Style Guide

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NHRA Communications Dept.

STYLE GUIDE

-AAA-

AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals
AAA Texas NHRA FallNationals
AARWBA	American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association
ACCUS	Automobile Competition Committee of the United States. Members include NHRA, NASCAR, CART, IRL, USAC and SCCA.
aftermarket	One word. The market for parts and accessories used in the repair or enhancement of an automobile.
Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
annual	An event cannot be described as annual until it has been held in at least two successive years; Never use first-annual, use inaugural
automaker
Auto Club NHRA Finals
Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Award

-BBB-

backpedaled
backup	As in backup car, referring to a spare car.
Big Go	Slang name for U.S. Nationals; no quotes
Big Three Automakers	General Motors, Ford, Chrysler
bite	Jargon referring to adhesion of a tire to the racing surface.
Bondo	Brand of body filler. Capitalize.
bracket racing	Popular type of handicap racing where each competitor uses a dial-in or performance prediction.
break out (v.), breakout (n.)	Occurs when competitor has run quicker than his dial-in time.
burndown	Occurs when two competitors purposely delay the staging process.
burn out (v.), burnout (n.)	Spinning the tires prior to the start of a drag race to increase tire temperature and improve traction.
bye	When a racer has no competition due to short field or a no-show.

-CCC-

Cacklefest	NHRA trademark. Line of nostalgia dragsters at starting line with engines running.
car length	Two words.
career-best	Use hyphen.
carmaker, carmakers
CARQUEST Auto Parts NHRA Nationals
centerline	One word.
chassis	The plural of chassis is chassis.
Chevrolet Official truck of the NHRA
Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals
Christmas Tree	The electronic device incorporating calibrated lights used to start a drag race.
clutch disc	Not disk.
Countdown to the Championship
cubic centimeters	Engine displacement, usually written as cc on every reference with no periods or spaces.
cid	Cubic inches of displacement (lower case, no periods). Used with a hyphen, e.g., 500-cid.
crew chief
crewmember

-DDD-

datelines	Datelines on stories should contain a city name, entirely in capital letters, followed in most cases by the name of the state, country or territory where the city is located.
	No state abbreviation with the following:
	ATLANTA
	BALTIMORE
	BOSTON
	CHICAGO
	CINCINNATI
	CLEVELAND
	DALLAS
	DENVER
	DETROIT
	HOLLYWOOD
	HONOLULU
	INDIANAPOLIS
	LAS VEGAS
	LOS ANGELES
	MIAMI
	MILWAUKEE
	MINNEAPOLIS
	NEW ORLEANS
	NEW YORK
	OKLAHOMA CITY
	PHILADELPHIA
	PHOENIX
	PITTSBURGH
	SEATTLE
	ST. LOUIS
	SALT LAKE CITY
	SAN ANTONIO
	SAN DIEGO
	SAN FRANCISCO
	Stories from all other U.S. cities should have both the city and state name in the dateline, including KANSAS CITY, Mo. and KANSAS CITY, Kan.
	Several states do not use abbreviations. Abbreviate all others.
	Alabama -- Ala.
	Alaska -- Alaska
	Arizona -- Ariz.
	Arkansas -- Ark.
	California -- Calif.
	Colorado -- Colo.
	Connecticut -- Conn.
	Delaware -- Del.
	Florida -- Fla.
	Georgia -- Ga.
	Hawaii -- Hawaii
	Illinois -- Ill.
	Idaho -- Idaho
	Indiana -- Ind.
	Iowa -- Iowa
	Kansas -- Kan.
	Kentucky -- Ky.
	Louisiana -- La.
	Maryland -- Md.
	Maine -- Maine
	Massachusetts -- Mass.
	Michigan -- Mich.
	Minnesota -- Minn.
	Mississippi -- Miss.
	Missouri -- Mo.
	Montana -- Mont.
	Nebraska -- Neb.
	Nevada -- Nev.
	New Hampshire -- N.H.
	New Jersey -- N.J.
	New Mexico -- N.M.
	New York -- N.Y.
	North Carolina -- N.C.
	North Dakota -- N.D.
	Ohio -- Ohio
	Oklahoma -- Okla.
	Oregon -- Ore.
	Pennsylvania -- Pa.
	Rhode Island -- R.I.
	South Carolina -- S.C.
	South Dakota -- S.D.
	Tennessee -- Tenn.
	Texas -- Texas
	Utah -- Utah
	Vermont -- Vt.
	Virginia -- Va.
	Washington -- Wash.
	West Virginia -- W.Va.
	Wisconsin -- Wis.
	Wyoming -- Wyo.
debut	This is a noun, not a verb. Correct use: It was his drag racing debut. Incorrect use: He debuted a dragster.
deep stage	Describes the act of staging the car past the initial pre-stage light.
Denso Spark Plugs NHRA Nationals
dial-in	In bracket racing, a predetermined E.T. or performance prediction.
disc	Reference to type of brake
DNF (n. or v.)	Abbreviation for did not finish. Past tense is DNFd (no apostrophe). Use only when writing for racing audience. Otherwise spell it out.
DNQ (n. or v.)	Abbreviation for did not qualify. Past tense is DNQd (no apostrophe).
DNS (n. or v.)	Abbreviation for did not start.
downforce	One word.
drag race	Two words. No hyphen.
drag racing
dragster
dragstrip	One word.
Driver of the Year	Top annual award given to best driver in American motorsports by elite panel of journalists
dropped cylinder	(v) To drop a cylinder (n) a cylinder that has too much fuel-to-air mixture, preventing spark plug from firing.
dynamometer Slang term is dyno.

-EEE-

E.T.	Accepted abbreviation for elapsed time, not ET or e.t.
elimination
EMPA	Eastern Motorsports Press Association

-FFF-

FIA	Federation International de l’Automobile.
finish line
final-round	Use hyphen.
first-round	Use hyphen.
FOX Sports
FOX Sports 1	OK to use FS1 in second reference
FOX Sports 2	OK to use FS2 in second reference
FOX	national broadcasting network will air four races
front-runner (n)
Funny Car	Always uppercase.

-GGG-

game plan	Not game-plan or gameplan.
gearbox	One word.
grandstand	One word.
groove	The preferred path of a race car on a race track.

-HHH-

halfway	Noun and adjective.
HANS device	Acronym for Head and Neck Support.
Harley-Davidson
holeshot	An advantage at the starting line achieved by the driver having the quicker reaction time to the Christmas Tree than his opponent.
horsepower	One word.

-III-

inaugural	Never use first-annual.
Internet	Should be capitalized in all references.

-JJJ-

JEGS Allstars
jell/gel	Do not confuse the two words. Jell means to take shape and achieve distinctness; to become cohesive. Gel means to change into or take on the form of a gel.

-KKK-

K&N Horsepower Challenge

NHRA bonus event for qualified Pro Stock competitors.

-LLL-

loose	Jargon for a handling condition of a race car in which the vehicle's rear tires tend to lose traction.
Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals

-MMM- 

Manufacturers Midway
Manufacturers Cup
Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship
Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
Mello Yello NHRA world championship
Mello Yello world champion
Mello Yello Series Top 10
Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals
mph	The abbreviation for mile per hour. It’s acceptable in all references.
motorsports	One word.
motor racing	Two words.

-NNN-

national record	Avoid the redundant new record.
NHRA National Dragster	bi-weekly magazine of NHRA
NHRA	National Hot Rod Association; use NHRA on every reference when writing for motorsports audience.
NHRA.com	also www.nhra.com
NHRA Carolina Nationals
NHRA Championship Drag Racing
NHRA Drags: Street Legal Style presented by AAA
NHRA Four-Wide Nationals
NHRA Hot Rod Heritage Racing Series
NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series
NHRA Jr. Street
NHRA Kansas Nationals
NHRA Keystone Nationals
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series
NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship
NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series
NHRA Mello Yello world champion
NHRA New England Nationals
NHRA Northwest Nationals
NHRA Nitro Alley
NHRA Safety Safari presented by AAA
NHRA Springnationals
NHRA Summernationals
NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League
NHRA Summit Racing Series
NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals
NHRA Toyota Nationals
NHRA Youth & Education Services presented by U.S. Army
No. 1 qualifier	Top qualifier in 16-car order for drag racing's professional categories (avoid the use of “pole position”)
Nitro Fish NHRA Pro Bike Battle
nitromethane	Monopropellant fuel used in Top Fuel and Funny Car categories; ignited by compression
numbers	Spell out one through nine. Use numerals for 0, 10 and higher. Use numerals when using No. 1, No. 2, No. 8, etc.

-OOO-

oildown
Owners Cup

-PPP-

percentages	90 percent rule, 1 percent back up. No hyphens.
pit area	Location where race teams park and service their race cars between races. Also referred to as pits.
pole position	Slang reference used in oval racing to describe top
qualifier.	Not to be used in drag racing in any reference.
prerace	Not pre-race
preseason	Not pre-season
Pro Modified	Always uppercase. Also OK to use Pro Mod.
Pro Stock	Always uppercase.
Pro Stock Motorcycle	Not Pro Stock Bike.

-QQQ-

quarterfinal	Not quarter-final
quarter-mile
quarter panel	Two words.

-RRR-

race track	Not racetrack. No hyphen.
race car	Not racecar. No hyphen.
race day
reaction time	Term describing the time it takes a driver to hit the throttle once the Christmas Tree is activated; R.T.
red-light (n. and v.)	Always hyphenated; Term describing a foul start when a vehicle leaves the starting line before the Christmas Tree is activated; past tense is red-lighted.
Route 66 NHRA Nationals
rpm	Abbreviation for revolutions per minute
runner-up	Two plural uses: runners-up; runner-ups

-SSS-

Safety Safari presented by AAA	NHRA safety team
scuff	Jargon for a race tire that has been used previously. Refers to the fact that the manufacturers' label, or sticker, has been scuffed off.
SEMA	Specialty Equipment Market Association.
semifinal	Not semi-final.
set up (n.) setup (n. and adj.)
show car	Not showcar.
staged	Final step for cars to get set prior to the start of a drag
race.
starting line
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals
Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League
supercharger	Avoid using the slang term “blower.”

-TTT-

tight	Jargon for a race car handling condition in which the vehicle's front tires tend to lose traction.
Top Fuel	Capitalize first letter in both words.
Top 10	Capitalized when used as a proper noun. Example: It was his first appearance in the Top 10. Lowercase in all other references. Example: He was listed as one of the top 10 drivers of the year.
Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals
	NHRA Tracks (Mello Yello Series)
	Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, Ga.
	Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pomona, Calif.
	Bandimere Speedway, Denver
	Brainerd International Raceway, Brainerd, Minn.
	Bristol Dragway, Bristol, Tenn.
	Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.
	Gateway Motorsports Park, St. Louis
	Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kan.
	Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis, Brownsburg, Ind.
	Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, Pa.
	New England Dragway, Epping, N.H.
	Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J.
	Pacific Raceways, Seattle
	Route 66 Raceway, Chicago
	Royal Purple Raceway, Houston
	Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
	The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas
	Summit Motorsports Park, Norwalk, Ohio
	Texas Motorplex, Dallas
	Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Phoenix
	zMAX Dragway, Charlotte, N.C.
Traxxas Nitro Shootout
turbocharger, turbocharged

-UUU-

U.S. Nationals

-VVV-

victory	Preferable to win, which is a verb.
victory lane, victory circle	Do not capitalize unless used as a proper name.

-WWW-

Wally	NHRA’s official trophy, named after NHRA founder Wally Parks (1913-2007), awarded to event winners, and special award winners.
Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum presented by Auto Club of Southern California
Western Swing	Traditional trio of national events in consecutive weeks, including Seattle, Sonoma and Denver. Do not use West Coast Swing.
Website
wheelbase	One word.
winner's circle

-END-