grid girl

From the fact that the hostesses appear on the grid at the start of motor races.

(motor racing) A hostess at a motor racing event.


RX

en-noun

RX (countable and uncountable, plural RXs)

(motor racing) Abbreviation of rallycross. (a motorsport)


pit boss

In that same race, the first use of two-way radio-to-pits communication was logged. Al Stevens, who operated a radio dispatch service in Maryland, kept in contact with his pit boss, Cotton Bennett, throughout the race.

2009, Gerry Souter, The Earnhardts: A Biography, →ISBN, page 29:

(motor racing) The supervisor of the maintenance pit crew of a driver.


shifter cart

(motor racing) A type of small personal vehicle used in racing.


off time

off time (countable and uncountable, plural off times)

It is suggested that Rule VIII (c) requires that the drivers be on the track 5 minutes before off time, not post time, and that since off time can not be known until the race actually starts, the rule is meaningless.

1958, Sidney O. Raphael, Petition against The State harness Racing Commission, page 75:

That meant if you didn't bet on the off time posted on the infield board the race went off anyways.

2009, Eli Schleifer With Robert Temple, The Pilgrims Would Be Shocked: The History Of Thoroughbred Racing in New England, →ISBN:

(motor racing) The point in time when the official starter signals that a race begins, as distinct from the time the race is scheduled to start (post time).


beanbag race

(games, motor racing) A novelty race in which each competitor must balance a beanbag on their head while running.


tyre barrier

(motor racing, British spelling) alternative form of tire barrier


racing driver

(motor racing) a person whose profession is driving racing cars.


VSC

virtual safety car
virtual safety car#English

(motor racing) Initialism of virtual safety car.


virtual safety car

virtual safety car (plural virtual safety cars)

(motor racing) A racing condition where the race steward declares that all race cars must run a similar pace and must not exceed a certain speed, so that they will appear to each follow their own personal imaginary safety car, theoretically maintaining race separations without change, and where they cannot overtake each other.

full-course yellow

a race condition where all race cars must slow down and where they cannot pass each other, indicated with waving yellow flags along the entirety of the circuit


drag parachute

The jet dragster has been clocked at 232.24 miles per hour. . . . The car is stopped by a drag parachute.

1962 July 27, “Jet-Powered Dragster”, in Spokane Daily Chronicle, retrieved 2015-11-13, page 12:

As planned, within seconds of touching down, the space craft released a 40-foot-wide drag parachute to help slow it down.

1992 May 17, “Shuttle Uses Parachute to Chalk Up Another First”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-11-13:

The aircraft is designed to use a drag parachute as a brake, but Mr Prothero didn't have time to deploy it.

2009 September 8, “Retired RAF pilot saves bomber from air show disaster”, in Telegraph, UK, retrieved 2015-11-13:

(aeronautics, motor racing) A parachute deployed behind an aircraft, space shuttle, or motor vehicle as a braking device.


winner's circle

(horse racing) An enclosed area next to a racetrack where the winning horse and jockey are brought for photographs and awards.


splash-and-go

(motor racing) Synonym of splash-and-dash


stop-and-go penalty

stop-and-go penalty (plural stop-and-go penalties)

(motor racing) A type of in-race penalty sanction against a driver or a team for in-race infractions, which results in a driver having to leave the track and make a pit stop without servicing the car.


drive-through penalty

drive-through penalty (plural drive-through penalties)

(motor racing) A type of in-race penalty sanction against a driver or a team for in-race infractions, which results in the driver having to leave the track and drive through the pit lane at the reduced pit-lane speed before rejoining the track.


sausage kerb

From sausage + kerb, from its sausage-like shape.

(motor racing) A type of kerb and speed bump found on motor-racing tracks, having a smooth profile similar to half a sausage split lengthwise and laid out with the cut side down.


LMP

(motor racing) Initialism of Le Mans Prototype.


MGU-K

(motor racing) Initialism of motor generator unit, kinetic (“KERS, the kinetic energy recovery system; a motor generator unit which harvests kinetic energy through engine braking”).


MGU

(motor racing) Initialism of motor generator unit (“a power deployment, and energy recovery system; a system that may harvest kinetic energy from various sources, and provide kinetic energy / rotational energy (shaft power)”).


MGU-H

(motor racing) Initialism of motor generator unit, heat (“an energy recovery system; a motor generator unit which harvests thermal energy from the exhaust via the turbocharger”).


brake test

en-verb

brake test (third-person singular simple present brake tests, present participle brake testing, simple past and past participle brake tested)

brake tests (present singular third-person)
brake testing (participle present)
brake tested (participle past)
brake tested (past)

"Max was brake testing me into the first two corners. I was very upset with the fact Max held me up and didn't move and made me run into Daniel."

2016 October 31, Andrew Benson, “Mexican Grand Prix: Max Verstappen says he is 'not allowed to race' after penalty”, in BBC:

(motor racing) To deliberately brake in unusual places to hinder or startle the person behind.


rolling start

(motor racing) The period immediately before the start of a motor race, when the cars are ordered on the track and led on a certain number of laps (parade or caution laps) at a pre-determined safe speed by the safety car.


standing start

Amid the sequence of incidents and crashes, the victory hinged on three standing starts between the Mercedes drivers.

2020 September 13, Andrew Benson, “Tuscan Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton claims 90th win after incredible race”, in BBC Sport:

(motor racing) The start of a motor race, when the cars are initially stationary.


skid car

(motor racing) A car used in skid plate racing (skid car racing) where a front-wheel-drive four-wheeled car has its rear wheels replaced by skid plates


turn of foot

So myth number one is that horses who finish fast in the final furlong are horses to follow because they possess a turn of foot.

2004, Alan Potts, Against the Crowd, →ISBN, page 23:

He had a turn of foot that could see him outsprint many a staying horse over the 2400 metres, but that was his limit.

The squareish track was flat and suited horses with a turn of foot, which exactly described the two runners that Brewer was sending there on the day following Matt's return from Sedgefield.

2009, Lyndon Stacey, Murder in Mind, →ISBN, page 155:

Meanwhile Charlie Bell reported the stable's latest acquisition: a very good jumper but, as far as he could determine to date, 'without a great turn of foot'.

2014, Peter O'Sullevan, Calling The Horses: A Racing Autobiography, →ISBN:

(horse racing) The ability to accelerate quickly.

A good deal of a horse's efforts at acceleration are dissipated by the surface. On grass, a turn of foot is a powerful weapon. On dirt or the All-weather it counts for very little.

2002, Nick Mordin, Betting for a Living, →ISBN, page 51:

He had failed to match the lightening turn of foot of Desert Destination, but was now eating up the ground and was almost up-sides.

2003, Paddy Cummins, Green Lodge, →ISBN, page 94:

He felt that, as he put him in a gallop, the estimated speed they were travelling at was forty miles an hour and his turn of foot was breathtaking.

2013, B. J. Newing, The Rawlinson Family Story, →ISBN, page 102:

The winner then found an impressive and immediate turn of foot to accelerate away from Nichols Canyon after the second-last, and he was full value for his healthy winning margin at the line.

2016 December 29, Greg Wood, “Petit Mouchoir on course for Champion Hurdle after Leopardstown victory”, in The Guardian:

(horse racing) A burst of speed in a horse race.


fall off the cliff

fall off the cliff (third-person singular simple present falls off the cliff, present participle falling off the cliff, simple past fell off the cliff, past participle fallen off the cliff)

falls off the cliff (present singular third-person)
falling off the cliff (participle present)
fell off the cliff (past)
fallen off the cliff (participle past)

(motor racing, tyres) suddenly decline dramatically in performance


McLaren

From Bruce McLaren, Formula One driver and race team founder.

(motor racing) McLaren, a British Formula One race team.


GTL

en-noun

GTL (countable and uncountable, plural GTLs)

(motor racing) Initialism of Grand Touring Light prototype.


short head

Red Rum won by a short head.

(horse racing) A distance of less than the length of a horse's head


Double

(US, motor racing) Collectively, both the Indianapolis 500, a day race, and the Coca-Cola 600, an evening race, both of which are run on Memorial Day weekend Sunday. Used concerning racers who (wish[/ed/ing] to) participat[e/ed/ing] in both events, typically using a private jet to travel between Indianapolis, Indiana, after the 500 and Charlotte, North Carolina, to get to the 600.


FCY

full course yellow
full course yellow#English

(motor racing) Abbreviation of full course yellow.


half-length

(horse racing) Half the length of a horse.


point-to-point

From point (“individual element in a larger whole; specific location or place; topic of discussion or debate”) + to + point.

(horse racing, also attributively) A kind of horse race involving a direct cross-country course with obstacles for hunting horses and amateur riders.


scratch race

(horse racing) A catchweight horse race.


weight for age

[H]e would merely have remarked on its elegant hocks and golden horn and suggested that she enter it weight for age at Flemington.

2016, Kerry Greenwood, Murder and Mendelssohn, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 243:

(horse racing) Handicapped according to the age of the racehorse competing (and certain other factors).


weight for age

"What did I say about Nightcap last week? Here he's won the Weight for Age at twelve to one."

1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 140:


frontstretch

The new track will be built of a sandy loam running surface providing improved turns and a layout with new spirals to ease entry into the turns. The frontstretch and backstretch will be lengthened by 660 feet.

1991, Harness Horse - Volume 56, Issues 27-34, page 11:

D-shaped ovals are modified ovals that have one long sweeping arc of a turn for a frontstretch instead of a straightaway.

2009, Mark Martin, NASCAR For Dummies, →ISBN:

In addition to often scheduling the autograph sessions, speedway officials would open the frontstretch gate and allow fans to come onto the track and the grassy frontstretch apron after an event.

2017, Deb Williams, Charlotte Motor Speedway, →ISBN, page 24:

(athletics, horse racing, car racing) The straight (or gently curved) part of a racetrack, running track, etc. where the race begins.


hit the board

en-verb

hit the board (third-person singular simple present hits the board, present participle hitting the board, simple past and past participle hit the board)

hits the board (present singular third-person)
hitting the board (participle present)
hit the board (participle past)
hit the board (past)

(horse-racing) To finish in first, second, third or fourth place, thus appearing on the winners' board.


on the muscle

Tallhato was "on the muscle" going down the backside, attempting to run out. That's not the formula to beat a filly like Windy's Daughter.

1973, Chronicle of the Horse, volume 36, numbers 1-13, page 5:

I really wasn't able to rest him too much because he was on the muscle more than usual tonight.

1990, Harness Horse, volume 56, numbers 5-8, page 22:

(horse-racing) Of a horse: frisky and energetic, seeming keen to race.


yump

yump (third-person singular simple present yumps, present participle yumping, simple past and past participle yumped)

yumps (present singular third-person)
yumping (participle present)
yumped (participle past)
yumped (past)

From jump, as mispronounced by Scandinavians, according to a book by Tony Gardiner.

(intransitive, motor racing) To leave the ground briefly when driving over a ridge at high speed.


backstraightaway

as well as dropping the drivers into the clutches of other cars with an advantage in straight line speed down the long backstraightaway at CTMP.

2018 July 9, IMSA, “Sixth Place In Canada For Mazda Team Joest”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

More recently, a “short course” was created by connecting the exit of Turn One to the backstraightaway,

, “Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. threw a huge block on Blaney down the backstraightaway, resulting in contact that sent Stenhouse sideways in front of the field.,

2018 February 18, Steven Taranto, “Aggressive driving triggers multi-car wreck in Daytona 500”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

From the start-finish line to halfway down the backstraightaway, we had the fastest car

1995 July 8, Roy Hasty, “Martin Has Smooth Ride At Nhis”, in Hartford Courant:

in fact i passed an old 911 turbo with slick coming out of the corkscrews and down the backstraightaway

1999 August 5, Dralwhite, “A driving issue”, in alt.autos.porsche (Usenet), message-ID <19990804230638.10608.00006679@ng-fb1.aol.com>:

The 6 car (Mark Martin) pushed me all the way down the backstraightaway pretty hard

2002 July 7, Ryan Newman, “NASCAR-WCS: Daytona II: Raybestos Rookie race quotes”, in rec.autos.sport.info (Usenet), message-ID <ag8g99$55n$1@montecarlo.motorsport.com>:

(motor racing) the straight part of an oval racetrack that does not include the finish line.


outbrake oneself

outbrake oneself (third-person singular simple present outbrakes oneself, present participle outbraking oneself, simple past and past participle outbraked oneself)

outbrakes oneself (present singular third-person)
outbraking oneself (participle present)
outbraked oneself (participle past)
outbraked oneself (past)

(motor racing) To brake too late and go wide in a curve.


outbrake

outbrake (third-person singular simple present outbrakes, present participle outbraking, simple past and past participle outbraked)

outbrakes (present singular third-person)
outbraking (participle present)
outbraked (participle past)
outbraked (past)

Westbrook was able to outbrake Bruni's Ferrari entering the first turn of the final lap and hold the lead.

We had to go through it but there was a choice of just where, so I outbraked Tim to get the best line I could, and then I outbraked myself as well.

2014, Don Simpson, Too Old for Motor Racing: A Short Story in Case I Didn’t Live Long Enough to Finish Writing a Longer One:

(transitive, motor racing) To brake late in order to get an advantage over.


pitboard

My pitboard put me in eighth, with lap times varying from the low 1:405 to the high 1241s, depending on traffic.

1998 January 5, Nick Ienatsch, “Back in the Fray”, in Cycle World Magazine, page 118:

I knew I didn't make a timing mistake this time so I told them to put 147+ on the pitboard.

2005, Denny Miller, Eddie Sachs The Clown Prince of Racing, →ISBN, page 339:

(motor racing) A board used to communicate brief important information to a racing driver such as driver name, laps, and current position in the race.


laptime

(motor racing) The time taken to complete a lap of the circuit.


full-course yellow

en-noun

full-course yellow (plural full-course yellows)

From full (“entire”) + course (“racetrack course”) + yellow (“yellow flag”).

compound

(motor racing) A state where the entire track is operated under yellow flag conditions


stakeswinner

(horse racing) A winner of a stakes race


stakeswinning

(horse racing) Having won a stakes race.


winter book

(horse racing) A bookmaker's guide to the likely performance of racehorses in the upcoming season.


break one's maiden

en-verb

break one's maiden (third-person singular simple present breaks one's maiden, present participle breaking one's maiden, simple past broke one's maiden, past participle broken one's maiden)

breaks one's maiden (present singular third-person)
breaking one's maiden (participle present)
broke one's maiden (past)
broken one's maiden (participle past)

(horse racing) Of a racehorse or jockey: to achieve victory in a race for the first time.


on the rails

(horse racing) Racing toward the inside, near the fence that bounds the track.


in lap

(motor racing) In qualifying, the (non-competitive) lap after one or more flying laps on which one enters the pit lane.

sisääntulokierros

a qualifying lap on which one enters the pits


out lap

(motor racing) In qualifying, the (non-competitive) lap on which one exits the pit lane and prepares for a flying lap.

ulostulokierros

a qualifying lap on which one exited the pits


mobile chicane

(motor racing, derogatory) A driver or car considerably slower than the rest on the track, when perceived to repeatedly act as an obstruction to faster drivers or cars.


flying lap

(motor racing) In qualifying, a competitive lap to set a fast time, as opposed to an in lap or out lap.


racing line

Leclerc seemed to have come perilously close to breaking the rule that says a driver moving back to the racing line to defend his position must leave at least a car's width on his outside. He said he thought he had; Hamilton said he definitely had not.

2019 September 8, Andrew Benson, BBC Sport:

(motor racing) The most optimal (fastest) line or course on a racetrack.


barrier rogue

(Australia, horse racing) A racehorse that is difficult to control when being put into the starting gates.


running rail

(horse racing) A fence which marks the inside edge of a racecourse track.


pit crew

(motor racing) The mechanics who work on a car during pit stops.


starting grid

(motor racing) The part of the track on which the vehicles line up in order, according to their performance in qualifying.


jet dryer

From jet + dryer. From being a device that projects a jet of air used to dry a surface.

(motor racing) A piece of racetrack maintenance equipment, a truck or trailer equipped with a gas turbine jet engine (which does not provide motive or electrical power), that provides copious amounts of hot air, which is used to blow dry the track surface.


Andretti

(automotive, motor racing, figurative) Ellipsis of Mario Andretti. (a common noun, not a proper noun) ((A) a street racer; (B) a U.S. racecar pilot outside of the U.S.)


competition caution

en-noun

competition caution (plural competition cautions)

(motor racing) A caution (“yellow flag”) flown during a race to separate a race into different stages. During the yellow period, standard caution flag rules apply.


flagfall

Boyce took him ahead at the flagfall , with the Hughes horse in pursuit

June 22, 2020, David Milnes, The Lir Jet swoops late to deny Wesley Ward's Golden Pal in Norfolk in The Racing Post
The result looked unlikely soon after flagfall when Wesley Ward's Golden Pal blazed a trail down the centre of the track under Andrea Atzeni

(horse racing) The start of a horse race


pit straight

The race was punctuated by two red flags, the first caused by a pile-up on the pit straight, the second by a high-speed crash for Lance Stroll.

2020 September 13, Andrew Benson, “Tuscan Grand Prix: Lewis Hamilton claims 90th win after incredible race”, in BBC Sport:

(motor racing) A straight section of a racecourse with an entrance to the pit on one side.


add to the list

en-verb

add to the list (third-person singular simple present adds to the list, present participle adding to the list, simple past and past participle added to the list)

adds to the list (present singular third-person)
adding to the list (participle present)
added to the list (participle past)
added to the list (past)

Sabinus has been added to the list.

(transitive, slang, dated, horse racing) To geld (a horse).


gravel trap

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-gravel trap.wav

(motor racing) A gravel-filled zone on a racetrack, used as a hazard, exclusionary region, and, safety device to slow down and trap vehicles.


chalk-eating weasel

en-noun

chalk-eating weasel (plural chalk-eating weasels)

(horse racing) A bettor who regularly wagers on the favorite.


drift park

(motor racing) A driving track where people partake in the sport of drifting.


market horse

[N]othing is easier than to make sure […] that the horse selected, in the event of the public fancying him, shall be made a market horse, and be “milked” for the benefit of those interested: the losing of a race may at any time be ensured, and there are scores of “turf dairymen” who are reputed adepts in the use of the milking pail.

1892, James Glass Bertram, A Mirror of the Turf, page 271:

(horse racing, slang, obsolete) A horse kept in the betting-lists for the sole purpose of being betted against.


dead amiss

At the mention of the increased amount of odds, the snob took the youngster aside, and said to him, "Look now, by the book, we have the old man done brown; my horse is dead amiss, your cousin's horse you can beat easy, […]

1840, John William Carleton, The Sporting Review, page 286:

Sunshine ran gamely, but was clearly out of condition; and Gamos, who was dead amiss at Bath, having got round, beat her from the superiority of her training, […]

1870, Tresham Gilbey, Baily's Magazine of Sports and Pastimes, volume 18, page 320:

(horse racing) Of a horse: too ill to compete.


ALMS

(motor racing) Initialism of American Le Mans Series. (an enclosed-wheel enclosed-cockpit four-wheel custom-built prototype sports car racing series)

American Le Mans Series

(motor racing) Initialism of Asian Le Mans Series. (an enclosed-wheel enclosed-cockpit four-wheel custom-built prototype sports car racing series)


Captain Armstrong

A pun on the name Armstrong, referring to the use of a strong arm.

"Poor child," he said to himself, all his angry feelings changing, "she seems to have set her heart so upon winning, it would be sad if she were disappointed. No one has much on it: shall I try Captain Armstrong for once? It would make her very happy. Bar accidents, I must win. They don't know that the chestnut has not extended himself yet."

1860, George Alfred Lawrence, Guy Livingstone, page 70:

He had practised “Captain Armstrong” so palpably as to be banished from the Turf.

1886, Baily's Magazine of Sports & Pastimes, volume 46, page 413:

We have not an iota of belief in this or any other "Captain Armstrong" insinuation against high-class jockeys, who have far too comfortable incomes, and too much proper pride, to place their characters in any man's power, […]

(horse racing, archaic, slang) A form of cheating in which the jockey deliberately pulls his horse back so that it does not win.


call a cab

en-verb

call a cab (third-person singular simple present calls a cab, present participle calling a cab, simple past and past participle called a cab)

calls a cab (present singular third-person)
calling a cab (participle present)
called a cab (participle past)
called a cab (past)

(raise arm while riding): From the similarity to the raised-arm gesture used to summon a taxi.

An habitually raised arm, termed 'calling a cab', was the trademark of amateurism.

1994, Dick Francis, Wild Horses, page 137:

Drawings of races sixty years ago show the riders trying to avoid catching their horses in the mouth by stretching forward with one arm and lifting the other hand backwards off the reins into the position known as 'calling a cab'.
Although it is no longer the normal and recognized thing to do, 'calling a cab' is still occasionally seen when a jockey finds himself in difficulties over a fence.

2002, Frank R. Scatoni, Finished Lines, page 181:

(horse racing) To raise one's arm to maintain balance while riding.


aeroscreen

(motor racing) A kind of transparent screen fixed in front of the cockpit, to protect the driver from flying debris.


GTD

Initialism of Grand Touring/Tourer Daytona.. From being a Grand Touring (“Gran Turismo”) (GT) racecar sportscar category developed for the Daytona Motor Speedway, and associated events/tracks.

initialism of

(motor racing, Grand Touring Daytona) A class of closed-cockpit enclosed-wheeled 4-wheeled sports car racing.


GTD

(motor racing, Grand Touring Daytona) A racecar sports car that conforms to GT Daytona category specifications.


Month of May

(US, motor racing) The activities surrounding and including the running of the Indianapolis 500, one of the oldest, longest running, lengthiest single day, and most prestigious, racecar races of the world, traditionally held on Memorial Day weekend Sunday, near the end of May, and having several weeks of activities preceding it.


XE

(motor racing) Abbreviation of Extreme E.


blow up the tote

en-verb

blow up the tote (third-person singular simple present blows up the tote, present participle blowing up the tote, simple past blew up the tote, past participle blown up the tote)

blows up the tote (present singular third-person)
blowing up the tote (participle present)
blew up the tote (past)
blown up the tote (participle past)

From the whimsical notion that the payout on a particularly high-priced longshot might be a larger number than the tote board is capable of computing and/or displaying.

Giacomo blew up the tote by winning the 2005 Kentucky Derby at odds of 50-1.

(horse racing, of a horse) To win a race as a long shot.


gate-to-wire

Authentic led the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Classic at every point of call en route to a gate-to-wire victory.

(US, horse racing) From start to finish. (Usually used to describe a horse that wins a race by leading throughout.)


bracket racing

(motor racing) A form of drag racing that allows for a handicap between the predicted elapsed time of the two cars over a standard distance.


FOTA

(motor racing) Acronym of Formula One Teams Association.


FOCA

(motor racing) Acronym of Formula One Constructors Association.


turtle curb

From turtle + curb, from its half-turtle-shell-like shape.

(motor racing) A type of curb/kerb and speed bump found on motor-racing tracks, having an oblong shape and elevated profile of a turtleshell, used for path and areal denial to delimit track limits, and launch vehicles into the air, blow-out suspensions, rip-out undercarriages, of those who choose to run over it.


raceday

(horse racing) A day on which a race is held


pitwall

(motor racing) The wall to the side of the pit lane


supermodified

(motor racing) A class of racecar used in supermodified racing


GPDA

(motor racing) Initialism of Grand Prix Drivers Association.


WEC

(motor racing) Initialism of World Endurance Championship.

(motor racing, motorcycling) Initialism of World Enduro Championship.


dragway

(motor racing) A dragstrip, a place where drag races are held. A racetrack to drag on.


street stock

street stock car racing
street stock car racing#English

(motor racing) Pertaining to street stock car racing.


street stock

en-noun

street stock (countable and uncountable, plural street stocks)

street stock car
street stock car#English

(countable, motor racing) Ellipsis of street stock car.: A street-legal retail-sold car close to factory stock configuration, lightly modified for safety and racing, no longer being street-legal used for stock car racing.

street stock car

(uncountable, motor racing) Ellipsis of street stock car racing.


on the rail

(horse racing) Alternative form of on the rails


jock off

en-verb

jock off (third-person singular simple present jocks off, present participle jocking off, simple past and past participle jocked off)

jocks off (present singular third-person)
jocking off (participle present)
jocked off (participle past)
jocked off (past)

Dawn Run's owner, Charmian Hill, who had insisted on trainer Paddy Mullins 'jocking off' his son Tony and putting up Jonjo O'Neill to ride her in the Gold Cup, was an awkward cuss too.

2012, Robin Oakley, Britain and Ireland's Top 100 Racehorses of All Time:

(transitive, informal, horse racing) To replace (a jockey) with another.


prototype racing

en-noun

prototype racing (plural prototype racings)

(motor racing) Sports car racing only involving a sports prototype vehicle.


sports prototype

sports prototype (plural sports prototypes)

(motor racing) A type of race car that is used in the highest-level categories of sports car racing.


street race

(motor racing) An instance of street racing; a competitive race between cars driving on public roads rather than a race track.


sidecarcross

(motor racing) A version of motocross with dirtbikes equipped with sidecars, and passengers riding them.


short track

short track (countable and uncountable, plural short tracks)

(countable) Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see short, track.

(motor racing) A speedway oval of less than one mile in track circuit length.


long track

long track (countable and uncountable, plural long tracks)

long-track speedway
long-track speedway#English

(uncountable, motor racing) Ellipsis of long-track speedway.


distaffer

(horse racing) A horse that races in a distaff (race for female horses only).


wetted area

wetted area (usually uncountable, plural wetted areas)

(hydrodynamics) The total surface area of a vehicle which interacts with the fluid through which the vehicle travels.

(motor racing) The total surface area of the upper bodywork, wings, and radiator.


fan car

(automotive, motor racing) A car with a fan to create a vacuum underneath the car, increasing downforce and better sticking the car to the driving surface, increasing traction.


bus stop chicane

bus stop chicane (plural bus stop chicanes)

(motor racing) A sequence of two mirror-image chicanes interrupting a straightaway and connected by a very short straight section parallel to, but offset from, the straightaway being interrupted.


WSBK

(motor racing) Initialism of World Superbike Championship.


CSBK

(motor racing) Initialism of Canadian Superbike Championship.


ISBK

(motor racing) Initialism of Indian Superbike Championship. (India)


MSBK

(motor racing) Initialism of Malaysia Superbike Championship.


PSBK

(motor racing) Initialism of Philippines Superbike Championship.


FSBK

(motor racing) The French Superbike Championship (France)


ASBK

(motor racing) Initialism of Australian Superbike Championship.


NZSBK

(motor racing) Initialism of New Zealand Superbike Championship.


ESBK

(motor racing) The Spanish Superbike Championship (Spain)


SBK

French: SBK

Spanish: SBK

(motor racing) Abbreviation of superbike.


run nowhere

en-verb

run nowhere (third-person singular simple present runs nowhere, present participle running nowhere, simple past ran nowhere, past participle run nowhere)

runs nowhere (present singular third-person)
running nowhere (participle present)
ran nowhere (past)
run nowhere (participle past)

(horse racing, slang) To finish the race unplaced.


meatball flag

(motor racing, slang) A black flag with a solid orange circle, used to summon a damaged car to the pits for repairs.


lap-chart

(motor racing) A graphic showing the position of each car during every lap of a race


WSX

(motor racing, motorcycling) Initialism of World Supercross.


WRX

(motor racing) Initialism of World Rallycross.


slipstreamer

Boca was what was known as a slipstreamer track. The long straightaways gave rise to the phenomenon known as slipstreaming, which was the partial vacuum created by the lead car as it reached the high speeds possible on the track. This vacuum created behind the lead car gave the second driver an advantage, for he could profit by the lack of air resistance to take the lead himself.

1973, Fred Mustard Stewart, The Mannings, New York, N.Y.: Arbor House, →ISBN, page 552:

Dating back to 1925, Reims was a five-mile blast along public roads. It was best known for its long main straight — the Thillois straight — which made every race into a dramatic slipstreamer.

2001, Bruce Jones, The Official ITV F1 Sport Encyclopedia of Formula One: The Essential Guide to Grand Prix Racing, London: Carlton Press, →ISBN, page 344, column 1:

The few Formula 3 races I'd won had been slipstreamers, where you only had to be in the right place on the last lap to win.

2009, Gerald Donaldson, James Hunt: The Biography, London: Virgin Books, →ISBN, page 119:

Throw in the two DRS (drag reduction system) zones to assist with overtaking this year, as well as KERS (kinetic energy recovery system), and it is no wonder Whitmarsh is full of anticipation for the weekend ahead. ¶ "Perhaps it's a bit premature to be discussing the return of the epic 'Monza slipstreamer'," said Whitmarsh.

2011 September 8, Ian Parkes, quoting Martin Whitmarsh, “Martin Whitmarsh predicts classic battle at Monza”, in The Independent, London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-07-07:

(motor racing) A race in which the shape of the track causes extensive slipstreams to form behind each car.


DPi

en-noun

DPi (countable and uncountable, plural DPis)

(motor racing) Initialism of Daytona prototype, international.: A racing prototype sports car classification. A derivative of IMSA DP (“Daytona prototypes”), with some homologation with FIA standards, for international racing suitable for both FIA and IMSA sanctioning.

Daytona prototype

(motor racing) A race car conforming to this class.


LMDh

LMDh (countable and uncountable, plural LMDhs)

(motor racing) Initialism of Le Mans-Daytona hypercar.: A classification of racing prototype sports cars for endurance racing, available under IMSA and FIA WEC sanctioned races.

Le Mans-Daytona hypercar

(motor racing) A race car of this class.


pencil fever

(horse racing, slang, obsolete) The situation where punters discover that a horse is almost certain to lose, and so become eager to lay bets against it.


chart caller

The chartcallers' routine goes something like this: When the horses come onto the track, chartcallers jot down equipment information -- which runners are wearing blinkers, bandages on their forelegs, special horse shoes. While this is going on, they memorize and match the color of each jockey's silks to his mount's name. Or, as is the case with Feustle and most newer chartcallers, the number on the saddle cloth.

2003 May 16, John Scheinman, “Chartcallers, Setting the Track Record”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-08-18:

When Jim Bishop was an Equibase chartcaller himself several seasons back, he would sometimes stray from the pre-programmed database comments and get creative with his past performance charts. For sorry horses such as Regal Bishop, he liked to utilize his favorite selfcoined disparity: Appeared to dislike racing.

2007, T. D. Thornton, Not by a Long Shot: A Season at a Hard Luck Horse Track, New York, N.Y.: PublicAffairs, →ISBN, page 42:

The technology has been sufficiently accurate that Equibase has changed its method of charting races at tracks using the system. Historically, the details of every race have been gathered by a chart-caller who watches the action through binoculars and calls out numbers to a partner. Now Trakus produces the charts, though the data still requires oversight and tweaking by Equibase personnel.

2012 February 8, Andrew Beyer, “New racing technology could offer vast amounts of data to handicappers”, in The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-08-18:

Another, Jamie Zoeller, was a Pavement superfan. He met Nastanovich at a bar in Chicago in the '90s, and Nastanovich told him about his Derby house. Nastanovich (now a chart caller at Prairie Meadows racetrack in Altoona, Iowa) wrote down the address on a bar napkin, and Zoeller carried it around in his wallet until one day he made it, in 1999.

2021 May 1, Melissa Hoppert, “At This Kentucky Derby Party House, Everyone Is ’Like Family’”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2022-04-28:

(horse racing) A person who is responsible for systemically recording the performance of the racehorses throughout a horse race.


clerk of the course

clerk of the course (plural clerks of the course or clerks of courses)

clerks of the course (plural)
clerks of courses (plural)

(horse racing) An official responsible for track management and raceday preparation at a racecourse.

(motor racing) An official responsible for various aspects of circuit operation, such as overseeing track conditions, communicating with course marshals, and dispatching safety and rescue teams.


bump and run

(motor racing) A technique for passing another vehicle, mainly used in stock car and touring car racing, in which the trailing car intentionally strikes the rear bumper of the car in front, forcing the driver to slow down or adjust the steering.


open-wheel

(vehicles, automotive, motor racing) Referring to a vehicle in which the wheels are outside the vehicle's main body, and usually having only one seat.


time check

(sports, cycling, motor racing) An instance of checking the amount of time required to cover a specific distance, occurring at a prearranged point in a race.


dial-in time

dial-in time (countable and uncountable, plural dial-in times)

(motor racing) The amount of time the driver estimates that it will take their car to cross the finish line, used to establish a handicap start in a bracket race.


interval time

interval time (countable and uncountable, plural interval times)

(motor racing) The difference of time between two racecars on the track.


selling-plater

(horse-racing) Synonym of plater (“a horse that runs chiefly in selling plates”)


targa timing

(motor racing) A system of timing formerly used in car rallying.


VHT

VHT (countable and uncountable, plural VHTs)

*(motorsport): Genericization of a trademark. The trademark derives from an initialism of very+high+traction phrase.
*(taxation): Abbreviation; Initialism of vacation home tax, from vacation home+tax.

(motor racing) A substance laid down atop the surface of a drag strip to increase the surface grip available to a dragster's tires, to enable quicker acceleration, faster speed, and lower strip times.