camber
Camber refers to the angle at which a tire makes contact with the track surface. Positive camber indicates the angle of the tire is tilted away from the vehicle’s centerline while negative camber means the tire is tilted toward the centerline.

CART
CART stands for Championship Auto Racing Teams, and includes the Champ Car World Series and Toyota Atlantic races. CART racing is based on Formula One, but only races in North America. Champ cars are single seat, open cockpit cars that are capable of reaching speeds of over 200 mph, while the Toyota Atlantic cars are built for younger racers, reaching speeds of 165 mph. Champ cars run on methanol.

chassis
The central body of the car, including the driver’s compartment. Also referred to as the tub.

chicane
A series of sharp, slow turns designed to reduce speed at a certain point on the track, like after a straightaway.

clipping point
The place in a corner where the car comes closes to the inside edge of the track. Note that this is different than the apex of the corner, which is the geometric center of the inside edge. A driver may choose a clipping point that is before or after the apex of the corner, depending on the characteristics of the entry into and the exit out of the turn. Usually, the clipping point is after the geometric apex (generally called a late apex) in order to get the car pointed down the track as soon as possible for maximum acceleration down the subsequent straight.

contact patch
The portion of the tire that makes contact with the racing surface. Various chassis and tire adjusments can be made to maximize the contact patch.