pace lap

noun

: a lap of an auto racecourse by the entire field of competitors before the start of a race to allow the engines to warm up and to permit a flying start

Examples of pace lap in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cignetti and the Corvette — which sports a very cool America 250 paint scheme — will lead the field on the pace laps on Sunday, with coverage beginning at 10 a.m. ET on Fox. Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 23 May 2026 Shane Van Gisbergen, driver of the #88 WeatherTech Chevrolet, and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Menards/Richmond Water Heaters Ford, lead the field on a pace lap prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Go Bowling at The Glen at Watkins Glen International on August 10, 2025, in Watkins Glen, New York. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Aug. 2025 Donald Trump has taken some pace laps, hopped on the FOX broadcast for an interview with Jamie Little (see below) and even got on the radio to wish the drivers good luck. Alex Zietlow and, Charlotte Observer, 17 Feb. 2025 Race cars at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Car enthusiasts can drive pace laps on the road course at the National Corvette Museum on Sunday, June 9. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 10 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1929, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pace lap was in 1929

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pace lap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pace%20lap. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.

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