CLASS RACER FORUM - starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

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Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

Dragsinger, I am going to give you the greatest bit of advice I received from a very smart friend.
When you are sitting in the lanes. Look around, see the sights. Are you happy that you are there? Do you enjoy the competition? Are you having fun? If you are then take in this time and really relish in it, put a smile on your face and enjoy. When you start your engine to pull into the waterbox, smile one more time and let the fun of competition begin. Good luck to you.

Very Good Ron, Thanks

And yes, for sure your comments are dead-on because just being there and being a part of the action is a very satisfying part of the package. No question, winning is great and what I strive to do. But if I have given myself every reasonable opportunity to win and performed well but do not win, I do not beat myself up. Instead, I will shorty be making plans and looking forward to the next outing.

I

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

Amen Brother Ron! Amen! Party on, have fun, go racing! Jim

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSDiv6 (Post 86094)

No, I am not kidding. As a matter of fact, many of the top racers do follow a diet prior to a race, exercise and get a good rest. Do you think your reaction times are going to be better after downing beers and having a steak the night before a big race?

As a matter of fact, I remember a well known Pro Stock racer at a Safeway store on a Sunday morning prior to a national event, searching for Tylenol to deal with a hangover due to excessive drinking. He admitted to another person that he only had two hours of sleep, had been partying and drinking heavily. If NHRA had taken a close look at him, probably they would not had allowed him to drive.

There is a book about motrosports driving that was written by Jackie Stewart. He wrote a whole chapter about diets and physical conditioning for racing. I feel it was one of the reasons why he became such an excellent driver.

As a matter of fact, one of the best sections in National Dragster, was the Running Healthy column with Dr. Jeremy Torstveit. He addressed many of these issues on his articles.

I agree that dowing 6 beers before first round isn't a good thing. Thats drinking and driving in my books and thats not cool. But if you thing that eating oats and salads and peanuts and drinking water is going to help your reaction time you best think again. You can't drive...you can't drive...period. Id like to call myself a recreational drinker at the races. I have a few rye and cokes after all the racing is done and ya we do eat steaks and hamburgers...ect. Its never hurt my reaction time....but it does need help. And I would never look at the food im eating to cure it. Never. Im not a National Eveny winner...im a Weekend Warrior that is in the sport for fun...not to make a living. I race Stock because I love muscle cars and I love going fast with stock parts. If you are in this sport to attemt to make a living then you should take up something else because its a Weekend Warrior that enjoys himself at the races and parties with his friends that will put the guy who is reading a Martha Stewart book on "How to Cut a Light" on the trailer.

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

"Martha Stewart book on "How to Cut a Light" on the trailer."

Ha, but Martha when to the jail house!

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1664SSJA (Post 86237)

It always amazed me that if you look around....it's easy.... the ones most serious about what they do, and those doing best, are doing what you say, Its a no brainer. I would venture to guess if some people were tested in the morning, they'd prob blow over the limit!
NOT good.

Your absolutely right. Some people can't see the difference between having a few and having too many. What scares me is all the clowns flying around on golfcars and atv's drunk when my car is outside the trailer. Im going to have to ask Dan Fletcher what he does next time I talk to him in the lanes. I can remember a second call for superstock to the lanes and passing him while he was walking back to his trailer with an ice cream. If eating ice cream will help me win a national count me in.

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

I will take one example of an old racer that takes care of himself: Bob Dennis. Those that know Bob, will recognize that he jogs and also stays in a healthy diet. Let's also acknowledge that he did not only qualified #1 at Indy, but also won Super Stock class. Indy, due to its lenght, can be trying to many racers.

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrateCamaro (Post 86245)

Im going to have to ask Dan Fletcher what he does next time I talk to him in the lanes. I can remember a second call for superstock to the lanes and passing him while he was walking back to his trailer with an ice cream. If eating ice cream will help me win a national count me in.

In lieu of ice cream, he could have been eating some nutritional and healthy frozen yogurt... :)

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

ok enough man...go have a beer and stop it with your frozen yogert. ;)

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

I have been off road racing (SCORE) for the last 7 years. I noticed a big differnece between the off road crew and the drag racers. I noticed that most drag racers were in bed by 10 and not seen until the pits opened. The off roaders left thier hotel rooms at 10 and drank all night long. One of the top drivers told me that a hang over just made him drive a little meaner

Re: starting line reaction tools/methods for stockers

This is an interesting topic, and so far most of the discussion has been on driver reaction time (DRT), but I think the author was looking for tips on vehicle reaction times (VRT). As most of you know DRT is very difficult to change, you can sharpen it but making it consistant is the thing. I agree 100% with getting rest, staying hydrated, eating right and physically fit as very important factors.

One thing most of the older racers face are meds for many different kinds of health issues. Many of these can affect ones natural reaction time, this is something the average person would never notice, but as a drag racer you will when thousands of a second count.

As I mentioned earlier being consistant is the most important, yet most difficult factor to achieve. Thats where practice and natural abilitly come in. Face it some racers have it and some don't and never will, some people are just better at certain things in life than others. The difference between the great drivers and the good drivers is DRT consistancy. A great driver will have a RT variation of say (these are just random numbers) .020 average of 50 RT's where the average racer may be .040. So the racer with the .020 RT variation can set his car up to react closer to .000 than the racer with .040 RT variation.

Once you reach this point you can start to adjust the car to work with you. When the car is working right and the driver has a comfortable spot on the tree and the VRT is right you'll start going rounds. Often you'll see a racer change a converter, gear ratio, or tire size and all of a sudden he starts winning rounds. It can go the other way also, being class racers we are always trying to go faster and sometimes a change may pick the car up .1 but hurt the VRT by .05 and now you have a faster car to lose in the early rounds with. Now it's time to make more adjustments and it just keeps on going.

Let's hear about some things that can help VRT's. I'll start with converters, if your late put a tighter one in and if your red a looser one may help. Thats if adjusting the launch RPM doesn't help, some times it will sometimes you won't see enough change. So lets hear some others.