Officials: They ensure teams follow the rules during pit stops, such as obeying the pit road speed limit. They also monitor on-track racing to make sure no illegal passes are completed on restarts, etc.
Out Brake: Braking later and deeper into a corner - a driver gains time and track position on a competitor.
Out of fuel: There will be some frustration expressed by the driver if this ever happens during a race!.
Pace Car: The official car that leads competitors at a safe speed during warm-up, parade, pace lap, caution periods and restarts.
Pace Lap: The last warm-up lap before a race where the cars assume their start-up positions.
Parts Car: A car used for its working parts which can be used in other cars.
Pinched: When a race car on the outside cuts-off a car on the inside while going down into the turn, causing the car on the inside to slow down and fall in behind.
Pit box: The pit area for each team is indicated with lines that are painted down pit row. Car must be serviced within these lines, or penalty will be incurred.
Pit Road (Pit Row): The paved roadway from the racetrack (where there is always a speed limit) that leads into or exits from the pit area.
Pit stop: The period when a driver pulls off the track onto pit road to have the pit crew service the car. Teams are getting so good at making these stops that crews of eight members can change four tires, fill the 22-gallon gas tank up, make wedge adjustments and clean the windshield and grill all in 15 seconds.
Pit: Area of a racetrack, off the racing surface, where a car stops for servicing. A temporary garage where the crew can refuel, change tires and make other minor repairs or adjustments to the race car. Each team is allotted one pit per car along pit row.
Points Race: The competition to earn enough points to win the Championship at the end of the season.
Pole position: The first starting spot in the field, which is on the inside of the front row. Drivers win the pole by turning the fastest lap during qualifying. Every driver shoots for this, as a cash bonus goes to the winner of this position for every race.
Provisional Starting Spot: A spot guaranteed to a race team that is high in the car owners' standings. Provisional Starting Spots are designed to reward teams that attempt to qualify for every race and are a way of guaranteeing that all the stars make the show, even if they've had a poor qualifying.
Push: Handling characteristics of a car where its front end tends to "plow" toward the outside wall in a corner.
Qualifying: The way a race field is determined. At every NASCAR Winston Cup event aside from the Daytona 500, qualifying involves each car taking one or two laps on the track. The car with the fastest speed starts first, second-fastest second, etc.
Quarter panel: The sheet metal extending from rear bumper below the deck lid and above the wheel well.
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