KNOW YOUR RACING TERMS - PART 4
16/2/2005 18:10 (Press Release) -
As part of a continuing series, Stone Brothers Racing have produced another list of racing terms for V8 Supercar fans and motorsport fans in general.
"The feed back on the first three parts of this series has been fantastic," said team co-owner Ross Stone.
"We have tried to supply a range of information for the motorsport novice or the more knowledgeable fan."
There will be V8 Supercar support events at this year's Foster's Australian Formula One Grand Prix from March 3-6 while the first round of the 2005 championship will be the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide on March 17-20.
* SBR will have its annual Fan Day at its Yatala base on Saturday Febraury 26 from 10am-2pm.
SCOOP
A V8 Supercar has one main scoop built into the front bumper. This scoop gathers air and forces it into a specific places for a specific purposes, from feeding air into the engine to be mixed with fuel for combustion to keeping hot parts cooled down, such as brakes. There is usually also a little side scoop built into the rear passenger window. This usually transfers air to the driver to keep them cool.
SCRUBBED TYRES
Also known as Scuffed Tyres, which have a few laps on them to remove the outer sheen and provide more consistent traction.
SET-UP
There are a huge number of variable adjustments to the suspension, tyres, gears, engine, wings, brakes and virtually every other piece of the car that can be moved or electronically altered. The idea is to improve the handling and performance by making a car conform to a particular track, temperature and even weather condition. The driver with the best setup is in a good position to win. A driver with a less-than-perfect setup can sometimes "hustle the car" and compensate for the deficiency, but most drivers perform at their utmost only when the car is comfortable.
SHOCK ABSORBERS
Oil-filled devices on which the suspension springs are mounted. Shock absorbers, or "shocks", help control the movement of the suspension by dampening that movement.
SHUNT
Another term for crash or accident.
SILLY SEASON
Refers to the rumours and innuendo that occurs as driver-candidates jockey for positions within the ranks of V8 Supercar teams. Can actually occur all year long as many drivers vie for the limited number of seats available each season.
SLICKS
A racing tyre with no tread. There is a misconception that the tread pattern of a tyre provides traction. This is true in dirt, snow or on wet pavement, but on dry pavement the maximum amount of "contact patch" is desirable.
SPEED TRAP
At certain places around the course, V8 Supercar Timing and Scoring officials place timing sensors to detect cars passing by them. By measuring the distance between a set of lines and the time it takes for a car to pass over them both, speed can be calculated. These speed traps are usually set up at the end of long straights just before the braking point to provide a good approximation of the maximum speed attained.
SPLASH AND DASH
Also splash and go or short fill. At certain points during a V8 Supercar race, particularly on the final pit stop, a car may stop in the pits just long enough to take on a minimum amount of fuel in order to lessen time spent on pit lane. Sometimes teams will use a pit strategy that includes one or more short fill stops during a race to try and gain track position, passing a competitor who may stay longer in the pits doing a complete fill up. Using this strategy during the middle of a race can be very complex since it means that the car will not be able to go as far before the next pit stop, creating a trade off between gaining track position now and losing it later.
SPOTTERS
Sometimes teams will have crew members at different parts of a circuit to see how our cars are performing or to give immediate warning of an accident or oil on the circuit.
SPRING RATE
The springs in the suspension of a V8 Supercar can be changed with different spring rates to soften or stiffen the suspension. Spring rates are generally measured in pounds of force per inch of compression. In other words, a 1,000-pound spring rate would compress one inch if a 1,000-pound weight were placed on it. The higher the spring rate, the stiffer the spring.
SPRINGS
A V8 Supercar is held off the ground with four springs mounted to shock absorbers within the suspension. They consist of a coil of heavy wire which will compress as pressure is applied. Springs are necessary so that the car can pass over bumps in the pavement without generating an immediate loss of grip.
STICKERS
A brand new tyre, with the manufacturer's sticker still on the surface.
SUSPENSION
A car is suspended off the ground by a complex set of arms, springs, shocks and anti-roll bars that connect the chassis to the four tyres. How these components interact is crucial to good handling.
SWAP PAINT
Two cars that touch each other are sometimes referred to as having "swapped paint", suggesting that the paint from one car ended up on the other.
Release Date: 27/01/2005
Stone Brothers Racing
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