Drag Racing

NHRA offers more than 200 classes of vehicles. That are grouped into 13 categories, or
eliminators classes. The Class is based on various requirements and specifications. This includes:
type of vehicles, engine, weight, modifications, aerodynamics.

The POWERAde Four Professional categories are:

Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro-Stock, and Pro-Stock Bike

The Lucas Oil Series consists of:

Top Alcohol Dragster, Funny Car, Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street

Comp, Super Stock, and Stock. Other catagories include Bracket and Import series. Make up a
variety of classes that are equalized by handicap racing.

Air Box: Used primarily on Pro-Stock Bikes to
settle "negative air" around carb.

Air Foil: A rear wing used to create down force,
to increase stability.

Bang the Blower: Explosion inside the
supercharger caused by a flame from the
combustion process that re-entered the
supercharger, where fuel and air is present
Usually caused by a open intake valve.

Breakout: Used in handicap racing, refers to a
contestant running quicker then dial in time.

Burndown: A starting line battle between
drivers, where neither driver fully stages to begin
the race. The chief starter rarely likes this and
could disqualify both cars. The drivers do this in
trying to break each other's concentration.

Burned Piston: When a cylinder runs lean(to
much air) and excessive heat builds up causing
piston to burn/melt.

Burnout: The process of spinning the rear tires
to generate heat thereby, increasing traction.

Christmas Tree: A electronic device used to
start the race. Using calibrated-lights to
countdown to the green light. (see Full Tree)

Clutch Can: Slang name for bellhousing, used
to house clutch and flywheel.

Clutch Dust: A carbon dust created during
clutch lockup.

Clutch Lockup: A progression of the clutch-disc
engaging during a run controlled by an air timer
system.

Dead-On: A run that concludes with the ET
matching what the driver predicted (dial in)

within 1/100 of a second. A prediction matching
to 1/1000 of a second is perfect.

Deep Stage: When a driver rolls into staging
lights a few inches farther.

Delay Box: An electronic device used to improve
reaction time. Allows driver to initiate the run by
releasing a button rather then depressing the
throttle by foot at the first flash of the starting
lights. The unit is actuated by a timer and can be
adjusted to 1/1000 of a second.

Dial-In: The time that a driver predicts that
he/she's car will run. This time is posted on the
car in a position where the starter can read it.

Dial-Under: Used in handicap categories. When
a selected ET is quicker the national index.

Diaper: A absorbent blanket used to contain oil
and parts incase of an blown engine. Made of
ballistic material, Kevlar.

Displacement: Is the total volume of air/fuel that
a engine is capable of drawing into all cylinders
during one operating cycle..

Dropped Cylinder: To much fuel, prevents spark
plugs from firing a rich condition.

Elapsed Time(ET): The time it takes a vehicle to
travel from start to finish.

Elimination: After qualifying vehicles race two
at a time. Resulting in one winner from each pair.
This continues until one remains.

Foul Start: When a driver leaves before the
green light comes on and a red light flashes.

Fuel Injection: A fuel delivery system that
deliverers fuel under pressure directly into the
combustion chamber.

Full Tree: Used in handicap classes to equalize
competition. The three (3) amber bulbs flash
5/10ths of a second apart followed by the green
light. (See Pro Tree for difference)

Guard Beam: A light beam device located 16"
past the staged beams. It's used to prevent
competitors from blocking the stage beam with
low installed oil pans or headers. If the guard
beam is activated while the staged beam is stilled
blocked, the red foul light comes on and the
offender is disqualified.

Headers: A fine tuned exhaust system.

Hole-shot: When a driver/vehicle react quicker at
the start then their opponent

Hydraulic: when a cylinder fills with too much
fuel, thus prohibiting compression. Result: is
usually a blown engine.

Index: The expected performance for vehicles in a
given class as assigned by NHRA. It allows
various classes of vehicles to race one another.

Interval Timers: Part of the timing system used
by the racer/team to analyze the run. This time is
taken at 60, 330, 660, & 1000 foot markers.

Lift: To end acceleration by lifting foot off
throttle

Methanol: Pure methyl alcohol produced by
synthesis.

Nitromethane: Produced specifically as a drag
racing fuel. It is the result of chemical reaction
between nitric acid and propane.

Pre-Stage: To position front wheels about 7"
behind starting line. The small yellow light atop
the driver side tree is turned on. The next step is
to stage. This will turn on the 2nd bulb atop the
tree(see Deep Stage & Home Page).

Pro Tree: Used in the professional classes to
start race. All (3) amber lights flash
simultaneously, followed by the green light 4ths
of a second later. (see Full Tree for contrast)

Reaction Time: The time it takes for a driver and
vehicle to react to the green light.

Rev Limiter: An electronic device that restricts
the RPM of an engine in order to minimize
damage. The limiter disrupts the spark plugs
firing by a preset RPM chip module

RPM: Revolutions Per Minute measured by the
speed of the crankshaft

Sixty Foot Time: The time it takes for a vehicle to
travel the 1st 60'. Most important to the driver
and crew. This info helps to set-up car.

Slider Clutch: A multi-disc clutch designed to
slip until a predetermined RPM.

Speed Trap: The final 66' to the finish line where

speed is recorded.

Stage: See Christmas tree, Deep Stage, Full Tree,
and Pro Tree

Strip: The finish line

Supercharger: A crank-driven air/fuel mixture
compressor, known as a Blower. Increases
atmospheric pressure in a engine to produce more
horsepower.

Turbocharger: An exhaust driven intake air
compressor. See Supercharger

Weight Transfer: Upon acceleration, the front
end lifts causing weight to be transferred to the
rear wheels. This shift of weight plans the rear
wheels to the track and helps to prevent wheel
spin.

Wheelie Bars: Used to prevent excessive front
wheel lift

This is a racing series designed to afford youths as young as 8 years old the chance to compete in
drag racing. They are paired up against their peers in replica models of the Pro class. The distance is
set at 1/8 mile.

Their permitted a single cylinder, four stroke, five hp engines. The competition is setup as a ET
Handicap racing. This means dialing in your time you believe your car will run. The engine
modifications are almost unlimited, fuel can be either gas or methanol.

Drivers 8-9 years old are restricted to running 12.90 or slower.

Drivers 10-12 are held to 8.90 or slower

Drivers 13-17 may run as quick as 7.90 in the 1/8 mile

To obtain a complete rule book call NHRA (626) 914-4761

You use racing fuel as an after shave.

You treat a traffic light, like a Christmas Tree.

During the off season you sit in the race car making engine sounds and pretend to shift gears.

You take an old tire off of one of the many cars in your drive way. Then proceed to take a
torch to it and inhale the tire smoke.

You take your wife or girl friend out to a fine restaurant and when she gets up to go the ladies
room, you commence to draw on the table cloth the new engine design. She comes back and
catches you drawing this engine that she had no idea existed. You then say, it's for a friend.

You go to the Drag Strip on your first date, true love would be if she suggested it. That's
when you find a old beer tap ring and propose.

Your wife says she expecting and you think that it means, she expects you to win the next
round.

You can find your way to any drag strip, but get lost going to your in-laws.

You think about racing every 4.87 seconds.

You know that POWERade is a drink and not, a new kitchen appliance.

You know that "Breakout" refers to a driver running quicker then their dial in time, it's not a
prison escape.

You refer to a "Diaper" as an absorbent blanket used to contain oil and parts incase of a
blown engine. Not something you put on a baby even though, they both contain similar stuff,
Oh No!

ET to you means Elapsed Time not Extra Terrestrial.

Weight Transfer, refers to the front end lifting causing weight to be transferred to the rear
wheels....... It's not a new wave diet!

You use 10w 40 engine oil for bath oil