Motorsport Terminology - L

L

Ladder series
Generally refers to a category or series of lesser importance which in most cases will race at the same race meeting as a senior category. Cars will be generally similar in characteristic to drive but will be smaller, less powerful and/or slower. Competitors will generally be younger emerging drivers who are climbing an apprenticeship 'ladder' towards entry into the senior series.
Lambda reading
Fuel to air ratio readings, used to determine how much fuel is pushed through the fuel injectors into the cylinders for combustion.
Lap of honour
A non-competitive lap taken before or after the race by a driver in celebration. Also known as a lap of honor, or, if after the race, a victory lap.
Lap record
Fastest race lap recorded at a circuit for a category of race car. The circumstances allowed vary significantly, but practice laps are generally not considered official records. Laps recorded in qualifying may or may not contribute but are sometimes referred together with practice laps as Qualifying lap record. The outright lap record is the fastest race lap ever recorded at any particular circuit, regardless of category of vehicle being raced.
Le Mans car
A slang given by the general public to describe a sports prototype racing car, commonly a Le Mans Prototype and its predecessors including Group C, Group 6 and Group 5, regardless if it is competing at Le Mans or not.
Lead trophy
See Success ballast.
Lid
The top of something, either a crash helmet or the roof of a car.
Lit the tires
(drag racing) lost traction, producing smoke.
Livery
The paint colors and decals applied to a vehicle to mark its sponsorship or team identity.
Lollipop
A sign on a stick used in pit stops, which is held in front of the car and raised when the pit stop is completed. Though the same basic device is utilized in NASCAR and IndyCar, generic terms such as pit board or sign board are preferred as the sign is not round, but sometimes square, and often is in a specific design unique to the driver or team (such as Kevin Harvick's happy face logo, or a team's number stylised as it fits on the car). In addition, in NASCAR & IndyCar, the sign is usually only used for the driver to locate their pit box. It is pulled back, and not normally used to signal departure as it is in Formula One,.
Loose
See oversteer.

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