Diamond Jim Racing
Racing throughout the WorldRace Definitions and Terminology
Bang the Blower: An explosion inside the supercharger caused by a flame from combustion process accidentally re-entering the supercharger, where fuel and air are present. Generally caused by a stuck or broken intake valve that normally would be closed during the combustion stage.
Breakout: Used only in handicap racing, “breakout” refers to a contestant running quicker than he or she “dialed” his or her vehicle (predicted how quick it would run). Unless the opponent commits a more serious foul (e.g., red-lights, crosses the centerline, or fails a post-race inspection), the driver who breaks out loses. If both drivers break out, the one who runs closest to this or her dial is the winner.
Burned Piston: When a cylinder runs lean (too much air in the air-to-fuel mixture) and excessive heat burns or melts the piston.
Burnout: Spinning the rear tires in water to heat and clean them prior to a run for better traction. A burnout precedes every run.
Christmas Tree: Also called the Tree, it is the noticeable electronic starting device between the lanes on the starting line. It displays a calibrated-light countdown for each driver.
Clutch Lockup: The progression of clutch-disc engagement controlled by an air-timer management system.
Deep Stage: To roll a few inches farther into the beams after staging, which causes the pre-stage lights to go out. In that position, the driver is closer to the finish line but dangerously close to a foul start.
Dial under: When drivers in Super Stock (handicap categories) select an elapsed time quicker than the national index. Drivers select a dial-under, or e.t. that they think their cars will run based on previous performance. The breakout rule is in effect.
Dropped cylinder: When a cylinder runs too rich (too much air in the air/fuel mixture) and prevents the spark plug(s) from firing.
Elapsed time: The time it takes a vehicle to travel from the starting line to the finish line. Also called e.t.
Eliminations: After qualifying, vehicles race two at a time, resulting in one winner from each pair. Winners continue in tournament-style until one remains.
Foul start: Indicated by a red light on the Christmas tree when a care has left the starting line before the green light, or starting signal.
Funny Car: With aerodynamically enhanced carbon-fiber bodies that loosely resemble the production cars on which they are based, these supercharged, fuel-injected, nitromethane-burning machines travel the quarter-mile in 4.7 seconds at more than 325 mph, slightly slower than a Top Fuel dragster. Most teams use an aluminum version of the 426 Chrysler Hemi engine that produces an estimated 8,000 horsepower.
Header(s): A fine-tuned exhaust system that routes exhaust from the engine; replaces conventional exhaust manifolds.
Hemi: A Hemi engine has a hemispherical shaped cylinder-head combustion chamber, like a ball cut in half.
Holeshot: When a driver reacts quicker to the Christmas tree to win a race against an opponent with a quicker e.t.
Index: The expected performance for vehicles in a class as assigned by NHRA. It allows various classes of cars in the same category to race together competitively.
Jr. Dragster: A half-scale version of a Top Fuel dragster designed to be driven by kids ages 8-17 in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League. Using a five-horsepower, single-cylinder engine, a Jr. Dragster can go as fast as 80 mph in as few as 7.90 seconds on the eighth-mile.
Methanol: Pure methyl alcohol produced by synthesis; used in Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars.
Nitromethane ("nitro"): Made specifically as a fuel for drag racing, it is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane. Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars use nitromethane.
Nitrous Oxide ("nitrous," "N2O"): When injected into an engine under pressure, nitrous oxide gives the engine a sudden boost in power by introducing more oxygen into the fuel mixture.
Pre-stage: To position the from wheels about seven inches behind the starting line so the small yellow lights atop that driver’s side of the Christmas Tree are glowing. The next step is to stage and be ready to race.
Pro Stock: Pro Stock cars look a lot like street cars, but looks can be deceiving. Extensive modifications to the cylinder heads, manifold, chassis, and suspension thrust them to 6.7-second elapsed times at more than 200 mph. The most popular engine choices for these carbureted, gas-burning vehicles are the GM big-block wedge, the Mopar Hemi, and the Ford wedge.
Pro Stock Bikes: Producing more than 300 horsepower, these highly modified motorcycles can cover the quarter-mile in less than 7.1 seconds at more than 190 mph. The chromoly steel chassis is cloaked in a lightweight, aerodynamically enhanced replica of the original motorcycle body, and the carbureted gasoline engine may be a Harley V-twin, a two-valve, or a four-valve.
Reaction time: The time it takes a driver to react to the green starting light on the Christmas Tree, measured in thousandths of a second. The reaction-time counter begins when the last amber light flashes on the Tree and stops when the vehicle clears the stage beam. A perfect reaction time is .000.
Red Light: When a race car leaves the starting line too soon — before the green light, or "go" signal — it activates the red light on the Christmas Tree and the driver has automatically lost the race.
Sixty-foot time: The time it takes a vehicle to cover the first 60 feet of the race track. It is the most accurate measure of the launch from the starting line, and in most cases, determines how quick the rest of the run will be.
Stage: To position the front wheels right on the starting line so the small yellow lights below the pre-stage lights are glowing. Once both drivers are staged, the calibrated countdown (see Christmas Tree) may begin.
Supercharger: A crank-driven air/fuel-mixture compressor, also called a blower. It increases atmospheric pressure in the engine to produce more horsepower.
Top Fuel Dragsters: The fastest-accelerating vehicles in the world, these are the most recognizable of all drag race cars. The 25-foot-long landlocked missiles can cover the quarter-mile in 4.4 seconds at speeds faster than 330 mph. The engine of choice is an aluminum version of the famous Chrysler Hemi. The supercharged, fuel-injected nitromethane-burning engines produce an estimated 8,000
Wheelie bar(s): Used to prevent excessive front-wheel lift.
Breakout: Used only in handicap racing, “breakout” refers to a contestant running quicker than he or she “dialed” his or her vehicle (predicted how quick it would run). Unless the opponent commits a more serious foul (e.g., red-lights, crosses the centerline, or fails a post-race inspection), the driver who breaks out loses. If both drivers break out, the one who runs closest to this or her dial is the winner.
Burned Piston: When a cylinder runs lean (too much air in the air-to-fuel mixture) and excessive heat burns or melts the piston.
Burnout: Spinning the rear tires in water to heat and clean them prior to a run for better traction. A burnout precedes every run.
Christmas Tree: Also called the Tree, it is the noticeable electronic starting device between the lanes on the starting line. It displays a calibrated-light countdown for each driver.
Clutch Lockup: The progression of clutch-disc engagement controlled by an air-timer management system.
Deep Stage: To roll a few inches farther into the beams after staging, which causes the pre-stage lights to go out. In that position, the driver is closer to the finish line but dangerously close to a foul start.
Dial under: When drivers in Super Stock (handicap categories) select an elapsed time quicker than the national index. Drivers select a dial-under, or e.t. that they think their cars will run based on previous performance. The breakout rule is in effect.
Dropped cylinder: When a cylinder runs too rich (too much air in the air/fuel mixture) and prevents the spark plug(s) from firing.
Elapsed time: The time it takes a vehicle to travel from the starting line to the finish line. Also called e.t.
Eliminations: After qualifying, vehicles race two at a time, resulting in one winner from each pair. Winners continue in tournament-style until one remains.
Foul start: Indicated by a red light on the Christmas tree when a care has left the starting line before the green light, or starting signal.
Funny Car: With aerodynamically enhanced carbon-fiber bodies that loosely resemble the production cars on which they are based, these supercharged, fuel-injected, nitromethane-burning machines travel the quarter-mile in 4.7 seconds at more than 325 mph, slightly slower than a Top Fuel dragster. Most teams use an aluminum version of the 426 Chrysler Hemi engine that produces an estimated 8,000 horsepower.
Header(s): A fine-tuned exhaust system that routes exhaust from the engine; replaces conventional exhaust manifolds.
Hemi: A Hemi engine has a hemispherical shaped cylinder-head combustion chamber, like a ball cut in half.
Holeshot: When a driver reacts quicker to the Christmas tree to win a race against an opponent with a quicker e.t.
Index: The expected performance for vehicles in a class as assigned by NHRA. It allows various classes of cars in the same category to race together competitively.
Jr. Dragster: A half-scale version of a Top Fuel dragster designed to be driven by kids ages 8-17 in the NHRA Jr. Drag Racing League. Using a five-horsepower, single-cylinder engine, a Jr. Dragster can go as fast as 80 mph in as few as 7.90 seconds on the eighth-mile.
Methanol: Pure methyl alcohol produced by synthesis; used in Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Alcohol Funny Cars.
Nitromethane ("nitro"): Made specifically as a fuel for drag racing, it is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane. Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars use nitromethane.
Nitrous Oxide ("nitrous," "N2O"): When injected into an engine under pressure, nitrous oxide gives the engine a sudden boost in power by introducing more oxygen into the fuel mixture.
Pre-stage: To position the from wheels about seven inches behind the starting line so the small yellow lights atop that driver’s side of the Christmas Tree are glowing. The next step is to stage and be ready to race.
Pro Stock: Pro Stock cars look a lot like street cars, but looks can be deceiving. Extensive modifications to the cylinder heads, manifold, chassis, and suspension thrust them to 6.7-second elapsed times at more than 200 mph. The most popular engine choices for these carbureted, gas-burning vehicles are the GM big-block wedge, the Mopar Hemi, and the Ford wedge.
Pro Stock Bikes: Producing more than 300 horsepower, these highly modified motorcycles can cover the quarter-mile in less than 7.1 seconds at more than 190 mph. The chromoly steel chassis is cloaked in a lightweight, aerodynamically enhanced replica of the original motorcycle body, and the carbureted gasoline engine may be a Harley V-twin, a two-valve, or a four-valve.
Reaction time: The time it takes a driver to react to the green starting light on the Christmas Tree, measured in thousandths of a second. The reaction-time counter begins when the last amber light flashes on the Tree and stops when the vehicle clears the stage beam. A perfect reaction time is .000.
Red Light: When a race car leaves the starting line too soon — before the green light, or "go" signal — it activates the red light on the Christmas Tree and the driver has automatically lost the race.
Sixty-foot time: The time it takes a vehicle to cover the first 60 feet of the race track. It is the most accurate measure of the launch from the starting line, and in most cases, determines how quick the rest of the run will be.
Stage: To position the front wheels right on the starting line so the small yellow lights below the pre-stage lights are glowing. Once both drivers are staged, the calibrated countdown (see Christmas Tree) may begin.
Supercharger: A crank-driven air/fuel-mixture compressor, also called a blower. It increases atmospheric pressure in the engine to produce more horsepower.
Top Fuel Dragsters: The fastest-accelerating vehicles in the world, these are the most recognizable of all drag race cars. The 25-foot-long landlocked missiles can cover the quarter-mile in 4.4 seconds at speeds faster than 330 mph. The engine of choice is an aluminum version of the famous Chrysler Hemi. The supercharged, fuel-injected nitromethane-burning engines produce an estimated 8,000
Wheelie bar(s): Used to prevent excessive front-wheel lift.
