What is drag racing? Drag racing is all about getting the maximum acceleration (speed) out of the car. Basically a proper drag race tournament consists of a series of two-car eliminations in an all-out acceleration contest. It goes from a standing start between two vehicles over an exact distance at a drag racing track; typically a quarter mile here in Jamaica .
Drag racing facilities are outfitted with what are called "Christmas Tree" lights, and the standard distance is usually either a quarter-mile (1,320 feet) or an eighth-mile (666 feet). Competing vehicles are divided into a variety of classes, with specific rules that determine eligibility based on type of car and modifications allowed. In Jamaica we normally divide cars in time classes by the seconds from 7-16 seconds. In professional category racing, the "Christmas Tree" lights control the most important aspect of the race; the launch. The first row of yellow lights warns drivers as they slowly approach the starting line. The second row confirms the "staged" position, which is when the front wheels of the car should be stopped on the starting line as it crosses the staged sensor beam. Then there are the three "amber starting system" lights. In a "pro start," all three amber floodlights in a driver's lane flash almost simultaneously before the green light comes on. The "pro start" system runs with a 0.4-second difference between amber and green lights. As the green light goes on, the race begins and the timer is started. The timer stops only when the car crosses the finish line at the other end of the track, with time and trap speed being recorded. If the last red light comes on, the driver is disqualified. This is caused by a car leaving the starting line before the green light comes on, or "staging too deep" past the starting line.
Getting ready for the green light you may need to know a few things. Getting rid of excess weight by removing all loose items, including spare tire, jack, hubcaps, CDs, beer cases and even excess gasoline in the fuel tank. It's also very important to have a good suspension and tires. So getting you car checked at an alignment stand is recommended. For all the people with the 17-inch rims and low profile tires, sorry to say it's not about the look. Remove those 17 & 18-inch rims with those low-profile tires, and slap on your old stock 15-inch wheels with high-profile tires. This will absorb the initial jolt when you launch, and reduce tire spin and wheel hop. If you are really serious about drag racing and your budget can support it you purchase some drag racing slicks to give you maximum grip.
Pulling up to the lights Once the starter waves you into the staging area, proceed slowly to the line. If you are running "street"/regular tires, then there is no need to go through the water box (burnout section), simply drive around it. If you are running slicks (racing tires), then by all means roll into the water to get the slicks wet.
Now that you have wet the tires, you may ask why"I don't need grip to go fast?" yes you do! To get the slicks hot and sticky, you need to let it smoke without flames (burn out). Now that your tires are wet, get your rev up, dump the clutch and let it burn baby! Do a burn out till you are fully out of the water.
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At the lights When you pull up at the line for staging, you can rely on just luck or your skill, to stage as far into the staged beam as you can. How you "stage" has a large effect on your reaction time and also your final time.Staging "shallow" means that launching your car will take more time to go through the staged light and thus increasing your important reaction time, assuming that you had a good launch and did not stall etc. However, it lowers your final elapsed time, and increases your trap speed. This is because the timer doesn't start until the tire comes out of the starting line beam. At this time, your car is already moving, so you would get a slight running start. This will give you an advantage over your opponent if you are a bit quicker in your reaction time. Drag racing is won based on who crosses the finish line first, not your elapsed time. It's possible to have a quicker time and still lost because you were slow off the line. "Shallow" staging also allows a driver who leaves early or creeps forward a bit before the green light a small amount of room for error. "Deep" staging puts you at the edge of disqualification, but also a little closer to the finish line, which may be seen as an advantage.
It's important to be conscious that if you car has very little ground clearance, pieces of the front body kit or suspension can also trigger the lights
So in conclusion, shallow staging increases your reaction time, reduces your elapsed time and increases trap speed, while being the safe choice for beginners. Deep staging decreases your reaction time, increases elapsed time and reduces the final trap speed, putting you at the edge of disqualification so it should be reserved for experienced racers.
We hope this article covered the basics of getting ready for your drag run without heavy modifications to your car. There are more tips to come, things that racers do like put ice on the air intake and such. Launching the car is another topic that we at AutoMods will be dissecting for you soon. It's important to be safe, so test your skills at a drag strip; race at the tracks not on the streets!!!
