Questions from a New Racer

Some of ya'll will probably think that these are dumb questions, but if I knew their answers, I wouldn't ask. Please ya'll just bear with me. I'm new to drag racing, but my car is pretty much ready. I read the post (how to drag a), and realized that I don't know anything about the different terms ya'll used. If you could, please explain

Sand-Bag
dial in
good light
push through
pre- stage- Is this just idling up quite a bit at the line?
bump
deep staging
break out (broken out)
running them through the lights
break out


That's it for now. I'd really appreciate ya'll explaning these things, because I plan to race the mav this weekend if it's not raining.
Oh, and first-timer advice is welcome too. On the street, I got 103 mph with a very fresh (o miles) motor. It is now broken in, and running very strong. I know it's different on the track, so advice is welcome. Thanks ya'll. Country

 

Let em try and I am sure someone else can add more.

1) Sand Bag: To dial a slower number than your car runs in order to give yourself an advantage at the end of the track to either slow down or speedup to win the race. (This is like a urban legend on whether it is truly effective)

2)In bracket racing you run a "dial-in". What that does is, it is supposed to put everyone on a equal playing field. It allows a 13 second car to run against a 10 second car and have a chance to win. What you have to do is make time runs (practice) and figure out, to the best of your ability, what your car is going to run. That will be your dial-in. If you are dialed at a 13 and you race a guy dialed at a 10, you(being the 13 sec.) will get a 3 second headstart. If both cars do the same as far as reaction time(GOOD LIGHT) and run their dial, you will both cross the finish line at the same time.
3)good light: This in my opinion is where the race is won or lost 95% of the time, if not more than that. A good light is your ability to react to the green light on the starting line (christmas tree).
The yellow lights flash every .500 of a second. What you do as a driver is "anticipate" the green light coming on. Alot of racers react to the flash of the last yellow, figuring by the time they react to that, the green light will be on. There are many ways to change your reaction time, when you react to the last yellow, 1. you can adjust your launch rpm's, 2. tire pressure, 3. DEEP STAGE, 4. just BUMP the light. and many more.
4)not sure what you mean on "push through". Sometimes if your launch RPM's are to high, the brake might not hold the car and some people call it pushing through the lights or creeping.
Others use it when talking about racing at the finish line. Quote: "Man that guy pushed me all the way down the track" meaning it was a good race and he had to drive the car through."poored the coals to it" or "ran it out the back"or "put it too the wood" are other phrases.
Others use it when talking about sandbaggers.
Someone else can help on this one.
5)Pre-stage: means you are ready to stage. Its the top "little" yellow light on the tree. Once you pre-stage you are ready to roll up and stage. (I think the stage light is 18 inches away) There are 2 primery uses for the pre-stage. 1. it lets your opponent, track officials and others know that you are ready. and 2. It is used as a reference for you to know how far away from staging you are so that you can "TRY" to stage in the same spot everytime to help you have a more consistant reaction time.
6) Bump: Not sure what you mean on this one either, but in reference to the tree. Some racers like to just "bump" the stage light. Lets call it "getting in shallow". Again, they might do that to help with a consistant reaction time and to help prevent a red light cause you are now staged, but further away from the starting line than someone who stages "DEEP".
7)Deep Staging: Is when you roll the car as far forward in the staging lights as possible, in doing so you turn the pre-stage light off because you roll past the pre-stage beam. Now instead of breaking the stage beam with the front part of your front tire, you are now have the beam broke with the back part of your front tire. did that make since? This is also done to help reaction time. Deep stage puts you closer to the starting line.
8)Break-out: that goes back to your dial-in. If you run quicker than you say(dial-in) then thats called a breakout.
9) again, not sure what you mean, but I think its the same answer as "push through"

Sorry for the long post, bracket racing is not as simple as getting up there and mashing the gas when the light goes green.
Hopefully someone on here with more knowledge can help.

 

Drag Racing 101

Will give you my limited knowledge on the subject. First must congratulate you on asking questions first and wanting to be prepared before your first race. Please make sure your car is in the best possible condition to race at speed. Safety should come first always. To explain all the aspects of drag racing would take many hours and a lot of message board space so lets just cover the basics of bracket racing(hope this is what you are going into). Follow your tracks rules that are usually available in printed form for the class you are going to run. After making several time runs to see what your car will run, compare the slips you will get at the et(elapsed time) shack at the end of the strip or some other place. If you think the car will run a certain elapsed time in the distance you are running(1/8th mile or 1/4mi) according to your practice runs(time trials) write this number on your window. This is your dial-in for the next run or elimination race.

Do not worry to much about top end speed for now, catching a good light or leaving the starting line without fouling(red lighing) is most important. Staging is creeping into the timer beams at the starting line with your front tires so to light the top tellow bulb on the tree(pre-staged) then ever so carefully creep slowly foward until the second yellow light comes on(staged and ready to race). The whole race will be decided, in most cases, in the first 60ft after launching. Depending on what version of timing equiptment used, most tree's have a .500 of a second delay between the flashing on of each orange bulb, the object is to leave the line just after the last orange bulb comes on, not when you see the green bulb light. Leave to early and the red bulb will indicate you have lost the race right off the bat with a foul, your reaction time as shown on the time slip will indicate how well your foot and eye combo, plus your cars ability to get out of the hole(off the line) is working. A perfect light or reaction time would be .500, thats why you must try and leave just after the last orange light goes off and before the green comes on.

This is getting a bit long so to sum up some stuff, consistency of the et the car will run each time and your reaction time at the starting line will be the things to work on now. Do not try to race the other car head to head in bracket racing. You are racing the clock and thats all for now, later with practice, you can get into racing the other fellow by either braking at the finish line and making him run faster than his dial -in(breaking him out)). This can also apply to you also, if you run faster than your dial-in on the window, you will lose the race most times. Hope you get some idea of this great sport, concentration and doing everything exactly the same each time you make a run, should result in some wins at the end of the track. Go to the link"NetHoleShot" and it has a practice starting line tree to get you used to the trick of leaving as close to .500 as possible without red lighting. They also have some tech articles that explain many of the terms you ask about and a detailed article on how to race. Good luck and keep us informed as to your results.

 

i race at an nhra track, but i'm sure the rules are similar for ihra too. i would suggest you try to get a rulebook for whichever sanctioning body the track has. there are certain safety requirements. the faster you go the more stringent they are. assuming you are a street car, i'll let you know a few of the rules for most street type cars. nhra says if you run 13.99 in the 1/4 mile or faster you must have a helmet and a driveshaft loop. can't remember what this is in the 1/8 mile. this should be all you have to worry about unless you start moving the battery to the trunck, or go to a spool in the rear end, etc. if you don't run that fast there are basically no safety requirements other than lug nuts have to be tight and they all must be there, battery must be held down securely, good tires, common sense stuff like that. another thing no one mentioned is to get a log book. that way you can keep track of your runs. you'll start to notice a pattern. if the temp. goes up, you'll run slower. goes down you'll run faster. same with humidity, density altitude and a lot of other stuff. many races are won and lost by thousandths of a second. you'll find that many racers at the track will be glad to talk about racing. the real downside to bracket racing is that it is very addictive. good luckand let us know how you make out..

 

Preston,

Good luck on your first outing. Don't be too disappointed if you don't win your first time out.

If you can, go "Test and Tune" at the track before the actual bracket race. This allows you to practice what these (knowledgeable) racers have adivsed you. You won't be as nervous when you get start the eliminations.

If you can keep one thing in mind as being the second most important element in bracketing (behind safety) is 'consistancy'.

Everything you change on the car from one run to the next is going to affect your dial-in. Do your time-trials (usually 2 or 3 'practice' runs before the official race begins, don't change anything on the car and be confident your dial-in is right for the race.

Also, spend some time at the lights. Watch the guys go through the water-box. Watch how they heat their tires during their burn-out (heating the tires makes them stickier and therefore helps prevent you from spinning the tires at launch). Watch how they 'bump in' at the stage lights. Watch where they (or the 'good' ones) actually launch their car in comparison to the third amber light. General note: If you see the green light come on - you've had a horrible reaction time (R/T). Don't wait for it to come on. Go on the third amber.

Again, good luck at the races, you'll be bitten for life!

Keep us posted on your first outing.


Rick

reference websites:

http://www.slantsix.org/articles/bracket_race/bracket_race.htm

http://dragracing101.com/

http://www.deepstaged.net/how_to_drag_race_pt1.htm

 

by the way, if you are running street tires at the track don't bother doing a burnout. this will not help your tires and might get the track officials mad as the street tires will drag some water to the starting line. that might even cause you to spin your tires. just go around the water box.

 

glad someone told him about the going around the water box, wish someone had told me that. Probably wouldn't have sat there spinning! Good luck and remember to race against yourself not the person in the lane next to you.
jeri*

 

Oooh. Don. I'm going to have to disagree.

If the waterbox and burnout are done correctly, there shouldn't be any water taken to the starting line.

I go into the water box. Make one quick powerbrake (enough to turn the tires over once or twice).

I then let the tires come to a complete stop (in the water box) then pull forward about 4-6 feet. Then do the burnout.

In my opinion, this does help even the street tires to heat up and grab better.

If no burnout is done, the tires carry gravel and debris up to the starting line.

The chances of not spinning at launch are much better if a proper burnout is done, in my opinon.

But, 'whatever works' for each individual.

 

At my track they won't even let street tires go through the water.

 

Strange. At my local track they MAKE everyone go through the water? In fact, there's no way around it.

The water-box boy sprays it after every car goes through it.



:confused:

 

Yeah, it "might" be some of that NHRA stuff, not sure. There is another track that I race at every now and then, and the only way to the starting line is through the water box.

 

there is a good book by Tony Sakkis (HP books) called bracket racing. this is a great book for the beginner. it shows everything you need to be concerned with at the track. it has chapters on bracket racing, your first bracket race, timing, electronics,engine and suspension, tuning at the track, bracket safety, etc. i think i got this one at barnes and nobles. but any bookstore could probably order it for you. $16.95

 

I know this is an old post, but since it will soon be warm again (here at least) I am getting the itch to go again. Let's just say I got my bubble busted last year to put it politely I have added several items to the arsenal, and am hoping to redeem myself this year for a poor performance last year. I have an auto on the column so I start in first and work up from there. I missed second the first pass and spun all the way through 1st and 2nd and a little bit of 3rd gear on the second pass. (This was on 195/75/14 tires, and they made me drive through the water too) I am going to get a bit wider on the tires, and maybe go with 4.11 gears. (If money permits) What I am wondering, is since I use street tires (can't afford stickies) How long should I burn the tires to dry them, but not get them so hot they won't grab at all?? I have added new Holley intake and Edelbrock 4 bbl, crane cams electronic ignition, and a flame thrower coil since last year, so I know traction ain't gonna be any better. ( The tires break loose on the street at 30-40 mph if I get on it good) I do have a set of traction bars ready to be installed. How much are they gonna help you think? Anyway, just trying to plan ahead so's not to embarrass myself again. Thanks and ya'll take care now!! Preston

 

Preston, you sure got the bug, didn't ya! It happens to the best of us.

re: tires
You will HAVE to get some sticky tires - no way around it (sorry). You'll be glad you did. Nitto DR's will work fine for you.

Unfortunately, I don't think the traction bars will be given a chance, IF YOU DON'T HAVE STICKY TIRES.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

Thanks! Yep, I'm afraid that I did get bitten pretty badly. I'm hoping to get lined out here one of these days.............. Just gotta get the finances togther!! Thanks- Preston