Pinks is a franchise series of television programs on Speed Channel based on drag racing. The original debuted in 2005, with the spinoff Pinks: All Out following in 2006. The name of the show, and the tagline "Lose the race - lose your ride", refer to common slang of pink slips representing a vehicle's title document recording ownership, and the derivative street-racing phrase, "racing for pinks," meaning a race in which the winner earns the loser's car. (In California, until recently, the vehicle title was on a pink slip of paper.)

The series airs on the Speed Channel in the United States and Canada, and also airs on Fox Sports 3 in Australia.

Competitors compete in a drag race (although in the original Pinks, there was a stepladder shifter kart race in Series 1) in the franchise. The formats differ between the franchise's formats.

Pinks

In the original series, the drag race has provisions of the winner claiming ownership of the losing vehicle.

The race format has been changed slightly through each season:

• Early Series 1 (2005): 2 out of 3 races
• Later Series 1-Series 4 (2005-2007): 3 out of 5 races
• Series 5 (2008): 4 out of 7 races

As the show starts, the host, staff, and contestants sign a binding contract that will transfer the legal title of the two cars in question to Pullin Television, the production company of the show. Since the production company owns the vehicles it guarantees that the show will award the titles to both cars to the winner of the race and eliminates the chance that the loser will refuse to forfeit his/her car after the race.

Negotiations

Each team is allowed to inspect the opposing team's car to attempt to assess its performance before negotiations for the first race, or in cases where the negotiations are not held for the first race, before the second. Each team chooses a negotiator to act as its spokesperson to discuss the terms of each round. In recent seasons, the first round of each match is often held without negotiation except for terms over the use of nitrous oxide, and features a heads-up start (each car side by side with no time or length handicap)

Negotiations generally deal with starting position, similar to bracket racing (except it is negotiated in car lengths, not seconds), nitrous use, and other such issues, the purpose being to handicap the perceived stronger car and create an even race. Starting in Series 5, negotiating car setup for bracket racing times are permitted. After the negotiations (which can last considerably longer than what is shown), the cars are sent to the start line for the burnout.

Race

Prior to each race, the cars are allowed to perform a burnout, after which they are staged according to the negotiated starting positions (if any). If a track official finds suspicious fluids leaking on the track, he may order the car shut down and the round automatically forfeited to the opponent. If there are mechanical or weather questions, the race may be delayed. In some cases, a show taping may be called off if the weather prevents a full race from being filmed.