Basics of Drag Racing
by - MRR23

Some quick definitions:

Christmas Tree - Also called the Tree, it is the noticeable electronic starting device between the lanes on the
                           starting line. It displays a calibrated-light countdown for each driver

Elapsed time -     The time it takes a vehicle to travel from the starting line to the finish line. Also called e.t.

Pre-stage -           To position the front wheels about seven inches behind the starting line so the small yellow
                           lights atop that driver’s side of the Christmas Tree are glowing. The next step is to stage and
                           be ready to race.

Reaction time -   The time it takes a driver to react to the green starting light on the Christmas Tree, measured
                           in thousandths of a second. The reaction-time counter begins when the last amber light flashes
                           on the Tree and stops when the vehicle clears the stage beam.

Sixty-foot time - The time it takes a vehicle to cover the first 60 feet of the racetrack. It is the most accurate
                          measure of the launch from the starting line and in most cases determines how quick the rest
                          of the run will be.

Stage -                To position the front wheels right on the starting line so the small yellow lights below the
                           pre-stage lights are glowing. Once both drivers are staged, the calibrated countdown may begin.

This is to help familiarize you to the world of drag racing. This is what most every dragstrip looks like at the starting line. You can see the starting line and christmas tree in this picture.

Now, to the right of the picture is the burnout area. This is where you smoke the tires to heat them up for better grip for launching the car. There is a water box. If you have slicks, then you use this to help you do the burnout. If you are using regular tires or drag radials, then you do not put your tires in the water box. You drive around it. Do your burnout in front of the water box. After you do the burnout, you drive up to the starting line. As you do this, you will start to activate the christmas tree. Looks something like this:

Each row of lights is for the corresponding lane. The very top double bulb is what's called the PRESTAGE lights. The front tires roll into a beam and turns them on. Stop when you do this. The second set of double bulbs is the STAGE lights. These two are about 7 inches apart. Now, you ease up on the brake and roll into the next beam. Both sets of double bulbs will be on. STOP here. Do not move.

Once both cars have turned on the STAGE lights, then the fun begins. In our case, we will be using what's called the 500 tree. The track guy will start the countdown which is the next three big yellow bulbs. Each bulb is .500 of a second apart. When the bottom, or third, yellow light comes on, you GO!!! Do not wait for the green light or you'll be late. This is called the REACTION TIME. Again there is .500 of a second between the last yellow and the green light. REACTION TIME is how long it takes you to react to the green light. By the time you see the last yellow bulb and 'react' to it, at least .500  of a second has gone by for the most part. This has nothing to do with what your car will run, called E.T. (Elapsed Time) You can sit there for a minute and your E.T. will not change. The timer will start once you clear the STAGE beam. If you get a RED LIGHT, then it means you left before .500 of a second and lose. Unless the other racer red lights also.

There are different kinds of drag racing. There is HEADS UP and BRACKET RACING.

HEADS UP -                 The tree goes simultaneously for both racers. Whoever get to the end first wins.

BRACKET RACING -  In this form of racing, two vehicles of varying performance potentials can race
                                     on a potentially even basis. The anticipated elapsed times for each vehicle are
                                     compared, with the slower car receiving a head start equal to the difference of the
                                     two. With this system, virtually any two vehicles can be paired in a competitive drag race.

                                    .For Example: Car A has been timed a 17.78, 17.74, and 17.76 seconds for the quarter-mile,
                                     and the driver feels that a "dial-in" of 17.75 is appropriate. Meanwhile, the driver of car B
                                     has recorded elapsed times of 15.27, 15.22 and 15.26 on the same track and he has opted
                                     for a "dial-in" of 15.25. Accordingly, car A will get a 2.5-second head start over car B when
                                     the "Christmas Tree" counts down to each car's starting green lights. If both vehicles cover
                                     the quarter-mile in exactly the predetermined elapsed time, the win will go to the driver who
                                     reacts quickest to the starting signal. That reaction to the starting signal is called "reaction
                                     time." Both lanes are timed independently of one another, and the clock does not start until
                                     the vehicle actually moves. Because of this, a vehicle may sometimes appear to have a
                                     mathematical advantage in comparative elapsed times but actually lose the race. This fact
                                     makes starting line reflexes extremely important in drag racing!

TIMESLIP

This is what one looks like. Tells you everything about the race TIME and MPH wise. This one is of a BRACKET RACE I was in.

DIAL - You'll see I (left lane) dialed in a 12.80 to the right lane 11.50. That means I got to leave 1.3 sooner than him.
            So, in theory, if we leave at the exact same R.T. and ran our exact dial in, it would be a tie. This makes it fair
            for the slower vehicles. My tree went down first. Then his. 

R/T -    I reacted to the light at .638 to his .695 (.500 being perfect, some slips might say .138 and .195 making .000
            being perfect). So I got a head start on him there. Which would mean if we both ran our exact dial in, then I
            would win because I took off first. this is where REACTION TIME is important.

60' -     How fast the vehicle made it to 60 feet of the 1/4 mile. An indicator of your E.T. but not a deciding factor of
            the race.

330' -   Same as 60'

1/8 -     Some tracks are 1/8 mile. Some are 1/4 mile. But, again how much time it took there.

MPH - Obvious. How fast I was going at that point.

1000' - Same as 60'.

1/4 -     Same as 1/8.

MPH - Same as MPH above.

Now, you'll notice the <<WIN on mine. What happened is I ran closest to my dial in without going faster (called BREAKING OUT). I came within .140 of mine to his .729 At the bottom it says LEFT 1ST .6464 And that is how you BRACKET RACE and WIN. It's all about guessing how quick your car will go without going quicker. Not red lighting. And reacting quickly to the tree.

And, yes, I could show you a slip of me losing. But why?