Starting Line Beam vs Rest of the Track

[Michael Beard]

Sure wouldn't bother me if the downtrack beams were set at 3", the same height as the ground clearance you're supposed to have.

Been on both ends of the spoiler, and they both suck!

[Bobby DiDomenico]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

Sure wouldn't bother me if the downtrack beams were set at 3", the same height as the ground clearance you're supposed to have.

Been on both ends of the spoiler, and they both suck!

Does anyone know if it is a triggering issue? If not, then they could continue with their high beams for the pros and go with both beams being the same for sportsman right?

[Casey Miles]

I have stripe takers on the front of my '01 Corvette, most people don't even realize that they are on the car unless you really look hard. It's a bracket car and in the rule book, it says that the body has to be 3" off the ground from front bumper to back of car. I've had pictures taken of the stripe takers and sent to IHRA and NHRA with no mention saying that they have to come off the car. Do I think it's fair, no, but it makes the front of the car consistant so that if I do stab the brakes, I know which part of the car is taking the stripe at all times.

Casey Miles
248H

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by Casey Miles

I have stripe takers on the front of my '01 Corvette, most people don't even realize that they are on the car unless you really look hard. It's a bracket car and in the rule book, it says that the body has to be 3" off the ground from front bumper to back of car. I've had pictures taken of the stripe takers and sent to IHRA and NHRA with no mention saying that they have to come off the car. Do I think it's fair, no, but it makes the front of the car consistant so that if I do stab the brakes, I know which part of the car is taking the stripe at all times.

Casey Miles
248H

Can you post a picture of them on this thread?

[Bobby Fazio]

How about this scenario?

You are racing against Mr. X in his low riding late model car and he is giving you a headstart. Let's say Mr. X spins off the line now he knows he has to make up some ET because he may not be able to catch you assuming you are on an average run, didn't break anything, and had an average light. He comes up along side of you only to be a wheel behind at the traps but dips the nose to cross inches in front of you and not break out because he had already lost ET at the starting line. This gives Mr. X an insurance policy and another weapon in the arsenal if this scenario ever should happen to him. He can manipulate his track position against you in your 69 Camaro.

I've seen it at bracket races and even on Pinks All-out when the early model car clearly had a foot on the other guy and lost.

[LNorton]

The long nose can be a blessing at times. And other times you just wanna chainsaw the nose off of the car.

It wouldn't bother me one bit if they moved the beam down to 3" at the finish line. I can still get the nose down there!

[Bimbo Jones]

I agree with Michael Beard on the 3" clearance though about down track beams. But I have had several long talks with a friend that used to install Compulink systems and he gave me all sort of reasons why they chose to locate the beam around 10 inches at all locations except the starting line. On some older tracks there is an issue with crowning and a low beam wouldn't clear the rise at 3 inches. Debris is more of a problem at lower levels. Here in Texas during the fall even crickets become an issue blocking the small beam on the lower starting line beams. I've worked a few ADRL events at our local track and replacing foam reflector cubes can turn into a real workout and your main concern is getting the reflector lined up as quick as possible for the next pare of cars. BTW, My first win in my 65 Chevelle wagon was on the first night I ever used a stripe taker. A couple of guys complained because they were used to seeing where we were to each other when we were at the prestage beams, and they knew their longer, lower nose would take the finish line before my tires would. So my flat black stripe taker fooled them for a week or two. Now most of the racers are used to them so its no big deal, but it is most critical in heads up and no breakout racing where et is everything just as roll out is on the starting line. I believe they are legal in all classes except Stock and Super Stock.

[Billy Pires]

Originally Posted by SStock1373

How about this scenario?

You are racing against Mr. X in his low riding late model car and he is giving you a headstart. Let's say Mr. X spins off the line now he knows he has to make up some ET because he may not be able to catch you assuming you are on an average run, didn't break anything, and had an average light. He comes up along side of you only to be a wheel behind at the traps but dips the nose to cross inches in front of you and not break out because he had already lost ET at the starting line. This gives Mr. X an insurance policy and another weapon in the arsenal if this scenario ever should happen to him. He can manipulate his track position against you in your 69 Camaro.

I've seen it at bracket races and even on Pinks All-out when the early model car clearly had a foot on the other guy and lost.

thats one of a million differant scenarios as far as bracket racing. The only time you can count on the front end helping you is in a heads up race... and thats only if you're within a hun at the stripe.

[countrypuppy4865]

Originally Posted by SStock1373

How about this scenario?

You are racing against Mr. X in his low riding late model car and he is giving you a headstart. Let's say Mr. X spins off the line now he knows he has to make up some ET because he may not be able to catch you assuming you are on an average run, didn't break anything, and had an average light. He comes up along side of you only to be a wheel behind at the traps but dips the nose to cross inches in front of you and not break out because he had already lost ET at the starting line. This gives Mr. X an insurance policy and another weapon in the arsenal if this scenario ever should happen to him. He can manipulate his track position against you in your 69 Camaro.

I've seen it at bracket races and even on Pinks All-out when the early model car clearly had a foot on the other guy and lost.

The E.T. you gain with the nose is minimal and really irrelevant in a bracket racing situation. If someone dials .15 over what they can run in case they spin, they will probably still be able to run the number. You can't stop anyone from doing that. Like Billy said in a heads up this might be more beneficial, but you are still only talking about .01-.02.

[Rich Biebel]

I raced a '97 Firebird Stocker for a year or two. It had single adjustable front shocks. If I set them loose and had the nose low the car would drop the nose very quickly and as everyone knows, that front overhang is way out front.......

I rasied the nose some but still had the shocks set loose....I had no down travel limiter device like a stop or maybe some cable limiters....

I had a race at E-Towns Lucas event......Raced a car dialed at 13.9x I was in the 10.80's all weekend. Speed was never over 123. I had the better RT but not by a lot.... .010 to .02x ......I was pretty hard on the brakes and admittedly had dialed UP as the sun was very hot.......In a doulble breakout race I lost. My speed on that run was almost 124.......My friends saw the race from the stands and saw me drop the nose and said I was down before the stripe......I assumed the nose got me....or I was later on the brakes than I thought......Ran 1 MPH faster hard on the brakes than flat out.......