SBR gives fans "racing terms"

Know Your Racing Terms

With a bit of a break before the opening races of the 2005 V8 Supercar season, back-to-back series champions Stone Brothers Racing have decided to keep the fans' minds ticking over.

SBR has compiled a series of racing terms designed to educate fans and keep them interested during the "off" season.

The terms will be released once a week over the next month, according to team co-owner, Ross Stone.

"I don't think you can ever know enough," said Ross Stone.

"We have put these terms together so fans can become more educated on our sport and so they have somthing to keep their interest before we head to the AGP for support races in March.

"We hope all V8 Supercar fans had a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year and that the terms come in handy as they prepare for what is sure to be a great 2005 season."

Pirtek Falcon driver Marcos Ambrose and Caltex Racing's Russell Ingall are enjoying a month-long break before getting back into the swing of things for 2005.

RACING TERMS

DAG
Acronym for "Data Acquisition Geek or Guy," a computer expert who maintains a team's Data Acquisition system and analyses the data.

DATA AQUISTION
Teams use sophisticated sensors, transmitters, computers and software to provide information on what the car and the driver are doing. Everything from engine stress to the driver's heartbeat can be monitored. The information is analysed to improve handling, performance and even driver technique. Data can be acquired by connecting a computer to the car or by wireless telemetry.

DISPLACEMENT
This is a general automotive term describing the sum of the volume of the cylinders of the engine. The displacement of a V8 Supercar engine is 5.0 litres, allocated equally among 8 cylinders.

DONUT
A crowd-pleasing victory celebration in which the driver hits the accelerator and spins the car in place, sending up a cloud of tyre smoke

DRAFTING
A fast-moving car creates a low-pressure area behind it, causing the air to try to move with the car. A car following behind can take advantage of this low pressure as it actually sucks the car along faster, known as "being in the slipstream." A smart driver can either use the draft to pass, or to lift off slightly and conserve fuel.

DYNO
A contraction of "Dynamometer," an engine-testing device used in the race shop that measures power and simulates the loads and environment of a racing engine.

ECU -- ENGINE CONTROL UNIT
The engine control unit in a V8 Supercar is a more sophisticated version of the computer in a street car, controlling functions such as ignition timing and fuel metering. An ECU can be easily reprogrammed by connecting a laptop computer to a plug on the side of the car. In V8 Supercar racing the ECU are a "controlled" device and are handed out to teams by race officials at each meeting.

FLAT SPOT
If a tyre stops spinning and drags along the road, it can rub off an excess amount of rubber in that spot and cause a flat spot. This can happen from locking the brakes or from sliding sideways with one or more wheels not turning, and usually causes a severe vibration in the car at speed.

FUEL CELL
A bladder-like container to hold fuel. It is designed to be virtually puncture-proof, thus reducing the change of a fire during crashes.

G FORCES
The inertial force exerted upon drivers as the car changes direction. One "G" is equal to the force of gravity. Inertia causes a moving object to try and keep the same speed and direction of travel. As a V8 Supercar races around the track, any change in direction creates some amount of G Force. High-speed corners exert more G force on drivers than do very slow corners due to the additional grip provided by downforce as speeds increase, but braking, acceleration and rises or drops in the road also create "G"s.

GRID
The starting order of cars, as determined by qualifying position.

GRIP
Grip is the car's ability to hold the road in a turn and while accelerating or braking. The amount of grip available is a function of the composition of the track, the composition of the tyres, aerodynamic downforce and mechanical issues such as roll centers, spring rate, shock dampening, tyre pressure and camber. It is also important to balance the relative grip at the front and rear of the car.

-sbr-