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
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Due to the timing of his team’s entry, Aitken was given the honor of starting on the outside of the front row and got a good jump on the final pace lap to swing down the track and clear of pole-sitter Lewis Strang to lead the first four laps. 
Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Oct. 2020 The last chance to appreciate Jimmie Johnson leading the field at the Daytona 500 may come during the pace laps. Dan Gelston, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Feb. 2020 In May, Florine was running a quick-but-not-record-pace lap when a small piece of gear popped on the 22nd pitch. Matt Skenazy, Outside Online, 4 June 2018 Mark Reuss was driving when the Corvette spun and crashed during a pace lap just before the race's scheduled start time. Tribune Wire Reports, chicagotribune.com, 4 June 2018
Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 3 Oct. 2020 The last chance to appreciate Jimmie Johnson leading the field at the Daytona 500 may come during the pace laps. Dan Gelston, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Feb. 2020 In May, Florine was running a quick-but-not-record-pace lap when a small piece of gear popped on the 22nd pitch. Matt Skenazy, Outside Online, 4 June 2018 Mark Reuss was driving when the Corvette spun and crashed during a pace lap just before the race's scheduled start time. Tribune Wire Reports, chicagotribune.com, 4 June 2018 Word History
First Known Use
1929, in the meaning defined above