Drag Racing for Newbs

[Rockit_z28]

Originally Posted by Irishmic

The last pass I made was in 1979... And at NEW ENGLAND DRAGWAY they had Wednesday nite grudge racing...it was 2.00 to race as many times as you could...that's no typo 2 bucks !!! What does it cost nowa days ???

Most test and tune sessions can run from $15-$25. Every once in awhile you will find a track doing a special.

[Trentin24]

I would include the definition of a driver mod, as that term gets thrown around quite often. And also what the DA of the track is. Newbs need to know too!

[Rockit_z28]

Courtesy Staging - (except deep staging) - After your burnout, roll up to the line, light one bulb on the tree. Do not light the second bulb until the car in the other lane has at least lit one bulb. They can roll in and light both bulbs if you already have one lit but nobody should light both bulbs until the other car has one lit. Note: Deep stage cars should abide by the same rule. However, I have seen instances when the deep stage car will quickly get in and light the second bulb. Note: Once a driver lights both bulbs, the other driver typically has 10 seconds to stage.

Roll-out - is the time from when the driver initiates the leave until the car physically leaves the starting line that starts the Elapsed Time (E.T.) clock. This could and should effect how you stage and leave the line. I will not dispose all the technical components of this, but a Heads/Cam Camaro on 20" drag radials will have roughly .42-.50 roll-out.

Note: Jamie makes a great point above because he runs a smaller tire with more power, it does benefit him to shallow stage. Why? Because his rollout is probably in the .30 to .35 range. If his instincts are to leave on the third yellow, it will prevent him from red lighting. Most NHRA drivers will typically shallow stage. No, I am not saying Jamie is an NHRA driver, but his car rolls out like a typical NHRA car.

[Rockit_z28]

Driver Mod - The act of repeatedly slapping yourself in the head for doing stupid stuff at the track (slow r/t, red lighting, bad burnout, out of the groove, running too fast, running too slow, improper shifting, left the nannies on, etc.).

Driver Mod 2 - A driver needs to lose weight to make the car run faster.

I will leave DA to the experts and those with time on their hands.

[Irishmic]

Well you kids can't complain about slow cars these days....performance is back and doing well !! Back in 78-79 I ran a 1957 Chevy Station Wagon.. 12.69 @ 108.88. Drove it to the track and drove it home...Not bad for the Day...a 12 second street car was fast back then....heck ...Jungle Jim just broke the 200 mph barrier in Top Fuel 75-76 !!!!

[swizlstik]

[mc_acoustic]

How perfect is this?!?!?!?

I am doing my first 1/4 mile on saturday.... this thread will provide me confidence!

[rtcat600man]

Fantastic job guys, best write up I have ever seen on this subject.

[Rockit_z28]

I am sure some of this was covered above, but bullets might make this easier.

Note: Most tracks today have websites and general instructions and track rules on them. A good rule of thumb is to review these prior to heading to the track.

Dragstrip Etiquette:
1. Don't start your burnout until directed by an official. He'll usually give you some sort of hand signal. Also make sure you are all the way on the track and facing directly forwards.
2. Don't do burnouts in the water with treaded street tires. Water gets into the treads and tracks all the way to the starting line. Do not drive through the water box with front street tires. Drive around the water box and back into the water box. This makes the drivers with slicks very angry.
3. Don't do a John Force-style burnout (i.e. spinning the tires through and past the starting line, forcing you to back up) unless you don't have any front brakes and/or you are John Force.
4. Be sure you leave plenty of room to brake at the end of the track without doing a massive ABS stop. Locking 'em up at this speed could be very dangerous. Most tracks have two turn off areas. If you miss the first one, proceed to the second one.
5. Some tracks employ a courtesy rule. This means that the first car into the staging beams should light only the pre-stage light. When the second car is is pre-staged, then either of you can move up slightly into the staging lights.
6. Make sure your numbers and dial-in (if applicable) are visible from the tower. General height is 3-5 inches.
7. Make sure you get in the right staging lane, and make sure that you don't attempt to run in a class where your car would not be appropriate. Ask if you are unsure.
8. Always follow instructions from all track officials and listen closely to any PA announcements. This will prevent you from getting confused or worse yet getting kicked off the track. Most tracks have radio stations in the event you cannot hear the PA.
9. If you are still unsure what to do, either ask a fellow driver or a track official. All of us have been in the same position at one time or another and most people are glad to help.

[Rockit_z28]

Bottom End/Low End - First half of the race track

Top End - Last half of the race track

Footbrake - Term used in bracket racing. Generally, the car slows down before the finish line to avoid breaking out and run their index/dial-in. Note: Jumping on the brakes at the finish line can be dangerous.

Sandbagging - Term used in bracket racing. Placing a dial in on the car that is slower than what the car is capable of running. Example: Car runs consistent 11.0 in qualifying, but the driver decides to dial in at 11.20. Why? Track conditions, weather conditions, good at footbraking, slow reaction time, etc.

At the Stripe - Beating or losing to a fellow competitor just at the finish line.

[Rockit_z28]

Watch my video from testing at Mooresville if you want to see one.
The track guys wanted me to do one.

[xjer22x]

haha good info guys. Updated the original post. Keep em coming!

[Pro Stock John]

So the forum is finally back up?

I'll go back into the first post and make some changes.

Do you guys have pics featuring Camaros we can use? Please if you guys race this weekend can you take a pic we can use like for Tech, the Groove, Water box, stuff like that.

[molsonbrador]

Weather permitting I'm going tomorrow. Will take a pic of tech sheet and whatever else I can.