NASCAR Phrases

"Going high"
Attempting to pass on the outside, or top of the track; very common in NASCAR.

"Going low"
Attempting to pass on the inside, or bottom of the track.

"In the marbles"
A driver is "in the marbles" when he drives at the top of the track where excess tire rubber and other debris, collectively known as "marbles", is built up.

"The Big One"
The nearly inevitable piling up of cars when someone wrecks on a superspeedway. When cars are running close together at high speeds, a seemingly small wreck can collect half of the field. Ex: "To win at Talladega, you have to avoid 'the Big One'."

"Tradin' paint"
Term used to describe cars that are bumping each other while racing side-by-side.

"Rubbing is racing"
A colorful way of expressing the idea that stock car racing is a contact sport. Popularized by the film Days of Thunder.

"The car is loose"
A car is loose when the front tires are gripping the track more than the back tires, causing the back of the car to want to come around in turns, pointing the nose of the car towards the inside of the track. A loose car is also said to be "oversteering."

"The car is tight"
A car is tight when the front tires are not gripping the track as well as the back tires, causing the car to want to continue going straight when the driver is turning the steering wheel. A tight car is also said to be "understeering."

"Splash 'n' go"
A pit stop in which the crew just fills the car up with gas, without changing tires or making any other major adjustments.

"One of them racing deals"
Drivers often use this term when they want to refer to an accident or on-track incident without placing the blame on a specific driver.

Ex: Reporter: "What happened when driver X spun you out in Turn 3?" Driver: "Oh, that was just one of them racing deals . . ."

"Stroking"
When a driver takes it easy in the beginning of a race so that his equipment is not worn before the end of the race.

Banking
Refers to the slope of the racetrack, usually on the curve, from the inside of the track to the outside wall. Banking helps the cars to "stick" to the track at high speeds. Generally, the higher degree of banking a track has, the faster the cars can go into the corners.

Downforce
Downward pressure exerted on the car as it cuts through the air. Downforce helps the car to hug the track. The spoiler is one part of a Sprint Cup car that helps to create downforce.

Drafting
Occurs when two or more cars run nearly nose-to-tail so that the lead car displaces the air, creating a vacuum between it and the second car. When this occurs, the lead car actually pulls the second car. Drafting can often be seen on the superspeedways such as Daytona and Talladega.

Horsepower
Term used in measurement of engine power. One horsepower is equivalent to the power it takes to move 33,000 lbs. over one foot in one minute. Sprint Cup engines generally produce over 700 horsepower, while street cars generally run in the 200-horsepower range.

Pit road
Road within the track where pit crews line up during the race. Each team is assigned a "pit box" where the car may be worked on or gassed up during the race. Only seven members of the crew may go over the pit road wall to work on the car during the race.

Scuffs
Tires that have been used at least once, but are still saved for more racing.

Stickers
Brand new tires that still have the factory stickers on them.

Restrictor plate
A thin, flat, metal plate with four small holes that is used to restrict horsepower. The holes in the plate restrict airflow from the car's carburetor to the engine, thereby reducing horsepower and speed. Restrictor plates are currently used at Daytona and Talladega.

Victory Lane
Not an actual lane, but a designated place at the track where the race winner takes his car after the race to be congratulated, accept his prizes, pose for pictures, and celebrate with the team.

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