ok, lets talk racing

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Princess Valiant

Princess Valiant

A.K.A. Rainy Day Auto
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2011
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i used to do bracket racing when i was auto school ....i was not that technical. i would dial in a time and had to stay really consistant. which was kinda hard bcoz i was using a 4 speed bcoz thats all i had available to me at that time.

i used our family car at the time to race which is my adoptive dad's 69 cuda with a 340/4 speed and 3.55 gears and we used a drag slick that fit on a stock small bolt pattern steelie .....the wider steelie that came with A56 cudas bcoz that what this car is. fastest ever was 13.2 dont remember MPH ....i would have to dig up old time slips.

we took the spare tire out and anything that could come out. but this was still the family car at the time ..(since been retired and replaced LOL)

so my question and point is :

what are the rules and process of other kinds of drag racing?

basically teach me about racing ....i think its awesome and have the idea to get into it, but like anything else ...research research .....and who better to turn to for answers than FABO.
 
there is 3 kinds a drag racing. 1-dial your et. 2-the strip dials your et. 3- heads up, first to finish line wins.

you need to select which one, two or all three you would like to do and build your hotrod.

#1 is the least expensive. #2 next and #3 the most.
 
bOb shingler said:
there is 3 kinds a drag racing. 1-dial your et. 2-the strip dials your et. 3- heads up, first to finish line wins.

you need to select which one, two or all three you would like to do and build your hotrod.

#1 is the least expensive. #2 next and #3 the most.
Click to expand...


so how does #2 work? is that when you see the tree start one side before the other to let the slower car get a start, so that they are more equally matched?

very interested in knowing the difference :happy1:
 
#2 is like a index class...the class index for super street is 10.90 at sea level...that is your dial in...

all the Super categories are indexed classes...super comp 8.90, super gas 9,90 and super street 10,90.

other tracks might variations of those indexes....there used to be a 12.50 class call MX...

for someone who is just starting out or wants to get involved in racing...the best is dial your own et ...as it allows to race a existing car that you have....without investing alot of money..

and automatic transmissions are the king of bracket racing...consistency is what wins...
 
It gets very involved in the " letter " classes. Stock and Superstock cars run on a class index. NHRA publishes a number that is derived from the horsepower that engine is factored at ( by NHRA ) That is your class index and you cannot run under it in competition.......unless you are facing a car in the same class.
Stock allows for limited enhancement of parts. Heads cannot be ported and stock or accepted stock replacement parts for the rotating assembly.
Cams must run the same lift for a given engine , but duration and overlap are subject to what the engine builder thinks will work the best.
Superstock is far more exotic in terms of what is allowable..... extreme porting , as long as the port meets a published volume when done. considerable latitude in intake manifolds , valve lobe relocation , cam shafts themselves. Again accepted pistons ,and rods must weight a certain amount depending on the engine.
Same deal with class index.
Competition Eliminator is one of my personal favorites......essentially pounds per cubic inch , though they have rules regarding allowable carburetors. But they are the pinnacle of performance ( not longevity ) because they use vast amounts of unobtanium and every trick in and out of the book to make more power.
They have class indexes too and if a driver runs too quick too often , they entire class has the index reset , so there is a good bit of gamesmanship in the class. But here is where you can see a roadster lined up against a door car or dragster. There are classes within competition eliminator for the widest variety of cars and some of the sickest engine combinations in drag racing.
Super street , super gas and super comp all run on a class index that changes with altitude and atmosphere. based on 10.90 for S/ST , 9.90 for S/G and 8.90 for S/C. Run what you brung , but run the number. These guys have e.t. and reaction time packages that literally cannot be duplicated without electronics like throttle stops , delay boxes , trans brakes etc. Wide mix of car styles , but possibly the least exciting to watch unless you really pay attention to the class. Lots of nuance in a good run and frequently jockeying at the stripe where the margins of victory are perhaps the thinnest in drag racing.
Top Dragster and Top Sportsman is a very expensive form of bracket racing .....that is an over simplification. But they haul the mail on a dial in , or e.t. selected by the driver or crew. Weight breaks depending on which form of propulsion is used i.e. N/A small block 1900 lbs , Nitrous small block 2000 lbs. N/A big block 2350 lbs. etc.
But these cars are fast and expensive.
 
tubtar said:
It gets very involved in the " letter " classes. Stock and Superstock cars run on a class index. NHRA publishes a number that is derived from the horsepower that engine is factored at ( by NHRA ) That is your class index and you cannot run under it in competition.......unless you are facing a car in the same class.
Stock allows for limited enhancement of parts. Heads cannot be ported and stock or accepted stock replacement parts for the rotating assembly.
Cams must run the same lift for a given engine , but duration and overlap are subject to what the engine builder thinks will work the best.
Superstock is far more exotic in terms of what is allowable..... extreme porting , as long as the port meets a published volume when done. considerable latitude in intake manifolds , valve lobe relocation , cam shafts themselves. Again accepted pistons ,and rods must weight a certain amount depending on the engine.
Same deal with class index.
Competition Eliminator is one of my personal favorites......essentially pounds per cubic inch , though they have rules regarding allowable carburetors. But they are the pinnacle of performance ( not longevity ) because they use vast amounts of unobtanium and every trick in and out of the book to make more power.
They have class indexes too and if a driver runs too quick too often , they entire class has the index reset , so there is a good bit of gamesmanship in the class. But here is where you can see a roadster lined up against a door car or dragster. There are classes within competition eliminator for the widest variety of cars and some of the sickest engine combinations in drag racing.
Super street , super gas and super comp all run on a class index that changes with altitude and atmosphere. based on 10.90 for S/ST , 9.90 for S/G and 8.90 for S/C. Run what you brung , but run the number. These guys have e.t. and reaction time packages that literally cannot be duplicated without electronics like throttle stops , delay boxes , trans brakes etc. Wide mix of car styles , but possibly the least exciting to watch unless you really pay attention to the class. Lots of nuance in a good run and frequently jockeying at the stripe where the margins of victory are perhaps the thinnest in drag racing.
Top Dragster and Top Sportsman is a very expensive form of bracket racing .....that is an over simplification. But they haul the mail on a dial in , or e.t. selected by the driver or crew. Weight breaks depending on which form of propulsion is used i.e. N/A small block 1900 lbs , Nitrous small block 2000 lbs. N/A big block 2350 lbs. etc.
But these cars are fast and expensive.
Click to expand...

a few corrections...Stock/ SuperStock are allowed to dial under their index...the index is the minimum et you have to run for the class.....breakout are in effect...unless you race a car in the same class as your is then it is a heads up no breakout race.

Indexes are adjusted only for the physical elevation of the track...not for atmospheric conditions.....and all index are adjusted...Stock..SuperSTock...Super Classes and Comp Eliminator
 
Probably the best things you could do is............

First, find out who your local track is, what rules they go by. Some tracks have "local" rules. Get yourself a copy of whatever applies, NHRA, etc

Go out to the track on "off" days/ nights, and make friends with a couple of the local racers.

Unfortunately NHRA is very protective of their rules, but there were a few places "here and there" on the www where you could download last/ a couple years ago rules. These at least would get you some idea

Try this, 2012?

[ame]http://www.gatewaymsp.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/2012_NHRA_RuleBook.pdf[/ame]

This is a PITA to navigate because (my) the viewer shows consecutive page numbers, but the main index doesn't follow

Two good sections to read for starters are

Page 47 in my viewer is the index for sec. 2 "Race procedures"

Page 64 is the start of "ET handicap racing"

Page 264 is "general regulations"

This seems to be the 2013 amendments

[ame="http://www.nhra.com/userfiles/file/2013%20Rule%20Book%20Amendments%202-27-13.pdf"]http://www.nhra.com/userfiles/file/2013%20Rule%20Book%20Amendments%202-27-13.pdf[/ame]

A good read here:

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/nhra_legal_rules_regulations_time_brackets/

and

http://www.nhra.net/basics/index.html
 
Rani,How far are you from Bandimere? Go to Bandimere .com and look up the schedule.It's been a few years since I raced there but they used to have test and tune on Wednesday and bracket racing on Saturday's.Just go and strike up a conversation with some of the racers.They will help you out.Some are a little cranky and serious but for the most they are very helpfull.
 
Back in Time said:
Rani,How far are you from Bandimere? Go to Bandimere .com and look up the schedule.It's been a few years since I raced there but they used to have test and tune on Wednesday and bracket racing on Saturday's.Just go and strike up a conversation with some of the racers.They will help you out.Some are a little cranky and serious but for the most they are very helpfull.
Click to expand...

its about 3 hours away ...i have been there before ...i used to go to "mopars at thunder mountain" every year except last 2 years.

everytime i ask someone in person they never seem to want to talk about racing with me.....so i was starting to think its a secret or something.
 
70aarcuda said:
a few corrections...Stock/ SuperStock are allowed to dial under their index...the index is the minimum et you have to run for the class.....breakout are in effect...unless you race a car in the same class as your is then it is a heads up no breakout race.

Indexes are adjusted only for the physical elevation of the track...not for atmospheric conditions.....and all index are adjusted...Stock..SuperSTock...Super Classes and Comp Eliminator
Click to expand...

So the .90's are at sea level ? I thought DA played into the adjustments.
Thanks for the running under info ......these cars are well outside my price range , so I mostly watch and occasionally listen.:D
 
like Vegas...say SG is 10.05 because the 2000 ft elevation....but most of the time the DA is at least 4000....so you gotta have a little extra in the tank...to cover the DA...
 
Well, if you are further south you could try Peublo, or if you are up north you could hit Douglas motor sports park (Wyoming).... unfortunately there are not that many tracks to chose from, but Bandimere was always my favorite when I lived out there.
 
RaniDart70 said:
so how does #2 work? is that when you see the tree start one side before the other to let the slower car get a start, so that they are more equally matched?

very interested in knowing the difference :happy1:
Click to expand...

#2 works like this. as was said the track or sanctioning body picks the index/et everyone will run. there's the super classes like mentioned and there's a heap of others. 3.30, 4.90 5.00, 6.00, 7.00 (these are 1/8 miles times) and the corresponding times for the 1/4 mile, etc. all of these are heads-up starts and your hotrod has to run on or closer but not under the index and still take the win light. this is really tricky and takes a ton of practice and tuning to get good at it.

may we should start out asking what are your plans? what hotrod is available for you to use? etc. do yo have plans to get back into racing?

there is also more and more safty equipment needed the faster your hotrod goes also.
 
Everyone here has covered the types of drag racig pretty well--not much I could add.
But looking at your post I get the impression your enthusiaism is over-riding reality---nothing wrong with that, you just have to keep it in check as this stuff can get pretty addictive. To that end, I would suggest you research just what you can afford, how much commitmnet you're willing to make and what type of car appeals to you. 60s musclecars are great as are street rods, nostalgia type racecars and of course, there's your dual-purpose street machine. Certain organizations have their own rules for running an event but most all use NHRA rules as a basis for their rules, so you may want to research that, too.
Myself, I prefer nostalgia-type cars so having the latest trick pieces aren't a priority, so I can still race & have fun. Whatever you decide, check the Internet for specific websites for the type of car you have & the sort of racing you want to do. There's TONS of info out there, so sort through it carefully.
 
One last thing. Run your OWN race, and don't let the other guy intimidate you. I remember a couple of times, one was waaaaaayyyyy back at Carlsad CA on a Sat night, some guy had a "big" Firebird that was fast and consistent. I was all excited and nearly blew the launch, and he missed second -- with an auto!!-- and by the time he found a gear, I was gone
 
Come up on June 2 to Bandimere for the mega mopar thing & there will be bracket racing going on, we'll be participating, have no problem showing you how it works.
 
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