question from a newbie

Cowboy_Customs

Cowboy_Customs

Rhinestone Cowboy
Joined
Jan 20, 2007
Messages
232
OK, so I was reading the rulebook on the DHRA, and saw this on Pinks this morning.
I want to compete in drag racing, but whats the deal with being disqualified for a "break out"????
I thought drag racing was about hauling a$$ n gettin there first, not having to peddle n do math.
Isnt that just a giant PITA for someone that is still getting experience, n dialing in the truck? And what exactly qualifys as a "breakout?"
On the episode of Pinks this morn, the guy ran 2 1/10ths quicker then his prior 2 runs when the sun was shining, n he was DQ'd. (by this time it was dark)
WTF, somebody help me out here. Im all sorts of confused, n now im not sure about this whole racing now.
 
You have plenty of time to make passes before eliminations to find out what you need to dial in at. The thing is that you see 17 second trucks an 12 second trucks that want to race, so it is hardly fair to race those guys heads up.
 
In a nut shell, there are three types of drag races. 1. Heads up...Run what you brung and hope you brung enough...2. Index racing...Try to run as close to a predefined index (such as 12.00), without going to quick. The one to cross the finish line first without going faster then the index, wins... 3. Bracket racing...Kinda like the index racing, except you get to define the index you are running against. The idea here is if you stager the start so that if reaction times were equal and both people ran right on there dial in (your defined index), then they would arrive at the finish line at the same time.

The bracket classes allow anybody to compete on and even playing field no matter how quick their race vehicle is.

The index classes test how well you can tune your vehicle to run a certain time.

The heads up classes determine how much money you use to have before you started racing...:hehe:

Paul
 
lol
Yeah, my thing here is (well from what ive seen watching nascar for years) track conditions. Perhaps it doest apply to drag racing, but as the day goes on, arent you naturally going to pick up better ET's as the track cools down n the air gets denser effectivly making more power now?
Like I saw this morning, the guy ran 2 consistant passes in texas heat while the sun was up in the early afternoon, n by the time he ran again it was after dark, he picked up 2/10ths, n got booted for a "break out".
Thats like my only concern, im only looking for fun n not serious competition to win thousands of dollars n by my career.
But im a :new: to drag racing too, so I got LOTS to learn!
Thanks!
 
Yup X2 on what paul said... wish I had something else to offer, but he knows his stuff...
 
Cowboy_Customs said:
lol
Yeah, my thing here is (well from what ive seen watching nascar for years) track conditions. Perhaps it doest apply to drag racing, but as the day goes on, arent you naturally going to pick up better ET's as the track cools down n the air gets denser effectivly making more power now?
Like I saw this morning, the guy ran 2 consistant passes in texas heat while the sun was up in the early afternoon, n by the time he ran again it was after dark, he picked up 2/10ths, n got booted for a "break out".
Thats like my only concern, im only looking for fun n not serious competition to win thousands of dollars n by my career.
But im a :new: to drag racing too, so I got LOTS to learn!
Thanks!
Click to expand...

Part of the challenge in bracket racing is learning how to anticipate how your truck is going to react to changing conditions. Another part is making sure you are doing everything exactly the same on each pass. I suspect there was more to the .2ths breakout then just the conditions changing. It's very unusual for my truck to change more then a .1 from the worse conditions to the best conditions. If he broke out by .2th, then he must have been way ahead at the finish line! If not he had a really bad reaction time. Being way ahead at the finish line is what brakes are for...

In most cases with good bracket racers, the race is won or lost at the tree. If you give me more then .04 on the tree, in most cases I will win. When I say give me, I mean that my light is .04 better then yours. Learn to cut good lights, and you will win races.

Learn to be consistent. Leave at the same boost. Stage the same way. Position your feet the same way on the pedals. Do everything exactly the same way everytime. Don't try to leave at a boost where you can run the quickest, but leave at a boost, that you know won't give you traction problems the whole race. Don't try and get the most out of your pickup every run. Run it were it is happy, and will run the same the whole race. I like going fast as much as the next person, but I like winning even more.

Just to give you a point of reference... At last years division 6 bracket finals, it took 8 passes to win. Out of those 8 passes only one would not have been on my dial in. In other words, I was dialing between 12.80 and 12.82 the whole day, and when I say I ran on my dial, it means that with a 12.80 I ran a 12.80. For example in the final round I dialed a 12.80 and ran a 12.807. In the last two rounds of racing (semi-finals and finals), everyone ran on their dial in.

I hope this helps...
Paul

P.S. I don't have any secrets. Anybody that wants to know what I do, just ask! No secret squirrel stuff here.
 
Please forgive the :new: question...but you mention 3 different types of racing. Is there 1 more promenent over the others? Or does it just depend where you are at? For instance, DHRA ALWAYS uses XXXXX racing style and NHRDA uses XXXXX style.
 
Bracket racing is wide spread throughout the U.S. Any track that you go to will have a bracket racing program. At the NHRA division level, you will find all three types. From heads up in the top alcohol, to index racing in the super categories (ie. Super Comp, Super Gas, Super Street), to bracket racing with the Super Pro class.

As far as DHRA, I believe (someone else can chime in, if I'm wrong), that they also have all three types. The NHRDA only does bracket racing, except at special events where there will be a heads up category as well.

I hope this helps...

Paul
 
Paul, you are correct about the DHRA. There is a ET Bracket class, Indexed Prostreet (10.50) & Quick Diesel (12.00) classes and heads-up Pro Mod & Top Diesel classes.

brandon.
 
Ahhh Haaa. OK now that makes more sense. I couldnt find the benifet, ( other than pure:evil ) to set up a truck for qwickest speed possible if it was all bracket style. In theroy, you could have a 20 second truck and still win;depending on how consistant your dial in time was. But if they are doing the other styles (for the other classes) THAT I can see.
Brandon, good talking to ya at the hotels friday night, I had seen you saturday;but never went over. You looked busy and I didnt want to bother you. LOL Congrats to you though, NICE pass!
 
Thanks for clearing that up Paulb, that acctually helped lots!
Im acctually considering QD for events that i'll acctually attend, but not much difference from what i've read.
My primary goal is to get a first gen in the 11's. even if its 11.999, its still 11's to me.

Confidence restored! :rockwoot:

Oh the pass I refering too, he was like 3 car lenghts ahead at the line, they were running in the........... 12's I believe?
 
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