A car that is a lap or more down to the leader of the race.

Lead Lap: The lap number of the car leading the race.

Lift: 1 The aerodynamic force acting to lift a car into the air. 2 What people call it when a driver takes his foot off the gas pedal.

Loose/Oversteer: A handling condition that has the rear tires wanting to break loose in a corner and spin the car.

Lucky Dog (A.K.A., The Free Pass): Awarded to the highest placed car one lap down to the race leader, it gives permission for that car to drive past the field under caution, past the pace car and go all the way around and rejoin the field at the tail-end of the longest line, but on the lead lap.

Lugnuts: The five nuts that hold the wheel to the car.

M

Marbles: Small to large pieces of rubber that collect on the outside of turns. You don't want them on your tires as they reduce traction.

Mechanical Grip: A term used to describe all the traction that a car has in a corner independent of the traction generated by aerodynamic downforce.

Modern Era: Starting in 1972, with the creation the Winston Cup Series, NASCAR reorganized its top racing division from what was previously the Grand National division. The Winston Cup Series featured a new schedule and points system.

Move Over Flag: A blue flag with a yellow diagonal stripe means to watch your mirrors because faster cars on the lead lap are approaching and you should be prepared to move over and let them by (although they are under no rule-bound obligation to do so).

N

NASCAR: The National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing, founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947 and controlled by his heirs to this day. It is the sanctioning body for all NASCAR races.

NASCAR Busch Series: NASCAR's next-to-top-tier racing series. Busch Series cars are close, but not identical, to Nextel Cup Series cars. They are less powerful, have a longer wheelbase, and can use fewer sets of tires during a race.

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: NASCAR's development racing series that features pickup truck bodies rather than automobile bodies. Craftsman Series trucks are less powerful than Busch Series cars and have higher aerodynamic drag, which keep speeds in check for the less-experienced drivers.

NASCAR Nextel Cup Series: NASCAR's premier racing series featuring the fastest cars and the most talented drivers.

Nomex: The fireproof material worn by drivers to protect them from, well, fire.

O

Oil Pressure: The force generated by an oil pump that keeps engines lubricated. Without it, engines die -- often spectacularly.

One of Them Racin' Deals: A blanket statement made by drivers, usually made in front of a camera, when there's an accident that is either nobody's fault, everybody's fault or anything in between.

Out of Sync: A term used to describe the condition of being on a different pit strategy than that of the leader. Sometimes this is part of a planned race strategy. Sometimes it's thrust upon a team because of an on-track altercation.

Outside Line: The path a driver must take to pass somebody who is keeping his/her car down on at the bottom of the track through the corners.

Owner-Driver: A person who owns the same race car he drives.

Owner Points: Championship points awarded to owners of cars based on how those cars finish in races.

P

Pace Car: The street car or pickup truck that drives in front of the race cars under yellow flag conditions.

Pancaked: A word used to describe a car that smacked hard and flush against the outside wall, resulting in nearly perfectly flat sheet metal and undesirably bent suspension pieces.

Plow: A severe form of Tight / Push / Understeer.

Pit Road: The stretch of paved roadway immediately off the racing circuit that has each race team's pit stall located off to one side, usually to the left.

Pit Position: The location of a car's assigned pit stall along pit road. Pit position is selected by the individual teams with the pole position choosing first and the last-place qualifier choosing last.

Pit Stall / Pit Box: The area allotted to each car/team, along pit road, to conduct pit stops during a race.

Pit Stop: The act of servicing a race car during the race. Typically during a pit stop, fuel is added, tires are changed and, if needed, suspension adjustments are made.

Points: What drivers, owners and manufacturers earn based on the position of a car at the conclusion of a race. These add up all season long to determine championship standings.

Pole Position: The inside front row of all the cars at the start of a race. Pole position is the best possible starting position and is awarded to the fastest qualifier for a race.

Polish Victory Lap: A victory celebration lap driven in the opposite direction than that of the race. It was made popular by 1992 Winston Cup Champion Alan Kulwicki. Since Kulwicki's death in 1993, Polish Victory Laps have been driven in honor of the popular ex-champion.

Purse: The total prize fund to be paid out for a given race.

Push: Also known as tight or understeer. A handling condition characterized by a lack of grip of the front tires. To make a car turn under these conditions, the driver has to put in more steering lock. Doing so causes the front tires -- especially the outside front tire -- to run at a higher temperature and wear out faster.

Q

Quad-Oval: An alternative configuration of the tri-oval, the quad-oval features a squared off front stretch connecting the exit of Turn 4 and the entry to Turn 1.

Qualifying: The process that determines the starting order of a race. During qualifying, cars draw lots to determine qualifying order. Then cars go out one-at-a-time for a banzai lap (or two). The top 35 cars in qualifying speed make the race. Any driver in the top 35 in owners points who is outside the top 35 in times is awarded a starting position. Any other starting positions are determined by those teams with the highest owner points.

Quarter Panel: The part of a car's bodywork that begins at the rear corner of a car and extends forward to where the rear edge of the door would be.