List of NASCAR terms
This article contains a list of terms used in NASCAR motorsport in the United States .
Aero push
Aero Push describes the driving behavior of a NASCAR racing car when cornering that occurs when the vehicle in front is driven too close. The front of the car is no longer flowed properly and the downforce on the front axle is reduced. As a result, the car understeers and pushes ("push") over the front axle to the outside of the curve, which can only be corrected by reducing the speed. In order to counteract this behavior, the following driver can steer his car in an offset manner towards the inside of the curve, so that there is a sufficiently large air flow to generate sufficient downforce. This driving behavior is typical for exiting a curve, when the driver driving ahead pulls inwards from the apex of the curve and thus in front of the airflow of the pursuer.
Aero Loose
Aero Loose describes the driving behavior of a NASCAR racing car that can occur both when cornering and on a straight track. When cornering, the behavior occurs when a racing car is overtaken on the inside of the curve by a chaser at a short distance. When the rear spoiler of the overtaking vehicle is approximately at the level of the passenger compartment, it takes the air from the spoiler of the vehicle that is being overtaken. As a result, the latter loses downforce on the rear axle, causing it to oversteer ("loose").
On a straight road, the situation is that one vehicle approaches another from behind. In doing so, it pushes air under the rear spoiler of the car in front, making it easy on the rear axle and losing downforce.
Apron
The apron is a paved part of an oval race track that separates the race track from the unpaved interior. On almost all routes there is a yellow or white line on the border between the apron and the racing lane. In Daytona and Talladega , a double line indicates that this must not be undershot during overtaking maneuvers, otherwise the driver must then return the position. On other racetracks, the apron is part of the racing area. However, falling below the dividing line on stretches with a strong curve camber is risky, as the apron itself does not have any camber. The racing car can hit the ground and, in the worst case, skid.
Banking
Banking is the slope of the road towards the inside of the racetrack. The word banking means embankment or bank. The banking value is the gradient from the lowest (inner) to the uppermost (outer) part of the lane. For example, if the track rises by 12 degrees in this area, the position has a banking of 12. The banking is different over the course of the route, usually the curves are steeper than the straights. The curves can be equipped with a variable superelevation, in which the superelevation increases towards the outside of the curve. This is intended to ensure that the time required to drive through the curve is as identical as possible, regardless of the choice of line, in order to make the races more exciting.
Beneficiary Rule (Lucky Dog)
The Beneficiary Rule, better known as the "Lucky Dog" rule or "Free Pass", is a rule according to which the driver who was last lapped may lap back when the race is neutralized. It was introduced in 2003 as a replacement for the possibility of rounding back during a “ racing back to the caution ”. In general, every last driver lapped is entitled to make use of this rule, unless less than ten laps of the planned race distance are to be completed, the driver himself triggered the yellow phase or the driver was previously involved because of reckless driving Round deduction punished. If a driver is awarded the Free Pass, he may overtake the pace car and sort himself at the end of the longer of the two lines for the restart.
Bump and run
Bump and run describes a type of overtaking maneuver, which is often used, especially on short track ovals in tight fights for positions. A driver pushes the car in front of him in such a way that his driving behavior is destabilized, so that the driver has to take off the gas or, in extreme cases, the pushed car turns. Outside of short tracks, this maneuver is practically not used or is used unintentionally, as impacting the wall is very likely and also dangerous due to the high speeds.
Bump draft
A bump draft or bump drafting describes a phenomenon that is particularly encountered in restrictor plate races . A subsequent driver drives the person in front up to the bumper and pushes him in the slipstream due to the higher speed. This pushing increases the speed of the person in front, which in turn leads to an increase in the speed of all cars that follow him. Since a vehicle driving alone does not have this advantage, it inevitably cannot drive away from a group of vehicles.
However, bumbdrafting can also lead to dangerous situations. Since the car in front is temporarily lighter on the rear axle when it bumps into it, there is a risk of spinning and the high probability of a mass accident, the so-called " Big One ", due to the cars driving close behind one another . The danger is particularly high when turning into a curve. The driver behind must therefore act carefully and hit the car in front of him in the middle and at the right time.
Bushwhacker
The term "Buschwhacker" describes NASCAR drivers who regularly drive in the Cup series , but also compete in the Xfinity Series , which was called the "Busch (Grand National) Series" until 2007. It is a play on words and a modification of "Bushwhacker", a term from the American Civil War , when groups of so-called Bushwhackers guerrilla-style attacked worthwhile targets of both the Union and the Confederation in order to steal booty. Similar to this approach, critics of this type of competing in two racing series accuse the drivers of competing with the regular drivers of the Busch Series for the prize money. They would also benefit from superior equipment and their experience, as the regular drivers in the Busch Series are often young drivers. On the other hand, there are also voices claiming that without the appearance of the top stars of the cup series, the Nationwide Series would die out in the long term due to a lack of fan interest.
Since the 2011 season, drivers can only score points for the drivers' championship in one of the top 3 NASCAR racing series. Every driver has to choose a racing series before the start of the season.
Camber
Camber is the English name for the camber , i.e. the angle between a plane perpendicular to the road in the direction of travel and the center plane of the wheel. Negative camber means that the tire is closer to the vehicle at the top than at the bottom - the wheel is inclined towards the vehicle. In the case of a positive fall, the opposite is the case: the wheel is tilted away from the vehicle. A negative camber changes the tire contact patch to the extent that it can transmit more lateral force in the direction of the vehicle, which thus results in higher cornering speeds. Since oval races are only driven counterclockwise, a NASCAR racing car can be set up extremely asymmetrically, in which the wheels on the left side of the vehicle are set to a positive camber and those on the right to a negative camber. This allows an additional increase in cornering speed, but also results in a vehicle constantly pulling to the left.
Catch Can
A catch can is a small jug that is used during the refueling process. It is placed on an overflow valve in the tank and catches the overflowing gasoline when refueling, so that it cannot run on the floor or ignite on the vehicle. At the same time, it ensures that the tank is ventilated so that it can be filled up more quickly. Since this is a safety-relevant part, its use was mandatory. With the new tank system in use since 2011, the Catch Can (and the associated mechanic who held it - Catch Man) became superfluous.
Caution
A caution is a yellow phase during the race that can be triggered by accidents or objects on the track. The race is neutralized immediately and the pace car comes onto the track, the pit entrance is closed. The drivers line up behind the pace car, starting with the leader. The pit entrance is reopened before the pace car passes and all drivers have the opportunity to make a pit stop, which leads to less loss of time than in the normal course of the race. As a rule, the cars that are in a lap with the leader are allowed to pit first - one lap later, all lapped cars are also allowed to pits. At the end of a caution, the drivers usually line up in two rows ('double-file-restart') behind the pace car. The leader can choose which line to take. The caution ends with the entry of the pace car into the pit lane and the green flag, which clears the race again.
Competition Caution
A competition caution is a special case of caution. This will be announced for a certain lap before the start of the race. It is usually used to give the field of drivers the opportunity to check tire wear in particular. As a rule, a competition caution is issued if there was hardly any training time due to weather conditions or if the track was cleaned by rain before the race. If a competition caution is issued, you may not refuel beforehand. A driver can, but does not have to, come to the pits as part of the competition caution.
Crew chief
The crew chief is next to the driver himself the most important person in a team. Similar to the team boss in Formula 1 , he heads the team that is responsible for a car. In addition, it is also instrumental in the driver's success. Together with the driver, the crew chief defines the racing strategy and adjusts the racing car to the conditions of the racetrack during the course of the race, so that a top car is available in the decisive phase of the race. Since the racing cars are almost identical in terms of performance, even the smallest changes decide on victory or defeat. Therefore, the experience of the crew chief is extremely important to make the right decision based on empirical values.
Crush panels
Crush panels are metal sheets that seal the passenger compartment. If they are damaged, hot air created under the vehicle by the exhaust system, the brake system or the differential can penetrate into the interior.
Darlington Stripes
With Darlington Stripes ("Darlington Stripes") the traces occurring in relative frequency on the Darlington Raceway on the right outside of the racing car, which arise when contacting the outer wall of the racetrack. Due to the unusual egg-shaped route characteristics, the situation arises that curves 3 and 4 cannot be driven through with one steering movement, as is normally the case, but must be turned in a second time. Since the ideal line is very close to the wall, even minor driving errors lead to a disproportionately large number of wall contacts that leave their stripes on the racing car or on the wall itself. This is where the term Darlington Stripes comes from.
Green-White-Checkered
Green-White-Checkered describes a situation at the end of the race that can occur if the race is neutralized under yellow in the final laps and has been used by NASCAR since 2004. According to this rule, a race should not be completed under yellow, but rather under racing conditions if possible. The basic procedure is as follows: If it can be foreseen that the caution phase would last longer than the planned race distance, the race is extended so that it can be completed under racing conditions. To do this, either additional laps behind the pace car are completed or the race is stopped until the danger has been eliminated. The race is then restarted under green. After a lap, the driver field receives the white flag as a sign of the last lap. The next time the finish line is crossed, the race will be flagged with the black and white checkered flag. Accordingly, this order is referred to as Green-White-Checkered. Until 2009, this rule was only applied once per race. Since the 2010 season, this rule can apply up to three times. After the third and last attempt of a green-white checkered, the race is ended immediately if there is another yellow phase and the stand at the time of neutralization counts.
A distinction must be made between two situations with this rule: Yellow is shown before the start of the last lap or during the last lap. When switching yellow before the start of the last lap, the above general procedure is used. If, on the other hand, yellow is switched in the last lap, the race is over immediately, unless the following peculiarity occurs: If the cause of the yellow phase is behind the leaders of the race and the route to the finish line is free, these drivers can continue to win among themselves move out.
Groove
A groove describes a driving line that a racing driver drives in order to circle the course as quickly as possible. The term is equivalent to that of a racing line on street circuits. Usually there are several grooves on oval courses, the choice of which depends on the condition of the track, weather, configuration of the racing car and the condition of the tires. It is common for a driver to change grooves frequently during a race.
Go or go home driver
Often more teams apply for a race than can actually compete later. This is not just about the performance in qualifying training, but also the successes of the season so far. With this system, only the previously weaker drivers have to worry - for them, "go or go home" applies; analogously "make it or go home". The exact system differs between the three series and has been changed again and again over time.
Currently (from the 2014 season) the 36 fastest of the qualification training in the Sprint Cup are safely qualified for the race; places 37 to 43 go to the most successful teams so far that did not make it into the top 36 of the qualification. As a special case there is the Past Champion Provisional .
In previous years, the first 35 teams in the championship were firmly qualified, while for all of them only time counted. This system was one of the causes of the start-and-park problem. In both smaller series, a fixed system with 30 of 40 (Nationwide Series) and 23 of 36 (Truck Series) teams is still used.
Happy hour
Happy hour is the last training session the day before the race. It lasts exactly one hour and gives the teams the opportunity to vote on the racing cars for the race, as happy hour takes place after qualifying . The happy hour is comparable to the former Formula 1 warm-up training .
Past Champion Provisional
The Past Champion Provisional is a special regulation for former champions in a NASCAR racing series that enables them to participate in a race even though they were unable to qualify through qualifying. The regulation was introduced after Richard Petty failed to qualify for three races in the 1989 season and the fans complained about it massively. Specifically, the Past Champion Provisional presents itself in such a way that exactly one former champion can buy a starting place per race. If two or more former champions cannot qualify in a race, the one whose last championship was earlier will be given the starting position. In the Sprint Cup , a former champion has a total of six Past Champion Provisionals per season, in the Nationwide Series one Past Champion Provisional per six races and unlimited in the Craftsman Truck Series .
Quick Yellow
Quick Yellow describes a rule to keep a race interruption triggered by the yellow flag as short as possible, for example with only a few laps remaining, so that as many laps as possible can be driven under green. All drivers are allowed to drive into the pits at the same time, whereas the drivers who are in the lead lap are normally allowed to drive into the pits first, and one lap later the drivers who have been lapped. Accordingly, an additional round under yellow can be saved by applying the rule. The teams will be informed of the application of the rule before the pit lane is opened.
Racing back to the Caution / Race to the Flag
Racing back to the caution or also race to the flag was a racing situation until 2003 that occurred when the yellow flag was waved, i.e. the race was neutralized. In contrast to European racing series, it should be noted that a yellow flag at NASCAR neutralizes the entire race and does not, as in Formula 1, for example, stipulate an appropriate driving style and a ban on overtaking in the affected area. Up until 2003, the NASCAR regulations stated that neutralization only began when the start and finish line was reached. In practice, this meant that vehicles that had crossed the start and finish line shortly before waving the yellow flag could, in extreme cases, complete a complete lap under racing conditions before they were slowed down by the pace car . This driving from triggering the neutralization to the finish line was called racing back to the caution.
This regulation was particularly interesting for lapped drivers who were directly behind the leader. Overtaking the leader made it possible to lap back. Since the pace car sits directly in front of the leader, the driver who had previously lapped was able to drive away from the pace car and place himself at the end of the field. At the same time, this race for the flag also meant that the cars drove past vehicles that had had an accident at maximum speed, which represented a considerable safety risk. For this reason, NASCAR changed the rules in 2003, according to which the race is immediately frozen by waving the yellow flag. Since this clearly restricted the possibilities of rounding back, NASCAR issued the “ Beneficiary Rule ”, better known as the “Lucky Dog” rule.
Restrictor Plate Race
Restrictor Plate races are a special type of race that can only be found on the two superspeedways in Talladega and Daytona . In these races, the power of the cars, which is usually between 590 and 625 kW (800–850 hp), is reduced to around half by means of air flow limiters - in the English "restrictor plate" - in order to limit the speeds achieved. Without throttling, average speeds of around 220 mph (about 350 km / h) per lap would be achieved on these two routes .
This power reduction leads to a situation in which a single vehicle cannot drive away from the field, as the speed of a group of vehicles driving in a direct line behind one another is significantly higher than that of a car driving alone. This is due to the slipstream . A vehicle that is driving close behind another has less air resistance to overcome and is therefore faster. At the same time it "pushes" air in front of it, which in turn pushes the person in front. A field of several vehicles can thus build up a significantly higher speed. In addition, the speed can be increased even further by " bump drafting ".
Correspondingly, the cars drive most of a race, lined up on a string of pearls, closely spaced. The experience of a driver plays a major role in being in the right position towards the end of the race and in timing the takeover of the lead.
Right front
In the oval races, the right front tire of the car is the most stressed, as there are always left turns. Since the drivers have no telemetry data available, they have to assess the condition of their tires themselves. If the tires are not changed in time, this can mean that the right front tire bursts when driving through a curve. As a rule, this "Right Front" means the uncontrolled impact into the boundary of the route, since from this point on the car often only drives straight ahead. In the television broadcasts, the behavior of the car can usually be seen clearly at what time the tire burst.
Road Course Wrestler
A road course ringer refers to a specialist in racing on road courses, as they are common in Europe, for example. In NASCAR and especially in the Sprint Cup, there are only two races on street courses per season, namely at Watkins Glen International and the Sonoma Raceway . All other races take place on oval racetracks. For this reason, teams whose regular driver is inexperienced on this type of track or who need a good result in qualifying in order to be able to participate in the race at all buy appropriate specialists only for these races.
Roof flap
Roof flaps are small flaps on the roof of the racing car that are intended to prevent it from being lifted off when it is turned at high speeds. The air flowing under the stern can generate so much lift that the car takes off and, in the worst case, overturns. To counteract this, two flaps are mounted on the roof of each NASCAR racing car, which open when it rotates and, as an additional spoiler, generate downforce that is supposed to make it difficult for the car to lift off. To ensure that both open, there is a connection between the chambers in which the flaps are sunk. To do this, the air flows through the connection and presses the other flap open if it is not yet open.
Rookie of the Year
The best newcomer of the season in a NASCAR division is called Rookie of the Year. The Rookie of the Year is set in its own ranking with its own point system, but is still in the normal overall ranking and has the same rights as all other drivers.
See also: NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award
Seven-Post Shaker
The Seven-Post Shaker is a simulator that most major NASCAR teams use to simulate the individual forces acting on the car during a race. The vehicle is placed on seven hydraulic jacks. Four of them simulate the road conditions - the vehicle with its four wheels is on these. The other three imitate the aerodynamics - especially the contact pressure. The process is used to optimally adapt the respective racing car to the different track conditions.
Short pit stop
A pit stop that takes place even though the driver still has fuel on board for more laps. Such a stop can be particularly useful towards the end of the race, for example in order to be able to drive through until the end of the race without a pit stop or to take advantage of fresh tires as early as possible. The risk of such a pit-stop strategy is that a yellow-light phase could occur shortly after the stop. All competitors could then derive a significant advantage from not coming to the pits at racing speed.
Short track
A short track is an oval course that is less than a mile (1.61 kilometers). Most of these short tracks, such as the Bristol Motor Speedway, have the character of a stadium, as they are largely surrounded on all sides by some steeply rising grandstands.
Single file
One speaks of a single file when the cars drive one behind the other in a row and not, as is so often the case in NASCAR, with two or more cars next to each other. If two cars drive next to each other one speaks of a "2-wide", three drive next to each other a "3-wide" and so on.
Spring rubber
A spring rubber is a small flat disc made of rubber that is inserted into the spring of the wheel suspension to change the spring action. Removing a spring rubber will soften the suspension on the corresponding wheel and increase the mechanical grip. The spring rubbers are usually put into the spring before the race because it is easier to pull them out of the spring than to stick them in.
Start and Park
"Start and Park" is the term used to describe the start of a race with the intention of ending it prematurely (usually before the first pit stop) and being satisfied with a lower position. With this method, the team still receives (few) points and money for participation, but saves the risk of an accident and does not have to hire a pit crew. The exact motives can be different - for example, taking away points in order to secure the championship for a teammate or simply to save money in a hopeless situation. Mainly due to the economic crisis and the problem of go or go home drivers , this behavior was widespread until the 2013 season - the backbenchers did not have sponsors and if you no longer had a chance of 35th place in the championship, the points were worthless. In 2014 it seems to be extinct; instead there were repeated cases in which backbenchers were sent back into the race after repairs tens of laps behind. At the race in Las Vegas, 42 of the 43 cars were still in use at the end of the race (the 43rd had irreparable engine damage).
The Big One
The Big One describes a mass accident at NASCAR. The probability of such a mass accident occurring is very high, especially in the case of restrictor plate races, since, on the one hand, they are driven at high speeds and the individual cars drive very close to one another. A slight collision or accident of a car in the middle of the crowd almost always results in a Big One.
Tight / loose
Tight or loose describes the driving behavior of the racing car. In contrast to other racing series, the technical terms understeer and oversteer are not used, but rather a vehicle that is understeering, i.e. pushing over the front axle, is called "tight". A vehicle that oversteers, i.e. one where the rear end tends to constantly restlessly and break away, is referred to as “loose”. The classic technical terms are often unknown in NASCAR.
Track bar
Track bar is another term for a panhard bar , which in a NASCAR racing car is connected to the rear rigid axle on the left side of the vehicle on the spring and on the right side of the vehicle to the body. Its configuration can be changed by the team during the race using a long crank at the pit stop that is inserted into a hole in the rear window. If the suspension point on the body is shifted upwards, i.e. the track bar is raised, the body shifts to the left to the inside of the curve due to the fixed length of the bar and thus increases the roll center of the car. The driving behavior changes from tight to loose. In the opposite direction, the body shifts towards the outside of the curve and reduces the roll center. The rear axle gets more grip and the handling changes from loose to tight.
Valance
The lip at the lower end of the front apron is known as valance. It is made of metal and can be adjusted in height. It is crucial for the race that the Valance itself is parallel to and as close as possible to the roadway during the race, as it generates a large part of the downforce on the front axle. The smaller the distance between the road and the valance, the greater the downforce generated.
With the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow in the Sprint Cup, the valance in the Cup cars was replaced by a front splitter, a kind of wing below the bumper. The principles of the configuration have remained identical, however.
Wedge
Wedge describes the weight ratio of a NASCAR racing car between the left front and right rear wheels versus the right front and left rear wheels. In particular, Wegde refers to the weight on the right front and left rear wheels. This ratio or weight can be changed during a race by a team member during a pit stop. There are two holes in the rear window into which a long crank is inserted. By turning the crank, the preload of the spring is changed on the respective side and the vehicle rises or falls on the corresponding diagonal, or the weight increases or decreases.
The change is made in full or half turns of the crank. “Adding a round of wedge” means that more weight is placed on the diagonal front right - rear left, which makes the car “tight”, i.e. understeering. “Taking a round of wedge out” has exactly the opposite effect: the weight on the diagonal front left - rear right is increased and the car becomes “loose”, that is, oversteering.
Web links
- NASCAR 101 - The 1 × 1 in NASCAR sport
- Entry of Nascar technical terms at the broadcaster Servus.TV (German)
http://www.petefink.com/Pete_Fink.html http://www.motorvision.de http://www.nascar.com/en_us/sprint-cup-series.html