Performance Racing Glossary of Terms

You've probably heard these obscure words bandied about at every car event. Old-time hot rodders have a language all their own and it's embarrassing to keep asking what they mean (nobody wants to be known as a rookie). Of course, there are thousands of engineering terms, slang expressions and abbreviations that you will learn over the years, but here are a few of the most common performance terms used by the fast-car crowd. Get familiar with them, and you'll be bench racing with hot rodders as quick as a 426 Hemi in the quarter. Just read on and you'll understand (in case you don't already).

Blower
Slang for a supercharger. Also called a puffer, hair dryer or windmill. However, a blown engine could also refer to one that's been demolished by over-revving, detonation or oil starvation.

Bump Steer
The amount the caster, camber and toe-in changes through the travel of the suspension. This must be adjusted for proper handling, i.e. "Have you adjusted the bump steer—"

Cammer
A Ford 427-inch drag racing engine built in the 1960s with enormous valve covers. It had a single overhead cam on each bank, hence the nickname. For a brief time, it threatened the Hemi for racing supremacy.

CFM
Cubic feet per minute, i.e. the amount of air a carburetor flows.