Chaos Drag Racing Team - What is Drag Racing

Chaos

Drag Racing Team


	Return to Home Page \| Car Specs. \| Links \| Sponsors \| Tech \| NEWS \| Events in Indy What is Drag Racing? Table of Contents Drag Racing \| Class Racing \| Bracket Racing \| The Track \| Burnout Box \| Starting Line \| Christmas Tree \| 60 Foot Timer \| 330,660,1000 Foot Timers \| Speed Trap \| Finishing Line \| ShutDown Area Drag Racing is a timed Straight-line acceleration contest between two race cars. The racing is conducted from a standing start over a specified distance, usually a quarter or eight mile. The race is started by the "Christmas Tree", this is the electronic countdown device used to start the race. Upon leaving the starting line each vehicle activates a timer and then stops the timer at the finish line. This is the racers elapsed time or "ET". The mile per hour is also record at the speed trap just before the finish line. The vehicle speed is merely a by product of acceleration and does not effect directly effect the winner. Drag Racing is categorized into two classes: Class Racing: Cars are built to specific rules and limitations(classes such as Top Fuel, Pro Mod, Super Stock, Stock). Even the National Muscle Car Association, NMCA, has class type racing to even the competition among its ranks. Many racing bodies group racers into categories according to the performance of their vehicle. At an official drag race, each racer is allowed to make certain number of runs to determine his performance. This is called qualifying. Then a series of two-car, tournament style races, or eliminations, are conducted to determine the overall winner. The losing drivers in each race are eliminated, with the winners progressing though succeeding rounds of competition until one racer remains. This is the overall goal, TO WIN. Bracket Racing: More commonly know as ET racing. Cars are group into classes based upon their elapsed times rather than engine type, tire size or body style. The best part of bracket racing is you need not have a specially built high dollar vehicle that must be rebuilt every round. Competition is very intense, many racers have spent thousands of dollars to build very fast and consistent machines. Others have rented car from the local rent-a-car and taken home race trophies. This diversity is what make bracket racing very popular. A typical bracket race the cars are designated a elapsed time, this is assigned by the driver or owner and is based upon previous runs and track conditions. This is called the dial-in. The your vehicle is then matched with another vehicle, in the same ET bracket as yours, and the elapsed times are compared. The slower vehicle is given a head start, the starting advantage is based upon the differential of the two ETs. Both cars should reach the finish line at the same time. This allows street cars to evenly compete against full blown race cars. Return to Top The Race Track The typical drag strips are eighth mile or quarter mile. The total track length is usually twice the length of the racing area or more. This additional distance is to allows the cars to safely slow down, this is the shut down area. The quarter mile track start with the burn box then, starting line and rollout, 60 foot timer, 660 foot timer, 1000 foot timer, speed trap, finishing line and shut down area. Burnout Box This is designed for vehicles with racing tires or slicks. The burnout box is a small depression on each side of track that is sprayed with water. Most racers drive though the box until the rear tires are out of the water, then do their burnout (spinning of the tires to clean and heat them) according to tire type and vehicle. Doing a burnout in the water is a NO NO, this will water to be slung into the wheel well and to dip back onto the tires leading to a loose of traction. Vehicles with treaded tire should avoid the water altogether. The tire tread will also retain water. After your burnout head the starting line. Starting Line Forward of the starting line there is the Christmas Tree. At the top of the Tree there are two sets of paired bulbs. The top set is the Pre-Stage lights and the next set is the Staged lights. The photo sensors for these lights are placed 12 inches apart with the Staged light sensor at the starting line. The Pre-Stage lights are to warn the driver the starting line is close. The Staged sensor also trigger the timer for the ET as the car leaves the beam. The staging distance can modified by use of lager or smaller front tires. This will increase or decrease the vehicles roll-out. Christmas Tree This is the electronic countdown device. At the top are the smaller Pre-Staged and Staged light. The following light are used for the starting countdown. The amber light designates the time prior to the start. The green signals a good start. The red signals a foul start or disqualification. There are different types of countdowns, or starts. A pro start where all three amber countdown lights flash on at once for 0.400 of a second before the green light. If the vehicle moves out of the staged beam before this time has transpired the red light will come on. A sportsman tree flashes each of the ambers at 0.500 second intervals from the top down. Again,if the vehicle moves out of the staged beam before the last amber time has transpired the red light will come on. A mass at rest tend to stay at rest. Most racers will actually leave on the last amber. this will allow them to cut a better light or closest to 0.500, a perfect light. 60 Foot Timer This is the first timer you will pass after the starting line. This time can make or break your run. Your racecar should return consistent times. Varying 60 foot times mean problems, traction loss, performance problems and or more. 330, 660 and 1000 Foot Timers The 330 is the half way for a eighth mile track and the 660 is the half way for the quarter mile track. At each of the timers the vehicle speed and and ET is recorded. This is important feed back for the driver and tuner. Speed Trap This is the last 66 feet of the track before the finish line. This is where the trap speed is recorded as an average speed between it and the finish line. Finish Line As your vehicle goes though the finish line it trips a photo sensor and the elapsed timer is stopped. The amount of time (in seconds) from leaving the starting line to the finish line is the ET. Shutdown Area Beyond the finish line is the area of the track where the cars are able to safely slow down and return to the infield area. If something goes wrong with a vehicle and it can not stop most tracks have a sand trap, safety net, or some other setup to stop an out of control vehicle at the end of the track. Return to Top Return to Home Page \| Car Specs. \| Links \| Sponsors \| Tech \| NEWS \| Events in Indy

What is Drag Racing?

Table of Contents

Drag Racing is a timed Straight-line acceleration contest between two race cars. The racing is conducted from a standing start over a specified distance, usually a quarter or eight mile. The race is started by the "Christmas Tree", this is the electronic countdown device used to start the race. Upon leaving the starting line each vehicle activates a timer and then stops the timer at the finish line. This is the racers elapsed time or "ET". The mile per hour is also record at the speed trap just before the finish line. The vehicle speed is merely a by product of acceleration and does not effect directly effect the winner.

Drag Racing is categorized into two classes:

Class Racing:

Cars are built to specific rules and limitations(classes such as Top Fuel, Pro Mod, Super Stock, Stock). Even the National Muscle Car Association, NMCA, has class type racing to even the competition among its ranks.
Many racing bodies group racers into categories according to the performance of their vehicle. At an official drag race, each racer is allowed to make certain number of runs to determine his performance. This is called qualifying. Then a series of two-car, tournament style races, or eliminations, are conducted to determine the overall winner. The losing drivers in each race are eliminated, with the winners progressing though succeeding rounds of competition until one racer remains. This is the overall goal, TO WIN.

Bracket Racing:

More commonly know as ET racing. Cars are group into classes based upon their elapsed times rather than engine type, tire size or body style. The best part of bracket racing is you need not have a specially built high dollar vehicle that must be rebuilt every round. Competition is very intense, many racers have spent thousands of dollars to build very fast and consistent machines. Others have rented car from the local rent-a-car and taken home race trophies. This diversity is what make bracket racing very popular.
A typical bracket race the cars are designated a elapsed time, this is assigned by the driver or owner and is based upon previous runs and track conditions. This is called the dial-in. The your vehicle is then matched with another vehicle, in the same ET bracket as yours, and the elapsed times are compared. The slower vehicle is given a head start, the starting advantage is based upon the differential of the two ETs. Both cars should reach the finish line at the same time. This allows street cars to evenly compete against full blown race cars.

Return to Top

The Race Track

The typical drag strips are eighth mile or quarter mile. The total track length is usually twice the length of the racing area or more. This additional distance is to allows the cars to safely slow down, this is the shut down area. The quarter mile track start with the burn box then, starting line and rollout, 60 foot timer, 660 foot timer, 1000 foot timer, speed trap, finishing line and shut down area.

Burnout Box

This is designed for vehicles with racing tires or slicks. The burnout box is a small depression on each side of track that is sprayed with water. Most racers drive though the box until the rear tires are out of the water, then do their burnout (spinning of the tires to clean and heat them) according to tire type and vehicle. Doing a burnout in the water is a NO NO, this will water to be slung into the wheel well and to dip back onto the tires leading to a loose of traction. Vehicles with treaded tire should avoid the water altogether. The tire tread will also retain water. After your burnout head the starting line.

Starting Line

Forward of the starting line there is the Christmas Tree. At the top of the Tree there are two sets of paired bulbs. The top set is the Pre-Stage lights and the next set is the Staged lights. The photo sensors for these lights are placed 12 inches apart with the Staged light sensor at the starting line. The Pre-Stage lights are to warn the driver the starting line is close. The Staged sensor also trigger the timer for the ET as the car leaves the beam. The staging distance can modified by use of lager or smaller front tires. This will increase or decrease the vehicles roll-out.

Christmas Tree

This is the electronic countdown device. At the top are the smaller Pre-Staged and Staged light. The following light are used for the starting countdown. The amber light designates the time prior to the start. The green signals a good start. The red signals a foul start or disqualification.
There are different types of countdowns, or starts.
A pro start where all three amber countdown lights flash on at once for 0.400 of a second before the green light. If the vehicle moves out of the staged beam before this time has transpired the red light will come on.
A sportsman tree flashes each of the ambers at 0.500 second intervals from the top down. Again,if the vehicle moves out of the staged beam before the last amber time has transpired the red light will come on.
A mass at rest tend to stay at rest. Most racers will actually leave on the last amber. this will allow them to cut a better light or closest to 0.500, a perfect light.

60 Foot Timer

This is the first timer you will pass after the starting line. This time can make or break your run. Your racecar should return consistent times. Varying 60 foot times mean problems, traction loss, performance problems and or more.

330, 660 and 1000 Foot Timers

The 330 is the half way for a eighth mile track and the 660 is the half way for the quarter mile track. At each of the timers the vehicle speed and and ET is recorded. This is important feed back for the driver and tuner.

Speed Trap

This is the last 66 feet of the track before the finish line. This is where the trap speed is recorded as an average speed between it and the finish line.

Finish Line

As your vehicle goes though the finish line it trips a photo sensor and the elapsed timer is stopped. The amount of time (in seconds) from leaving the starting line to the finish line is the ET.

Shutdown Area

Beyond the finish line is the area of the track where the cars are able to safely slow down and return to the infield area. If something goes wrong with a vehicle and it can not stop most tracks have a sand trap, safety net, or some other setup to stop an out of control vehicle at the end of the track.

Return to Top