Mph = Win ?

[Mike Pearson]

MPH has no effect on win or loosing. Drag racing is a game of numbers. If you have a better light and run closer to the number in index or handicap racing you will be the winner no matter which car has the bigger MPH.

[Maverick]

The hi mph guy wil lag behind till the finish line. And then before he gets there he will know if, he can catch him and take the stripe, or not catch him and get on the binders to make sure he doesn't break out more. I believe the hi mph cars are more accurate time wise, in that the micro processor throttle controls are fine tuning tools that can be made at the last second, when they are sitting in the staging area and a weather update come across there pager for a new TS setting. Plus times are more accurate when you are not covering distance as fast as in the cruise portion of the run. Yeah slow guys can do it, but if you are a .01 over and they put a wheel on you, you better be on your game. Only two guys I know who have won division or national championships would be Northrop, and Phillips that are not hi mph guys. I am probably wrong about some of this. Go to the track and watch it on the big end, it becomes pretty clear

[Bill Baer]

Maverick
Brings up a good point, in one instance we were on a very poor racetrack and the only guy who could hit the index was the 180 MPH guy.
everyone else was sliping spinning and sliding all over the place. My first thought was that since he had more power than any of us, perhaps he had a traction control device.But then we made a pass along side of him and I saw his incremental times ,all of them to the 1/8 mile especially the 60' time were way slower than anyone else. Resultantly he didn't spin anywhere and was capable of making up the time in the last half of the track and was more consistent.

[Jeff Stout]

Gambling in the stands we would always say MPH wins and go with the car that had the most. A lot of times odds would have to be given because cars with more MPH usually won. Not very scientific or no spreadsheet available just good old gambling.

[sst7250]

So I guess one barometer would be how many "high" MPH cars have won S/ST and S/G? I have not seen a lot in S/ST at least, maybe I am wrong.

[Maverick]

I am interested in what you consider hi mph in super street, and what is hi mph in super gas. Looking at the Belle Rose ets, red lights, and slow runs of 11.0 seconds, I would say a 136 mph car won SST. I myself consider that a hi mph. But I take note of any car over 140 extremely hi mph. Seen a few 150 cars, and to me that is they are the trend. The hi mph cars usually run SG, when they want to, with ease.

[sst7250]

Well I would consider a S/ST car over 150 to be a "fast" car. There are more and more of those along with cars that can go 160+

[Tim Quintin/Cole s/g]

I hear people all the time that think more MPH will make them win... NO.. MPH can be a advantage because they get to see the whole run if there fast because they are on the stop longer.. Our 1970 S/G Cuda is plently competitive and it runs 150-152 MPH running against guys running 170-180 MPH..

[Shake & Bake]

I too feel that the higher mph car has the advantage. Witnessed a S/G car go 9.90 @ 183+ at the Summit Nationals in Norwalk last weekend.

[Bucky]

Originally Posted by Mike Pearson

MPH has no effect on win or loosing. Drag racing is a game of numbers. If you have a better light and run closer to the number in index or handicap racing you will be the winner no matter which car has the bigger MPH.

That would be true if most of the winners made no adjustments at the finish line. But that simply isn't the case. The vast majority of winners can cut a respectable light, AND can play the stripe. The driver gets a better look at how the stripe is unfolding when he is the catching car as a rule. I have not had that luxury for most of my racing years, so my head is mounted on a swivel.