Racing the stripe if you have the lead

I have seen it a bunch of times including in Super / Gas at a NHRA National event .. guy breaks out and his opponent broke and can't complete the pass
Yep I've seen that too. I had a guy one time knew he cut a terrible light so he stopped maybe 100 feet from the start line. I wasn't watching him so I stayed in it and broke out by a tiny bit. Once he saw that on the scoreboard, he cruised on up the track and took the win. I'll never let that happen to me again! That's a hell of a way to lose a round.