Cars and Motorbikes Racing

What is drag race christmas tree Burnout and staging

2009-01-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

christmas trees

There are two types of christmas trees

1. Sportsman tree:

used for bracket and handicap racing, consists of each yellow lighting 0.5 seconds after the one above it. The green comes on 0.5 seconds after the last yellow is lit. If the race is a handicap race each side of the tree will have its own timing.

2. Pro tree:

of all three yellows being illuminated at the same time, followed by the green 0.4 seconds later. This type of tree is used for professional and heads-up racing. It should be noted that some tracks run a Pro-style tree for bracket racing during special "Street Racing" bracket events

The burnout

When approaching the starting line (also known as the staging area), most racers will apply water (formerly thought to be bleach by spectators as it was dispensed from old bleach bottles) to the driven tires either by backing into a small puddle (the "bleach box" or "water box") or having it sprayed on. The car then exits the water and does a burnout to heat the tires, making them even stickier. Some cars have a mandatory "line-lock" which prevents the rear brakes from engaging when the brake pedal is depressed (which can be toggled on and off). This allows the car to remain stationary (with the brakes applied) without burning up the rear brake pads while doing a burnout. Cars in street classes (which must be street legal) are the only exception to this pre-race ritual, as the grooved tires tend to retain some of the water.

Staging

After the burnout comes "staging", where the cars pull up to the starting line. Each lane has its own string of lights on the "Christmas tree", with two small orange lights on top. These are the "pre-staged" and "staged" lights. The two cars will slowly creep forward until the first (pre-staged) orange light is lit. This means they are very close to the actual starting line (a mere 7 inches). Then the cars will nudge forward until the second (staged) light is lit. This indicates they are at the starting line, this is the point where the driver will apply the "line-lock" to prevent the car from rolling while he uses the clutch and gas pedals. When both cars have lit both bulbs, the starter will engage the Christmas tree. If the racer moves too far the top bulb will go out and the driver is said to have "deep staged". While some drivers prefer this technique, some tracks and classes prohibit it. An advantage can be had, by deepstaging, in gaining a quicker reaction time (RT) but at the expense of the elapsed time (ET) and MPH achieved at the top end of the track; there is also a higher risk of "red lighting". A loose etiquette is followed when staging. The driver to illuminate the first light will wait for the second car to light both bulbs before advancing to the staged light.

Video show Burnout and Staging (Full Run)

Top Fuel Dragster: Lex Joon 4.76sec@481.9Kmh Mantorp 2005

Source: wikipedia and NHRA And Youtube

Z-Max 4 Lane Dragway

2009-01-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

By Nate Ryan, USA TODAY

CONCORD, N.C. — The crown jewel of drag racing's new $60 million palace — four lanes of horsepower-gripping concrete that Top Fueler Doug Herbert describes as "smooth as a billiards table" — won't be fully operational for the first NHRA national event at zMax Dragway.

Drag Racing Basics

2008-12-30T13:07:00.000-08:00

I like this Article which tells us what is Drag race

Drag Racing Basics

By James J Clark

Drag racing is popular in the United States. Drag racing is a sport in which cars race down a track with a set distance as fast as possible. Drag racing is a form of auto racing in which any two vehicles (most often two cars or motorcycles) attempt to complete a fairly short, straight and level course in the shortest amount of time, starting from a dead stop, this is also known as sprints. Drag Racing is an acceleration contest between two vehicles over a quarter of a mile. This sport is not illegal unless it is done on public streets.

Drag racing has a certain mystique that appeals not only to professionals, but also to adolescents coming of age. Drag racing events are thrilling to attend, with speeds matched only by the incredible roar of the engines. Drag racing got its name from the slang word for street or road, as in "the main drag"; therefore "drag racing" is synonymous with street racing. Drag racing vehicles are special in that they are modified to be lighter and more powerful than in their standard form. Drag racing became a sanctioned sport back in the 1950’s, and has remained popular ever since.

Cars can run superchargers or nitrous oxide. Cars running blowers are limited to 8. Cars have progressed rapidly though and can now even run 7 second quarter miles. Cars in street classes (which must be street legal) are the only exception to this pre-race ritual, as the grooved tires tend to retain some of the water. Cars built for drag racing might be turbo charged, supercharged, or fitted with nitrous oxide systems. Cars on the low end include the $20,000 Dodge Neon SRT-4, with a 230 horsepower turbocharged engine that can do 0-60 MPH in 5.
Power increases vary depending on the extent of the modifications to the engine. A car can actually blow an engine part way down the strip and coast to the end of the track at a (relatively) lower top speed than the competitor, and still win with a lower elapsed time. There are literally hundreds of different classes in drag racing, each with different requirements and restrictions on things such as weight, engine size, body style, modifications, and many others. The faster categories of drag racing are an impressive spectacle, with engines of over 5 MW (6700 horsepower) and noise outputs to match (measured at 3. Typically, power will increase as the engine RPMs (revolutions per minute) increase, but only up to a point before power begins to taper off.

When the front tires of a vehicle break the first light beam, called the pre-stage beam, the pre-stage light on the Christmas Tree indicates that the racer is approximately seven inches from the starting line. When the racer rolls forward into the stage beam, the front tires are positioned exactly on the starting line and the stage bulb is lit on the Tree, which indicates that 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. The start-to-finish clocking is the vehicle's elapsed time (e. A racer also may be disqualified for leaving the starting line too soon, leaving the lane boundary (either by crossing the centerline, touching the guard wall or guardrail, or striking a track fixture such as the photocells), failing to stage, or failing a post-run inspection (in NHRA class racing, vehicles usually are weighed and their fuel checked after each run, and a complete engine teardown is done after an event victory).

Drag racing is the fastest show on wheels. Drag racing is definitely hard on your car, but to become consistent in your driving, you will have to sacrifice some hard-earned cash for tires, repairs and modifications. Drag Racing is a uniquely American sport and is an all-American activity that Americans love. Drag racing is a business decision or leisure activity that makes sense to anyone.
For more information on drag racing, cars, information, and anything else you need to know about this topic, please visit http://www.fastestfinishes.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_J_Clark

Start: with timing systems

2008-12-29T06:20:00.000-08:00

we will talk first about Timing systems

1. Motocross
really if you want to have a Motocross track , so think about AMB timing system
http://www.amb-it.com/

2.Drag Race
there are 3 systems which i know

A. Complink

B. TSI

C. RaceAmerica

and here we will talk about Race America
http://www.raceamerica.com/

Just Start