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Glossary

G

GASOLINE ALLEY
Nickname for the garage area at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
GAVE UP
Drivers use this to describe a mechanical part that fails.
GEARBOX
The transmission attached to the rear of the engine. Champ Cars have "sequential" shift patterns, which is more like a motorcycle gear change than the traditional "H" pattern on most street cars.
GOES UP THROUGH THE GEARS
Refers to a driver upshifting from the lowest to the highest gear.
GONG SHOW
Nickname given the driver talent search used by Roush Racing for its NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams. Young, aspiring NASCAR drivers are selected by Roush Racing personnel to audition in front of a panel consisting of Roush Racing NCTS experts. Elements of the audition process include a practice session where the driver assesses the chassis and makes requests to ultimately achieve the quickest and most consistent lap times. After the practice session, a 20-lap hot session takes place and the driver that shows the most improvement and knowledge not only behind the wheel, but also with adjusting setups, will be considered for the next open seat within the program.

Past winners include Kurt Busch and Greg Biffle.

GOT UNDER
A NASCAR or Champ Car World Series driver out-brakes an opponent on the inside of a turn and makes a pass.
GRAND PRIX
This French term meaning "grand prize" is widely used to refer to a race. At one time in racing, it was used exclusively for a series' grand finale, usually the most important race.
GRAVEL CARS
Term used to describe manufacturers' special World Rally cars - regardless of event surface - sent through stages one hour before the stage start to report news of weather and surface conditions. (Ice Notes Crews are gravel cars for winter events.)
GRAVEL SETTINGS
The suspension adjustments made to optimize the handling of a rally car for rough surfaced special stages.
GROUND EFFECTS
Aerodynamically designed parts, which are fitted to the lower areas of a car to create additional downforce. Many production car owners add ground effects more for style than function.
GURNEY FLAP
A vertical extension to the back edge of an Indy car wing invented by racing legend Dan Gurney to generate more downforce, especially at higher angles of attack. This device is usually made of metal, aluminum or carbon fiber and is also known as a wickerbill or a return.