Drag Racing & On the Bubble (1948)

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

   I was asked to antedate "drag racing."  This beats Merriam-Webster by one
year...We had discussed "on the bubble" in January 1999 (old ADS-L archives).
 It's used in the Indy 500 race and in the NCAA basketball tournament sports
lingo.

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DRAG RACE

   August 1948, HOT ROD MAGAZINE, pg. 31, col. 2:
   Drag races are unknown on the streets of Albuquerque.

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RACING JARGON

   November 1948, HOT ROD MAGAZINE, pg. 13, col. 1:
      _Racing Jargon_ by WALTER A. WORON
(...)
      _Engine, General_
   _Bent-Eight_--Ford, Mercury, or Cadillac V-8 engine.
   _Four-Barrell_--Four-cylinder engine.
   _Full-House_--An engine with all racing accessories.
   _Mill_--Any engine.
      _Engine Components & Accessories_
   _Blower_--A supercharger, which is used to increase the fuel-air charge
inducted into an engine, and thereby increases the horsepower.  The three
types of blowers are: piston-cylinder type; positive rotary; Roots and vane
types; and centrifugal types.
   _Blown Engine_--An engine that incorporates a supercharger.
   _Crank_--Abbreviated form of crankshaft.
   _D.O._--An engine equipped with dual-overhead valves.
   _Dual Set-Up_--An engine using a dual intake manifold equipped with two
carburetors.  A dual set-up can be used on a four-cylinder, six-cylinder, or
eight-cylinder engine.
   _Four-Port Job_--A Model A or B block with a four-intake-port head
(usually applies to a Riley head).
   _Header_--Specially designed racing-type exhaust manifold, designed to
prevent back-pressure in the manifold and permit better scavenging of the
cylinder after each power stroke.
   _Jiggler_--Rocker arm.
   _Jug_--Carburetor.
   _Lid_--Head.
   _Pot_--Carburetor.
(Col. 2--ed.)
   _Shaft_--Abbreviated name for engine crankshaft (same as Crank).
   _Single-stick_--SIngle, overhead camshaft (see Stick).
   _Stacks_--Short, individual exhaust stacks, with which no collector is
used.  Also could mean short "velocity" stacks used on top of carburetor.
   _Stick_--Camshaft, used for opening and closing the intake and exhaust
valves.  Types of camshafts for hot rods consist of the following: stock,
semi-race, 3/4-race, super, and full-race.
   _Two-Port Job_--A Model A or B block with a two-intake-port head (usually
applies to a RIley head).
      _Engine Rebuilding_
   _Over-Bore_--An engine with the cylinders bored out oversize to increase
the cubic inch displacement, or for the purpose of adding sleeves (if the
same displacement is desired).  Example: An .080 over-bore is an engine with
the cylinders bored out .080-inch diameter oversize from the original
diameter.
   _Porting_--Consists of enlarging and polishing the valve ports (intake
and/or exhaust) and adding oversized valves and stronger springs.  THis
usually accompanies reboring, since the port diameter is fixed primarily by
the cylinder bore--the larger the bore, the larger the ports.
   _Relieving_--Consists of removing the ridge in the top of the block
resulting from counterboring during manufacture for the valve seat.  The
removal of this ridge permits better "breathing" through the transfer
passage.  This refers, generally, to "L" head engines.
   _Stroker_--An engine with a crankshaft stroked above normal (see
Stroking).
   _Stroking_--Consists of regrinding the crankpin in such a manner as to
move its center further away from the center of the crankshaft, thereby
increasing the stroke and swept volume of the cylinder.  This results in a
large increase in compression ratio plus an increase in piston displacement.
To prevent the compression ratio from becoming abnormally high, stroked
pistons are sometimes added, which are special pistons with the wrist pin
located higher toward the crown.  THis results in a further increase in
piston development.  Stroked pistons, by themselves, could be used to
increase the piston displacement, but would result in a decrease in
compression ratio.
      _Frame and Body_
   _Channel Job_--A car with the floor cut out or "channeled," with the
hangers moved up higher on the body structure, allowing the entire body to
sit lower (with the floor below, or level (Col. 3--ed.) with, the frame).
The public has become more aware of this type of body styling (used on hot
rods a number of years) with the advent of the new Hudson and its
advertisement as, "the car you step _down_ into."
   _Chopped Top_--A hard or soft top that has been lowered by removing a
section from the windshield posts, the wondows, the doors, the top bows, etc.
   _Dropped Axle_--Front axles with a sharp downward bend as it leaves the
wheel, so that it is lower than ordinary, and consequently lowers the front
end.
   _Filled Axle_--A dropped axle that has both sides of the "I" beam section
filled with metal at the bend to give added strength in that area.
   _Roll Bar_--Steel bar welded to both longitudinal members of the frame and
extending above and behind ther driver to protect him in the event of a roll.
   _Sprung Weight_--Also known as the sprung mass, it is that part of the car
that is actually suspended and includes the weight of the body, engine and
frame.
   _Stepped Frame_--A frame altered in such a manner as to make a big step in
the longitudinal members in order to fit over the axle, thereby lowering the
frame and body.
   _Unsprung Weight_--Also known as the unsprung mass, it is that part of a
car that is not suspended by springs, including the axles, wheels and, in
most cases, the brakes.
      _Miscellaneous Car Terms_
   _Binders_--Brakes.
   _Boots_--Tires.
   _Dog Clutch_--An in-out type clutch using a gear shift to engage the
spline or dog gears of the engine crankshaft and the drive-shaft together.
The shafts are not rotating at the time of gear engagement.
   _Locked Rear End_--A straight-through drive system with the left and right
rear axle shafts locked together with the ring gear and in which no
differential action exists.
   _Quick Change Gear Box_--A gear box so designed that the gears may be
quickly removed and replaced.  It can be used in conjunction with the dog
clutch or as the rear end.  The dog clutch is used to comp0ensate for
different wheel sizes, tire sizes, condition and length of track, and allows
the car to deliver its maximum performance and to handle preoperly.
      General Terms_
   _Goat_--Usually considered to be an old race car, generally used when
speaking of a driver "herding his goat."
)Pg. 27, col. 1--ed.)
   _Herd_--To herd (see Goat) means to drive.
   _Iron_--A car, or engine.
   _Leadfoot_--A driver who uses a heavy throttle, meaning that he is a fast
driver.
   _Mount_--A driver's car, or ride.
   _On His Head_--A driver who has flipped, rolled or turned his car over.
   _On the Bubble_--The pole position, or spot on the rail in the first row
of cars in a race.
   _Rod_--Abbreviation of hot rod, or roadster.
   _Tool_--To drive, as "he sure _tools_ that rod like an old-timer."

   December 1948, HOT ROD MAGAZINE, pg. 7, col. 2 (LETTERS--JARGON
CORRECTIONS):
   First, the term "D.O." refers to dual overhead camshafts, not dual
overhead valves...
   Second, under the heading of "Engine Rebuilding," and the paragraph on
Stroking, Mr. Woron states that moving the piston pin toward the crown of the
piston will result in increased piston idsplacement.  Since the piston
displacement is the product of the area of the piston, or cylinder and length
of stroke, and the number of cylinders, the placing of the piston pin with
relation to the head of the piston can in no way increase the cubic inch
displacement of the engine.  I agree that compression changes do occur with
changing this relationship, but the piston displacement must remain the same
for a given bore and stroke, regardless of changes in piston or connecting
rod dimensions.