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| I-Beam Suspension |
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A suspension beam under the car that supports the body in the shape of a capital I.
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| I-Head |
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Both valves located directly over the piston. Also called valve--in-head or overhead valve engine.
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| Iceman |
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Winston Cup driver Terry Labonte, said not to crack under pressure.
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| Idle Speed |
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The speed of the engine at minimum throttle and the engine in neutral.
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| Ignition |
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An electrical system used to ignite the air-fuel mixture in an internal combustion engine.
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| Ihra |
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International Hot Rod Association, the junior sanctioning body for drag racing.
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| Imca |
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International Motor Contest Association. Probably the oldest existing sanctioning body in the world.
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| Impact Gun |
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The machine used to removed wheel nuts. Also an air wrench or air gun.
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| Impact Wrench |
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A powered wrench that uses a combination of torque and a hammering action to loosen and tighten fasteners. Racers often use this term (improperly) as a synonym for air wrench.
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| Impound |
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Area where top 3 cars in each class must report immediately upon coming off track after a race, for weighing and inspection. Also, Impound staff.
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| Ims |
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Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the site of the Indy 500. This is now an IRL event.
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| Imsa |
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International Motor Sports Association, founded by John Bishop in 1969. Sanctions, organizes, markets and officiates professional auto racing events. Season begins in February at Daytona International Speedway and ends in October on the streets of New Orleans.
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| In the Fence |
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A phrase used to describe the wreck of a race car involving several cars or only one car.
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| In-Car Camera |
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The camera inside the cockpit of a race car that gives a driver's perspective of the race.
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| In-Line Engine |
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Cylinders are arranged side by side in a row and in a single bank. Most four-cylinder and some six-cylinder engines are in-line engines. In V-6, V-8 or V-12 engines, the cylinders are divided into two banks, each of which is angled away from the other in a 'V'.
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| Incentive |
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A cash refund or attractive lease or loan rate offered by an automotive manufacturer toward the purchase of a new vehicle.
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| Indemnity |
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A legal principle specifying that the insured not collect more than the actual cash value of a loss but be restored to approximately the same financial position that existed before the loss.
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| Independent |
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Slang term for a driver or team owner who does not have financial backing from a major sponsor and must make do with secondhand equipment such as parts and tires. The term, like the breed, is becoming rarer every year.
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| Independent Suspension |
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A suspension design that lets each wheel move up and down independently of the others. A vehicle can have two-wheel or four-wheel independent suspension; sportier models have four-wheel independent suspension. See also Multi-Link Suspension, Live Axle.
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| Index |
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The expected performance for vehicles in a given class as assigned by NHRA. It allows various classes of cars in the same category to race against each other competitively. (Drag racing)
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| Indy 500 |
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The big race held in Indianapolis every year on Memorial Day weekend.
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| Indy Car |
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An open-wheel, open-cockpit car of the type traditionally raced at the Indianapolis 500. After the 1996 schism between the IRL and CART, both groups claim they race Indy cars, though they use different types of engines.
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| Indy Lights |
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One level below Indy car racing, known for its lighter version of actual Indy Cars. This is a stepping stone to the Indy 500.
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| Indy Racing League |
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IRL A sanctioning body, owned and run by Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George. The IRL is attempting to put on a series of Indy car style racing using cars that resemble (but are less expensive then) Indy cars as sanctioned by CART.
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| Infield |
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The enclosed portion of a track which includes team garages on most oval tracks. During race weekends, this area is usually filled with large transporters, merchandise trailers, and driver and fan motorhomes.
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| Inflatable Tubular Restraint |
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This tube of woven material is stiffer and stays inflated longer than a traditional airbag cushion. The tube protects the occupant's head and torso in a side impact, in part by keeping them away from the point of intrusion. The uninflated tube is tucked into the edge of the roof headliner. The tube is attached at the base of the A-pillar in front of the occupant, and at the roofline behind the occupant. When it inflates, the tube angles across the window to keep the occupants head from hitting the window glass or metal side pillar. Because of the longer time the tubular restraint stays inflated, it is expected to also offer protection in a rollover.
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| Inline |
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Cylinders in a single row, valve stems in a single row.
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| Inline Engine |
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An engine having the cylinders in a straight line, one after the other. Also called a "straight" engine.
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| Inner Liner |
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A safety device for racing tires. An inner liner is a sort of tire-within-a-tire; it has its own air containment and its own valve stem (separate from the main carcass of the tire). The inner liner is inflated to a pressure somewhat lower than the main carcass, so that it stays folded up against the rim until the main carcass loses pressure. Then, the inner liner inflates and takes over; it can function even if the outer tire disintegrates completely.
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| Inside Groove or Line |
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On an oval track, this is the innermost racing line which is usually separated from the infield by a distinctly flat surface called an apron. On road courses, the inside groove refers to the line closest to the curbs or walls forming the inner portion of turns.
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| Inside Line |
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The shortest and usually the fastest, line around the track. The lane closest to the infield. Also see Groove
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| Instructor |
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Highest license level in Midwestern Council. Issued after completion of 2 years, 12 races, 3 schools as an assistant and individual approval by the MC contest board.
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| Instrument Panel |
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The instrument panel contains the gauges in front of the driver; the controls for the sound system and climate-control system; the glove box; vents for the windshield defroster; and the front passenger-side airbag. The instrument panel is often delivered to the factory as a complete module with electronic components already installed.
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| Intake Manifold |
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A housing that directs the air-fuel mixture through the port openings in the cylinder heads.
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| Integrated Child Seats |
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May also be called integrated child-safety seats or integrated child-restraint seats. Built-in child seats that fold out of the seatback of a rear seat. Sedans with this option usually have one in the center of the rear seat; minivans may have one or two in the middle seating positions. While NHTSA and every other safety organization stress that any child-restraint seat is better than none, built-in child-restraint seats are considered the safest alternative because they are more securely anchored than a seat attached to seat belts.
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| Integrated Safety Belts |
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Also called integrated seat belts. Lap-and-shoulder belts that are built into the seat rather than anchored to the side pillar and the floor pan. A recent innovation, this arrangement ensures better belt fit and ensures that the belt stays with the seat occupant when he or she moves the seat forward or rearward. Some manufacturers also call this belt-in-seat.
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| Intercooler |
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Device that cools air as it leaves a turbocharger or supercharger before the air is blown into the engine air intake. Cooling makes the air denser and richer in oxygen, which lets the engine produce more power.
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| Interest |
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The cost of the money borrowed, usually expressed as a percentage of the whole.
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| Interest Rate |
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The periodic charge, expressed as a percentage, for the use of credit.
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| Interior Payload |
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The amount of space or material that can be carried inside the vehicle.
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| Intermediate Track |
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Term describing a racetrack one mile or more, but less than two miles, in length. The NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division currently races on fourteen intermediate tracks: Atlanta Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover Downs International Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Gateway International Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Miami-Dade Homestead Motorsports Complex, Nazareth Speedway, New Hampshire International Speedway, North Carolina Speedway, Phoenix International Raceway, Pike's Peak International Raceway, Texas Motor Speedway, and The Milwaukee Mile.
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| Internal Combustion Engine |
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Any engine, either reciprocating or rotary, in which the fuel is consumed in the interior of the engine rather than outside of the engine.
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| Interval |
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The time-distance between two cars. Referred to roughly in car lengths, or precisely in seconds.
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| Interval Timers |
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Part of a secondary timing system that records elapsed times, primarily for the racers' benefit, at 60, 330, 660, and 1,000 feet. (Drag Racing)
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| Intimidator |
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Dale Earnhardt’s nick name because of his driving style, which some might call reckless.
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| Inverted Start |
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A starting order where the first qualifier starts last, the second qualifier starts next-to-last, and so on.
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| Invoice Price |
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The initial charge to the dealer from the manufacturer, including freight and delivery charges.
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| Irl |
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Indy Racing League, started in 1996 by Indianapolis Motor Speedway president Tony George. Consequently, this angered the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) with his new specs for Indy cars. CART and the IRL have been feuding ever since, and the biggest name Indy car drivers have stayed away from the Indianapolis 500 since the split.
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| Iroc |
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International Race of Champions, a racing series founded in 1973 by Roger Penske and Les Richter to pit racing's best open-wheel and stock car drivers against each other. Twelve drivers race identically prepared Pontiac Firebird TransAm sports cars in these four invitation-only races.
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