Learn from my mistakes so you don't have to look like an idiot like I did lastnight

1. Courtesy Staging - I kept hearing announcements about watching out for courtesy staging but I didn'nt understand it till it was too late. If the other guy lights both of his staging lights before you light your first, you have the option of going ahead and staging and accepting the race (within 15 seconds of him lighting his second staging light) or waiting and after 15 seconds his red light will come on and he will have to back up and shut off the second staging light. Then you can light your first, then stage as normal. So this guy lights both his lights and I have neither of mine lit. So like an idiot I remember to watch out for something and I rush up to stage and roll through both staging lights and the starting beam. RED LIGHT. He takes off when his tree lights and I get a leisurly run down the track to just get my stupid *** out of the way. Pretty embassing. This is my first race other than test and tune in my whole life.

2. OK, first round of the consolation group. Im not going to do that again. Im racing an Expedition with a dial in time o 11 seconds (did I mention its an 1/8 mile track), and me with a dial in time of 9.08. I am used to a certain time passing after both cars are staged, then going. In this case Ive got my foot on the brake and giving it some gas, then Im waiting, waiting, waiting, Jesus the other guy is gone, so I red light again with a .39 reaction time. Major premature ejaculation. Jeez, It was suggested to me later to watch only the 3rd yellow light in a case like this and block out everything else. This seems like good advice and I guess I'll try it again once I change my name and paint my car a different color to avoid recognition.

This staggered start deal with bracket racing seems weird to me anyway. I guess it was a good learning experience

"anything that can go wrong, will go wrong"
Larry

 

1: Many tracks are going to an autostart system but there's still a starter controlling the lights. If your opponent rolls right in and lights both the prestage and stage lights before you're even ready to get into the beams, the starter should take control of the lights at that time to allow you time to go through your staging procedure.

Autostart is designed to allow both cars to prestage. Once they're prestaged, one will stage first. If the other doesn't stage withing a preset time, the lights will come down and red light against the slow stager.

Proper curtesy staging is that both cars will prestage. Once both are prestaged, the one that prestaged first will then roll forward to light the stage light. At this time either car can still roll forward to deep stage. That's when you roll forward far enough to turn out the prestage light. Once both stage lights are on though, the lights can come down at any time.

2: Ignore your opponet all the time. You're running your own race and don't care what he's doing. I look over sometime before I prestage just to see what his dial in is so I'll know who's leaving first. After that I couldn't even tell you what color of the vehicle I'm racing.

Since you could see your opponent was around 2 seconds slower than you, do a countdown after he leaves. Thousand and one, thousand and two. Then really concentrate on your lights because they're about to come down. I've won and lost races against vehicles that are much faster or slower than myself right on the starting line so it happens to everyone.

The staggered start is how bracket racing works. If you both have identical reaction times and both run right on your dial, then you'll both cross the finish line at the same time. This rarely happens because you can red light or be asleep at the tree or for some reason the car picks up or slows down going down the track and you're nowhere near your dial.

That's what makes bracket racing such a challange. If you could cut .50x lights all day long and run within .010 of your dial every time, it would be too easy.

 

I was reading an article in dragracingonline.com about brkt. racing, and the guy was stating for a "street/sportsman" car to be cutting .500-.520 is living on the ragged edge. He was saying a street/sportmans car will win most of his races (if the cars runs close to the dail) with consistent .550's. In street class at my track, we're all cutting consistent .550 and under-most people foot brakin it, so unless your racing a newbie, I'll never understand that theory. There's been alot of Gamblers when I ran .01 off my dail and lost cause the Super Pro guy treed me by just a little. I've always hated losing to red eyes and by thousandths.

 

i never bracket raced before, only test and tune nights..

a matter of fact in dont even test and tune much because i just race on the street..

also its not even fun to keep going and racing a stock car..

i need to buy another thirdgen to mod it..

 

Usually nothing is really fun until you figure it out and start doing well at it. I bet your car, if you burn-out, stage, launch, and shift (or leave in drive) the same every pass, your "factory" car is pretty consistent?
As far as racing on the street, yes we've all done it; but the track is a much safer venue cause your not putting innocent peoples lives on the line if something happens and there are safety crews on hand if something does run-a-muck-we've all read and heard stories about the under-ground street racing thing.
I guess that's when you can start to tell your age when you think before you act. I'm not bustin your *****, it's just that **** happens.