A
Air Foil ....A dirty great big wing thing stuck on back of car to stabilise the car and stop it from flying off at high speeds...creates 'downforce' to keep tyres stuck to the track...hopefully....

Amber Lights .......These are part of the DragRacing TREE...they are used to warn the racer that the race is about to start...bit like red for ready...amber for steady...and green for go...
If the racer sets off before the green...knackered...false start...
There is a difference in timing between the lights depending on which TREE is being used for particular races.
The Pro-start Tree has .4 sec delay before the tree hits green...
Bracket racing has a .5 delay between each light (red/amber/green)

Arsehole - Someone who pranged my beloved Mopar, ProZac when I wasn't around to kill 'em.

B

Ballast ...Weight positioned front/rear to help a car get into a certain Class of racing...or if the driver is a mega-pie eater it helps to stabilise car....

Blower....AKA a SuperCharger....It's the thing that compresses the air and fuel going into the oily bits of the engine. Compressing the incoming air-fuel increases the HorsePower....don't ask why until I've figured it out...

Breakout...... Jailbreak??.. to quote gorgeous hunk Sharky of EuroDragster.com...'it's going quicker than you should have'...as jailbreak means escaping of getting out of confinement...a breakout happens when a racer is outside the confinement/restrictions of the particular Class entered...
It's a Class thing....classes Basically...when a racer/car enters a particular class they are governed by the times set down for that particular class....if they exceed the times for that class....they lose the race...unless both drivers in that particular class both 'breakout' then the driver who is closest to the class/dial time will win...

• 9.90 - Supergas racing class
• 10.90 - Index Racing Class
• 8.90 -SuperComp
• Bracket Racing class - the driver predicts/dials in the time she/he will do in the race. The first to the finish line does not necessarily win the race if the slower car hits his predicted time and the faster one doesn't.

Bump Spot ...If a 'qualified driver' (one who 'qualified' to enter that particular field/class of racing) finishes last in the pack they can be 'bumped' (kicked out/replaced) out of that field if someone who didn't 'qualify' does a better time than the 'qualified driver'.

Burndown........Start line psychology where our racing heroes try to break each others concentration so one of 'em screws up....

Burn-out...Whilst at the start racers rev their cars simultaneously applying the brakes. This causes the wheels to rev and burn a layer of the tyres which softens them to help traction, adhesion and faster getaway.

Burned Piston....Oh dear...can be caused by too much air in the air-fuel mixture i.e. it runs too lean...producing too much heat in the combustion chamber/cylinder ergo buggering up the piston...
Nitrous Oxide can fry the pistons...

C

Cherry.....Foul start...going before the green light..

Christmas Tree....The Tree is an electronic device used at the start line. It's calibrated to record lighting sequences (countdown) of the race. Very accurate to .0001 of a second. It tells the racers if someone has 'cherried' and records 'reaction time'.....looks like a tree.

Chutes..........Short for parachute. High speed cars utilise a 'chute' to aid braking at speed.

Clutch Can .........A bell-shaped device that 'houses' the clutch and flywheel. The 'bell housing'.

Clutch Dust .........Black smoke that is a by-product of friction/erosion of carbon clutch discs in many professional race cars...seen at the rear of cars if they are fully engaged...smell is unmistakable.

D

Deep Staged .........Where a racer positions the car slightly over the start line but still maintains official staged status...either accidentally or to try and get reaction time advantage......can lead to a foul start....

Delay Box...Electric device designed to improve reaction time. It permits a racer to initiate the run through releasing a button by hand instead of flooring the throttle by foot when the lights change....

Dial In ........The time anticipated for that car to cover the 1/4 or 1/8 mile distance from start line to finish. Usually measured to within 1/100th of a sec. Used as a form of handicapping cars in elimination races. When 2 cars race, their respective 'dial in' times are subtracted and the slower car is given the difference in a head start for the race.

Diaper....Blanket made from absorbent and robust material, often Kevlar. It surrounds the Oil pan and serves to contain any engine explosions. Mandatory on Top Fuel DragSters, Funny Cars, Alcohol DragSters and Alcohol Funny Cars....

Displacement.....The theoretical total volume of air/fuel mixture which a specific engine is capable of drawing into all its cylinders during one complete cycle of operation.

Drag Race.......A contest of acceleration between 2 cars over a measured distance (generally over 1/8 or 1/4 mile). However in Bracket Racing which is based on an ET handicap system the slower car gets a head start.

Dropper Cylinder ........ A condition resulting from a spark plug failing to ignite because excess fuel in the combustion chamber extinguishes the spark. This decreases the power output. This condition can be spotted by the fuel spurting out of the cylinder exhaust header.

E

Elapsed Time (E.T.)...The time the car goes from start line to finish line. Usually measured in 1/1000 of a second. When the car breaks/trips the beam at the staging/start line it triggers the ET timer and at the finish line a similar light beam is broken resulting in the time of race car from start to finish.

Eliminations......Basically the loser in a 2 car race is eliminated from the competition. The winner proceeds to the next round until only one car remains to win the competition.

EuroDragster.Com....The most comprehensive, popular, up to the minute DragRacing WebSite in Europe. No one does it better than EuroDragster.Com. The race reports and stunning photographs (that the Rooster nicks frequently) are uploaded the day of racing......

F

Fire Bottles ........ Slang for fire extinguishers.

Foul Start..........The red light on the christmas tree indicates if a car has set off before the green for go light.

Fuel Injection......A system to inject fuel evenly and directly into the airflow system in each cylinder.

Full Tree.....Starting sequence on the christmas tree showing the racers a countdown of 3 amber signals followed by a green starting light at .5 (1/2 sec) intervals.

G

Green Light......The light on the tree that signals go for it to the racer.....

Guard Beam........A beam directed at a photocell located 16 inches past the 'staged beam' to stop a dastardly racer trying to get an unfair start line advantage by blocking the 'staged beam' with an object installed low like an oil pan at the front of the car. If the cad breaks the 'guard beam' and activates it while the 'staged beam' is blocked, the 'red foul' light is activated resulting in automatic disqualification.

H

Handicap........The difference in time between 2 cars in a Bracket Race. The slower car receives a head start based on the difference between the 2 dial - in times. Eg. if car A dials - in at 13.50 and car B dials-in at 12.50, car A will receive a 1 second head start.

Headers..........Fine-tuned exhaust system (pipe stuff) that routes exhaust from the engine. Replaces conventional exhaust manifolds. Quality headers have equal length tubes for each cylinder...

Heads Up....No handicap difference between the 2 race cars. Both cars leave the start line at the same time. Usually the Tree is at .4 sec per light a.k.a. Pro Start.

Hemi....The engine. It utilses a hemispherical - like a ball cut in half - shaped combustion chamber. Exceptionalefficiency if supercharged...Beloved by Hobbit Racing.....

Hobbit Racing.....Cath and Dave (Tig) Napier running an awesome Mopar...The Hobbits are located in Darlington a province of Middle Earth which is situated in the northwest of the UK....click here....

Hole-Shot......Having a quicker 'reaction time' than your opponent resulting from quicker reflexes at the start of the race.

Hydraulic........ Slang term describing extensive engine failure where masses of raw fuel fails to ignite with a cylinder during compression. Liquid cannot be compressed so the force of the piston's compression stoke is directed towards the cylinder head...which then decides to leave the engine or the cylinder wall which too leaves the engine when it really shouldn't

I

Index.........The expected performance in a given class of vehicles as assigned by the governing body for the track. It allows various cars in the same category to race against each other competitively..

Interval Timers.........Part of a secondary timing system that records elapsed times, primarily for the racers' benefit. Timed at 60, 330, 660, and 1,000 feet.

J

John Sleath....Highly competetive racer, good egg and fantastic car builder. Based in the UK website www.john-sleath.com

L

Ladder....Eliminations pairing schedule based on qualifying positions. Some munchkin worked this out. Basically it puts the slowest competitor is paired against the quickest in the opening round. Eg. if the field has 16 qualified cars, numbered 1-16 quickest being number 1 and slowest number 16, the pairing would be the quickest - number 1 against the slowest number 16 and number 2 faces number 15, number 3 faces number 14 etc...

Lane choice.......Is earned by the racer with the superior elapsed time (ET) in the previous round of qualifying or eliminations. He/she gets to choose which lane they want to race in.

Lights........Can be either the starting lights on the christmas tree or the top-end (end part of the strip) 'light's or 'eyes', the photocells near and at the finish line ie. the last 66 feet.

Line-lock...device used to keep fluid pressure applied to the brakes. Used to aid racer performing a start-line burnout.

M

Methanol.........High octane fuel offering excellent acceleration and power. It's the simplest alcohol containing one carbon atom. Pure methyl alcohol synthetically produced is used in Alcohol DragSters, Alcohol Funny Cars and various other classes such as SuperComp and SuperPro.

'Moose'...aka Jon Hollingworth based in the NW of the UK. Drives an awesome Cortina, modified by John Sleath

N

Nitromethane........produced as a fuel for DragRacing. It is the result of a chemical nitration of methane with nitric acid.

Nitrous Oxide Injection..........a system for delivering extra oxygen to the air/fuel mixture to dramatically boost power and efficiency during combustion. It is injected under pressure into the intake manifold at 54 degrees below freezing. The oxygen levels increase by more than 10% above normal whilst the nitrogen acts as a cooloing agent. Judicious use is recommended as too much NOS can melt a piston as several of my chums can testify.

NSCC...National Street Car Challenge....has it's own series in the UK. Open to street driven cars (not twat-hatches). Sponsored by the HRG (HotRod Gazette) it's been the breeding series for many competitive racers who've gone onto more Pro Classes...shouldn't be ignored.... website www.nscc.info

P

Perfect run....Rare occurrence where a bracket racer records a perfect reaction time to within 1/1000the of a second whilst clocking a perfect Elapsed Time (ET) against the predicted dial-in time. Or in my case getting to the finish...

Performance Prediction......The projected ET of a bracket race car to within .01 of a second accuracy for each elimination round. The objective of bracket racing is to beat an opponent to the finish line whilst recording a slower ET than the given prediction thereby defining the parameters in which a contestant must race. The difference between the predictions of the 2 cars in a race determines the handicap advantage given to the slower racer. Racers work out their predictions by evaluating many variables including their engine power, the weather and track traction.

Point Series........ Method of determing the overall champion within each of the sport's Eliminator categories by placing a value/point on performance and achievement at events held during a defined period of time. Value Points are awarded to each driver for entering and competing in each race, their qualifying performance and final finishing position. Points are also added for attaining certified ET's, speed world records and exceptional attendance. These points are then added together and the racer who has the highest points at the end of the series earns the title of champion.

Pre-Stage........A position on the race track seven inches behind the starting line. Once a car's front tyres break a photocell light beam located at this pre-stage line a small yellow bulb is illuminated on the christmas tree of that lane. This warns the racer they are approaching the starting line...see 'staged'

Progressive Times........A series of elapsed times and speeds recorded at specified distances on the race track. Used primarily for tuning oily things and predicting performance. Although the finish line elapsed time and speed are regarded as progressive, each racer also receives a computer print out after each run (time slip) which includes all the other relevant bumph about the run. The slip has has the elapsed times from the starting line; at 60ft (1/88th of a mile), 330ft (1/16th of a mile), 660ft (1/8th of a mile) and 1000ft distance over the 1320ft track. A speed reading is also included at the halfway point 660ft.

Pro Start Tree.....A specific starting sequence on the christmas tree in which contestants view a simultaneous flash of all 3 amber lights followed 4/10ths (0.40) of a second later by the green for go starting light. Heads-up competition.

R

Reaction Time.......Electronically clocked time it takes a driver to 'react' to the green start light on the tree, measured in 1000ths of a second. The reaction time counter begins when the last amber light flashes on the tree and stops when the car clears/breaks the stage beam. On a full tree/handicap tree the time .500sec is considered perfect. The perfect time on Pro-start tree is .400sec.

Red Light.......A racer doesn't want this. It means they've set off before the green light has come on. During competition the racer has fouled and the race goes to the opponent.

Rev Limiter........Electronic unit which limits/restricts the total RPM (rev's per minute) capability of the engine. Used to minimise engine damage from excessive RPM and to maintain RPM consistency during the initial launch from the staring line. The electronics will 'cut out' cylinders at random after the engine RPM tries to exceed a certain point.

RPM.......Engine speed defined by the revolutions per minute of the engine crankshaft. How many times does the blessed thing go through a revolution a minute....

S

Sixty Foot Time......The time it takes a car to cover the first 60ft of the track. It is the most accurate measure of the launch from the starting line; in most cases determining how quick the rest of the run will be.

Slider Clutch....A multi-disc clutch designed to 'slip' until a predetermined rpm is reached. This decreases 'shock load' to the wheels.

Speed Trap.....The final 66feet to the finish line where speed is recorded as an average of the last 66ft of the track. By knowing the weight of a car the speed trap is a good indicator of how much horse-power an engine is making.

Staged......A racer is 'staged' when the front wheels of the car are right on the starting line and the small yellow light below the pre-staged light is glowing. Each car is required to line-up their car at the starting line. Once a car moves forward enough for it's front tyres to block the beam from reaching the photocell on the other side, the car is considered 'staged'. Once both cars have 'staged', the race can begin.

Staging Lanes......Area behind the race track used to line up cars for the round of competition.

Starter.......The designated race official whose duties include the activation of the christmas tree, umpire of each race and Judge of track rule infractions.

Stick Shift....Slang for a gears system/transmission that uses a clutch. Manual operation of gears as opposed to automatic gears.

SuperCharger.....A special compressor usually mounted on top of the engine. Driven by a rubber belt connected to the engine's crankshaft it forces air and fuel into each cylinder at a massive rate thereby dramatically increasing power. Because it simply blows air into the engine it is traditionally referred to as a 'blower'...

SuperCharger Explosion......as the name suggests, extremely violent mechanical failure. Broken/melted intake valve (the valve that lets in the air/fuel) permits a spark plug to ignite the air/fuel mix within the supercharger causing an explosion. Mandatory ballistic blankets are used to contain the shrapnel.

T

Tech Inspector.........Directors of technical inspections, technically the Judges of DragRacing. They verify the legality and safety of every car in the competition. Using lengthy examinations, known as 'tech' they check that the racers are up to spec legally. If a car doesn't pass scrutiny the racer cannot enter it in the racing.

Throttle Stop......Fiddly component which connected to the throttle/accelerator linking bits on the engine starts a timed pneumatic closure of the induction system. Basically it shuts down something. It shuts down the engine at a point during the run before returning to full throttle/acceleration...don't ask me why yet...will have to consult the Oracle of Santa Pod...Sharky of EuroDragster.com

Time Trial........Practice run with no bearing on official qualifying positions...basically it don't count...

Timing Trap.... Area near the end of the track to measure/record vehicles' speed...see speed trap

Transbrake......Device which allows a car to remain stationary even when the motor is under power. Basically works by putting the transmission (gearing system to you and me) in 1st gear and reverse at the same time. Both gears have the same ratio ie. both gears are as powerful (unlike 2nd/3rd/4th etc) however having 'em pull in opposing directions means the car can't move. The transgear brake can be released with a button which releases the reverse gear meaning all the power build up propels the car forward. Fast.

Tree.......The thing at the start of the track that looks like a tree with lights attached ergo christmas tree. Tree have Pre-Stage lights , staged lights, amber lights, green lights and thered for bollock drop light...aka christmas tree.

True Win Margin.......The actual distance between the 2 cars at the finish line, measured by each contestant breaking the final light beam on the track.

TurboCharger......An exhaust driven intake air compressor to boost performance and power as opposed to an air driven supercharger....

W

Water Box.......Area designated for pre-race burnouts. Named after the water trough in which the tyre heating exercise is performed.

Wedge...An engine with a wedge shaped combustion chamber. Doesn't need a parallel intake and valve stems.

Weight Transfer......Critical to traction. Cars are set up to provide a desired weight transfer to the rear wheels. When the car accelerates, the front wheels lift and the weight shifts to the rear wheels, this makes 'em less likely to spin.

Wheelie Bars....Devices placed at the rear of the car to prevent front wheel lift-off.