Descriptionary

Mongolian draw pulling the drawstring with the thumb and index finger.

nock the groove in the limb of the arrow for inserting the bowstring. To insert the bowstring into this groove.

petticoat the nonscoring, outer fringe of a target.

popinjay shooting a competition in which archers shoot blunt arrows at artificial birds.

quiver a case for holding arrows.

string dampener a rubber fitting that deadens the twang of the bowstring upon release, used when hunting.

wand a long, narrow target, usually 6 feet by 2 inches.

wand shooting a competition in which 36 arrows are shot at a wand from 60 to 100 yards.

auto racing

aerofoil a wedge or wing mounted above the front or tail of a car to produce better adhesion to the road.

apron the low edge of a racetrack, used to get on and off the track.

banking the sloping of a racetrack, especially around curves.

blown said of a motor when a major part (such as a piston seizing from overheating) breaks and produces smoke.

broadslide making a turn while sliding sideways.

bump drafting a controversial practice of slamming into the rear end of a car in front of a racer in order to maintain momentum.

catch tanks special tanks fitted on a race car to help prevent fluids from leaking on and fouling the track.

chicane a tight ess or curve.

chute the fast straightaway section of track in front of the grandstand.

crew chief the supervisor of the pit crew.

dogging driving bumper to bumper with the car ahead in an attempt to pressure a mistake.

drafting the technique of driving directly behind another car to create a vacuum that allows both cars to go faster and to conserve fuel. Also known as slip- streaming.

drag a straightaway race over a short distance, usu­ally a quarter mile.

drift a four-wheeled, sideways slide.

ess an S-shaped turn.

factory team a racing team sponsored by the manu­facturer of the race car.

flags a blue flag held still warns of a competitor on one's tail. When waved it warns of a competitor about to pass. A yellow flag indicates an obstruction or haz­ard ahead. When waved it indicates extreme danger ahead. A green flag means "go, the track is clear." A black flag held up with a board with the number of an offending car is an instruction for that car to pull over at the pits at once, due to some hazard such as leak­ing oil. A red flag means stop. A white flag indicates that one is entering the final lap. It may also be used to indicate a caution—for example, an ambulance or service vehicle is on the track ahead. A checkered flag indicates the end of the race.

flying start a running start, as distinguished from a standing start.

formula one car a single-seat race car with a 1500cc turbocharged rear engine producing more than 900 horsepower.

formula two car a single-seat race car with a 2000cc, fuel-injected, nonturbocharged rear engine producing 325 horsepower, discontinued in 1984.

formula three car a single-seat race car with a non- turbocharged 1600cc, fuel-injected rear engine pro­ducing 165 horsepower.

funny car a drag racing car having an engine mounted in the middle and the driver's seat located far in the back.

Grand Prix an international race for formula cars.

grid positions the starting positions of a line of cars, with the fastest qualifiers usually up front.

groove the quickest or most efficient pathway along a racetrack.

hairpin a very sharp, direction-reversing turn.

hang out the laundry in a drag race, to release the parachute at the end of the race.

heel and toe working the accelerator and brake with the toe and heel of the right foot while working the clutch with the left foot.

Indy car a single-seat race car with a 2650cc rear engine producing 750 horsepower; may be turbo or nonturbo.

infield the area within an oval track.

lap to overtake a competitor who then falls one track length behind.

lap of honor a slow lap taken around the track by the winner.

marbles dirt, gravel, and rubber shavings from skid­ding tires that collect on certain parts of a track and can make drivers lose control.

marshal one of several track officials responsible for lining up the racers, inspecting work in the pits, and similar duties.

NASCAR National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.

nerf bar a side or front bumper that prevents a competitor's car from striking one's wheels.

NHRA National Hot Rod Association, the sanc­tioning body for drag racing.

pace car the noncompeting lead car that sets the pace through one or two laps before the race begins.

paddock where the cars are kept and prepared for a racing event.

pit board a message board used by a pit crew to communicate with a driver.