The holeshot is a term used primarily in motorcycle racing[1] (but also motorsport racing in general) for the rider who is the first one through the first turn. In some cases a holeshot award will be given, which is a prize separate from winning the race. In drag racing, a "holeshot" refers to a victory in which a driver runs a slower elapsed time (E.T.), but wins the race due to a faster reaction time at the start.
Many motorcycle racers consider the start to be the most important part of a race, and it is particularly important in those forms of the sport where the tracks are very small, tight and difficult to pass on. This is particularly relevant in motocross where racers line up in alongside each other rather than behind each other in tarmac-based sports. The term had also found its way into Bicycle Motocross racing by the early 1970s because BMX is a bicycle derivative of Motorcycle Motocross and has inherited many terms from that sport. In BMX the holeshot is even more important since BMX races are single lap 25 to 45 second races with only a few opportunities to pass in that time period. Achieving the holeshot in BMX will earn the rider a victory the majority of the time.
This term can also be used to describe the starting performance of a vehicle. A vehicle that is fast off the line (though not necessarily fast overall) is said to have a good "holeshot".
A hole shot maneuver in off-road bicycle racing (mountain biking or cyclocross) is when a racer moves from the relatively flat, open area of the start to the narrower confines of the singletrack ahead of the other racers. A successful hole shot affords the first racer some control over the tempo of the race, as passing on the narrow singletrack can break the passing racer's rhythm.