eatmydust

Finally got to run my car again after my horrible first time at the track where my front brake calipers were pretty much locked up and I ended up running a high 18.9. Got the brakes fixed and all my other susp/chassis mods on and ran last night and got a 15.7 with a 2.17 60'. Not bad, i'm pleased with it, but what i'm not pleased with is my reaction time. Is there any way to maybe practice getting it down or something. I had like a 1.14 reaction time and I figure if I had a lower r/t then my 1/4 mile time should go down some as well correct?

1986redbird

slow reaction time will surely hurt yu as far a winning goes but does not count against your E/T since the et doesn't start until your wheels leave the line, in theory, if both cars run they're specified dial in time and you have a better reaction time than the opponent then you will win, in theory.

camarocruzin

hey man i ran at the track for the first time today myself, and my first r/t was like .9xx, by the time i left i got consistent .6xx's, i know i could be better but this was my first time. i learned, and read to just nail it once you see that third amber..not the green.

MdFormula350

yeah i am a bit slow for reaction times, likes in the low .7xxx's

i think once i get used to launching with my new suspension mods a better reaction time hopefully will come soon after my 60 foots start going down.

AlkyIROC

Lowering your RT means timing yourself and the car so that the car breaks the starting beam thousands of a second before the green light comes on. If you're getting 1.xxx reaction times, you're waiting until the green light is on before leaving. Your reaction time and the vehicles reaction time take roughly .3 - .4 of a second. To get a good reaction time, you launch when you see the last yellow light at it's brightest. By the time you and the car react and start to move, the green will be already on and you should break the start beam a fraction of a second later.

As mentioned above, reaction time has nothing to do with your ET but it will win or lose a race. If you make a solo pass you can sit on the start line for 10 seconds if you want after the green comes on. Until you break the start beam, the ET timer isn't counting.

Reaction time as well as being able to run as close to your dial in without running faster is how you win a bracket race. Since speed means nothing, you need to just get good reaction times and have a vehicle that's consistant. You may get a poor RT in a bracket race against an opponents good reaction time and think you lost however your opponent's car may slow down giving you an advantage at the finish line.

That's why I always tell people that having a fast car is just a matter of how much money you can throw at it but being able to go and win bracket racing isn't as easy as it looks. Even slow 16 second cars are hard to beat especially newer ones with traction control. Since they won't spin the tires off the line, they're more consistant. Turning off traction control may make them faster but not more consistant.

Do everything to make the vehicle consistant and work on the reaction times and you'll win more races. Just remember that it takes time for everything to happen. There's .500 seconds between the last yellow light and when the green comes on. Once the green light is on, you should be already moving.

BadBowtie88

Hey eatmydust: where at in Mo. do you race/live?

eatmydust

I live in Rolla, just moved there. I race at Ozark International Raceway. Usually there every friday night for tnt, but i'm not always in my car. U from Mo too?

BadBowtie88

Ya, I race at Mo-Kan Dragway. I live in SW corner of Mo. Just thought I'd see if you were close enough to come down and race. But, Rolla quite the trip...