A-FRAME
A suspension component on a race car that connects the spindle to the frame. There are upper and lower A-Frames that are actually in the shape of the letter “A.”

A-POST
It is the post that originates at the roof of the car and runs down to the base of the windshield. An A-post can be found on either side of the car.

CHASSIS
The steel frame of the car.

BITE
This controls the percentage of total weight of the car. Adding a round of bite in the car means putting more weight onto a wheel by compressing the spring.

CHASSIS DYNAMOMETER
A machine that has large steel drums. The race car sits on these to measure the total power at the rear wheels which is transferred onto the track surface.

C-POST
It is the post that originates at the roof of the car and runs down to the base of the rear window to the top of the truck lid. A C-post can be found on either side of the car.

DECK LID
The rear trunk lid.

DOWNFORCE
The effect of air pressure and downward force that pushes a car down onto the track. This helps to keep cars from losing traction at high speeds.

DRAFTING
When drivers race in a single file line. When they race in this manner, they can run faster than a single car because the one in front cuts through the air providing a vacuum that actually pulls the car behind it.

DRAG
This is an aerodynamic force of resistance that tries to hold a car back from moving through the air, while the engine in the car is trying to push the car forward.

FABRICATOR
As applied to racing, a person that is responsible for cutting, shaping, and welding sheet metal to the frame of the car creating the body or outside shell of the car.

FIREWALL
A solid metal plate that separates the engine compartment from the driver’s compartment of the race car. It protects the driver from debris and fire.

FIVE-POINT SEAT BELT
A seatbelt that has five belts that come together at the center of the driver’s chest. The first two parts are the shoulder harness; one belt goes over the right shoulder and the other over the left shoulder. The other two belts come across the driver’s hips, one from the left and one from the right, and the last belt goes between the driver’s legs. They all attach at a single point, where a quick-release buckle locks them into place.

FRAME
The metal structure of a race car that is composed of supporting tubes and the roll cage. This is where the sheet metal of the body is attached. Also referred to as the chassis.

FRONT CLIP
Attaches to the frame rails at the front-most section of a race car. It holds the engine, braking, and steering devices.

FUEL CELL
It is located in the trunk of the race car and is a 22-gallon holding cell for the race car’s gasoline. It is complied of a metal box and inside has a Teflon bladder with foam. The foam is a safety feature to eliminate or minimize fuel spillage. (At superspeedways, NASCAR mandates cars run a 13.5-gallon fuel cell.)

HANDLING
This describes how the car performs on the track. Terms used to describe a race car’s handling would be “loose” and “tight.”

HANGING A BODY
This refers to attaching the sheet metal, after it has been cut and molded to the chassis of the car.

HEAD PROTECTORS
These are safety devices built into the driver’s seat that wrap around the driver’s head. They are lined with thick foam to keep the driver’s head from moving to the left or right during an accident.

INDEX
When a tire carrier places a wheel on the studs, an index occurs when the studs and lugnuts on the wheel line up.

INSPECTION
The process all race teams go through at least three times per weekend. The NASCAR officials approve cars to race, qualify, and practice, along with checking the cars for safety features. Teams’ car bodies must conform to NASCAR’s templates to race. Additionally, the engines and chassis will be examined.

INTERMEDIATE TRACK
These are race tracks that are more than one mile in total length, but less than two miles, in total length. Normally, the banking on these tracks is low to medium.

LOOSE
Loose is a term to describe the car's handling. A car is referred to as loose when the driver goes into the corner of the track and feels like the car is going to lose control.

REAR CLIP
The section of a race car that begins at the base of the rear windshield and extends to the rear bumper. It contains the car’s fuel cell and rear suspension components.

ROAD COURSE
A type of race track that has left and right turns at varying angles. At these tracks teams must use a car designed to turn both directions. The two road courses on the NASCAR circuit are Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International and Infineon Raceway.

ROLL BAR
Strong tubing that is an element of the race car’s frame, protecting the driver from possible injury.

ROLL CAGE
This is the frame made of steel that surrounds a driver in the car. It is a safety device used to protect the driver in the event the car gets turned over or is impacted from the side. Roll bars make-up the roll cage.

ROOF FLAPS
These are two rectangular pieces of metal that are on the roof towards the rear of the car. They lie flat when the car is moving forward. However, in the event that the car goes into a backward or sideways spin, these flaps are sucked open to take advantage of the aerodynamics and in turn, keep the car from going airborne.

ROUNDS OF WEDGE
Teams commonly add or remove rounds of wedge to adjust the handling in the car.

SCUFFS
These are tires that have been used, but are still good. Normally, they are run during a practice session for only one or two laps.

SETUP
The way a car is equipped for qualifying and a race.

SHOCK ABSORBERS
These are suspension components that are hydraulic cylinders attached to each of the car’s wheels. A shock specialist designs them for each particular track.

SHOCK DYNAMOMETER
This is a machine that teams put the shocks on that can simulate the particular race track as if the shocks were on a real car.

SPRINGS
They hold the car up, resisting the downward movement when the car is in the corner. Springs are located between the suspension and the chassis. All the weight from the car is transferred to the suspension through the springs.

SPRING RUBBER
A piece of rubber that is molded to the shape of the spring and inserted between the coils. It increases the rate of a spring, or stiffness, without having to change the spring itself. This changes how a car handles.

STICKER TIRES
Tires that have not been used.

SUPERSPEEDWAY
An oval track that is two and a half or more miles long where NASCAR requires cars to use a carburetor restrictor plate. The bodies of the cars raced on these tracks are much sleeker that the ones used at other tracks. Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway are superspeedways.

SUSPENSION
This is the part of the car that affects the handling. It bolts to the chassis and to the wheels or the axles. Some components that make up the suspension system are: A-Frames, springs, shock absorbers, and sway bars.

SWAY BARS
Are in the front of the car, and sometimes teams run them in the back depending on the balance of the car. It controls how much the car wants to roll to one side or the other through the corners.

TEAR DOWN
The process teams go through after a race when cars are inspected. There are chassis tear-downs and engine tear-downs, but it can also include anything NASCAR officials want to inspect in the race car. Often, officials look at engines, suspension, rear-end gears, and ignition boxes, to confirm that the car is legal.

TECH
Slang term for a technical inspection.

TEMPLATES
These are individual sheets of metal that act as blueprints that coincide with NASCAR specifications for each car make.

TIGHT
A car is tight if the front tires don’t turn well through the turns. The reason for this handling problem is that the front tires lose traction before the rear tires. This makes the car very difficult to turn.

TRACK BAR
This is another component of the suspension package. It serves several different functions. First, it connects the frame to the rear suspension. Second, you can raise and lower the track bar to affect the car’s handling. This is also referred to as the Panhard bar.

TRAILING ARM
An element of the rear suspension, which holds the rear axle tightly from moving back and forth, but allows it to travel up and down.

TRUNK LID
The rear deck lid.

WEDGE ADJUSTMENT
Chassis adjustment on the springs, that changes the ride height and the spring rate.

WHEEL STUD
Attaches to the hub assembly and allows the wheel to be tightened with lug nuts; there are five per wheel.

WINDOW NET
A screen made of a nylon mesh materials that is on the driver’s side, connecting from the door-top area to the roof area. In the event of an accident it keeps debris out, but the driver’s arms and head in the car.