A heat race is a short qualifying race early in the program that sets the feature lineup — the top finishers transfer straight to the feature, and everyone else drops to a consolation race.
Heats are short — the World of Outlaws runs 8- to 12-lap heats for sprint cars and 10 laps for late models, and your Saturday track is usually in that range. How you line up varies: qualifying time, a pill draw, or a points average. IMCA has drivers draw for heats opening night, then lines later heats up by three-event point average, lowest average to the front. How many transfer depends on car count and is announced at the drivers meeting — USAC transfers the top six from each of three heats when 27 or fewer cars show at a track under a half mile. Track position in your heat is worth real money later, so race it.
A bad heat buries you in the consi or deep in the feature field, and on a slicking track that is a night you never get back.