dRaG RaCinG 101 I
n simple terms, a drag race is a tournament- style competition that pits two competitors
against each other. The competitors accelerate their vehicles from a standing start over a meas- ure distance, usually a quarter-mile, or an eighth-mile. Each race is a round of eliminations. The com-
petitor who loses the elimination is finished for the remainder of the event. The winner goes on to compete in the next elimination. Competing ma- chines are divided into a variety of classes, and these classes are regulated by sanctioning-body limitations of engine size, car weight, modifica- tions, and type of fuel. Vehicles must first qualify for an event to advance to eliminations, and must be quick enough to make the field. As an exam- ple, if 23 cars are vying for a place in a 16-car field, the seven slowest cars will not make the elimination rounds. Cars in eliminations are paired by officials in a
procedure commonly known as a “ladder.” Each pair races against each other, with one advancing to the next round; the other is finished for the day. So for a 16-car field, the first round will have 16 cars, the second round eight cars, the third round four cars, and the fourth, or final round, two cars.
30 //
pmra.Ca •
QUICK32.Ca •
pBSS.Ca
ORGanizEd dRaG RaCinG has BEEn GOinG stROnG sinCE thE 1940s
The winner of this final round is declared the win- ner, or top eliminator. Drag racing is controlled by electronic lights
and timing systems. Two cars enter their lanes, and slowly approach the starting line until the top lights on the ‘Christmas Tree’ are lit. The cars are then ready, or ‘staged.’ The starter will then begin the race, and the amber bulbs on the Tree will de- scend, and when the green bulb flashes, the cars are on their way down the track. If a driver moves before the green light, a red bulb in that lane comes on, and the driver is eliminated. There are two types of starting procedures. Driv-
ers in the Professional classes (Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Modified) see only one amber bulb before the green, while Sportsman class drivers see three amber bulbs before the green. No matter what the class, each competitor re-
ceives a record of his or her run with a starting re- action time, incremental times and speeds down the length of the track, and a final time and speed of the entire run.
Sanctioning Bodies There have been several major drag racing sanctioning bodies since the time the sport was
organized in the late 1940s, but the two major bodies today are the National Hot Rod Associa- tion (NHRA) and the International Hot Rod Asso- ciation (IHRA). The NHRA was formed in Southern California in
1951, and has been the dominate body since that time, with thousands of competitors and racing tracks throughout North America. The NHRA holds not only regional events, but sanctions major na- tional events showcasing the best drivers in the best cars for the largest purses. Formed in 1970, the IHRA grew from its south-
eastern US roots and continues to this day with many regional and several national events in North America. The IHRA has featured classes similar to the NHRA, but it has promoted unique classes such as large-engined Pro Stock cars and the popular Pro Modified cars. The PMRA, Quick 32 Sportsman Series, and PBSS compete on tracks of both sanctions. For the 2013 schedule, the series will race at the NHRA-sanctioned track of the Cayuga Dragway at Toronto Motorsports Park, and IHRA facilities such as the Grand Bend Motorplex, US 131 Motorsports Park in Martin, Michigan and Maryland Interna- tional Raceway. •
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32