How Many People?
 

How many people should it take to stage a dragster? Not a top fuel/alcohol car or high hp PDRA Elite TD car, just a regular bracket dragster at your local track. Asking for reference, I had an experience recently that begs the question.

Re: How Many People?
 

you know the answer

Re: How Many People?
 

I sense some sarcasm, please share your experience.

Re: How Many People?
 

All right so here's what happened to me recently at a bracket race.

I was down to 5 cars at my local track in the bracket race. I was still doubled at the time, down to the final in 6.0 index class at that point. As is customary, I pull into the water box and wait for my opponent, in a 4.9s dragster, to go ahead and do his burnout before I did mine so I wouldn't be waiting at the starting line as long. I do my burnout as he is reversing from his. We get up to the starting line around the same time.

When he made his way to the beams, he had not one, but two different guys at the stage beams pulling him up to them. Now I'm not sure who wasn't paying attention to what, but he ended up rolling all the way into the fully staged position before I prestaged. I don't know if one or both of the guys pulling him up weren't paying attention to the lights or where the car was on the race track, or if the driver wasn't looking at them, or if the two guys up there weren't in agreeance on where the car was yet between one another. All I know is they looked like a bunch of monkeys fvcking a football on the starting line. I see all this take place beside me, and decide to give him a 5 Mississippi count to let him back up. Well, due to the extreme confusion on the other side of the race track, my man was not able to back out of the stage lights in a timely manner, so I went ahead and staged up beside him and tried to get the tree to come down while he was still in panic mode or reverse.

That is exactly what happened. I turned loose a stellar .040 to my man's .400. I haven't been able to decide if I feel bad about it yet or not.

Re: How Many People?
 

There’s no need to let the foolish be anything but…

https://youtu.be/pKi_DCWaN0I?si=nv_fuDwrZFvcf1Wn

Re: How Many People?
 

Well...
If you're gonna have someone back you up...
That's ONE person...
It avoids all the confusion...
Never had anyone help stage the car...
Only back me up and make sure I was in my tracks and nothing was amiss with the car, (No leaks, nothing hanging off...)
I always managed to find the starting line on my own...
This showing people the beam BS wasn't a thing when I was doing it...
Sounds like rookies...
Don't feel bad... I wouldn't!

Re: How Many People?
 

It only takes 1 person & that's the driver!

I browsed a couple races from the 2024 Fall Fling Races videos,
from early rounds to the finals. I didn't see one person/crew member assisting the driver with the staging process for both dragsters & door cars.

The vast majority of racers appeared not to have any crew members even close to a race vehicle, leading up to the staging process.

As for backing a dragster into its tracks. I didn't see anyone doing that when I browsed.

1700/781L :)

Re: How Many People?
 

You let it get in your head, isn?t there a rule regarding lighting both beams or is it out on brackets?
Nothing says you have to run up and stage, make them wait.

Re: How Many People?
 

there is no curtesy staging in bracket racing

Re: How Many People?
 

Just my $.02
In a bracket or T/D, if you cant back up on your own and find your way to the staging beams you should probably turn in your man card. But that's just me.
For all of the lady's who race these classes, I use the term "Man card" metaphorically.