Types of Racing Before you decide on the direction of your drag racing involvement, a brief explanation of the various formats of drag racing is needed. Basically, all drag racing, with few exceptions (which we'll tell you about later) is conducted on some form of handicap racing. These are : 1. "Dial-your-own" handicaps. Roughly 90% of drag racing uses this system and if you are a newcomer to drag racing this is all you probably need to know about to start with. "Dial-your-own" simply means that you nominate your own handicap time. This gives the slower vehicle of a race a physical head start, which is programmed electronically into our Electronics 2000 Timers. To stop someone nominating a time they can run a lot faster than, thus giving an unfair advantage, a "breakout" rule is applied. Put simply, if you nominated 14.00 seconds for your "dial-in" and ran 13.99 or faster in racing you lose the race. But if your opposition does the same thing the timers award the win automatically to the person "breaking out" by the least amount. This is known as a "double breakout". "Dial-your-own" racing is a very fair form of racing that provides close, competitive racing for even the first timer. In fact, some competitors have won a trophy at their first attempt. 2. The second type of handicap racing is class record racing, whereby you race on a fixed index handicap based on an average of performances in that class throughout the country. This index is calculated by ANDRA. With this form of racing, to be competitive, one needs to have their car or bike capable of running close to or under the index of the class. Eliminators using this format are Competition, Super Stock SuperComp & Competition Bike. 3.The final form of racing is "heads up" racing, where both vehicles leave the start line at the same time. These are Top Fuel, Funny Car, Top Alcohol, Top Doorslammer, Pro Stock, Top Bike & Pro Stock Motorcycle, these are known as Group 1. All amber lights come on at once for the start, known as a "Pro Start". -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Going Racing Entering a Street Series or Test n Tune event is where the majority get their first taste of drag racing. Entry to the event is done on the day by paying as you go in the gate. Your entry fee at Street Series or Test n Tune meets admits the driver and one other person. An extra car can also be taken into the pits to carry parts etc. When you get to the track, after paying your entry fee, just follow the road into the pits. Unless you have work to do it is advisable to get into the line up for scrutineering as soon as possible. Follow the loop road down the pits into the scrutineering area. Only a few requirements are needed to compete at Street Series & Test n Tune meets ... a three point lap sash belt (as minimum), an approved helmet, long sleeves, long pants, shoes and socks. Bikes need a helmet, leather jacket and long pants as a minimum. You will also need an ANDRA Divisional Drag Racing license, available at the track. This is valid for the day of issue only. After going through scrutineering and having a race number allocated, go straight to the staging lanes. Pick the shortest lane. Officials take an equal number of cars from each lane. If you get to the track when the gates open, you should have time to do at least 2-3 runs before racing begins. When it's your turn, proceed towards the start line. Tracks have concrete "burnout pads" for each lane. For those doing static burnouts (locking the front brakes and spinning the rears) the only place you can do this is on the concrete pads. As you approach the start, there are three sets of photocells in each lane. The first is the PRE STAGE beam, which controls the top light on the Xmas tree. This does nothing more than let you know you have eight inches to go to the STAGE LIGHT, the second light on the tree. The race cannot be started until this light is on. The final beam is the GUARD BEAM which starts the timers if the stage beam has not been cleared. This applies only to very low cars such as dragsters. When your vehicle is properly staged, you're ready to give your full attention to the Xmas tree. After the amber lights are two more lights, a green GO light and a red FOUL light. When the stage light is on, your front tire is interrupting the stage beam across the track. If that beam is re-opened before the green light comes on, the red FOUL light comes on. While this doesn't matter in trials, in racing it means "you lose!" The finish line has a series of two photocells. The first is 66 feet before the finish line. The second is the finish line itself. The first and second lights start and stop the speed traps to measure your speed across the finish. The second light stops the e.t. clocks and provides the elapsed time for the run. After completing the run, the return road is indicated by the white line that turns to the left. If you have a problem and cannot stop, don't try to take the corner at high speed - continue straight ahead through the gates into the paddock. There is plenty of stopping room there. Having completed the run, pick up your time slip from the box at the base of the tower. All details of the run are shown - reaction time, e.t., speed in mph and kph and in racing, the amount from your dial-in. Both lanes are shown on the time slip. We will explain about reaction times a little later in the section "WORKING THE LIGHTS" At the conclusion of the time trial period, a drivers briefing is held at the rear of the tower. There, the event Director will give a run down on the event program, coming events and items of importance. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eliminations After the briefing, the real racing is about to begin. Competition in drag racing is most commonly referred to as "eliminations." In dial-your-own racing, vehicles are handicapped according to a "dial-in" time nominated by yourself. A good rule of thumb is to use your fastest trial as a guide, bearing that at night meets, the cooler night air will usually improve your times over runs done in the heat of day. Track officials will mark your "dial-in" on the side window of cars and somewhere around the headlight are on bikes. Now its time for your first round in eliminations. For example, lets say you have dialed-in at 16.10 seconds and your competition dialed-in a time of 15.50. With the handicap system, you have a .60 head start. Before moving into stage, confirm that the handicap is correct by checking the displays at the start line or on the scoreboards at the finish line. Make sure you know your opponents "dial-in". If you have a question about the handicap, you must advise the starter before you stage. Once you stage that means you have OK'd the handicap and the race result will stand. You get in a good run and hold off the your opposition to record your first win. Pick up your time slip at the tower and return to the staging lane allocated for your bracket. In round two, you run a bit stronger (things like cooler air can increase your performance) and you record a 16.05 in crossing the finish line first. But this time you have lost the race, because you have run quicker than your 16.10 dial-in. The timers award the win light to your opponent and this is shown on your time slip. However, if your opponent red-lights, you then cannot lose the race and the win light comes on immediately in your lane at the finish line. Drag racing is conducted on a tournament elimination format. If you win, you continue to the next round. If you lose, you have the choice of relaxing and enjoying the rest of the meet, or heading home. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Working The Lights Before diving into an explanation of how to "cut a good light", you must remember two things. 1. Each lane is timed independently of the other, and 2. The timers do not start when the green light comes on! To give an extreme example, if you were to sit on the start line until your opponent crossed the finish line and then leave, you may run a time much closer to your dial-in, , but he would easily win the race, simply because he had a much better reaction time - like around 15 seconds better! In real racing this sort of thing happens all the time, except the difference between reaction times is in hundredths of a second. When you get your time slip after a run, look at your reaction time. Compare it to your opponent. Reaction times work on a simple principle. It measures the time from when the last amber come on to when your front wheel clears the start line beam. Now as there is exactly 4 tenths of a second between lights, it then follows that a "perfect light" will be four tenths of a second - meaning that the vehicle has cleared the stage beam at exactly the same time as the green light came on. This is shown on the time slip as .400. Anything less than this means that you left too early and red lighted (fouled) and any more than this is wasted time sitting at the start line. Most newcomers to racing leave when the green light comes on. This will give a reaction time of well over a second. For example, if you pulled a 1.12 reaction time and your competition ran a .460, you have given away over six tenths start right at the start line. For a more graphic example, with two cars of the same performance running 100 mile an hour in the quarter mile, this .66 wasted at the start represents 96 feet or about 6 car lengths at the finish line! So, lesson number one in cutting a good light is to forget abut the green. Try leaving as soon as you see the last amber light. You'll probably be surprised to find you did not red light. And when you get your time slip, you will be amazed at the difference in your reaction time. After that it is largely up to you and your vehicle. You should try to improve your reaction times until you can run in the mid fours. Forget about running .40's every run. Only very experienced racers with well set up cars can run reactions consistently in the low fours. If you are puzzled why you can leave before the green light comes on, without triggering the red light ....,well, its simple. It's to do with reaction times. Firstly, your reaction to a signal, in this case the last amber will be around .17-.20. Medical studies have pegged average human reaction times at around this time. Secondly, the reaction time of your vehicle itself - the time it takes from when you stomp on the throttle to when your front tyres move out of the stage beam. Therefore you can see that it takes almost half the time between the last amber and green to react and stand on the throttle, plus more than this time again, for your vehicle to move forward and clear the start line beam. Naturally, the slower the vehicle, the slower the "vehicle reaction" time is and the earlier you can leave on the lights. This takes practice and varies from vehicle to vehicle. ... and that's it, the basics of how to go drag racing. We hope that by increasing your knowledge of drag racing we can improve your enjoyment of it. Nothing quite beats the thrill of coming out winner of a field of 50 or so competitors -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Getting a Licence The Australian National Drag Racing Association (ANDRA) provides several levels of Licenses. While cars slower than 11.99 can use day licenses issued at Street Meets, we recommend those competing regularly in Super Street bracket at major meetings apply for a "Super Street License". This allows participation in the Track Championships and a speedier processing at Street and Major meets. Cars and bikes quicker than 10.99 require an Unlimited License, which involves a medical and ANDRA membership, either through a affiliated club or by joining ANDRA as an Individual member.
|
