Slingshot Pass - F

F

Factory-backed

A racing team/driver that competes with official sanction and financial support from a manufacturer. In Europe, known as a works team.

Fan car

Usually refers specifically to the Brabham BT46 Formula One car, although the concept was actually pioneered by sports car manufacturer Chaparral Cars on the Chaparral 2J. The placement of a large fan at the rear of the chassis driven either independently or by the engine with the purpose of creating negative air-pressure underneath the car to create additional downforce for increased cornering speed.

Fastest lap

fastest time in which a lap was completed by a driver during a race. Sometimes rewarded with bonus championship points.

Field

The competing cars in an event.

First or Worse

In drag racing, if both drivers commit a foul, the driver who commits the foul first loses, unless it is two separate fouls, where the loser is the driver who committed the worse foul; (lane violation is worse than foul start, and failure to participate in a post-run inspection is worst).

Flag-to-flag coverage

Television or radio coverage that consists of the entire race start-to-finish rather than highlights, tape delayed, "packaged" coverage, or highlights of the first portion of the race before broadcasting the final quarter of the race live. Derives from green flag (start) to checkered flag (finish). Instituted largely in the late 1970s, with the 1979 Daytona 500 being the first major 500-mile race with live, flag-to-flag coverage.

Flat spot

When a wheel locks under braking, the car skids and leaves a flat spot on the section of the tyre that was touching the ground at the time.

Flopper

(drag racing) Funny Car, short for "fender flopper." Coined by dragster crews in the late 1960s to separate Funny Cars, which had fiberglass bodies with fenders, from dragsters. Erroneously attributed to flip-top bodies of Funny Cars.

Flying lap

A lap started by a competitor at optimum speed, as opposed to a lap from a standing start, usually in qualifying.

Flying Start

(See Rolling Start)

Formation lap

The lap cars make before forming up on the grid for the start.

Formula racing

A type of racing, generally open wheeled, where the conditions of technical entry comply with strict rules or formulae.

Free practice

When drivers or riders learn the circuit and/or teams experiment with race settings for the track.

Fuel

(drag racing) mix of methanol and nitromethane ("pop," nitro); race class using it.

Fuel cell

A fuel tank with a flexible inner liner to minimize the potential for punctures in the event of a collision or other mishap resulting in serious damage to the vehicle. Mandatory in most forms of motorsport.

Fueler

(drag racing) any car running fuel or in Fuel class (most often, TFD or TF/FC).

Full course yellow

When yellow flags are deployed at every flag point around a race circuit and a Safety Car leads the field until a hazard is cleared.

Funny Car

(drag racing) a vehicle with a single-piece body draped over the chassis which is lifted off or rear-hinged to allow the driver access to the cabin; a race class for such a car