---- ABOUT DRAGRACING ----

DRAG STRIP LAYOUT


Pre-Stage beam: A light beam-to-photocell connection in each lane that triggers the small yellow pre-stage lights atop the Christmas Tree. The pre-stage lights signal to drivers that they are close to staging, approximately seven inches behind the starting line.

Stage beam (starting line): This light beam-to-photocell connection controls the starting and timing of each race. It triggers an independent lane timer for elapsed time and will trigger the red foul light if a driver leaves too soon. A race cannot be started until both drivers are fully staged.

Guard beam: A light beam-to-photocell connection located 16 inches past the stage beam that is used to prevent a competitor from gaining an unfair starting line advantage by blocking the stage beam with a low-installed object such as an oil pan or header collector pipe. If the guard beam is activated while the stage beam is still blocked, the red foul light is triggered on the Christmas Tree and the offender is automatically disqualified.

Christmas Tree: The noticeable electronic starting device between lanes on the starting line. It displays a calibrated-light countdown for each driver.

Interval timers: Interval timers are part of a secondary timing system that records elapsed times, primarily for the racers' benefit, at 60, 330, 660, and 1000 feet. The eighth-mile speed light, located 66 feet before the 660-foot mark, is used to start the eighth-mile speed clocks in each lane; those timers record speed for the first half of the run.

Speed-trap and elapsed-time beams: The first of these light beam-to-photocell connections is located 66 feet before the finish line and is used to start the speed clocks in each lane. The second beam, located at the finish line, shuts off both the elapsed-time and speed clocks in each lane and triggers the win-indicator light. The 66-foot speed trap is where speed is recorded.


OVERVIEW:
A drag race is an acceleration contest between two vehicles from a standing start, over a measured distance. The accepted standard for that distance is either a quarter-mile (1320 feet), or an eighth-mile (660 feet). A drag racing event is a series of such two-vehicle, tournament-style eliminations, where the winning driver progresses to the next round until one driver remains.

The contests are started by means of an electronic device consisting of multicoloured starting lights commonly called a Christmas Tree. On each side of the 'tree' are seven lights; two small amber lights at the top, followed in descending order by three larger amber bulbs, a green bulb and a red bulb.

Three light beams cross the starting line and connect to track- side photocells, which are wired to the tree and electronic timers in the control tower. As the front tires of a vehicle break the first light beam, or pre-stage beam, the pre-stage light on the tree indicates that the car is approximately six inches from the actual starting line. As the racer rolls forward into the stage beam, the front tires are positioned directly on the starting line. The stage bulb is lit on the tree, indicating the vehicle is ready to race. When both vehicles are fully staged, the starter will activate the tree, and each driver will focus on the three large amber lights on his or her side of the tree.

Depending on the type of racing, all three large amber lights will flash simultaneously followed four-tenths of a second later by the green light (called a Pro Tree). Alternately, the three bulbs will flash consecutively five-tenths of a second apart, followed five-tenths later by the green light (called a Competition, or Full Tree).

On each run, elapsed time and speed are monitored to determine performance. When vehicles leave the staging beams, they activate an elapsed-time clock, which is stopped when the vehicle passes the finish line. The start-to-finish time is the vehicle's elapsed time (E.T.). Each lane is timed independently. Speed is measured in a 60-foot "speed trap" that ends at the finish line.

The first vehicle that crosses the finish line wins, unless, as in some categories, it runs quicker than its dial-in or index (see glossary of drag racing terms coming soon). A racer may also be disqualified for leaving the starting line too soon (red lighting), leaving the lane boundary (crossing the center line, touching the wall or guardrail, or hitting a track fixture such as the photocells), failing to stage, or failing a post-run inspection.

STAGING:

Staging takes place after the vehicle's tires are adequately warmed up with a burnout. Staging is detected through the use of light beams and photocells or infrared that detects when the tire breaks the beam. The vehicle moves forward until the small yellow light or lights on the top of the Tree (pre-stage light) is lit. Once one opponent has staged, the other opponent has a limited time, about 15 seconds to complete staging and be ready for to race. At this point, the driver must be prepared for the tree to begin its countdown at any time.

It is possible to continue to roll forward out of the pre-stage lights so that only the stage light is lit. This is called "deep staging" and there are benefits and tradeoffs to doing it. On the positive side, you are a few inches closer to the finish line and your roll out time (see glossary when posted) will be shorter and thus your reaction time will be better. On the negative side, your E.T. will be slower because you will have less of a rolling start and will be leaving the start line at a lower speed. There are also some psychological advantages to deep staging that may distract your opponent just enough to give you the better reaction time and the win.
NOTE: You are given a limited amount of time to stage your car (about 2 min). If you do not stage within this time, the other car will be allowed to make the run as if it were a bye and you will be eliminated.