ALTERNATE:
A driver who, although officially a non-qualifier, could be inserted into position in a qualified field to replace a qualified car which is unable to report for eliminations on race day.

BREAKOUT:
Recording an elapsed time quicker than the posted Performance Prediction or National Standard during eliminations, resulting in immediate disqualification. If both contestants "breakout" of the parameters of their PP or NS, the winner is determined by the lesser elapsed time infraction regardless of the order in which they finished.

BUMP SPOT:
The elapsed time of the last qualified driver in a closed field, (i.e. the 16th position in a field open to only the 16 quickest qualifiers), precarious in that, if bettered by a team currently not qualified, the driver can be "bumped" out of the field.

BURNED PISTON:
A piston, usually manufactured of exotic metal alloys, which is melted or incinerated by extreme heat within the combustion chamber due to a lack of fuel within its cylinder

BURNOUT:
A traction-enhancing prerace exercise performed by most contestants in which the rear tires are cleansed and heated by friction, (producing billows of white smoke), behind the starting line. See "WATER BOX".

BURNDOWN:
An intense starting line psychological battle between 2 drivers in which each refuses to fully "stage" for the race. The objective is to break an opponent's concentration, overheat their engine or cool down their tires.

CHRISTMAS TREE:
The electronic starting device, located in front of the contestants, which begins eachrace utilizing a sequential "countdown" of lights calibrated to within .001 of a second accuracy. However, the Tree has no active role in the timing of racers.

CLUTCH DUST:
The thick, black smoke which emanates from the rear of many professional-class race cars. It is a normal by-product of the friction and erosion of carbon clutch discs during full engagement.

DEAD-ON:
A run concluding with an elapsed time which matches the driver's performance prediction to the hundreth of a second.

DEEP STAGED:
A procedure in which a contestant positions a vehicle slightly over the starting line, (while still maintaining official staged status), either by accidentally rolling forward or in an attempt to gain a reation time advantage.

DELAY BOX:
An electronic device, designed to improve reation time, which permits a driver to initiate the run by releasing a button by hand, (rather than depressing the throttle by foot), at the first flash of the starting lights.

A delay, actuated by electronic timer and adjustable to .001 of a second, is added from the time of button release to the illumination of the green light. Manipulation of the amount of added delay allows the driver's reaction time to also be effectively adjusted.

DIAL-IN:
The slang term for "Performance Prediction". Derived from the earliest handicapping computers into which predictions were entered by thumbwheel dials. Modern handicappers utilize keyboard entry.

DIAL-UNDER:
The slang term for a "Performance Prediction" quicker than the "National Standard" or Index for a particular class.

DISPLACEMENT:
The total theoretical volume of air/fuel mixture which a specific engine is capable of drawing into all cylinders during one complete cycle of operation.

DROPPER CYLINDER:
A condition in which a spark plug fails to ignite when excess fuel in the combustion chamber extinguishes its spark, thereby substantially decreasing total power output. A Dropped Cylinder is distinguishable by raw fuel spewing from the cylinder's exhaust header.

DUMP:
The act in which a sportsman-category racer, unable to catch a fleeing opponent, gives up the persuit at the last possible moment and forces a foe to exceed his/her Performance Prediction and thereby wins the race by default.

ELAPSED TIME (E.T.):
The electronically-clocked duration of each run, beginning when a vehicle's front tires vacate an infra-red light beam marking the starting line to activate the timing computer and ending when a simular infra-red light beam is broken by the vehicle at the finish line to end the timing segment.

ELIMINATIONS:
The determination of a race winner through a tournament of individual contests in which each loser is expelled (or eliminated) from further competition of that event.

FIRE BOTTLES:
The slang term for fire extinguishers.

FOOT RACER:
The slang term describing a competitor who does not use a delay box starting system.

FUEL CHECK:
A technical way station at which fuel is inspected to ensure its content falls within limits permitted for each individual class.

FUEL INJECTION:
A conventional delivery system which injects fuel directly and evenly into the airflow for each engine cylinder.

FULL TREE:
A specific starting sequence produced on the Christmas Tree in which the contestants view a countdown of three amber signals and a green starting light at half-second (.500 sec.) intervals.

HANDICAP:
The difference between the Performance Predictions of 2 contestants which, when entered into the Christmas Tree's central computer, will be translated to a head start (as small as .01 of a second) for the slower competitor.

HEADS-UP RACE:
A specific elimination roundin which neither competitor is afforded a Handicap.

HEMI:
An engine utilizing a hemispherical shaped combustion chamber known for exceptional efficiency when supercharged.

HOLESHOT:
A reaction time advantage gained by quicker reflexes at the start of a race.

HYDRAULIC:
The slang term describing an extensive engine failure in which massive amounts of raw fuel fail to ignite within a cylinder during compression; since a liquid can not be compressed, the tremendous force of the piston's compression stroke is directed to the cylinder head, which is then blown off the engine (or the cylinder wall, which is blown out of the engine). Either scenario results in spectacularly terminal damage.

INDEX:
Synonym for National Standard.

LADDER:
The eliminations pairing schedule based on qualifying positions. In professional category, qualifying performance is rewarded with a slower opponent in the opening round; in example, a 16 car qualified field would include the pairing of the quickest (#1) with the slowest (#16), while (#2) faces (#15), etc..

LANE CHOICE:
The option, earned by superior elapsed time performance in the most previous round of qualifying or eliminations, to determine the racing lane to be used for competition.

LIFT:
To end acceleration by removing one's foot from the throttle.

MANIFOLD EXPLOSION:
A catastrophic failure, peculiar to vehicles utilizing nitrous oxide injection, during which a broken or malfunctioning intake valve permits a spark plug to ignite the air/fuel mixture within the intake manifold (although pressure relief valves are mandatory on most engines). The resulting firery blast usually destroys the manifold and surrounding body panels.

MATCH RACER:
A competitor who, in addition to racing in open competition events, also earns income as a paid contestant in featured 2 car events.

NATIONAL STANDARD:
A theoretical elapsed time capable of being achieved by a car and driver above-average ability, used for handicapping and qualifying in certain bracket races.

NITROUS OXIDE INJECTION:
A system delivering extra oxygen to the engine's air/fuel mixture to dramatically boost efficiency and power during combustion; injected under pressure into the intake manifold at 54 degrees below zero, oxygen levels increase more than 10% above normal atmospheric content while the nitrogen acts as a cooling ageant. Synonyms include - nitrous, spraying, juice and the bottle.

OVER STAGED:
A procedure in which a vehicle's front wheels accidentally roll completly past the starting line before receiving the Christmas Tree count down. Although grounds for immediate disqualification, the official starter first determines whether the infraction was due to driver error or mechanical malfunction before executing his/her decision.

PERFECT RUN:
The unbelievably rare occurrence in which a bracket racer records a perfect Reaction Time while clocking a perfect Elapsed Time against the run's Performance Prediction.

PERFORMANCE PREDICTION:
The projected elapsed time, within .01 of a second accuracy, of a bracket race car for each elimination round. Since the objective of bracket racing is to beat an opponent to the finish line while recording a slower elasped time than the Performance Prediction, it defines the parameters in which a contestant must race. The difference between Performance Predictions of both vehicles in a race determines the handicap afforded to the slower competitor. Competitors determine each Performance Prediction by evaluating dozens of variables including engine power, weather conditions and available traction.

POINT SERIES:
A method of determining an overall champion within each of the sport's Eliminator categories by placing a value on performance and achievement at events held during a designated period of time. Value points are awarded to each team driver for entering and competing in each race, qualifying performance and final finishing position, attaining certified elapsed time and speed World Records and exceptional attendance.
Series points totals, reflecting total accomplishment, produce ranking through which the highest point earns the title of champion.

PRE-STAGED:
A position on the race track seven inches behind the starting line; once a vehicle's front tires break an infra red light beam located at the pre staged line, a small yellow bulb is illuminated on the Christmas Tree in the appropiate lane to alert the driver to the proximity to the starting line. See Staged.

PRO TREE:
A specific starting sequence produced on the Christmas Tree in which contestants view a simultaneous flash of all threee amber signals followed 4 tenths of a second later (0.40) by the green starting light.

PROGRESSIVE TIMES:
A series of elapsed times and speeds recorded at specified distances on the race track used primarily for tuning and prediction of performance. Although the finish line elapsed time and speed are regarded as progressive, each racer also receives a computer print out after each run (time slip), which includes the elapsed times, beginning from the starting line, at 60ft (1/88th of a mile), 330ft (1/16th of a mile), 660ft (1/8th of a mile) and 1000 feet distances over the 1320ft course. A speed reading is also supplied from the halfway point (660ft).

REACTION TIME:
The electronically clocked response of a driver and a vehicle to the green starting light. Although concidered the true measurement of a driver's reflexes, it also gauges the responsiveness of the vehicle's engine and chassis. Reaction time is calculated from the illumination of the last anmber signal (.500 is concidered perfect, but .400 is perfect on Full Tree start).
Foul starts (redlight) are messured as less than the full 0.500 or 0.400 seconds in either mode.

REDLIGHT:
A disqualification resulting from initiating a run before the green starting light. This is signaled by a red signal light at the bottom of the Christmas Tree.

REV LIMITER:
An electronic unit which restricts the total RPM capability of the engine, both in order to minimize engine damage from excessive RPM and to maintain RPM consistency during the initial launch from the starting line. The component instantly disrupts spark plug firing capability at a pre-set RPM level, accounting for the stuttering sounds heard in the final seconds before leaving the starting line. RPM limits are changed by replacing a computerized chip based on the level desired.

RPM:
Engine speed defined by the revolutions per minute of the engine crankshaft.

STAGED:
The position on the race track of the actual starting line; once a vehicle's front tires break an infra red light beam located at the staged line, a small yellow bulb is illuminated on the Christmas Tree in the appropriate lane directly below thw pre-staged indicator to alert both the driver and the official starter that the race is set to begin. Once the vehicle's front tires vacate the staged beam the elapsed time clock will begin.

STAGING LANES:
The area in which races are organized, by division, for qualifying sessions or eliminations.

STARTER:
The designated race official whose duties include the activation of the Christmas Tree, umpiring of each contest and judging of on track rule infractions.

SUPERCHARGER:
A specialized compressor, traditionally mounted atop the engine and driven by a rubber belt connected to the engine's crankshaft, which forces air and fuel into each cylinder at a massive rate for dramatically increased power. Because it simply blows air into the engine, the supercharger is traditionally referred to as a blower.

SUPERCHARGER EXPLOSION:
An extremely violent mechanical failure during which a broken or melted intake valve permits a spark plug to ignite the air/fuel mixture within the supercharger; mandatory ballistic (blanket) contains the shrapnel.

TECH OFFICIAL:
Directors of technical inspections who are the magistrates of drag racing; they verify the legality of every vehicle in competition through lengthy examinations known simply as tech.

THROTTLE STOP:
A complex component which, connected to the accelerator linkage on the engine, actuates a timed pneumatic closure of the induction system, effectively shutting down the engine at a point during the run before returning to full acceleration.

TIMED TRIAL:
A practice run with no bearing on official qualifying positions.

TRUE WIN MARGIN:
The actual distance, beyond all other determinations, between two vehicles at the finish line, measured by each contestant breaking the final infra red light beam on the track.

WATER BOX:
The designated area for pre race burnouts, named for the water trough, marked by a square of boundry lines, in which the tire heating exercise is performed.

WEDGE:
An engine utilizing a wedge shaped combustion chamber.