What term describes winning despite a slower elapsed time by reacting quicker?

A holeshot win is a victory by a driver who reacts quickly enough to win despite recording a slower elapsed time. The term describes the advantage gained at the launch.

Drag-race timing separates reaction time from elapsed time. Reaction time begins when the green light illuminates and ends when the vehicle leaves the staging beams. Elapsed time begins with the vehicle’s launch and ends at the finish line. The winner in heads-up racing is effectively determined by the combined result of those intervals.

For example, a car that gives away a little performance during the run can still reach the finish first if its driver leaves the starting line sufficiently earlier. That early advantage is the “hole shot,” a phrase borrowed from the idea of getting ahead immediately at the start.

A holeshot win is not the same as a red-light win. A red light means a driver left before green and committed a foul. It also differs from a breakout win or loss, which involves exceeding a predetermined dial-in or class time in forms of bracket racing.