A Day at the Races

Well today we got to visit Mason Dixon Dragway.  This weekend is the Southern Bracket Racing Associations Bracket Finals.  The nice thing about drag racing at your local strip is that everyone who wants gets to play on the track (what we call ‘Run what ya brung!”).  Bracket racing makes the sport accessible to any vehicle.  

Wheels Up Action

 Events start out with time trials – where you get to practice and determine the amount of time it takes you to get down a 1/4 – mile track after the start light turns green. 

 Once you determine the amount of time you take some white shoe polish and write that time on your passenger side window – this is your “dial in” time.  When racing starts you are randomly paired up in the staging area.  When it is your turn you and your opponent go to the starting line.  You will each get a green light at different times – the difference of the times on your windows – with the slower car getting a ‘head start’ down the track.  Should a racer go quicker than his or her predetermined dial-in, it is a breakout and grounds for disqualification. If both racers make runs under their dial-ins, the win goes to the racer who breaks out the least.  This is why you can see a stock Honda Ridgeline against a modified car. 

If you note the times on the windows you’ll see the Ridgeline got over a 3 second head start.  This makes your reaction time to the green light critical and some will actually leave before the green light making for a disqualification.