z28kindaguy

What does it mean when people write Deep on their cars @ the 1/4 mile track?

megaracerx

do they have a time in front of it? like 12. deep...cause i've heard ppl say deep into the 12's and so forth...but idont know for sure...

todd200

It means deep staged. When you go to the track and get up close to the tree the top yellow comes on. You move forward a little more and the second yellow light comes on. That is staged. If you move forward a little more the top light will go out. That is deep staged. I don't really know why or what the benifits are to doing that. I know it gives you slightly less distance to cover though. Might try posting this in the Organized Racing board for a better answer.

CaysE

Todd has it right. The difference in this is that you have less distance to cover before setting off the timer when you launch. When you shallow stage, you still have up to 15 inches to go between launching and starting the timer. With a slow car (15-16 second 1/4 times), you could be talking the difference of 3 to 5 tenths at the end of the track.

kretos

learn something everyday on this site

CaysE

Just a couple more things to throw in... Deep staging improves your reaction time, and from what I've read, makes for more consistent times for bracket racing. I've never bracket raced before so I don't know how exactly it applies. I did some Googling and it looks like the reason bracket racers put "DEEP" on their cars is basically racing etiquette. Some bracket tournaments don't allow it, so it lets your opponent and the track team know what you want to do. Beyond this, I don't really know much else. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

stu

Deep staging doesn't improve your R/T. It's just a preference and nothing more. When I first started racing, I would deep stage since I had such horrible R/Ts, but once I learned how to get out of the hole on a more timely basis, I didn't have to deep stage anymore.

Anyway, Casey is correct, writing DEEP on your car is just etiquite. So when the top light goes off, the workers will know what you are doing and don't just think that you are a clown.

z28kindaguy

Thanks for the replies. Looks like I'll try tihs, since my r/t's are horrible at the moment... around 1 sec

Last night was my 2nd time at the track.

PhAnToMs

iTrader: (2)

reaction time has nothing to do with the 1/4 mile time u could have a reaction time of 10 secs and still run the quarter in your normal 15 secs

stu

True, but it is often the sole variable that determines whether or not you win or lose in bracket racing.

IHI

iTrader: (1)

Surprised Stephen has'nt chimed in yet.
Writing DEEP is let the opponent know you are going to double bulb right away for "good manners" and also let the starter know to not activate the tree right away.

Deep staging works really well for underpowered/over weight vehicles since you are that much closer to breaking the starting beam. My work truck for example I have to floor it at the first sight of the second yellow bulb when I shallow stage so it's in the high .550+ light range, when shallow staged I can floor it at the peep of the last yellow for a decesnt light.

Deep staging will reduce your et in some cases .1-.4 since you are not getting a rolling start into the 1/4 as when you shallow stage. Every racer has their preference, but if you have a severly under powered stock type car and cannot seem to get the R/T down, deep staging will undoubtedly help. But you must be sure when your deep staging to JUST BARELY bump in so the pre-stage lights shuts off so you get into the "same" spot everytime. Going in just "thhhat much more" will be the difference between a red light and green light, as well as overall ET consistency.

AlkyIROC

First time I've seen this post. My guess it was moved into my forum. I don't frequent the other forums very much any more.

So far everyone is right. Deep staging moves you slightly closer to the start line. Heavy slow vehicles can get a better reaction time if they don't have as far to roll before they trip the start timer. Vehicles like mine that are lightning fast off the line need to shallow stage so we don't red light. When you shallow stage, you also have a better chance of being in the same position every time. Since you have very little time to deep stage, you may not be in the same position. If you go that little bit too far, you can also red light. Theoretically you can shallow or deep stage and get the same reaction time depending on how you react to the tree.

Deep staging should give a slightly slower mph since you don't have that head start run to the finish. That few little inches still makes a difference. Deep staging will also improve ET ever so slightly because you are that few inches closer to the starting line.

Even when I raced my 15 second truck years ago I shallow staged and got .50x lights from time to time.

Writing DEEP on your windows lets the starter know you want to deep stage. This doesn't mean you will have a lot of time to get into position. If your opponent is already staged, as soon as you're staged the tree can be activated. Most people who want to deep stage try to get into position first.

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Deep staging can affect your ET. A fellow racer with his '57 Nomad will deep stage to try to improve his RT's (he's in his later 60's). He's done fairly decent with this routine.

This year, his son has been doing more of the driving. He doesn't deep stage, and his 60 ft's are consistently better by several hundredths, and his ET's similarly reduced vs. his dad's.

Reason? When you shallow stage, you have a "running start" vs. deep. Remember, your time starts when the back of the tire clears the front-most beam.

I've had a problem from time to time this past season with the car pushing out of the prestage beam when stalling up after staging. My 60' and ET's have consistently been worse on those runs.

Consistency in the depth of staging is critical in obtaining consistent ET's.

25thmustang

Even though I dont Deep stage for guys like me who heads up races on a pro tree, deep staging helps with RTs a bit. It wont help any on a full tree as long as you know your car and how fast it moves out of staged. On a pro tree with a street car they react extremely slow, therefore deep staging gets you closer to tripping the lights, therefore a better R/T!

IHI

iTrader: (1)

Are your heads up classes regulated by no electronics ie transbrake? or must you foot brake. Aside from all the other benefits to transbrakes, being able to adjust how the car reacts is imo the most beneficial. We have a few open comp races at our track where it's .500 pro tree and 3 time runs then your permanant dial is .1 faster than your best 3 pass average, so being able to step up 15-1800 rpm on the tbrake will get your R/T's in the .50? range with ease on the pro tree.

I remember this yr I had fuel pump trouble and I missed a time run for my class so they let me into some divisional class that was qualifying that day on a pro .400 tree...holy cow!!! can you say .9?? light LOL. I knew it was gonna be fast, but damnn it was really fast

AlkyIROC

I haven't had a chance yet to try a pro tree with the car. I tried it a couple of times during street legal night with my truck. .9xx on the second time was actually good for a truck that gets 2.0 60' times.

After getting used to using the transbrake off the first yellow with a full tree, going off a pro tree wouldn't be that hard. Change the delay box from 1.000 to .400 and hope you're not asleep.

25thmustang

LOL, all stick shifted cars, all clutch assisted so basically you sit at the light like you would at a stop light. No electronics allowed minus two steps.

My best light is a .498 on a .400 tree shallow staged. I am usually in the .520-.590 range if I am going for the light that day (during qualifying i dont care)! Its hard for a street car (as Stephen saw with his truck) with rubber bushings and such to get moving to hit a good light. Some of the best mods for this are solid bushings (if you can live with it), two step, and sticky tires.

I wouldnt deep stage unless running pro tree, and had to cut a great light to win!

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Assuming a full .5-sec tree:

Learn to cut a light with the shallowest stage possible, and you will get there quicker than you possibly can by deep staging.

Because you get to start earlier before it starts to count...


Pro tree?

I've never tried a pro tree. But, I know if I leave as soon as I see the last yellow (and absolutely not anticipating it), I'll cut a .46x or so. However, even if you're staring as hard as you can at that last yellow, your brain still sees those other two, so, who knows...

25thmustang

Pro trees are much harder than the full tree. I could cut .500-.550 all night long on a .500 full tree. On the pro tree its not so much the driver as the car that wont get moving fast enough! For anyone who hasent tried it, do it! Best time you will ever have!