Final Thesaurus Introduction

Automotive racing, in its various forms, have always been a strong identifiers within the international community. For America, one of its oldest, most well known and unique forms of racing have been that of the drag race. Originally born in the 1930s and 40s on county back roads, the main "drag" of towns, or the Mojave desert in California, drag racing had its more official humble beginnings in the 50s when promoters began organizing their own events. For a relatively small investment, any organizer could put down just over 1/2 a mile of asphalt in two lanes (enough for a water box before and a turn out lane and gravel pit afterwards), add spectator bleachers, a timing light and tower, and then host their own events. Because they provided a legal outlet for automotive enthusiasts to prove their mettle against others, drag racing became wildly popular and developed a large fan base; much of the fans being racers, themselves. The concept and rules of drag racing have always been simple and the same; do whatever you can to your vehicle so as to cross the finish line before your opponent. Besides driving as fast as you can, making your car lighter and increasing power output of your engine has been the name of the game in a "no holds barred" environment. Racing was also popularized by its romanticizing in a variety of novels from the 1940s onwards which also fueled youth's need to go fast.

Even before drag racing became a national obsession, a young boy would have the greatest impact the racing community. An Oklahoma native, Wally Park's family moved to California the 20s where a strong presence of enthusiasts fueled his own interest in cars. In the 1930s he attended his first dry lake speed trial events and was one of the founding members of the Road Runners Club in 1937. After serving in World War II, Wally returned home and maintained his close relationship with the drag racing community, eventually becoming editor of the magazine Hot Rod. It is from his position there that Wally Park formed the first drag racing organization, the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), in 1951 to "create order from chaos" by implementing safety rules and performance standards to help legitimize the sport. Two years later, in April 1953, the NHRA held their first official race at the Los Angeles County Fairground's parking lot in Pomona, California. The next year they hosted the very first "Nationals" race in Kansas. At the turn of the century, the NHRA boasts over eighty thousand members 140 member tracks, over thirty-five thousand licensed racers, and hosts over five thousand events a year.

The NHRA may be the oldest and largest racing organization but they are only one of several which are tailored to specific groups of drag racing enthusiasts. Today there exists hundreds of different racing classes (over 200 within the NHRA alone), each with their own requirements or restrictions on things such as weight, engine size, body styles, and electronics. Not forgoing their roots though, many amateur drag racers still participate in a form of drag racing where the only limitation is how fast your car can go. Bracket racing allows drivers of cars of all different varieties to compete against each other utilizing a "dial-in" handicap system where drivers of slower vehicles get a head start on their competitor equal to the difference in their quarter mile times. In this manner, if each vehicle would theoretically cross the finish line at, or roughly at, the same times. In addition to standard disqualification rules, drivers are also disqualified if they run faster than their posted times, so as to prevent cheating. This form of racing makes winning much more dependent on driving skill than infusion of money in racing parts and has spawned many groups of enthusiast racers over many age groups.

The primary goal of this thesaurus is for the aid of individuals who need assistance in understanding, identifying, or describing automotive drag racing concepts, terms, and objects. It can also be used for indexing purposes to aid in the proper description of textual and visual materials. Because of its stature as a prototype construct, this thesaurus is not wholly comprehensive in scope or coverage and therefore may be void of some important facets. Several different resources were consulted during the creation of this thesaurus, including formal and informal vocabularies, to try and take into account for the wide variety of regional linguistic variations which may exist for many concepts discussed herein.

This prototype thesaurus covers terms categorized into one of several major facets with sub-facets within each where necessary. These major facets are; actions, equipment, fuels, organizations, technical terms, things at the track, types of racing, and types of vehicles.

Actions: Terms within this facet were grouped together because they represent an act which can happen prior to or during a race, itself.

Equipment: Terms within this facet were grouped together because each component is commonly found on a typical drag racing vehicle.

Fuels: Terms within this facet were grouped together based on their usage within the drag racing community to power vehicles.

Organizations: Terms within this facet were grouped together because of their relationship to the sport or overall community of drag racing.

Technical Terms: Terms within this facet were grouped together based on their scientific or unique definitions within the drag racing community.

Things at the Track: Terms within this facet were grouped together because of their physical presence as a component of many drag racing strips and locations.

Types of Racing: Terms within this facet were grouped together because represent the different forms of racing that can take place under the collective banner of drag racing.

Types of Vehicles: Terms within this facet were grouped together based on the physical features of vehicles which partake in drag racing.

Using this Thesaurus

Users of this thesaurus can access terms using two methods; hierarchically and alphabetically. The hierarchical display of terms visually displays the semantic relationship between terms in a broad to narrow focus, whereas the alphabetic display allows users to view terms with their definitions as well as see how they are semantically related with their closest broader, narrower, related terms, and any synonyms.

Regarding the hierarchical display: Major facet categorizations are written in bold text with all the terms that fall into that categorization listed below it in an alphabetical order. Terms are further broken down by the division of 'parent' and 'child' terms via indentation. If the terms immediately below another are indented, then that means that or those words are 'child' terms that maintain the same basic characteristics of its 'parent' term as well as its own unique characteristics. A higher indentation is also representative of a narrow, more specific term or concept whereas terms with less indentation represent broad, more encompassing terms/concepts. Additionally, terms which are enclosed in angle brackets and are italicized are actually not thesaurus terms but are  used to represent a sub-facet of its 'parent' term which further defines the meaning and role of terms which are included in that sub-facet. The following excerpt from the thesaurus demonstrates all of the characteristics discussed above.

Equipment
Chasses
Antiroll bars
Roll bars
Roll cages
Skid plates
Traction bars
Wheelie bars

Regarding the alphabetical display: The alphabetical display for each thesaurus term can be made up of several elements which give both definition to the word as well as show any immediate relationships with other terms or concepts. These elements are; Scope Note, Use, Use For, Broader Terms, Narrower Terms, and Related Terms.

Bottoming out

Breaking out

Breaking the beams

Burning out

Dialing-in

Hole-shooting

Hooking up

Hot lapping

Inspections

Lifting

Locking up

Shutting down

Staging

Deep staging

Wheelies

Wheel standing

Chasses

Roll bars

Roll cages

Skid plates

Traction bars

Wheelie bars

Cockpits

Fire suits

Fuel cells

Ground effects

Roof flaps

Slicks

Traction controls

Windscreens
Fuels

Ethanol fuels

Methanol fuels

Nitro methane fuels

All Harley Drag Racing Association

American Drag Racing Association

American Nostalgia Racing Association

International Hot Rod Association

National Hot Rod Association

Aerodynamics

Bites

Compounds

Disqualify

Downforces

Flat-out

False starting

Horsepowers

Photo finishing

Setups

Torques
Things at the Track

Drag strips

<parts of a drag strip>

Back halves

Beams

Front halves

Starting tree

Pro trees

Standard trees

Traps

Water Boxes

Pits

Time slips

Trap speed

Sixty-foot times

Reaction times

Elapsed Times
Types of Racing

Bracket racing

Class racing

Eliminations

Heads-up racing

Qualifying

Closed-wheel vehicles

Door-slammer vehicles

Funny cars

Open-wheel vehicles

Rails
Alphabetical List

SN: The branch of dynamics that studies the motions of air and other gases, especially with regard to bodies in motion in these substances. The application of this study to racing revolves around learning and understanding drag, air turbulence, and downforce in relation to vehicles.

BT:

RT: Downforces

Ground effects
Roof flaps

Setups

Windscreens

USE: American Drag Racing Association

USE: All Harley Drag Racing Association

SN: Sanctioned North American racing body which began as a racing club in the 1970s. This multi-class organization is open to Harley brand motorcycles.

UF: AHDRA

BT:

RT: American Drag Racing Association

American Nostalgia Racing Association

International Hot Rod Association

National Hot Rod Association

SN: North American Racing Group who advocates “old school” heads-up racing versus modern class- index racing which is standard within most associations.

UF: ADRA

BT:

RT: All Harley Drag Racing Association

American Nostalgia Racing Association

International Hot Rod Association

National Hot Rod Association

SN: A sanctioned racing body featuring vintage style dragsters and door slammers from 1978 and earlier.

UF: ANRA

BT:

RT: All Harley Drag Racing Association

American Drag Racing Association

International Hot Rod Association

National Hot Rod Association

USE: American Nostalgia Racing Association

SN: A bar linking suspension parts which can be adjusted to alter handling characteristics to compensate for tire wear and varying fuel loads.

BT: Chasses

RT: Setups

SN: Used in drag racing to describe the distance from the 1/8 mile mark to the 1/4 mark of the track.

BT:

RT: Back halves

USE: Lifting

SN: A narrow stream of light which crosses the track in each lane and is triggered when a vehicle breaks them. There are several in each lane but the three common ones are the pre-stage, stage, and quarter mile beams

BT:

RT: Breaking the beams

Time slips

Staging

SN: The amount of traction that a race car has at the tires. It is largely dependent upon the tire compound and heat of the tire.

BT:

RT: Burning out

Compounds

Hooking up

Slicks
Bottoming out

SN: When the bottom of a vehicle chassis hits the track.

BT:
Bracket Racing

SN: A type of racing where all cars are grouped together based solely on their estimated 1/8 or 1/4 mile times. For example, a bracket for all vehicles running 10-10.5 seconds.

BT:
RT: Class racing

Eliminations

Heads-up racing

Breaking out

SN: A drag racing term for running quicker than the time you’re “dialed-in” at; if you breakout it is grounds for disqualification if opponent does not also commit a foul.

BT:

RT: Did Not Qualify

Disqualify
Breaking the beams

SN: The act of disrupting the lights which span each lane in drag racing. Breaking a beam activates its corresponding tree light or records the time at a certain distance.

BT:

RT: Beams

Time slips
Burning out

SN: Performed before each run to heat the tires up for better traction; traditionally only seen in drag racing.

BT:

RT: Bites

Compounds

Water boxes

SN: The steel, usually rectangular, frame supported on springs and attached to the axles, that holds the body and motor of an automotive vehicle. Certain racing classes or vehicles may use different materials for chassis construction.

UF: Frame

BT:

Roll bars

Roll cages

Skid plates

Traction bars

Wheelie bars

USE: Starting trees

SN: Groups in which competitors with similar specification vehicles are put in to. Each racing organization body has their own competition classes with varying levels of restrictions.

BT:

RT: Bracket racing

Eliminations
Cockpits

SN: The area where the driver sits in a race car.

BT:
Compounds

SN: Refers to the rubber blend present in a type tires. A softer compound tire provides better traction but wears out much faster than a harder compound tire which doesn't provide as much grip.

BT:

RT: Bites

Burning out

Slicks
Closed-wheel vehicles

SN: The suspension, wheels and tires are mostly covered by the body. Production-based race vehicles such as NASCAR stock cars are examples of closed-wheel cars as opposed to open-wheel "formula" cars.

BT:

Funny cars

RT: Open-wheel vehicles
Deep staging

SN: Rolling a few inches farther into the beams after staging, this causes the pre-stage lights to go out. This puts the car closer to the finish line but increase the risk of red lighting.

BT: Staging

RT: False starting

SN: Drag racing term referring to bracket racing where drivers must estimate or "dial in" the time in which they expect to run. This makes it possible for two unmatched cars in weight and power to compete, by a handicap system. If one runs a faster time than dialed in, it is a breakout.

BT:

RT: Bracket racing

Breaking out
Did Not Qualify

SN: Status for racer who does not or did not qualify for the race.

UF: D.N.Q.

BT:

RT: Disqualify

Inspections

SN: When a competitor is removed from the results, usually in penalty for a technical infringement.

UF: D.Q.

BT:

False starting

SN: Drag racing term used to group vehicles, usually sedan bodied, that still have functional doors for driver access to the vehicle. Funny cars, which have a single lightweight outer body draped over the racing chassis, are not considered “door-slammers”.

BT: Closed-wheel vehicles
Downforces

SN: A force produced by air resistance plus gravity that increases the stability of an aircraft or motor vehicle by pressing it downwards. Indy series vehicles use wings while NASCAR vehicles use front/rear spoilers to create downforce.

BT:

RT: Aerodynamics

Ground effects

Roof flaps

Spoilers
D.N.Q.

USE: Did Not Qualify

SN: A straight, paved track or section of road used for drag racing

BT:

NT: Back halves

Beams

Front halves

Standard trees

Traps

Water Boxes

USE: Rails

USE: Disqualify

USE: Time slips

SN: Used in drag racing depict the total time the run took, from start, to finish. Depictions commonly include ¼ mile times 1/8 mile times

UF: E.T.

BT: Time slips

SN: After qualifying, vehicles race two at a time, resulting in a winner from each pair. Winners advance in the competition until only one remains.

BT:

RT Bracket racing

Class racing

Heads-up racing

Hot lapping

Qualifying

USE: Elapsed times

SN: Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting and distilling starch crops, such as corn. It comes in various blends. Many retail fuels are considered E10 (10% ethanol) and some also carry an E85 blend.

BT:
False starting

SN: indicated by a red light on the starting tree. Occurs when a car has left the starting line before the green light

UF: Red lighting

BT:

SN: The groups of competing cars in any event.

BT:
Fire suits

SN: Fire-resistant clothing which is required apparel for drivers as well as crew members and anyone else in the pits during a race.

BT:
Flat-out

SN: At top speed. Refers to using 100% of the race car and not holding back on the ability of the car in a race. It is the opposite of lifting.

BT:

RT: Lifting

USE: Chasses

SN: A term used to describe the distance from the starting line and first 1/8^th mile.

BT: Drag strips

RT: Back halves

SN: A type of gas tank used in all automotive racing applications because of the strong material construction and safety.

BT:

Funny cars

SN: A type of vehicle used in drag racing with a single-piece, fiberglass body draped over the chassis which is lifted off or rear-hinged to allow the driver access to the cockpit. The term also refers to the racing class which such cars participate in.

BT: Closed-wheel vehicles
Gravel traps

SN: An area at the end of the drag strip which is filled with gravel or sand. Gravel traps are intended to slow down and stop cars that have left the track at speed. Sometimes nicknamed "kitty litter" for its visual resemblance.

BT: Drag strips
Ground effects

SN: A method of creating downforce by the shape of the car's body, notably by shaping the underside of the car in combination with the car's lateral edges in order the trap and dramatically slow the airflow running underneath the car, effectively turning the entire car into a wing.

BT:

RT: Aerodynamics

Downforces

Skid plates

SN: A type of drag racing where both drivers leave at the same time and is used in all professional ("pro") classes. Winner is determined by lowest elapsed time.

BT:

RT: Eliminations

SN: Beating an opponent off the starting line and winning a race despite having an equal or slower elapsed time.

BT:
Hooking up

SN: A drag racing term used to describe good traction between tires and track resulting in increased acceleration and reduced slipping or smoking of tires.

BT:

RT: Bite

Traction control

SN: The power of an engine. Horsepower is calculated by multiplying torque times speed and dividing by a constant based on the unit of measure used

BT:

RT:

SN: In drag racing, hot lapping is a term to describe cars who have just finished a run that have come back to run another lap.

BT:

RT: Eliminations

USE: International Hot Rod Association

SN: A sanctioned drag racing body which was formed in November 1970. Considered one of the pioneers of the drag racing world, the IHRA was the first to start televising live racing events in the early 1980s.

UF: IHRA

BT:

RT: All Harley Drag Racing Association

American Drag Racing Association

American Nostalgia Racing Association

National Hot Rod Association

SN: The process of having a vehicle evaluated by technical inspectors as part of making sure that it qualifies for the class or it is meant to race in.

UF: Teching

BT: < actions>

RT: Technical inspectors
Lifting

SN: To raise or lift your foot of the gas pedal or to gain a competitive advantage by deliberately underperforming during a race.

UF: Backing out

Sandbagging

BT:

RT: Flat-out

SN: When a driver applies the brakes hard enough to cause the tires to “lock up”. Locking up the brakes on a vehicle can ruin the tires by causing flat spots in them. Modern production vehicles use traction control to prevent the brakes from locking up under hard braking.

BT:

RT: Traction controls

SN: A type of high-octane fuel used to in drag racing that is derived from pure methyl alcohol. Can be used entirely as a source of fuel or used as a supplement for other gasolines.

BT:
National Hot Rod Association

SN: One of the oldest and most well known sanctioned racing bodies, the NHRA was founded in 1951. Contributing to its popularity is the inclusion of over twenty distinct racing classes, and a membership ranging from backyard amateur to televised professionals.

BT:

RT: All Harley Drag Racing Association

American Drag Racing Association

American Nostalgia Racing Association

International Hot Rod Association
NHRA

USE: National Hot Rod Association

SN: A type of high-octane fuel used in drag racing that is derived from nitric acid and propane. Also denotes a type of racing class.

BT:
Open-wheel vehicles

SN: A specific type of racing vehicle in which the wheels are not enclosed by body of the car.

BT:
NT: Rails
Photo finishing

SN: A finish in which two or more cars are so close that in times past a photograph of the finishers crossing the finish line would need to be studied to determine the finishing order. While the practice has been superseded by modern electronic timing systems, the expression remains in regular use by commentators and others.

BT:
Pits

SN: The area designated for racers to set up temporary garages during races accessible from the track. Each team is allotted one pit area (or space) per car.

BT:
Pro trees

SN: Used in heads-up, professional racing. All three large yellow lights on the starting tree flash simultaneously, followed by the green starting light four-tenths of a second later.

BT: Starting trees

RT: Heads-up racing

SN: A designated session where racing teams must meet established times to qualify for) a race based on a predetermined number of spots available.

BT:

RT: Eliminations

SN: The formal term for a type of open frame drag racing vehicle. Rails typically have very long wheelbases and a narrow, wedge-shaped body or exoskeleton.

BT: Open-wheel vehicles
Reaction times

SN: The time it takes a driver to react to the green starting light on the starting tree, measured in thousandths of a second

UF: R.T.

BT: Time slips

USE: False starting

SN: Large, sturdy bars designed to protect a driver's head if the car rolls over.

BT: Chasses

RT: Roll cages

SN: A network of metal bars that criss-cross the interior of production-based racing cars to protect the driver and strengthen the rigidity of the body. Depending on the type of class a vehicle is racing in, additional metal bars may be required.

BT: Chasses

RT: Roll bars

SN: An aerodynamic piece attached to the top of a car which is designed to keep a car on the ground when it is traveling backward (whether intentionally or unintentionally).

BT:

RT: Aerodynamics

Downforces
R.T.

USE: Reaction times

USE: Lifting

SN: The combination of settings for a car's engine, aerodynamic features and tires/wheels. Teams make continual adjustments to a car's setup during pit stops based on driver input.

BT:
RT: Aerodynamics

Antiroll bars

Bites
Shaking down

SN: Refers to the first test or race using a brand-new car or engine.

BT:
Shutting down

SN: Turning a car off in the middle of a race to avoid mechanical damage or an accident. Drag racers often shut their cars down when they begin to lose control or suffer a mechanical failure.

BT:
Skid plates

SN: Metal plates fixed to the bottom of racing cars to protect the underside from being torn apart by the ground.

BT: Chasses

RT: Ground effects

SN: Tires with no tread and a soft compound designed for dry weather conditions.

BT:

RT: Bite

Hooking up

SN: The time it takes a vehicle to cover the first 60 feet of the drag strip.

BT: Time slips
Spoilers

SN: Aerodynamic device attached to the trailing edge of a vehicle to increase its rear downforce.

BT:

RT: Aerodynamics

Downforces
Staging

SN: The act of positioning the front wheels right on the starting line so both small, yellow staging lights are glowing. Once both drivers are staged, the calibrated countdown will begin.

BT:

RT: Beams

Starting trees
Standard trees

SN: A type of starting tree used in drag racing. Consists of a stack of two staging lights and five timing lights; three yellow lights flash in sequence .5 of a second between each before turning green. A fifth, red light signals a false start.

BT: Starting trees

RT: Drag strips

SN: A series of lights used to signal a driver on the starting line. Typical trees have pre-stage lights, staged lights, yellow lights, green lights, and a red light.

UF: Christmas trees

BT: Drag strips

Standard trees

RT: Beams

Staging
Teching

USE: Inspections

SN: Each car is submitted to inspectors of the sanctioning body to confirm that all chassis and engine parts meet the series' guidelines. A "teched" car is one which has passed inspections.

BT:

RT: Inspections

SN: Slips of paper turned in by the race timer which denotes elapsed time to 1/8 or 1/4 mile for both drivers, and who won the race; it may also include other key numbers such as reaction times, sixty foot times, and trap speeds. This is an official document, used for timekeeping.

BT:
NT: Trap speed

Sixty-foot times

Reaction times

Elapsed Times

SN: A measure of the twisting force of an object can exert to another object.

BT:
RT: Horsepowers
Traction bars

SN: A type of suspension used to drag racing where the rear struts are fixed to the rear axle to keep the rear axle from twisting, and therefore causing wheel hop and loss of traction.

BT: Chasses

RT: Wheel hopping

SN: Electronics that regulate the power supplied to the wheels of a vehicle to prevent wheel spinning. It is banned in some forms of drag racing.

BT: Traction controls

RT: Hooking up

Locking up

Wheel spinning

SN: Traps are the 20 meter (66 ft) timing lights at the top end of the race track to measure trap speed & E.T.

BT: Drag strips

RT: Trap speeds

SN: Trap speed is measured by the trap sensor near the finish line and indicates the maximum speed achieved on the pass.

BT: Time slips

RT: Traps

SN: The area directly behind the racing lane designated for pre race burnouts. Sometimes also referred to as “Burnout Boxes” or “Bleach Boxes”.

BT: Drag strips

RT: Burning out

SN: An occurrence which causes violent shaking of the car as the tires lose and regain traction in quick succession. Wheel hopping can be solved by installing traction bars.

BT:

RT: Traction bars

SN: Particular to rear wheel drive vehicle, when the front wheel(s) rise up in the air under acceleration. Wheelies can be prevented by installing wheelie bars.

BT:

RT: Wheel standing

Wheelie bars
Wheelie bars

SN: Struts that are fixed to the rear axle of a car, which protrude out and help prevent a vehicle’s front tires from rising too high and performing a wheelie or wheel standing.

BT:

RT: Wheel standing

Wheelies
Wheel spinning

SN: When the rear tires (or front tires in the case of a front wheel drive vehicle) break traction with the racing surface under acceleration, spinning the wheels faster than they move across the surface.

BT:

RT: Traction controls

SN: A drag racing term used to describe a situation in which a car’s front end raises so high that the tires are either almost vertical with the rears or the rear of the chassis comes in contact with the track surface.

BT:

RT: Wheelie bars

Wheelies
Windscreens

SN: Transparent fiberglass surfaces on the front of certain vehicles designed to aid air flow and deflect turbulent air from the driver.

BT:

RT: Aerodynamics

http://www.nhra.net/basics/glossary.html

http://www.angelfire.com/ar/gandyspage/glos.html

http://dragracingcanada.ca/drag_racing_terms.html

http://dragracingdirectory.com/drag-racing-terminology.html

http://www.autospeak.com/terms99.htm

http://www.howtodragrace.com/category/drag-racing-dictionary