.002 seconds from a perfect run last night...

Yes sir! Came .002 seconds from a perfect run. Needless to say, that was the best I've ever done! Here's the slip, and I'm car number 1972 BTW:

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/159122double_Oh_and_dead_On-med.jpg

That was from the 2nd round eliminations. I lost in the 5th round with a big .495 redlight (remember, .500 is perfect at this track). That 5th round loss was good enough to make it down to 3 cars and got me 3rd place and $200 though.

It was a very cool night. Would have been alot cooler had I not redlit in that 5th round, but oh well! I'm just pumped over that near perfect run and plus this makes 3 weekends in a row that I've had atleast two double-Oh (.50x) reaction times in a row (in my first round elimination I had a .506, then came back with that .502 in the 2nd).

Maybe it won't be too long when I'll be able to post up my first win of the season.

Dude, you're like a machine. You're not even human. Very nice times. Hopefully you'll win this season. How long have you been bracket racing?

I've been going since I was about 10 years old or so I guess. I'll be 22 Tuesday. I only started driving last year though. I drove 10 races last year, and now 4 or 5 this season. So we'll just call it 15 races. So thats how long I've technically been bracket racing, lol, but I've been around it over half my life.

So if you get a number below .500, is that like, jumpin the gun? Good runs by the way.

So if you get a number below .500, is that like, jumpin the gun? Good runs by the way.

Yeah, that's red lighting. That .502 light is the same as .002 light at tracks where .500 competition trees are used (and thats everywhere except for National events, and then its usually a .400 pro tree), its just that the reactions times are still printed as .500 as perfect instead of .000. Every track used to print off .500 as perfect, but now most NHRA and IHRA member tracks use .000 as perfect (there are still alot of tracks that use .500 though). The track where I race was an IHRA member track but I'm not real sure that it still is.

And then my .495 red light is the same as a -.005 reaction time where .000 is perfect. Its common for us to just say a double Oh-five red (for a .495 or -.005 red) or double Oh-two (for a .502 or .002) reaction time.

:werd:

Gotcha. I think I finally get this.

Nice r/t
Nice run
Nice car
Nice skills

Keep on killing 'em

Nice r/t
Nice run
Nice car
Nice skills

Keep on killing 'em

Thanks.

so how is it calulated, i never got it...who says you cant get off the line as soon as it goes green, or is it from the last amber light?

It's nearly if not at all possible to get a perfect r/t time if you launch as soon as the *Green Light* lights up.

apparently you have to cheat to get a perfect time?

I have always considered the "run" to be separate from the "light".

You had a perfect run and a light that was too good. Aiming for .50 lights will result in lots of red lights [ as you did later ]. For footbrake racing a .530 is good enough. Electronics racing something around a .520 will win most rounds.

That run should have gotten you the bye run if there was one.

For you guys that don't know drag racing - you have to leave on the last yellow due to the delay in the car responding to the hit of the throttle. You hit the gas and a fraction of a sec later the motor responds, then the torque converter has some slip, the the driveshaft applies torque to the rearend housing which rotates the suspension members and planting the tires, then the tires wind up, finally the car starts to move, then the front tires have to roll a fraction to start the clocks. A super gas or super comp car has a lot less lag in the reaction than some 3800 lb stock camaro. Some big heavy cars have to leave on the second bulb to have a decent reaction time. A super gas car has to have a delay box to keep from red lighting.

I am accustomed to calling lights like in the old days where a .480 would be red a .500 perfect and a .630 on the trailer :)

apparently you have to cheat to get a perfect time?

Its like 500 says, so read his post, lol. BUt if you ever drag race your car and you wait untill you see the green light come on before you leave, then you'll never win a round!

And 500, I dont have my box (delay box) set for a .500 light, however, it is set for a double-Oh (.50x) light, and typically, when it comes green, it is a double-Oh. And if you can be dead on yoru time, then an .53x light will win more then it looses, but most of the time, a .53x light will get ya beat. Actually, a .520 light is hard to win with anymore. My first round elim, I had a .506 reaction time (which did get me a buy run that I got to run in the 4th round). We added .002 to my delay box for the 2nd round, where I got the .502 reaction time(should have been a .508 of course but that almost never happens in the real world). For the 3rd round, we added nearly .010 to my delay box and I had a .530 light (which should have been .512, but you know how it goes, lol-and for that run, I did have to crossover, and that may have affected my reaction time as well). It was in the buy run we took back out what we added, and I cut a .496 redlight, we then added back .004 and I came back with a .495 redlight BUT there was a big mix-up in the tower for that particular run.

You see, there was 3 cars left at that time, and the track officials said the other two cars were buybacks, and since I had won straight through but had just had a buy run, we were all elidgable for the buy and we had to draw cards and the high card got the buy. Anyways, I drew the high card (a 9 believe it or not) and pulled on to the track, done my burnout, staged the car and then the track officials waved me off and made me back out of the lights. They then said that one of the other two cars wasn't a buyback, and since I had already had a buy run, then he automatically got it (and this is the rules). So, I wound up having to run the car that didnt get the buy (which ironically is the guy I beat in the 1st round, lol) and I did another burnout and wound up redlighting and breaking out (4.418 on a 4.42 dial).

Now I'm not making excuses becuaes I realize when you play as close to .500 as we do, then redlights will happen, and had I not redlighted, I coudl have got way out of the gas to stay in my time (the other guy cut a .53x light and ran like a 4.71 on a 4.66 dial--I couldn't even see him when I went across the finish line and you know the handicap is supposed to make both cars get to the line at the same time). But I did have two burnouts, and instead of being around 130 degrees when I staged, the car was 150 degrees. Anyways, I just would have liked to have seen what would have happened had I not done two burnouts and been 20 degress hotter.

For you guys that don't know drag racing - you have to leave on the last yellow due to the delay in the car responding to the hit of the throttle. You hit the gas and a fraction of a sec later the motor responds, then the torque converter has some slip, the the driveshaft applies torque to the rearend housing which rotates the suspension members and planting the tires, then the tires wind up, finally the car starts to move, then the front tires have to roll a fraction to start the clocks. A super gas or super comp car has a lot less lag in the reaction than some 3800 lb stock camaro. Some big heavy cars have to leave on the second bulb to have a decent reaction time. A super gas car has to have a delay box to keep from red lighting.


none of that applies to people who know how to drive since we dont have torque converters and dont have to wait for them reach stall RPM.
But even with an automoatic wouldnt you load the drive train bykeeping your foor on the brake than raising the RPM's to just below stall and then just before you expect the light to turn green let off the gas and floor it...you get immediate responce because the torque converter, tranny, drive shaft, and axle are already having torque applied to them?

none of that applies to people who know how to drive since we dont have torque converters and dont have to wait for them reach stall RPM.
But even with an automoatic wouldnt you load the drive train bykeeping your foor on the brake than raising the RPM's to just below stall and then just before you expect the light to turn green let off the gas and floor it...you get immediate responce because the torque converter, tranny, drive shaft, and axle are already having torque applied to them?

I bow down before your far superior "experience". HAHAHhaha .... NOT. Probably never even been on the grounds of a race track, much less made even 1 pass.

Actually go to the race track and race your truck for 10 or 12 weekends and THEN you will maybe have learned a little bit about reaction times and vehicle response. You will probably have replaced a bunch of drivetrain parts by then also. You may actually win a round although the regulars would be fighting for the opportunity to race you in eliminations. You would be what is known as "Easy Meat" or "Free Pass to the 2nd round".

Chevytrucks92 makes it sound a lot easier than it is. You bozos that have never been closer to a strip than the tv would get a real lesson in humiliation if you actually went to a track with the intention of winning. You would probably go home with your tail tucked between your legs never to be seen again.

500

i bow before you ignorance and poumpus aditude who thinks he knows what he is talking about...
i never claimed to be a drag superstag, i dont even lke drag that much, ive only done a few runs in my life and none had good reaction times, both of my posts where stating what i do know and then asking questions about how reaction time works...which has yet to be answeared... so englighten me, oh mighty one of drag, which light is the reaction time from? yellow or green...

PS
who the hell would drag a B3000 :eek7: and why would i have to replace drivetrain parts....it isnt like im packing 400hp on stock drivetrain :loser:

none of that applies to people who know how to drive since we dont have torque converters and dont have to wait for them reach stall RPM.
?

You post the above which is an attempted put down to 99% of all the people that bracket race and expect to get respect for your "knowledge"??? It actually just shows your ignorance. You will never be able to convince me that you have ever been down a track. If you had actually "made some passes" you would know how the lights work. And if you don't actually like drag racing why are you posting on this forum ?

As for racing your truck? You can race anything. I've had my 13.00 Camaro put on the trailer by a 22 second work van and I've put 13 second cars on the trailer with a 17 second V6 Luv truck. I doubt I've ever been beaten by a manual trans car. Too inconsistent. Either spin or bog or break parts. There is a lot more grip at the track than on the street. Oh wait, you've been to the track before and already knew that.

And here's how the lights work. There is .5 second [ 1/2 a second ] between each light. In the old days [ just a few years back ] the RT clock started when the last yellow was activated. Since the green comes on .5 sec after the last yellow then a .500 light was perfect. .499 was a red light. The idiots that be at NHRA and their TV partners [ most likely that fool Marty Reid ] decided that the typical dragrace viewer was too stoopid [ like Reid ] to keep up with that so they started the current system that starts the RT timer when the green light is activated. A perfect light would be .000. What used to be a .499 red would be -.099. What used to be a .530 light is now .030. I always just mentally put the 5 [ or 4 or 3 or 6 ] at the front of their number since a DRIVER responds to the yellow not the green. You only want to see the green as you go by the tree.

What may astonish and astound you is that CT92 sometimes leaves on his first yellow, sometimes on his competitor's first yellow and on some runs maybe his competitor's first yellow and his own first yellow [ on one run mind you ]. Depends on what electronics he has in the car.

500

i stoped reading your post as soon as i realized you didnt catch the sarsacum in that statement about not knowing how to drive...
;)

ok, i went back, and read your post after i stoped laughing...at least you explained the thing to me, and no. just because ive been to the track and done a few runs doesnt mean i know how the tree works, when i ran it was in a manual and on "prestage" or w/e i reved the engine up into the known pwerband, then i timed the lights in my head ( i didnt know they where exactly 0.5sec apart) and right before i thought the green was to go on i began to feather the clutch out to not break traction...the fasest ive ever ran is a low 14 which was in a CRX with a NA B18 swap.
and BTW...just because it is called "racing" doesnt mean they are refering specifically to drag racing...
not meaning any harm but..just a joke... i geuss if you cant figure out saracasum, you cant figure out you can race around a corner... :)

And if you don't actually like drag racing why are you posting on this forum ?

Becuase its racing in general, not drag racing, dip shit.

none of that applies to people who know how to drive since we dont have torque converters and dont have to wait for them reach stall RPM.
But even with an automoatic wouldnt you load the drive train bykeeping your foor on the brake than raising the RPM's to just below stall and then just before you expect the light to turn green let off the gas and floor it...you get immediate responce because the torque converter, tranny, drive shaft, and axle are already having torque applied to them?

Dude, you're so far off base I dont even know where to start! Ok, a competition .500 tree takes 1.5 seconds to count from the first yellow light to the bottom yellow light. It is then that the "reaction time" begins. How ever long it takes you to break the staging beams to start the clock is measured and thats how you get your reaction time. So if it takes you one second to leave once that bottom light comes on, then you're reaction time will be 1.500.

Now, it is IMPOSSIBLE for you to cut even a .600 (or .100, depending on where you are) light if you wait to leave when you see the green light come on. By the time your car (or truck) reacts, you'll have at best a .7xx reaction time, and the only way you'll win with that light is if you're opponent red lights (becuase he/she ai'nt going to break out, becuase they're going to get out of the gas way before the finish line when they see you ain't coming, or they have already passed ya, depending on who got the spot).

There's alot more that goes into it and no two vehicles react the same, but the reason you have to leave before you see the green light is so you'll get close to that .500 light.

Now, for your other question about why we (people with automatics) don't rev up our engine or hold the break?? We do! Only its not a foot brake. Its a transmission brake (trans. brakes are not allowed in "no box" or "non-electronics" classes however). What it does is lock the transmission in low gear and reverse. The car doesn't move, but it will rev to as many RPMs as your converter will stall. Now I have a big stall converter, but I only leave the line at 3400 rpms. This is controlled by a two-step rev limiter, aslo known as a "stutter box".

So you see, when I bump both of my stage lights, I press a button that activates the transmission brake that also activates the two-step. I then floor board the car. Now it will only rev to 3400 RPMs becuase thats what my two-step is set on. it then starts to stutter (miss essentially). When the top yellow light on the christmas tree comes on, I release the trans. brake, which then activates a delay box. I have a certain amount of time in this box (1.046 seconds as of my last run) and when the delay box counts down this amount of time, it releases the trans brake, which shuts off the two-step, and the car goes WOT.

So since you now know it takes the tree 1.5 seconds to count down, then that means it took me and the car .454 seconds to react. Now that's a combination of how long it takes me to "see" the top yellow light and let go of the trans. brake, and how long it takes the car to "roll out" of the lights. So you see, even if you do "load the drivetrain" by revving the engine, there is still going to have a roll out!

500 mentioned that I sometimes leave on my opponents top yellow. This is true. If I have to give the spot, then I "cross-over" and leave on his top bulb. My delay box is also a cross over delay box. I put my dial in in the box and my opponents dial in in the box, flip a switch from a position that says "launch your tree" to a position that says "launch their tree" and the delay box computes the difference in our dials, and then adds that to my delay, and so even though I release the button on his top yellow light, the car wont launch untill its "my time" to go. You can do the same thing with a regular delay box by just taking the difference in your dial and your opponets, and adding it to your delay.

Becuase its racing in general, not drag racing, dip shit.

I'd say he meant why post in this thread which is all about drag racing, but I dont really know.

What used to be a .499 red would be -.099.

That would actually be a -.001 red, but I know what ya mean!

What may astonish and astound you is that CT92 sometimes leaves on his first yellow, sometimes on his competitor's first yellow and on some runs maybe his competitor's first yellow and his own first yellow [ on one run mind you.] Depends on what electronics he has in the car.

500

I just have a Dedenbear Cross-Over dealy box. It's the kind that still actually has dials. Now my uncle's car has a digital delay box that has those 1, or 2 shot features. Its pretty sweet! I'd like to have one like it, but I know it'd probably cost me way more races then it would win me!

If mine ever tears up, then I'll get one of those digital jobs that has all of those multiple shot features. Atleast I say I will, lol, but I'd probably never use that feature and those dial type boxes are alot easier to use.

drag racing makes no sence to me...all this over leaving at the right time...AutoX it is for me :)
BTW
if i remember correctly my best reaction was 0.773 with a manual :)

Good job man... congrats and good luck

lol....of course, not with a lifted truck truck ;)
for that its off roading....even though its only 2wd ive yet to get stuck, of course i havent gone throught anything too hard yet either.