Please come to my race track...I love racing against people that never look over and blindly take too much stripe.
Always watch the other car after you get into high gear. You don't want to take more stripe than you need. Knowing your car is key...and knowing your competition will help you go rounds as well. Yes, cutting a light is very important, but driving the stripe is also VERY important.
Yes, being the faster car is an advantage in that it gives your opponent the first chance to red light...also, the race is in front of you the whole time...but besides the red light thing, to chase or be chased is really a personal preference. You need to be able to do both well to be a good bracket racer.