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The graphical line on a data plot that represents the values of a single channel over time or distance. Reading and interpreting traces is the core skill of data analysis for drivers.
Segers' Analysis Techniques for Racecar Data Acquisition explains the two formats: "The distance graph indicates where an event occurred, whereas the time graph shows when an event occurred. Distance plots are used to answer questions such as 'what is the location of the braking point?' or 'where is the location of the apex?' Time plots are used to determine the duration of an event or the rate of change of a signal." The Data Power guide adds: "Most racing data acquisition systems owe their data display format to strip-chart recorders. The format plots values recorded by the system on the vertical axis against time or distance on the horizontal axis." Learning to read these plots — identifying the shapes of braking, coasting, and acceleration — is the fundamental data analysis skill.