Basic NASCAR Terminology

To truly appreciate a NASCAR event, it helps to understand all the NASCAR terminology and jargon that gets tossed around by fans, drivers, mechanics, announcers and fans. This is a small guide to the more commonly heard terms in NASCAR.

Black Flag: The black flag indicates that a car must pit in within five laps. Black flags can be issued for penalties or problems with the car the driver may not be aware of (dropping debris, smoking, etc.) Failure to obey a black flag can result in disqualification.

Caution (Yellow) Flag: Normally seen after an accident, the Yellow flag indicates some sort of hazard on the track. It could be debris from a car, fluid, trash, animals or even weather related. During a yellow flag, cars must not pass each other unless instructed and must stay behind the pace car.

Drafting: Drafting occurs when a car is running nearly bumper to bumper. The lead car has to do most of the work displacing the air ahead of it. The car in the back basically rides in a partial vacuum created by the front car. This vacuum allows the car to use less fuel to maintain speed since there is much less air resistance. Some teams intentionally draft each other to help each other out.

Loose: If you ever saw "Days of Thunder" you may recall the line "Loose is fast and on the edge of out of control." When a car is loose, it means the rear tires are losing traction and the car starts to oversteer. This leads to skids and spinouts. If you ever watch drift racing, you are watching the results of a "loose" car.

Marbles: "Marbles" are actually bits of tire that have worn off during the course of a race. These generally get pushed to the outside of the track by air displaced by traffic. While generally not a problem, they can pose a hazard to cars that run over them during a turn. In a turn, these marbles of rubber can cause a car to lose traction and skid.

Pit Stop/Stall/Road/Crew: A pit stop is where a car pulls into its pit lane for some form of service. The pit is the area where cars can go to receive fuel, tires and needed repairs/adjustments. Pit lane/road is the road that runs along the pit areas. Pit roads are usually located along a straightaway. Each car has a designated pit area. Each pit area is run by a pit crew, ranging from five to twenty men.

Red Flag: Total stoppage of the race, including pit activity. Red flags are usually the result of a particularly bad accident or a weather delay.

Restrictor Plate: This is an aluminum plate with holes in it that is installed in the engine. It slows down the rate that air and fuel can be combusted, thus "restricting" the power of the engine. If restrictor plates were not used, the cars would generally be capable of operating at unsafe speeds.

Roof Flaps: This is a flap on the roof of the car that lifts up if the car spins. Due to the aerodynamics of a stock car, they are capable of lifting off the ground when there is uninterrupted air flowing over the top. This flap stops that from occurring and in turn, prevents a possible airborne car.

Short Track: A track that is less than a mile in length. Generally oval.

Superspeedway: A track that two or more miles in length. Superspeedways are generally oval.

Tight: When a car is "tight" it means that the front tires are losing traction. This leads to understeer. Basically, the car is not steering as crisply as it should be. This generally leads to cars hitting the wall because they are not steering as precisely as expected

Tri-Oval: A variation of a standard oval raceway. A tri-oval has a fifth turn added along the track on the opposite side of the main straightaway. This gives the appearance of a hump when viewed from the air.

To truly appreciate a NASCAR event, it helps to understand all the NASCAR terminology and jargon that gets tossed around by fans, drivers, mechanics, announcers and fans. This is a small guide to the more commonly heard terms in NASCAR.

Black Flag: The black flag indicates that a car must pit in within five laps. Black flags can be issued for penalties or problems with the car the driver may not be aware of (dropping debris, smoking, etc.) Failure to obey a black flag can result in disqualification.

Caution (Yellow) Flag: Normally seen after an accident, the Yellow flag indicates some sort of hazard on the track. It could be debris from a car, fluid, trash, animals or even weather related. During a yellow flag, cars must not pass each other unless instructed and must stay behind the pace car.

Drafting: Drafting occurs when a car is running nearly bumper to bumper. The lead car has to do most of the work displacing the air ahead of it. The car in the back basically rides in a partial vacuum created by the front car. This vacuum allows the car to use less fuel to maintain speed since there is much less air resistance. Some teams intentionally draft each other to help each other out.

Loose: If you ever saw "Days of Thunder" you may recall the line "Loose is fast and on the edge of out of control." When a car is loose, it means the rear tires are losing traction and the car starts to oversteer. This leads to skids and spinouts. If you ever watch drift racing, you are watching the results of a "loose" car.

Marbles: "Marbles" are actually bits of tire that have worn off during the course of a race. These generally get pushed to the outside of the track by air displaced by traffic. While generally not a problem, they can pose a hazard to cars that run over them during a turn. In a turn, these marbles of rubber can cause a car to lose traction and skid.

Pit Stop/Stall/Road/Crew: A pit stop is where a car pulls into its pit lane for some form of service. The pit is the area where cars can go to receive fuel, tires and needed repairs/adjustments. Pit lane/road is the road that runs along the pit areas. Pit roads are usually located along a straightaway. Each car has a designated pit area. Each pit area is run by a pit crew, ranging from five to twenty men.

Red Flag: Total stoppage of the race, including pit activity. Red flags are usually the result of a particularly bad accident or a weather delay.

Restrictor Plate: This is an aluminum plate with holes in it that is installed in the engine. It slows down the rate that air and fuel can be combusted, thus "restricting" the power of the engine. If restrictor plates were not used, the cars would generally be capable of operating at unsafe speeds.

Roof Flaps: This is a flap on the roof of the car that lifts up if the car spins. Due to the aerodynamics of a stock car, they are capable of lifting off the ground when there is uninterrupted air flowing over the top. This flap stops that from occurring and in turn, prevents a possible airborne car.

Short Track: A track that is less than a mile in length. Generally oval.

Superspeedway: A track that two or more miles in length. Superspeedways are generally oval.

Tight: When a car is "tight" it means that the front tires are losing traction. This leads to understeer. Basically, the car is not steering as crisply as it should be. This generally leads to cars hitting the wall because they are not steering as precisely as expected

Tri-Oval: A variation of a standard oval raceway. A tri-oval has a fifth turn added along the track on the opposite side of the main straightaway. This gives the appearance of a hump when viewed from the air.

Sources

http://www.automedia.com/NASCAR_Terminology/pht20070401np/2

http://www.stagefronttickets.com/nascar/nascar_terms.html

http://www.nascar-memorabilia.com/nascar-dictionary.html

http://nascar.about.com/od/nascar101/ss/flagsofnascar.htm