- Air Foil
- The same as a wing- a stabilizer, generally used to create down force, which increases stability and tire-to-track adherence at high speeds.
- Burnout
- Spinning the rear tires in water to heat and clean them prior to a run for better traction. A burnout precedes every run.
- Christmas Tree
- Also called the Tree, it is the noticeable electronic starting device between the lanes on the starting line. It displays a calibrated light countdown for each driver.
- Dial Under
- When drivers select an elapsed time quicker than the national index. Drivers select a dial-under, or e.t. they think their cars will run based on previous performance.
- Holeshot
- When a driver reacts quicker to the Christmas Tree to win a race against an opponent with a quicker e.t.
- Index
- The expected performance for vehicles in a class as assigned by NHRA. It allows various classes of cars in the same category to race together competitively.
- Nitromethane
- Produced specifically as a fuel for drag racing, it is the result of a chemical reaction between nitric acid and propane.
- Sixty-foot time
- The time it takes a vehicle to cover the first 60 feet of the racetrack. It is the most accurate measure of the launch from the starting line and in most cases determines how quick the rest of the run will be.
- Speed Trap
- The final 66 feet to the finish line where speed is recorded.
- Weight Transfer
- Critical to traction. Vehicles are set up to provide a desired weight transfer to the rear wheels. Upon acceleration, the front wheels lift and the weight shifts to the rear wheels, which makes them less likely to spin.
