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Old 09-10-2013, 04:07 PM   #1
Pro Stock John
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Drives: 2010 SS / 1967 Camaro
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Drag Racing for Newbs



So you’ve decided you want to drag race your fifth generation Camaro, but you’ve never done it before. You've probably watched drag racing on the web or on TV, and perhaps you've even spectated at a drag strip. While it looks fun (and it is), many first time racers get nervous. The following is a brief guide to drag racing your fifth generation Camaro. While most of the information is universal to both automatic and manual transmission equipped versions, there are some differences that we’ll note.

There are around a hundred drag racing facilities located in the United States and Canada. Most are members of the NHRA or IHRA which are the two big sanctioning organizations. Most tracks are usually set up to run quarter mile (1320 feet) or eighth mile (660 feet). It usually costs between $20 and $35 to race. Some tracks are open all week, and some are only open on the weekends. If you plan to run on a weekend, make sure to check their website in case they are running an event that day, as they may limit other racing. Our favorite local tracks also have Facebook pages, which we've subscribed to for updates.

Before you head out to your local drag strip, check to see whether its IHRA or NHRA, and try to become familiar with the rules that apply to your car. Most of the time NHRA and IHRA rules and regulations overlap when it comes to the basics. One universal rule is that all tracks require racers wear long pants, no exceptions.

Make sure when you get to the drag strip, to spend some time familiarizing yourself with its layout and the starting line. No two tracks have the exact same configuration, for example some have the return road on the left side, and some on the right. Spend some time up near the starting line to get a feel for the routine, the location of the beams to activate the tree, and the the location of the END of the track.

PREPPING YOUR CAR
Okay so now you are standing there in the garage, staring at your car, wondering how you should get it ready for your first drag strip excursion. Well the good news is that it's pretty easy

Rule #1
Always check your oil, fluid, and brake fluid levels. It's a bad idea to make passes with low fluids, as you can damage your powertrain. If you haven't torqued your wheels lately, or just swapped on some drag radials, torque 'em! Torque specs differ by year for fifth gens.

Rule #2
Always to remove any unnecessary items from the car. Weight slows you down. So if you've been driving around with 100 lbs of free weights that you got from Craigslist, you should take those out. If you have a quick disconnect for that speaker box, pull it out you can always impress the ladies with your bumps later. 100 lbs of weight removed is worth a solid tenth in ET. And be sure to remove or secure any items you will be leaving in the car while you are making passes. If you're like us, sometimes we head out to the strip on a weeknight with a laptop in the trunk. Make sure it won't move around, otherwise it becomes a projectile and will cause damage.

Rule #3
Folks routinely ask how much gas they should leave in their car when making runs. We'll go with an "it depends" response. If you are naturally aspirated, we generally like to run half a tank or less of fuel to keep weight down. A gallon of gas weighs approximately 6 pounds, and our cars hold 18.8 gallons. Now our friends running much quicker, and who are typically running power adder setups, reccomend running 3/4's of a tank or more. They've shared stories of running slower due to the fuel pump getting not getting fuel from the gas all sloshing to the back of the fuel tank, uncovering the fuel pump.

If you plan to run drag tires, some folks elect to cover up their rear quarters (the area between the back tires and the bumper) with tape to minimize chipping the paint. Also, some folks will coat their rear quarters with Pam or other spray-on coatings which makes it easier to remove the rubber from the paint. We also typically bring a pen, note pad, tire gauge, a helmet, and sometimes a chain and lock if we plan to secure any items we are taking out of the car.

V8 Camaros can run 12.8 to 13.9 stock, and most tracks will require you to wear a helmet if you are that fast. Some tracks will rent helmets, but that can be hit or miss if they have any available or in your size. So if you get hooked, plan to buy a helmet. Helmets cannot be used forever, so at some point their safety rating will expire, so buyer beware if you are looking at used ones.

Tape on the quarters:

TECH INSPECTION
Once you are at the track, you have to pay to race and sign a waiver. The folks at the gate will then give you a tech card which will have an assigned entry number. Go ahead and fill that out and get into the tech line since your car will be too hot to run right off the highway. The tech inspector will take your tech card and check over your car. As our cars are newer, they’ll tend to focus on obvious safety equipment. Now our cars can run 13’s stock so the inspector may ask to see your helmet. There are other safety rules and regulations that we won’t get into right now like running with metal valve stems, a safety loop and things like that. Once you’ve completed the tech inspection, you’ll be given an wrist band and your entry numbers will be written on your car windows so that the track crew can see it from the front, side and rear.



PIT AREA
As said before, your car will be hot from driving it. In fact, one of your display options with 2010 – 2014 Camaros is coolant temperature. If you select that you’ll see that your car is probably over 200F. So, after tech, find a good spot to pit, and immediately pop your hood. This will allow heat to dissipate more quickly. If your car is stock it might take a while for it to cool down. As a first timer, you might have the itch to run right away but you should let your car cool off. Now for folks who’ve raced these model Camaros for a while, they know that the cars will perform better if you can run when the engine temperatures are not exceeding 195F. The car’s operating system, the ECM, will start to reduce timing advance as the car gets hotter. But it’s not easy to always manage coolant temperatures if there are long lines. So if there are lot of cars ahead of you, pull into the lane but immediately shut it off so that it does not heat up. When our 2010 Camaro SS was bone stock, we would usually make one pass and then cool it off. On occasion we'd hot lap it (go right back in line especially if there was hardly any cars in line) and make a second pass. But if you watch coolant temps, they will get pretty high. We never make three back to back passes. Now tuned, we will frequently make two runs back to back but our coolant temps are usually down to 194F by the time we get back in line.


TIRE PRESSURE
Now is the time to lower tire pressure for the rear tires if you’d like. Dropping them down to 25 – 30 psi might help you get traction, but for the first timer you might want to leave the tire pressures stock. If you do lower tire pressure, you will get a Low Tire Pressure light in the dashboard display. When you air the tires back up to over 30 PSI the light will eventually go off after a few miles of driving.


STAGING LANES
Remember, you will need to:
• Put on your helmet before you make a pass. We'll typically keep it on if there is no line, but if there are long lines, we'll take it off and put it back on once our lane starts to make passes.
• Don't run your A/C as you go up to and get in the lanes. Do not run A/C while making passes. You'll get condensation and this moisture will drip onto the track.
• For an automatic, you have the option turn off the Traction Control and/ or Stabilitrak. For your very first runs you elect to leave those traction aids enabled. Eventually to run as quick as you can you’ll turn off at least traction control otherwise your car will pull power if it detects a spin situation. If you start running with these aids disabled (popularly referred to as the "nannies"), please note that you have to turn them off every time you start the car, as they will revert to being on.
• For a manual transmission equipped car, you can turn off traction control once you are comfortable. LS3 manual transmission equipped cars also come equipped with Launch Control. If you do some research on the web, you'll find that most folks will generally not use this as leaving this hard has resulted in broken differentials and axles. For the newb, don't mess with it, do some reading.
• You have to wear your seatbelt while making a pass.
• You have to have your windows fully rolled up when making a pass.
• Remember to fully latch and close your hood if you've had it open to cool off the car.


WATER BOX
Okay, so what is the water box. The water box is a rear section of the two racing lanes that is kept damp, and is there for folks who are heating up their tires. It's most commonly used by folks running drag radials and slicks. They need the water to help them break the tires loose for their burnouts. If you are on stock style tires, you should always drive around the water box. This is very important, as it’s dangerous for you and the folks racing after you if your car drips water up to the starting line. You won’t hook and the person after you won’t either. Depending on how much room there is you might be able to pull around it and then line the car up. At some tracks you might need to back up a bit to allow yourself enough room to line your car up in the groove.

Driving around the water box:

Water box from the rear:


BURNOUT
For the new guy, you generally don’t want to do a burnout with stock tires. However, not all racers will agree on this. If you do decide to do a burnout on your stock Pirellis, we suggest that you go around the water box, and back up in to the very front edge of the water box, where it’s just damp but no standing water. Doing the burnout here as opposed to a drier section of the track is easier on your differential. Some folks elect to line up and just do a dry rolling burnout and then stage – You can do that too.


GROOVE
You’ll notice that all the racers are lining up in the groove, which are the two spots on the track with the greatest build-up of rubber. Generally the grooves are darker so they are relatively easy to spot. It goes without saying that you want the car to be as straight as possible. If you line up crooked the starter might wave you back and tell you. If you launch crooked your car will go towards to the right or left as well as out of the groove so you will most likely spin.


STAGING
You've probably seen some folks by now stage their car when they are making a run. Now there is a routine for staging your car. The are 7 rows of lights on the Tree. The top-most set are the Pre-Stage Lights. As you roll your car forward, you will eventually trip the beams for the Pre-Stage Light. Those lights warn you that you have a foot before you engage the Staging Lights. For what it's worth, most racers will do what's courtesy staging, which is lighting the first bulb and waiting for you to light your top bulb before lighting their staging bulb. Now, let's get back to staging your car. You've activated the Pre-Stage Light, and you are rolling forward to engage the Staging Light. Now a foot sounds like a lot of real estate but it's really not when you are in a car. In fact you might get at most a half tire revolution before you trip the staging lights. Once you've tripped the beam for those, the starter will start the tree or it will have autostart. There two types of light sequences, Sportsman and Pro. Sportsman is typical for regular racing like this. The big amber lights below the staging lights will light up, starting from the top, in half second intervals. Once all three are lit the Green light will come on. If you leave before all of the Amber Lights and Green Light have been activated, you will see a Red Light. The person in the other lane automatically gets the win light. There are two types of Pro Trees, and generally speaking all three Amber Lights will light up at once. These lighting routines are used for heads up class racing.

Check out this video of the Tree:


Leaving on the Green:


MAKING A RUN
During your pass you should always look forward and not look to either side of the car for obvious safety reasons. Your car might move around during your run and you will be actively steering it. When you were observing other folks racing, you should have noticed where the end of the quarter or eight mile was. At many tracks there will be a light that will come on that is on the wall next to your lane, though some tracks will augment that visually with a cone or two. The display boards are typically near the end of the quarter mile but not necessarily after it, so don’t go by them.

If during your run your car spins and get out of shape, you should probably slow down and just drive down the track. If your car has gotten out of the groove you might not be able to regain traction. Additionally, and this is very much the case for quicker cars, you might get into a situation where one tire is in the groove and one is not. You can spin your car out in situations like this and crash.

If you your car breaks during a run, etiquette is for the racer to pull their car off to the side once you have reached a safe speed to do so. There are many reasons for doing this, but mainly you minimize downtime for the track when it comes to cleaning up spilled fluids and broken parts.

Good video of someone doing a burnout, staging and then running their car:


Picture of the end of the track, note the light and cones marking the end of the quarter mile:



RETURN ROAD
You noticed that after the cars run they turn off the track and drive back to the pits. Etiquette is that the car in the lane with the exit to the return road goes first. The only exception to this is if that car is broke on the track and otherwise so far back that you’d be waiting a few minutes for them to reach the end of the track. The return road will have a posted speed limit, which is typically 20MPH or slower. For the new guy, observe that speed limit. Turning first or driving fast on the return road can result in a warning and repeat infractions will get you kicked out.

The return road at Atco:


TICKET BOOTH
At the end of the road there is a small booth where you pick up your time slip. You'll get one of these:


RETURNING TO PIT AREA
Be careful as you return to your parking spot or go back to the staging lanes, there are frequently other cars driving around as well as people walking through the parking area.



REPEAT!

Compiled with input from a bunch of the racers here on Camaro5
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Last edited by Pro Stock John; 09-12-2013 at 10:05 PM.
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Old 09-10-2013, 04:36 PM   #2
xjer22x

 
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Drives: 2010 rs/ss black # 10,308
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: hoffman estates, il
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This is what i got typed up so far. Some good verbage to know.

TERMS AND PHRASES OF DRAG RACING:

ET = "NHRA DEFINES THIS AS HOW QUICK A VEHICLE IS" this is basically your final time it took to travel the 1/4 mile distance.

MPH = "NHRA DEFINES THIS AS HOW FAST A VEHICLE IS" how fast you were going at different points of the track. This is also a good indicator of how much power your car is producing. it is possible to run a slower ET than another car with less power, but you will produce a higher MPH. Also has a ton to do with aero dynamics and at what rpm your motor is happiest. Measured at 1/8 mile, 1/4 mile and with NHRA 1000' as well. The way it determines your speed is how fast you go from cone to cone (the cones are those orange thingys in the center of the track lol)

REACTION TIME(full tree) =**DOES NOT AFFECT 1/4 MILE TIME AT ALL** This indicates how much time it takes from the last amber light being turned on and the car starting the Elapsed Time timer. The green light is turned on .500 seconds after the last amber, so a R/T value of .500 indicates a "perfect time". A value less than .500 indicates the car started before the Green light, which is called Red Lighting. A time greater than .500 indicate how much delay occured from the Green light coming on to when the car started moving out of the stage beam. There are some tracks where a perfect reaction time will result in a "0.000" due to them starting the counter at a -.500 after the last amber light to be able to display a perfect reaction as zero's

60 FT = this is very important figure as well. Basically shows the amount of time it took you to travel 60 ft from the start line. its amazing how those first 60ft can make or break the whole race.

CONES = the cones in the center of the track have reflectors on them and a beam is shot from the outside of the track to the reflector. When the beam is broken that is when it will give you the time it took for you to reach that cone. The cones are located at 60 feet, 330 feet, 660 feet or 1/8 mile, 1000 feet, and 1320 feet or 1/4 mile. There are two cones located at 660 feet and 1320 feet, and with NHRA drag races they are located at 1000 feet as well. The two cones are used to determine mph.

CHRISTMAS TREE = on a Christmas tree there are two prestage bulbs per side, two stage bulbs per side, three ambers per side, one green light per side and one red light per side. there are three types of trees that can be dropped.


.400 PRO TREE= Pro tree is where once staged all three ambers will turn on at the same time (pretty much saying "go"). 4 tenths pro tree gives you 4 tenths of a second from when the ambers turn on for you to reach the activation beam.

.500 PRO TREE= 5 tenths pro tree does the same thing but gives you 5 tenths of a second.

.500 FULL TREE= Full tree will turn the first amber on, then the second, then the third (kind of like saying ready, set, go). There is a .500 delay between each amber light and the green light. It gives you 5 tenths of a second to reach the activation beam once the last amber lights up. Move too early and it will be a red light which means automatic D.Q. (and no D.Q. does not mean dairy queen lol)

STARTING LINE = there are three beams at the starting line. Prestage, stage and the activation beam. To stage your car you must activate both prestage and stage beams (or if "deep staged" you can roll farther to turn off the prestage bulb). After the first racer completes staging, there generally is a 7 second window for the other racer to complete staging( some track are generous and allow 10 seconds) once both cars are staged then the guy running the Christmas tree can activate the tree with a button, thus starting the timers.

DENSITY ALTITUDE aka "DA" - Simple terms, this is a calculated number that simulates your elevation above sea level. The higher the elevation, the less oxygen is in the air per square inch, causing the car to struggle to produce power. I.E.... if the DA is calculated to be +1200, that means the airs density is equal to the air you would find 1200 feet above sea level. Generally the higher the elevation, the less oxygen there is in the air. This leads to a car struggling to produce power when there is less oxygen. This does generally have more of an impact on N/A cars due to the design. And forced induction cars not as much. But it still can play a big factor in the performance of a vehicle. There are several "DA Calculators" that an be found on the internet that will calculate what the actual simulated DA is, and then tell you an estimate of what you could expect for a 1/4 mile time if the DA was zero(sea level). They use weather conditions at the time including temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, your actual elevation, etc to figure out the DA. Generally you want lower temps, low humidity, and high barometric pressure.






GENERAL RACERS TERMS


BOGGING - This is the result of attempting to launch the vehicle with either too low of an RPM, not enough power, or releasing the clutch to quickly. The tricky part about launching is finding the right combination of RPM, Clutch release, and throttle amount. So when you attempt to launch, and it feels like the car fell on its face or takes off very slowly. Thats an example of bogging down. The reverse affect is when you launch with too much RPM, too much throttle, or releasing the clutch to quickly - you spin the tires. So its all a matching game.

WHEEL HOP - A downside to IRS is the possibility of wheel hop. This is the cause of the geomitry and movement of the suspension all working together to create a bouncing effect. In basic terms, the tires are bouncing up and down very rapidly due to lack of tracking. unlike a solid axles that is stuck together on both sides. Each wheel in the rear is all hooked up by itself. And when it starts to lose traction, it can create a motion of moving upwards and twisting at the same time. So the tire start to skip violently. inside the car it feels like an earthquake in sense. This can cause extreme damage from axles snapping, rear ends braking, to body panels moving. **rule of thumb - if you feel wheel hop - let of the gas and abort the pass**

BREAKING - AND WHAT TO DO - this is pretty self explanatory. if something goes wrong, blows up, snaps, stops working, etc.... that is a break. But the biggest thing that could determine how long the track is down is what to do if you break. This is a risk we all take by going to the track. But don't fear it at all. At any point if you feel like something is wrong, hear noises that aren't normal, or worst case scenario you see smoke behind you. The golden rule is pull out of the groove, and as close to the wall as possible as quickly as you can. What you want to eliminate is spreading pieces or fluids across the track. This can be very dangerous for anyone else racing. You will become everyones worst enemy if you drive down the whole track while leaking oil. So at first sign of anything going wrong, pull over as quickly and safely as possible

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.

DRIVER-MOD - This is a polite way of saying that someones car can run a faster time, if a better driver was racing the car. It could be for a number of reasons... a driver that doesn't weigh as much, has more experience, or has more skill. Or a combo of all things. This is used to point out a car is capable of a faster time if there was a different driver altogether.

BOTTOM END / LOW END- First half of the race track

TOP END- Last half of the race track

FOOTBRAKE - The process of holding the brake with your left foot while bringing the RPM up with your right foot in preparation to launch. This stalls up the torque converter allowing for a better launch.

SANDBAGGING - 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.

AT THE STRIPE- Beating or losing to a fellow competitor just at the finish line.







MANUAL RACERS TERMS

SLIPPING THE CLUTCH / FEATHERING THE CLUTCH - this is the act of regulating the clutch pedal to minimize tire spin. instead of releasing the clutch pedal rapidly or full engage it, you modulate the pedal mid or half way through its travel to cause the clutch disks to "slip" on the flywheel. This is used also to minimze the amount of "shock" the drivetrain feels during the launch.

POP THE CLUTCH / SIDE STEP THE CLUTCH - This is the act of releasing the clutch pedal as fast as you can. Some describe it as "side stepping" or basically just sliding your foot off the pedal so it snaps up. But this can be done just by pulling your leg bag as quickly as possible too.

BURNOUT - The burnout for a manual car will work best if you start in 2ND gear. This allows for the tires to spin much faste causing them to heat up better and quicker. **MAKE SURE ALL TRACTION CONTROL AND NANNIES ARE OFF**

*WITH DRAG RADIALS
- back into the water just slightly
- then roll forward just a little bit
- Put the car in 2nd gear
- bring the RPM up to around 4500-5000rpm
- then fully release the clutch (pop the clutch) and quickly hold down on the brake pedal very firmly(with your left foot)
- then you want to hold the rpms around 5000rpm while doing the burnout
- continue the burnout until there is a decent amount of smoke
- at this time you release the brake pedal and roll out of the burnout a little bit before pushing in the clutch and then stage

*WITH STREET TIRES
- THIS CAN BE TOUCHY DEPENDING ON THE ACTUAL STREET TIRE. SO PLAY AROUND AND SEE WHAT WORKS BEST.
- Avoid the water box altogether. Just before pulling up to stage, just spin the tires quickly to clean them off.
- Some street tires like a quick burnout. So just light them up and release just as you see smoke.
- some street tires produce a film when they get too hot. Thats why you need to test each style out.

POWERSHIFTING / FLAT FOOT SHIFTING - unlike a normal gear change where you slightly release the throttle as you push in the clutch - power shifting is the act of never lifting your foot of the throttle as you change gears. This is done as a means to reduce the amount of time its takes to shift and keep power to the tires. You still do depress the clutch while changing gears as normal

MISS-SHIFTING / MISSING A GEAR - whenever you attempt to change into a higher or lower gear but you don't successfully get it fully in gear. This can happen due to trying to shift quickly and your feet are not moving at the same rate as your hand. Some times when this happens you can hear a grinding noise and it stays in neutral, or there is resistance from not having the clutch fully disengaged - causing your hand to slip off of the shifter. Most commonly you will hear of 2nd or 3rd gear being missed with a camaro and this can destroy a good run.

CLUTCH PEDAL STUCK ON FLOOR - another flaw to the camaro design is that the brake reservoir is shared with the clutch fluid. What this causes is the fluid to become overheated and contaminated very quickly. The side effects to this cause the clutch pedal to get stuck after being pressed down. It happens more frequently on warmer days, or after a couple passes at the strip. the pedal will get stuck part way or all the way down causing you to burn your clutch. You will smell a bad burning smell and it shortens the life of your clutch - THE EASIEST FIX FOR THIS IS TO SEPARATE YOUR CLUTCH FLUID FROM YOUR BRAKE FLUID. MOST COMMONLY THIS IS DONE WITH A GTO RESERVOIR KIT. AND SWITCHING THE CLUTCH FLUID TO A HIGHER QUALITY FLUID HELPS AS WELL.

Last edited by xjer22x; 09-16-2013 at 09:47 AM.
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Old 09-10-2013, 04:59 PM   #3
xjer22x

 
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Drives: 2010 rs/ss black # 10,308
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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.







INDEX RACING
under construction

BRACKET RACING

WHAT IS THE GOAL? - Bracket racing is designed to test the driver and the consistancy of their abilities. So it is not a matter of who's car is the fastest. But better yet, who is the better driver all around.

DIAL-IN - Before racing, each car will essentially "predict" what ET their car will run. This is important because you will line up against others that are slower and/or faster. So the racers do not leave at the same time. So as stated in the goal, after DIALING-IN, your goal throughout the whole bracket race is to run as close to this disclosed time as possible, WITHOUT GOING FASTER...

BREAKING-OUT - If a racer runs a ET faster then their disclosed "dial-in" time. If only one racer "breaks-out" they are automatically disqualified. If both racers "break-out"... then the one closest to their "dial-in" time wins.

HOW DO I WIN -beating each opponent you race by running as close to your "dial-in" time as possible and not "breaking-out", red lighting, or crossing over the boundary line. The layout is generally run as a tournament style bracket.

WAYS OF BEING DISQUALIFIED
- Red lighting
- Crossing over the center boundary line
- hitting the wall, breaking, or crashing
- Breaking-out






CLASSES OF DRAG RACING : per NHRA.com

Top Fuel
Among the fastest-accelerating machines in the world, these 7,000-horsepower dragsters can cover the dragstrip in less than 3.8 *seconds at more than 325 mph. Top Fuel cars are 25 feet long and weigh 2,320 pounds in race-ready trim.

Funny Car
Similar to their Top Fuel counterparts but with a shorter *wheelbase and a carbon-fiber body that loosely resembles a production-based automobile, Funny Cars, or “floppers,” routinely run in the 4.0s and can exceed 315 mph.

Pro Stock
Often called “factory hot rods” because of their resemblance to production-based cars, Pro Stockers can run in the 6.4s at more than 210 mph. They can rev to more than 10,500 rpm and make in excess of 1,300 horsepower.

Top Alcohol Dragster
Top Alcohol Dragsters may look like Top Fuelers, but they have significant differences. They may use a supercharged methanol-burning engine or an injected nitromethane *combination. They can run in the 5.1s at more than 280 mph.

Top Alcohol Funny Car
Similar in physical appearance to their nitro-burning Funny Car counterparts, Top Alcohol Funny Cars are restricted to the use of methanol fuel and have three-speed transmissions. They can run in the 5.4s at more than 265 mph.

Comp
No category in NHRA competition features more variety than Comp. Each of the 88 classes is assigned an index based on what a well-built car should run, and races are handicapped according to those indexes.

Super Stock
Super Stock vehicles may look like ordinary passenger vehicles, but they are highly modified race cars. Entries are classified using factory shipping weight and horsepower and compete on indexes. The breakout rule is enforced.

Stock
Stock cars are similar to Super Stockers, but rules regarding everything from engine modifications to body alterations are much stricter. Virtually any car is eligible to compete, and entries are classified using factory shipping weight and horsepower.

Super Comp
The quickest of the heads-up Super classes (8.90 index) is composed primarily of dragsters. Most cars are capable of running well under the index but use electronic aids to run close to the index without running quicker than it, or breaking out.

Super Gas
Super Gas entries, which run on a 9.90 index, are primarily full-bodied cars and street roadsters. No dragsters or altereds are permitted. As in Super Comp, competitors use electronic aids to run as close to the class standard without going under.

Super Street
Racers compete on a fixed 10.90 index. All vehicles must be full-bodied cars and weigh no less than 2,800 pounds except for six-cylinder cars (2,000) and four-cylinder and rotary-powered cars (1,200). Engine and chassis modifications are virtually unlimited.

Top Sportsman
Competitors in these full-bodied entries may choose their own dial for eliminations, generally from 6.00 to 7.99 seconds. Full Tree starts are used, and the breakout rule is enforced. Cars can run in the sixes at more than 200 mph.

Top Dragster
Competitors in these open-wheel entries may choose their own dial for eliminations, generally from 6.00 to 7.70 seconds. Full Tree starts are used, and the breakout rule is enforced. Cars can run in the sixes at more than 200 mph.

Pro Mod
The NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by ProCare Rx runs at 10 NHRA Full Throttle events. An eclectic mix of vehicles, from ’41 Willys coupes to ’63 Corvettes to late-model Ford Mustangs and Dodge Vipers, can run in the high fives at more than 250 mph.

Last edited by xjer22x; 09-12-2013 at 03:23 PM.
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Old 09-10-2013, 06:01 PM   #4
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Very good write up guys. I'm not sure if I missed it but1 thing that I hear said a lot by first time racers is, "if I had a better reaction time my car would have ran faster.

Your reaction time will not affect your ET. Reaction time is only a factor when you are racing against another person and you are trying to win against that person. You can sit on the starting line for 10 seconds and still run a 13 sec ET.
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Old 09-10-2013, 06:39 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Camarojt View Post
Very good write up guys. I'm not sure if I missed it but1 thing that I hear said a lot by first time racers is, "if I had a better reaction time my car would have ran faster.

Your reaction time will not affect your ET. Reaction time is only a factor when you are racing against another person and you are trying to win against that person. You can sit on the starting line for 10 seconds and still run a 13 sec ET.
very good point. i updated the original definition of it.

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Originally Posted by Pro Stock John View Post
Keep that coming and I'll incorporate.

Also if folks have better pics, please share. I just can't find a picture of tech inspection with Camaros even though I could have snapped some this weekend.
you got it! I will look around for pictures too.
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Old 09-10-2013, 06:42 PM   #6
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Great Thread... It's a sticky now..
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Old 09-10-2013, 06:50 PM   #7
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Good stuff!
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Old 09-10-2013, 06:59 PM   #8
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Well done!!
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Old 09-10-2013, 07:24 PM   #9
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and for those that have questions or have important info to add. Please ask or chime in. The more we can gather the better for everyone!
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Old 09-10-2013, 07:24 PM   #10
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Great thread!
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Old 09-10-2013, 07:29 PM   #11
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This is great! Thanks to all the contributors!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk 4
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Old 09-10-2013, 07:46 PM   #12
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Good job guys
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Best @ 586/525 =10.41 @ 133
AS OF 12/13/14>633 RWHP =10.22@135
AS OF 1/31/15 @ 633 RWHP=10.16@135
AS OF 1/29/16 @ 633 RWHP=10.10@136
TOPED 700 PASSES AFTER F.I. AND STILL ON THE ORIGIANAL STOCK AXLE & DIFF
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Old 09-10-2013, 08:05 PM   #13
canecorso69
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What about which class you will run...when said class runs or the definition of classes. Maybe this would be for the more seasoned racer I suppose. Just thinking out loud, lol. Also what to do if you break/blow up going down the track. Great write up, very informative.
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Old 09-10-2013, 08:07 PM   #14
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Also what to do if you break/blow up going down the track.
Good point.
Plus, it's really hot down here in Texas. Can I run with my a/c on?
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