10 Words On Racing

10 things you need to understand to be successful at auto racing:

10) Speed - obviously, since the object of a race is to be the fastest car to the finish line.

9) Acceleration - related to speed, and sometimes acceleration is more important than speed, and sometimes not.

8) Brakes - sometimes how fast you can stop is a crucial factor. Plus, short-track racing involves the brakes being used much more than super-speedways, and therefore the brakes get super hot, and how tough your brakes are against heat can be a factor in just finishing the race at all.

7) Tires - similar to brakes, since better tires help brake better. Plus, since racing involves pushing the car to it's limits to go fast, this means the better tires grip the road, the better you can go into turns without slowing down as much.

6) Fuel Efficiency - Ok, I know that's 2 words, so think of any one word that means fuel efficiency. Sometimes races come down to who doesn't have to stop for fuel as often, or who has just enough fuel to finish the race without having to lose time taking a pit stop for fuel.

5) Traction - related to tires, but this also includes the car's suspension system. Do your front and real wheels grip the track about equal, or does one or the other slip out of control at the turns? Do the tires grip the road when there's a bump in the surface? Things like that are important.

4) Aerodynamics - this includes how well air flows around the car, as well as how air flow changes when you are following another car closely vs. being in clean air with no one ahead of you. Sometimes if a car gets banged up the body panels do not allow air to flow around them as easily, and this makes the car have to push harder against the air.

3) Teamwork - auto racing is a pure team sport, absolutely. It's not just the driver, it's the pit crew, the Crew Chief and it's the mechanics in the garage, and even the company that manufactured the car.

2) Endurance - in a long race, the car must last all the way to the last lap, so if something breaks - buh-bye.

1) and the most importnat word: LUCK! Yes, even Jimmie Johnson needs a little luck sometimes.