Last point to change dial in at NHRA races?

[Roger K Fain]

At every sanctioned event (NHRA/IHRA), there is a red or yellow line at the demarcation point from the staging lanes to the burnout area, which once passed, the dial on the car is official (in the computer) and displayed on the pre-run digital boards and/or finish line marquee. The competitor views the ET displayed and implies consent by staging the car, or appealing to the official starter for a change if an error exists.

[Marc Kinton]

Alast someone who actually reads a rule book!

[Jeff Foster]

At NHRA national events your dial in is entered into the computer when you are 2 pairs from the start line. one pair on the line, one pair in the box, one pair ready to move to the box and thats when it is entered. The standard is when you pull out from the head of the staging lanes your locked in.

[Bobby DiDomenico]

That's what I thought Jeff,

If you are changing the dial as the tower folks are attempting to enter it it isn't fair to them. And it seems like way to much BS, just write the number on the window and go. (If you need that much of a distraction to the other guy take up another sport. What's next, crew members flashing the opponent as they stage?)

[John Leichtamer Jr]

Jeff Foster is correct. Once you pull onto the track it is locked in. If you only have a partial dial in on your car, you can't finish it on the track. Say you already had 10.6 on the window you can't add the final digit to the dial in,say to make it 10.68, it stays as 10.6 . Watched this happen at Gainesville points meet to Woodro Josey. The guy he was to race tried to finish his dial on the track.

Hammer

[Sean Kennedy]

Originally Posted by Bobby DiDomenico

I'm with Mr. Zane,
I would think it matters considerably about when they change it as some guys are racing by themselves and others may have 6 people there.

If the other car has say a 12.05 index and has dialed 11.00 out of the staging lanes and just as the fine NHRA official waves you into the water box one of their "crew" changes it to 12.05 you just went from getting a head start to giving one without knowing it until you stage. After all the "Sportsman" part of Stock/Super Stock racing has to come from ethics because it surely isn't about the amount of money being spent.

Just asking if there is a cut off point that's all and it seems there is not. Heck I wouldn't want to get tossed for something like using shoe polish at the wrong time. That would be as bad as when I heard IHRA threw someone out just for supposedly spraying aerosol cans on their intake manifold in their pit. As if 2 or 3 spray cans of keyboard cleaner were going to actually cool 500 lbs of cast iron and give them an advantage!

One of the most basic things people can do to protect themselves in any dail in class is to check both yours AND your opponents scoreboards before staging.

Not only do you save yourself from being stuck with an erroneous dial in, but if your opponent fails to notice that his is wrong... it has happened to me a couple of times... you can relax a little.

[THE LEGEND]

I'm all for Flashing.

[Raceready]

Indy has the fence that sticks out about 10 feet on each side of the lanes after you pull under the bridge.It's probably 60-80 feet from the water box.The sign says no dial in change beyond this point..I've bracket raced there for over 20 years,the reason they use it for bracket races is as stated before,to give the computer operator enough time to enter dial ins,usually 2 pairs back.I don't know if they enforce that a divisional or the US Nationals.They did enforce it against a friend of mine at the Super Chevy Show in 95 or 96.DQ'D him 5th round for changing his dial after the fence.I have raced alot of tracks where it's head of staging lanes.Best bet is to know the rules and play by them.

[CTV]

I have to agree with the Legend on this one. More flashing, especially towards the starter.

CTV