| Did you know that
in drag racing terminology E.T. stands for elapsed time? Know more about
such words and start speaking the drag racing lingo!
Burnout - spinning
of rear wheels at high RPM in water to heat and clean tire rubber prior
to a run, resulting in increased traction.
Christmas tree
- an electronic starting device incorporating calibrated lights displaying
a visual countdown for each driver, activated by a designated official.
Deep Staged
- a driver is deep staged when, after staging, he or she rolls a few
inches farther, which causes the pre-stage light to go out, a position
in which the driver is closer to the finish line but dangerously close
to a foul start.
Dial-In - in
handicap racing, the elapsed time selected by the driver that is usually
the car's most consistent qualifying time; having a car dialed-in generally
means the driver or crew is satisfied with the car's performance.
Dropped Cylinder
- a cylinder becomes too rich (too much fuel in the air-to-fuel mixture),
which prevents the spark plug(s) from firing.
E.T. - elapsed
time; the total time it takes to go from starting line to finish line.
Foul Start
- when a car leaves the starting line before the green light starting
signal.
Holeshot -
starting-line advantage achieved by the quicker reacting driver.
Nitromethane
- produced specifically as a fuel for drag racing, it is the result
of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane.
Reaction Time
- the time it takes for 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 staged beam.
Staged - a
driver is staged when the front wheels of the car are on the starting
line and the small yellow light below the pre-staged light on his or
her side of the Christmas tree is illuminated; once a driver is staged,
the calibrated countdown of the amber lights leading to the green start
light may begin at any time.
Supercharger
- crank-driven air/fuel compressor (blower), raises atmospheric pressure
in engine resulting in added horsepower.
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