A Simple Idea To Help You Win More Drag Races

Most drag racers will agree that races are won and lost at the starting line. In reality "most drag races are won and lost due to inconsistency at the starting line". Here is a simple idea that will improve your consistency at the line:

Tune your car for the reaction time!

In order to due this requires a philosophy shift in launching your drag car:

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CHANGE YOUR NATURAL TENDANCIES. ACCEPT THESE NATURAL TENDANCIES AS GIVEN AND MANIPULATE THE PHYSICAL WORLD AROUND YOU TO WORK WITH YOUR NATURAL TENDANCIES.

Here is a simple example:

Go to this website http://getyourwebsitehere.com/jswb/rttest01.html and follow the instructions for the reaction time tester. When you test your reaction time make sure you are relaxed and just press the button when you see the green light. After about 1 or 2 times through the simulation you will notice that your reaction times are pretty consistent.

So if we consistently react to the green light in this example or the light(s) on a drag racing x-mas tree then the idea is to accept our "natural reaction time tendency" and make changes to the car to make it either react quicker or slower.

Applying this basic philosophy with a little practice will take you from “trying to cut a good light” to “tuning your car to cut a good light”! You will be amazed at how accurately you can predict your reaction time!

In the old days before LED lights were prevalent on the drag racing Christmas trees it was actually possible to judge the bottom bulb on a tree based on it just turning on, full bright or just going out. The problem is that the driver was constantly adjusting their reaction time consistency would be all over the map. With the advent of the LED tree it is no longer possible to judge the bulbs on the tree – the bulb is either on or off!

Here is the recommended process for tuning your car for reaction time:

1) Pick-up a cheap lined notebook and make three columns on the page – Front Tire Pressure, Launch RPM and reaction time.

2) If you are running a bracket class with a staggered tree, strategically place a piece of tape on your windshield such that only the bottom bulb of your side of the tree is visible when you are staring at the tree. If you are running a pro-tree class and there are no blinders, position the tape so that only your side of the tree is visible. (Note: as of 2008 NHRA does not allow this practice)

3) Set your front tire pressure to the medium value recommended by the manufacturer and make sure to record the actual tire pressure just before going up to the line.

4) Perform your burnout and stage the car such that the bottom bulb on the tree just flickers on. (This means your car is as far back as possible in the staging beams with both sets of bulbs being lit)

5) Bring your car up on rpm in preparation for the launch. It is imperative to know the exact rpm at which the car launches. This can be accomplished via a two step, a replay tachometer, throttle-stop or any other creative method you can think up.

6) Now using the tape on the windshield, align you line of sight such that the only thing you can see is the third yellow bulb or the three yellow bulbs if using a pro-tree.

7) When you see the first flash of yellow let off the foot brake or transbrake button! From this point on this is all you are ever going to do at the tree - no more judging bulbs – when you see the yellow light you go!

8) Once you complete the run record the reaction time, the front tire pressure and the launch rpm and compare your reaction time number to a perfect light which is typically .500 seconds for a staggered tree and .400 seconds for a pro-tree.

9) Let’s assume your reaction time is .540 on a staggered tree. On the next run increase your front tire pressure by 5lbs. This will decrease your rollout distance and improve your reaction time.

10) Follow steps 1) – 8) again. If you still find your reaction time too slow, you can add more air pressure to the front tires {within manufacturers limits} or increase the launch rpm by 50-100 rpm increments until you reach the desired reaction time.

11) The same is true only in reverse if you are too close to red or red lighting consistently. Decrease front tire pressure and decrease launch rpm until the desired reaction time is reached.

12) NOTE: Reaction time in the .510 - .520 or .410-.420 on pro tree range will win you a lot of drag races. It is recommended that you tune for reaction times in this range. Also note: once night falls you will be seeing the lights sooner so you will have to adjust your tire pressure and launch rpm to compensate for the changes.

13) After you play with this a few times you will be surprised at how well you get to know your car and how well you can actually tune your car for reaction time.

14) Some higher powered cars will not be affected as much by tire pressure and launch rpm changes. Many of these cars usually have adjustable shocks or preload adjusters on the upper front control arms. Utilize suspension adjustments to slow or speed up the reaction time of the car.

Here are some additional tips and information critical to success at the drag strip:

1) Getting the Hook: A car that will not hook consistently has no chance of winning consistently. All discussions regarding reaction time tuning rely on a consistently hooking drag car. If you car does not hook refocus 100% of all of your energy and resources in resolving the suspension and chassis issues preventing this from happening. Your car needs to be able to hook at the worst of tracks under all circumstances before reaction time tuning can even be attempted.

2) Reading the track: After the track prep and before the racing starts, go down to the finish line and find out where the best groove is located. Avoid a line with bare concrete patches and missing rubber if possible. If not possible try to find a line with the most consistent rubber contact area.

3) Reading your body: Your body at a drag race is a calorie burning machine thanks to repeated blows of adrenaline coursing through your veins. Keeping your blood sugar consistent is as important as your car set-up. Take a personal inventory – are you feeling level, hyper or sluggish? Eating consistently throughout the day is very important in maintaining consistency at the tree. Each time you pull up to the tree your body needs to be consistent – neither hyper nor sluggish.

If you are feeling a little sluggish eat a small piece of candy or candy bar – this will speed your system up a little to get you to level. If you are hyper eat a hot dog or half a hamburger to slow things down a little. You will be surprised at how critical controlling your energy level is to winning races.

4) You must relax: You absolutely need to find a way to relax at the line whether during time trials or eliminations. Just as controlling your blood sugar is important controlling huge blows of adrenaline created by mental stress or excitement are equally important. The idea is not to react slower or faster to the tree - just consistently!

The difference between pro and amateur athletes is the pros are always cool under pressure. Some say they are more relaxed on the field or the court than on the street. You will need to learn some relaxation techniques to become an iceman at the tree. There are a million+ techniques for helping you to relax checkout the web and find one that works for you!