Finish Line Beam Height

[Jason Oldfield]

In this day of laser technology and high sampling rate data acquisition systems, at MOST tracks you SHOULD be able to have the beam an inch off the ground and be good. Will there be the occasional exception with somebody going through the lights on two (one) wheels? Sure, but it would be MUCH less common than what happens today, particularly with any of the classes where breakouts are a concern.

That said, getting all tracks across the country to adopt this new timing system is not likely to happen over a short period of time, and we'd be running one configuration at NHRA national events, another at IHRA national events, yet another at division events, and yet another at our local tracks. So, it probably won't change until somebody has a near zero dollar solution.

So though I agree with you Mike, though I'd rather spend my time in front of NHRA bitching about something I care about more, like payouts...

PS - I agree with CBS Jr. on the dump job...

[Chris Williams]

Remind me again, what's the problem here? These heights have been that way for years...

[Michael Pliska]

Originally Posted by Chris Williams

Remind me again, what's the problem here? These heights have been that way for years...

Yes, but 20 years ago there weren't many S/G cars which would trip with bodywork. I think the Brogie Series V was the first one to consistently do it. We've already seen our share of controversies over finish line lights (the Indy incidents mentioned above), and it seems to me that everyone would benefit if you knew for sure that the wheel was taking the stripe. I suppose I could go with the flow and build an air dam on my car which either trips the stripe, or looks like it could but doesn't. Maybe it's just me, but I think the most fair racing (especially in breakout classes) would be where we all know it is the wheel taking the stripe.

[Chris Williams]

Originally Posted by Michael Pliska

Yes, but 20 years ago there weren't many S/G cars which would trip with bodywork. I think the Brogie Series V was the first one to consistently do it. We've already seen our share of controversies over finish line lights (the Indy incidents mentioned above), and it seems to me that everyone would benefit if you knew for sure that the wheel was taking the stripe. I suppose I could go with the flow and build an air dam on my car which either trips the stripe, or looks like it could but doesn't. Maybe it's just me, but I think the most fair racing (especially in breakout classes) would be where we all know it is the wheel taking the stripe.

But why? It's the body that hits the beams in T/F, F/C, P/S, TAD, TAFC, S/C, T/D, etc., etc.

Haven't looked at track specs in a while, but as I recall, the starting line beams are spec'd at 1" off the ground, the rest of the beams on the track are spec'd at 5". The starting line is different because, remember, it's the BACK of the front wheel leaving the line that starts the clock. If it were at 5" like the others, it'd be the back of the car...

The rulebook has very explicit ground clearance requirements. If you want to have a body that is in front of your front wheels and is over 2" off the ground, you can do that, but the length is limited to 30" in front of your front wheel centerline (see the rulebook). Again, this is "fair" because it's been that way for years. As I noted previously, every dragster made for years very carefully follows, and exploits, these rules. Just because some S/G full body car makers are slow to pick it up, there's no reason to punish every one else.

[Mark Markow]

It doesn't just effect super gas . What about stock and superstock where your not allowed to extend the bodywork? There is no reason for complaints in the classes where you are allowed to put an extension on. The pro-mods with short overhangs have been doing this for years ,and as far as the pro's go they all have to be the same overhang .So you can't really use them as an example. Lowering the beams may be the only way to be fair to everyone.

[Michael Pliska]

Originally Posted by Chris Williams

But why? It's the body that hits the beams in T/F, F/C, P/S, TAD, TAFC, S/C, T/D, etc., etc.

Haven't looked at track specs in a while, but as I recall, the starting line beams are spec'd at 1" off the ground, the rest of the beams on the track are spec'd at 5". The starting line is different because, remember, it's the BACK of the front wheel leaving the line that starts the clock. If it were at 5" like the others, it'd be the back of the car...

The rulebook has very explicit ground clearance requirements. If you want to have a body that is in front of your front wheels and is over 2" off the ground, you can do that, but the length is limited to 30" in front of your front wheel centerline (see the rulebook). Again, this is "fair" because it's been that way for years. As I noted previously, every dragster made for years very carefully follows, and exploits, these rules. Just because some S/G full body car makers are slow to pick it up, there's no reason to punish every one else.

The problem is that in brackets, S/G and S/ST you can never be sure which part of the car will trip the beams. You will find many cars that will trip them for sure with the body, some (like mine) that definitely won't trip, and a lot of cars that are questionable (and probably trip with the wheel when on the throttle and body when off the throttle). I personally think that it would be most fair when judging the stripe if all cars tripped with the wheel.

[Chris Williams]

Originally Posted by Michael Pliska

The problem is that in brackets, S/G and S/ST you can never be sure which part of the car will trip the beams. You will find many cars that will trip them for sure with the body, some (like mine) that definitely won't trip, and a lot of cars that are questionable (and probably trip with the wheel when on the throttle and body when off the throttle). I personally think that it would be most fair when judging the stripe if all cars tripped with the wheel.

I see a front spoiler in your future

[racerhead]

The starting line beam height is 2" to the top of the beam, and the beam is 1/4" diameter.

In my experience, these are rare events. The number of races that are that close and the number of times in which it's questioned what part of the nose or tire tripped the beam is quite rare. In a stocker you really have to nail the brakes at the right moment to get the nose to dive that far. Changing the finish line beams would create many more problems than it solves.

As Mike said (with is rotor on fire) under braking even a supergas car drops considerably. You probably couldn't go low enough to solve the problem.

Bruce Deveau

[Michael Pliska]

Originally Posted by Chris Williams

I see a front spoiler in your future

Yeah, but it's a '73 Vega, and they just don't look right with a spoiler. That, and I want to be able to get up the trailer ramps without scraping.

Then again, my car is ugly anyway, and I'll be doing some bodywork this winter... I could make one that easily removes... Maybe I'll make it adjustable so that every other race I set it up to trip on the tire or the spoiler...

[Bill Baer]

If not a spoiler, a simple vertical fin on the front below the front bumper would suffice I would make it out of 1/8" aluminum paint it flat black, make sure it has 3" of ground clearance and that the front edge is no more than 30" in front of the spindle. I had a similar fin on my dragster nose and I have seen a couple of Willeys pro-mod cars with beam breakers like I just described.