1/8 mile racing...

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NHRA factors classes like 8.90, 9.90, 10.90 classes at events. At least they did years ago because at Quaker City in Ohio the index was like a 10.04 instead of 9.90 and they did this because some of the cars couldn’t cover the altitude change. Like mentioned above the proper way of posting your ET is in your case he ran a 12.20 at say 5200 foot altitude. Keystone (my home track) is between 1100-1200 foot altitude but with our given humidity we are usually 3200 foot plus on most months. I’ve raced in humidity over 90% quite often.
 
If I raced as much as you and others here do, I would be more attuned to the indexes and classes, etc. but as an infrequent participant, especially in the last 8 to 10 years, I don't follow the race scene anymore. Pro Stock, once my class of choice to follow is as exciting as watching paint dry to me today. Same goes for Nascar, used to watch it religiously, when you could recognize the cars at a glance, unlike today's homogenated jelly beans that if you don't know the driver's number are nearly impossible to differentiate. I get more enjoyment from taking my dogs for a walk.
 
If I raced as much as you and others here do, I would be more attuned to the indexes and classes, etc. but as an infrequent participant, especially in the last 8 to 10 years, I don't follow the race scene anymore. Pro Stock, once my class of choice to follow is as exciting as watching paint dry to me today. Same goes for Nascar, used to watch it religiously, when you could recognize the cars at a glance, unlike today's homogenated jelly beans that if you don't know the driver's number are nearly impossible to differentiate. I get more enjoyment from taking my dogs for a walk.



I haven’t watched 15 minutes of NASCAR Racing since dodge pulled out. NHRA Pro Stock Racing is dead to me. I paid for NHRA TV for the second or third year and I’m losing interest in it because NHRA backed off on track prep to slow the cars down and qualifying which I loved is pathetic now so I will probably drop that service now too. I dvr the races now so I can fast forward through the bull crap and watch a three hour taping in 50-60 minutes.
 
NHRA factors classes like 8.90, 9.90, 10.90 classes at events. At least they did years ago because at Quaker City in Ohio the index was like a 10.04 instead of 9.90 and they did this because some of the cars couldn’t cover the altitude change. Like mentioned above the proper way of posting your ET is in your case he ran a 12.20 at say 5200 foot altitude. Keystone (my home track) is between 1100-1200 foot altitude but with our given humidity we are usually 3200 foot plus on most months. I’ve raced in humidity over 90% quite often.
So my last time out, it was 87*/73% humidity, and the track is 600 ft. What would that equate? I still say it's worse if your in actual altitude vs DA. Colo Springs is 6200 ft, and my cars just roll over and die there... LOL
 
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So my last time out, it was 87*/73% humidity, and the track is 600 ft. What would that equate? I still say it's worse if your in actual altitude vs DA. Colo Springs is 6200 ft, and my cars just roll over and die there... LOL



The only thing I worry about is barometer, humidity, air temp, corrected altitude, and dew point. I write it on every time slip so I can predict ETs before each round.
 
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The only thing I worry about is barometer, humidity, air temp, corrected altitude, and dew point. I write it on every time slip so I can predict ETs before each round.
Well, i'm just there for the "best" ET I can get. My work schedule most of the time won't allow me to attend Friday night Test-n-Tune. So if I go, it's usually Saturday. Most of the time they have TNT on Saturday, but if not enough participants in TNT, they make us race in Trophy. Then I get two time runs, then elimination. I use elimination for TNT also, hoping I break out LOL :D. I just know if I run on a hot and humid day, that's the slowest my car will perform. I know enough racers down there, I can usually tell how much their car is effected to know about what my loss is.
 
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Just picking up on this older thread. As a former racer from now 28 years ago, I love the 1/4 mile only. The cat and mouse game to get the win light is the fun of competition. I didn't have the fastest car (440 69 Charger street car that ran mid 12's at 4250 #'s) but it was wickedly consistent (would run within 0.01 all day). The car won us quite a bit of cash to pay for itself (so long as I didn't fall asleep) and was just a lot of fun to race. Parked it one day, raised a family, and has now been sitting for 28 years in my garage! Plan to get back into racing soon with my 408 Demon (still a lot of work to go). Sure hope I won't be forced to race 1/8 mile only - will take the wind out of my sails for sure.
 
Like I’ve said 1000 times the faster you go the more fun you will have racing 1/8 mile. Could I race a 7.50 car???? Hell no.
 
Doubt I'll ever have a car at your level. Not sure what this 408 Demon will run but it wont be a 9 sec (1/4 mile) car. As I stated, the fun for me was the competition of trying to get the win bulb. 1/8 mile is over awful fast even with these slower cars. But each of us likes what we like. (BTW...enjoy your posts from Quaker City - that's where I started my racing in the 80's! Still the nicest/cleanest track I've been to even if a bit slow climbing the hill at the end.)
 
Doubt I'll ever have a car at your level. Not sure what this 408 Demon will run but it wont be a 9 sec (1/4 mile) car. As I stated, the fun for me was the competition of trying to get the win bulb. 1/8 mile is over awful fast even with these slower cars. But each of us likes what we like. (BTW...enjoy your posts from Quaker City - that's where I started my racing in the 80's! Still the nicest/cleanest track I've been to even if a bit slow climbing the hill at the end.)


I hated the thought of ever running 1/8 mile. if you would have said we are going to race 1/8 mile 40 years ago I would have continued street racing and probably would have quit long ago. Now I love the competition of it and the close racing. With so many dragsters in my class it keeps us closer and easier to judge their top end speed.
 
Oh man!! Who in the H brought this up?? I saw the title to the post and I thought ole Tony was considering going to Irwindale for the mopar show next month!!

ill race both... 1/8th really tightens things up. You’d better have a solid combo and dang good lights!! I always go home with a ton more race gas from an 1/8 event....

....that said I’m eyeballing some 1/4 mile action in late oct/nov to “rainbow chase” some time slips!!
 
I like both.


My car goes through the 1320 traps at 6200 in 3rd gear.

It goes through the 660 traps at 6200 in 2nd + overdrive.


In my opinion it takes a better car and a better driver to be good at 1/8th mile. There is no room to make up for mistakes. It's also easier on the car.

Levels the playing field quite a bit. Pipe racks use to win week after week at our local tracks but not anymore. And it has also taken people out of pipe racks and back into door cars. I prefer now...

JW
 
From an engine builders side of it, building a semi quick let’s say 6.0 area on a budget shows what the builder is capable of. My driving skills lack more than my building skills but part of that comes from having a father that never raced that could pass down some of the skills to me like many do today. Heck these kids can start racing at what, 8 years old now in jr dragsters. Heck I street raced for 6 years and that passed on some bad habits of the first one to the finish line wins. Lol. My son took his first pass in the car he now races before he was even born while my exwife was pregnant with him and he has been at the track ever since.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
maybe thats my problem , I was raised on FARMALLS .
 
Oh man!! Who in the H brought this up?? I saw the title to the post and I thought ole Tony was considering going to Irwindale for the mopar show next month!!

ill race both... 1/8th really tightens things up. You’d better have a solid combo and dang good lights!! I always go home with a ton more race gas from an 1/8 event....

....that said I’m eyeballing some 1/4 mile action in late oct/nov to “rainbow chase” some time slips!!

I guess I did.....lol...

and my feeling have not changed....sorry...lol
 
This may be specific to my local tracks but as a spectator, 1/8 is far superior to 1/4 in my opinion. Probably cause my vision isn't what it ought to be, and my local 1/4 has those cursed red lights on the scoreboard that no one can see. I go to my 1/8 track (irwindale) ten times more often than the 1/4 (Fontana).
As a racer, It seems to me that a slower car is worse on a 1/4 track, after the shift to high gear the rest of the track just takes soooo loooong.
If you haven't guessed, I like 1/8, and I never thought I would.
 
I'd sure like to know why the insurance is so hi. Everyone that comes through the gate signs a waiver of responsibility.
Insurance has Nothing to do with the racer and everything to do with the Spectators.
 
I hated the thought of ever running 1/8 mile. if you would have said we are going to race 1/8 mile 40 years ago I would have continued street racing and probably would have quit long ago. Now I love the competition of it and the close racing. With so many dragsters in my class it keeps us closer and easier to judge their top end speed.

I have some close friends slap crazy about 1/8 mile. I've just never gotten it. Maybe I need to go with them a few times. They keep tellin me to come out.
 
Racing is racing. If your having fun, what difference does it make? I started 1/4 mile drag only, for years. Did dirt oval for a short time. A little road course. Paved oval. Now back to 1/4 and 1/8 mile drag. I have raced at some odd tracks. How about 500 ft drags on the straight of a oval track, with someone visually calling the winner from the stands? Or a ashphalt starting pad, then onto the straight away of a dirt track? Enjoy whatever you can, more and more tracks are closing.
 
Racing is racing. If your having fun, what difference does it make? I started 1/4 mile drag only, for years. Did dirt oval for a short time. A little road course. Paved oval. Now back to 1/4 and 1/8 mile drag. I have raced at some odd tracks. How about 500 ft drags on the straight of a oval track, with someone visually calling the winner from the stands? Or a ashphalt starting pad, then onto the straight away of a dirt track? Enjoy whatever you can, more and more tracks are closing.
I mainly race 1/4 mile but sometimes tracks run 1/8 mile due to weather conditions, 1/8 mile is fine but I am shifting third just before the 1/8 mile mark, you gotta think about the stripe quick! How do I know? I ran 1/8 mile pro dial ( 500 pro tree) yesterday and screwed up the stripe. I don`t mind it my car works well for 1/8 mile since it 60fts well with out a lot of mph.
 
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I subscribed to a guy who races a small block 68 dart in Victoria B.C. He races for 384 feet, on the front straight of a fifty year old tiny asphalt roundy-round track. Why? Because that's all there is, and street racing is severely punished.
He is racing, and having fun, and he's not alone. I'll take any racetrack I can get.
 
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1/8 is more competitive, you have to be on your game to be in the game.
1/4 we can play the game
 
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