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Motorsport Glossary

49 terms — series classes, governing bodies, driving concepts, and team tiers.

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U
A
ACO
Governing Bodies
The ACO (Automobile Club de l'Ouest) is the French motorsport club that organises and owns…
Apex
General Terms
The apex is the innermost point of a corner, where a properly driven racing line touches t…
B
BOP
General Terms
Balance of Performance (BoP) is a system used in multi-manufacturer racing classes to equa…
C
Chicane
General Terms
A chicane is a sequence of tight corners in alternate directions, typically inserted into…
Club Racing
Team Tiers
Club racing refers to amateur motorsport organised by sanctioning bodies such as the SCCA…
D
Downforce
General Terms
Downforce is the aerodynamic force pushing a racing car toward the track surface, generate…
DPi
Series & Class Types
DPi (Daytona Prototype international) was IMSA's top prototype class from 2017 to 2022, de…
Drag Racing
Motorsport Categories
Drag racing is a straight-line acceleration contest typically held over a quarter-mile (40…
Drift
Motorsport Categories
Drifting is a driving discipline in which the driver intentionally oversteers the car to c…
E
Endurance Racing
Motorsport Categories
Endurance racing tests teams over extended distances or time periods, requiring driver cha…
F
Factory Team
Team Tiers
A factory team is a racing outfit that is directly owned, funded, and operated by a vehicl…
FIA
Governing Bodies
The FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) is the world governing body for motor…
FIM
Governing Bodies
The FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) is the world governing body for motorc…
Formula Regional
Series & Class Types
Formula Regional is an FIA-sanctioned open-wheel class that sits between Formula 4 and For…
G
Gentleman Driver
Team Tiers
A gentleman driver (also called a gentleman racer or Am driver) is a wealthy amateur who f…
Grid
General Terms
The starting grid is the arrangement of cars at the beginning of a race, ordered by their…
GT Racing
Motorsport Categories
GT (Gran Turismo) racing encompasses competitions for high-performance sports cars derived…
GT3
Series & Class Types
GT3 is a customer racing class developed by manufacturers to a shared FIA technical regula…
GT4
Series & Class Types
GT4 is a customer racing class one step below GT3 in the SRO hierarchy, aimed at gentlemen…
GTE
Series & Class Types
GTE (Gran Turismo Endurance) was an FIA-regulated class for near-production sports cars co…
H
Homologation
General Terms
Homologation is the official approval process by which a racing car, component, or series…
Hypercar
Series & Class Types
Hypercar is the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship, introduced in 2021 to r…
I
IMSA
Governing Bodies
IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) is the sanctioning body for sports car racin…
K
Karting
Motorsport Categories
Karting is the entry-level form of motorsport and the starting point for the majority of p…
L
LMDh
Series & Class Types
LMDh (Le Mans Daytona h) is a hybrid prototype class introduced in 2023 to run concurrentl…
LMP1
Series & Class Types
LMP1 (Le Mans Prototype 1) was the top class of the FIA World Endurance Championship and L…
LMP2
Series & Class Types
LMP2 (Le Mans Prototype 2) is the spec-chassis class for privateer endurance teams, sittin…
M
Motorcycle Racing
Motorsport Categories
Motorcycle racing encompasses all competitive motorsport on two-wheeled powered vehicles.…
N
NASCAR
Governing Bodies
NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) is the premier sanctioning body fo…
O
Off-Road Racing
Motorsport Categories
Off-road racing takes place on unpaved terrain including desert, dirt, sand, and rock. Eve…
Open Wheel
Motorsport Categories
Open wheel refers to single-seater racing cars where the wheels are exposed outside the bo…
Oval Racing
Motorsport Categories
Oval racing takes place on oval-shaped tracks ranging from short dirt ovals under half a m…
Oversteer
General Terms
Oversteer occurs when a car's rear wheels lose traction before the front in a corner, caus…
P
Paddock
General Terms
The paddock is the enclosed area at a racing circuit where teams set up their transporters…
Parc Ferme
General Terms
Parc fermé (French for 'closed park') is the controlled area of a circuit where cars must…
Pit Stop
General Terms
A pit stop is a scheduled or unscheduled visit to the pit lane during a race, used to chan…
Podium
General Terms
The podium is the raised platform on which the top three finishers in a race stand to rece…
Pole Position
General Terms
Pole position is the first position on the starting grid, awarded to the driver or team th…
Professional Team
Team Tiers
A professional racing team operates with full-time paid staff, contracted professional dri…
Prototype
Motorsport Categories
Prototype racing cars are purpose-built racing machines not derived from road vehicles, fe…
R
Rally
Motorsport Categories
Rally is a form of motorsport held on public or private roads with modified production or…
S
Safety Car
General Terms
A safety car (SC) is a high-performance road car deployed onto the circuit to neutralise a…
Semi-Professional Team
Team Tiers
A semi-professional racing team occupies the middle ground between grassroots club racing…
Slipstream
General Terms
Slipstreaming (also called drafting) is the technique of following closely behind another…
SRO
Governing Bodies
SRO Motorsports Group is the privately-held organisation founded by Stephane Ratel that op…
Super Formula
Series & Class Types
Super Formula is Japan's premier single-seater racing series, widely regarded as the secon…
T
TCR
Series & Class Types
TCR (Touring Car Racing) is a global technical regulation for front-wheel-drive touring ca…
Touring Car
Motorsport Categories
Touring car racing features saloon and hatchback cars derived from road-going production m…
U
Understeer
General Terms
Understeer occurs when a car's front wheels lose grip before the rear wheels in a corner,…

About the Motorsport Glossary

The Race Team Wiki Motorsport Glossary defines 49 key motorsport terms across 5 categories including series types, governing bodies, driving techniques, and team tiers. Race Team Wiki is the comprehensive racing team index covering all motorsport disciplines worldwide.

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