Doughnut (driving)

Last updated
Joey Logano performs a doughnut at the end of the 2019 FireKeepers Casino 400. Joey logano burnout (48070037412).jpg
Joey Logano performs a doughnut at the end of the 2019 FireKeepers Casino 400.
Jean Alesi performs a doughnut at the end of the 2001 Canadian Grand Prix. Jean Alesi 2001 Canada.jpg
Jean Alesi performs a doughnut at the end of the 2001 Canadian Grand Prix.
Jean Ragnotti performs a doughnut at the exhibition on Masaryk Circuit within 2010 World Series by Renault in Brno.

A doughnut or donut is a maneuver performed while driving a vehicle. Performing this maneuver entails rotating the rear or front of the vehicle around the opposite set of wheels in a continuous motion, creating (ideally) a circular skid-mark pattern of rubber on a carriageway and possibly even causing the tires to emit smoke from friction. [1]

Contents

The move was popularized as a race celebration by Jeff Gordon. He first did it after winning the NASCAR Cup Series championship at Atlanta Motor Speedway in 1995, even though Ron Hornaday Jr. had also done it prior that year after winning a race in the NASCAR SuperTruck Series. Alex Zanardi also spun his tires after the 1997 Long Beach Grand Prix, where he performed the manoeuvre as a way to give back to the Long Beach fans and the atmosphere they produced for the teams and racers. He continued to use it as a form of celebration throughout his racing career. The move has now become the post-race celebration of choice for many victorious drivers. [2] Other popular drivers known to be among the first ones to perform this maneuver are Tony Stewart after winning the 1999 Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 and Dale Earnhardt after winning the 1998 Daytona 500. In Formula One, there are limits on the number of engines and transmissions a team may use in a season, so doughnut celebrations are normally saved for the last race of the season where the hardware will no longer be needed.

Doughnuts are more easily performed on wet and frozen surfaces (ice and snow), as well as on loose surfaces, such as dirt. When performed in the snow, it is more often done to have fun than it is to make an earnest attempt at creating the circular skid mark pattern.[ citation needed ] In Australia, doughnuts performed in dust or mud are colloquially referred to as "circle work".

Performing the doughnut maneuver can be hazardous. Strain is placed on the vehicle's suspension and drivetrain, which may result in mechanical breakdown with loss of control. Tires are also subject to severe wear which may result in a sudden loss of pressure or blowout.[ citation needed ] In snow, however, the strain placed on the vehicle is much less. Hence, rally drivers prefer to learn car control in such situations.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open-wheel car</span> Type of automobile

An open-wheel car is a car with the wheels outside the car's main body, and usually having only one seat. Open-wheel cars contrast with street cars, sports cars, stock cars, and touring cars, which have their wheels below the body or inside fenders. Open-wheel cars are built both for road racing and oval track racing. Open-wheel cars licensed for use on public roads, such as the Ariel Atom, are uncommon, as they are often impractical for everyday use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Handbrake turn</span> Driving technique

The handbrake turn is a driving technique used to deliberately slide a car sideways, either for the purpose of quickly negotiating a very tight bend, or for turning around well within the vehicle's own turning diameter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Zanardi</span> Italian racing driver and handcyclist (born 1966)

Alessandro "Alex" Zanardi is an Italian professional racing driver and paracyclist. He won the CART championship in 1997 and 1998, and took 15 wins in the series. He also raced in Formula One from 1991 to 1994 and again in 1999; his best result was a sixth-place finish in the 1993 Brazilian GP. He returned to CART in 2001, but a major crash in the 2001 American Memorial resulted in the amputation of his legs. He returned to racing less than two years after the accident; competing in the European Touring Car Championship in 2003–2004 and then in the World Touring Car Championship between 2005 and 2009, scoring four wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aquaplaning</span> Loss of traction due to water buildup under tires

Aquaplaning or hydroplaning by the tires of a road vehicle, aircraft or other wheeled vehicle occurs when a layer of water builds between the wheels of the vehicle and the road surface, leading to a loss of traction that prevents the vehicle from responding to control inputs. If it occurs to all wheels simultaneously, the vehicle becomes, in effect, an uncontrolled sled. Aquaplaning is a different phenomenon from when water on the surface of the roadway merely acts as a lubricant. Traction is diminished on wet pavement even when aquaplaning is not occurring.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Max Papis</span> Italian racing driver (born 1969)

Massimiliano "Max" Papis is an Italian professional motorsport driver who has competed in several top-level motorsports events such as Le Mans 24 Hours, Formula One and Champ Car. He has three Champ Car victories. He is the son-in-law of Emerson Fittipaldi. Papis also currently drives in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Vasser</span> American racecar driver and team owner

James Vasser Jr. is an American former racing driver. Vasser won the 1996 CART IndyCar championship with Chip Ganassi Racing, and scored ten victories in the series. Vasser was the last American to win the CART championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Street racing</span> Form of auto racing that occurs on a public road

Street racing is typically an unsanctioned and illegal form of auto racing that occurs on a public road. Racing in the streets is considered an ancient hazard, as horse racing occurred on streets for centuries, and street racing in automobiles is likely as old as the automobile itself. It became especially prevalent during the heyday of hot rodding (1960s), muscle cars, Japanese imports (1990s) and sports cars (2000s). Since then, it continues to be both popular and hazardous, with deaths of bystanders, passengers, and drivers occurring every year. In the United States, modern street racing traces its roots back to Woodward Avenue, Michigan, in the 1960s when the three main Detroit-based American car companies were producing high-powered performance cars. Since a private racing venue was not always available, street races would be held illegally on public roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snow chains</span> Devices fitted to the tires of vehicles to improve traction on snow and ice

Snow chains, or tire chains, are devices fitted to the tires of vehicles to provide increased traction when driving through snow and ice.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Tagliani</span> Canadian racecar driver

Alexandre Tagliani, nicknamed "Tag", is a Canadian professional racing driver. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series, driving the No. 18 Chevrolet Camaro for 22 Racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victory lap</span> Lap around a track after race completion

A victory lap is a term used in motorsports to describe an extra lap of the race track after the conclusion of a race. This lap, driven at reduced speed, allows the winning driver to celebrate their victory and gives the spectators an opportunity to congratulate and honor the competitors. Commonly, trackside flag marshals will wave their flags in a gesture known as the FIA salute or the Monkey Dance in the US. It is not uncommon for marshals to clap or wave their hands at drivers as a gesture and sometimes the drivers wave back in response.

A bootleg turn is a driving maneuver intended to reverse the direction of travel of a forward-moving automobile by 180 degrees in a minimum amount of time while staying within the width of a two-lane road. This maneuver is also known as a smuggler's turn, powerslide, or simply bootlegger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burnout (vehicle)</span> Practice of spinning wheels while keeping vehicle stationary

A burnout is the practice of keeping a vehicle stationary and spinning its wheels, the resultant friction causing the tires to heat up and smoke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fishtailing</span> Vehicle handling problem

Fishtailing is a vehicle handling problem which occurs when the rear wheels lose traction, resulting in oversteer. This can be caused by low-friction surfaces. Rear-drive vehicles with sufficient power can induce this loss of traction on any surface, which is called power-oversteer.

<i>NASCAR Racing</i> Series of racing video games

NASCAR Racing is a series of car racing video games originally developed by Papyrus Design Group in the 1990s. The series started in 1994 and ended with the release of NASCAR Racing 2003 Season in 2003. Later NASCAR games were released by Electronic Arts who, through their EA Sports brand, took over the official NASCAR license. This article deals with the original series release, NASCAR Racing.

A wheelspin occurs when the force delivered to the tire tread exceeds that of available tread-to-surface friction and one or more tires lose traction. This leads the wheels to "spin" and causes the driver to lose control over the tires that no longer have grip on the road surface. Wheelspin can also be done intentionally such as in drifting or doing a burnout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 CART season</span> Sports season

The 2001 FedEx Championship Series season was the twenty-third in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) era of American open-wheel car racing. It consisted of 20 of the 22 originally scheduled races, beginning in Monterrey, Mexico on March 11 and concluding in Fontana, California on November 4. What would have been the third race in the season, the Firestone Firehawk 600 in Fort Worth, Texas, was canceled after qualifying due to safety concerns. The FedEx Championship Series Drivers' Champion was Gil de Ferran, while the Rookie of the Year was Scott Dixon.

The following is a glossary of terminology used in motorsport, along with explanations of their meanings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Bowman</span> American racing driver

Alex Michael Bowman is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 48 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports, part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro for HMS, and part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, driving the No. 7 Chevrolet Silverado for Spire Motorsports. He owns a Dirt Midget and Sprint car racing team Alex Bowman Racing. He is known for a record six consecutive front-row starts in the Daytona 500, from 2018 to 2023, winning the pole in 2018, 2021, and 2023.

An automobile skid is an automobile handling condition where one or more tires are slipping relative to the road, and the overall handling of the vehicle has been affected.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Chevrolet Silverado 250</span> Motor car race

The 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 250 is a NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series race held on August 25, 2019, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. Contested over 64 laps on the 2.459-mile (3.957 km) road course, it was the 18th race of the 2019 NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series season, second race of the Playoffs, and the second race of the Round of 8.

References

  1. "Doughnuts". Modern Racer. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  2. Schrader, Stef. "How Alex Zanardi Made Donuts The Post-Race Celebration Of Choice". Jalopnik. Retrieved 2018-04-01.