DRAG RACING DEVELOPS CHARACTER

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THAT'S OLD "DEAD EYE" TURLEY WITH THE VIDEO

Drag Racing's grass roots are still with us today in a form of Bracket Racing.>

Bracket Racing is when two cars can race down the track (either 1/8 mile or 1/4 mile) with different speeds and race each other fairly.

Let's say car A can run the 1/4 mile in 13.13 seconds. Car B can run the 1/4 mile in 10.13 seconds. The tree (as it is called) is actually a series of lights that are programmed for a set interval, usually .5 of a second. Now, when your front tire crosses the first beam (set up on the track) the first yellow bulb lights. Then, when you roll slowly forward, the back part of the front tire catches the rear beam and you are locked in, then the second yellow light comes on. Now the top two yellow lights are on and you are "staged".
Now, the technicians in the tower, who viewed your dial in on your windshield, in this case 13.13 and 10.13 sets the computer for the lights to come down at their respective times. The slower car (13.13) with get a 3 second head start off the tree. Then the lights start coming down for the faster car.

Now, this is where all the action starts. You MUST cut a good light to be competitive. A .020 of a second or .520 would be a good light. If you snooze, you lose. The race begins, and the faster car tries to catch the slower car.

It doesn't matter who is faster or slower, the secret is who can set up his/her machine and run it down the 1/4 mile and know to the thousands of a second, how it will react. When you can run your car consistantly, you will be a feared person and your competitors will be on their toes, if not, so long buddy, I'll help you put your car on the trailer.