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SBR's know your racing terms, part 2

Know Your Racing Terms - Part 2 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 ...

Know Your Racing Terms - Part 2

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

HAIRPIN
A sharp, 180-degree turn.

HANDLING
The performance of a car while racing. The response characteristics of a race car or "how it handles" are determined by its tyres, chassis, suspension geometry, aerodynamics and other factors.

HANS Device
Acronym for Head and Neck Support. A yoke-collar safety device designed to reduce extreme head motions and neck loads during high-speed impacts. Many drivers in V8 Supercars are using these and they have become compulsory in some categories around the world.

HAT DANCE
The ritual of photos taken after a race, with the top three drivers changing sponsors hats for each photo.

HORSEPOWER
A measure of an engine's maximum output in terms of torque over a period of time. V8 Supercar engines produce around 620hp.

IN THE FENCE
When a driver hits the wall and crashes.

INFIELD
By its nature, a race track is an enclosed loop of pavement, beginning and ending in the same spot. Anything inside this loop is considered the infield, and it usually must be accessed by tunnels or bridges so vehicle and foot traffic do not interfere with the racing surface.

KART
Many drivers in the V8 Supercar field began their racing careers in karts, and use them to keep their reflexes sharp and their bodies toned between races and in the off-season. The phrase "go-karts" is usually reserved for basic karts with very low-powered motors that are rented to the general public. Racing karts, however, are extremely quick and physical to drive, serving as a low-cost way to go racing with a high-level experience. It's also a great place for families, with special classes and karts just for kids.

KITTY LITTER
The gravel runoff areas on the outside of many road course turns that help slow cars that go off the track.

LIFT
To partially or completely release the throttle pedal, reducing engine RPM and speed. May also be referred to as "breathing" the throttle.

LINE
This is the quickest way around a race circuit, taking advantage of braking, cornering and acceleration. For example, the line for a typical right-handed corner would begin by lining up on the left side of the approaching straight, braking hard, turning in all the way across the track to the inside curb, and then unwinding the steering wheel on the exit to release the friction of the turn, which takes the car back across the track to the outside again. The idea is to use the maximum amount of arc possible to maintain the greatest speed through the corner. The line is often visible due to the rubber laid down by cars, and interestingly is not the shortest way around the track, just the fastest.

LIVERY
A term describing the graphic design on a race car, including colour schemes and sponsor branding.

LOCKING THE BRAKES
Engaging the brakes so hard that one or more wheels stops turning completely. This can cause a loss of steering if the front brakes are locked, or a spin if the rear brakes are locked. Locking the brakes can be a minor incident with no bad effects, or cause a driver to lose control, or flat spot one or more tyres, creating a bad vibration in the car. A driver can adjust how his brakes perform by using the brake bias adjustment in the cockpit.

LOOSE OR OVERSTEER
Same as Oversteer. Typically describes a cornering condition where the rear tyres lose adhesion before the front tyres, resulting in a car that feels like it wants to spin easily. If the front end hits the wall, it was understeer. If the rear end hits the wall, it was oversteer.

-sbr-

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