Mike Cotten you are the MAN!

[M Brand 505B]

The same exact thing happened to me at the denver divisional in 2011 but there was no rerun though i showed them the video. Check it out.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=3A5BI...%3D3A5BIAz6W2w

[Michael Beard]

Originally Posted by M Brand 505B

The same exact thing happened to me at the denver divisional in 2011 but there was no rerun though i showed them the video. Check it out.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=3A5BI...%3D3A5BIAz6W2w

If you step frame-by-frame, it appears that the red-light comes on before the pre-stage and stage even go out. Realistically, it must be happening simulataneously, and it's just the slow reaction of the incandescent stage bulb as they lose their glow when power is removed. Also, this car is up against the converter, and obviously not a "shallow stage red" from rocking back.

When the system red-lights, it locks our both the pre-stage and stage beams, which is why both go out. When system resets, it allows them to come back on.

I'm sorry, what? The red light should be a function of the stage light not being lit prior to the green light coming on. Why is the red light supposedly making anything happen with the stage beams? If they are being blocked by a tire, they should be on, period. If this is not the case, then they've eliminated a possible checksum for situations such as this.

Come to think of it, I've seen this happen at a bracket race in the east as well, no camera flashes involved. While this is going to be a crazy tough error to diagnose and repair due to its infrequency, we have to recognize that it *is* happening.

P.S. Anyone else wonder why Jimmy's car leaves when the last bulb never came on? It's like he wasn't even looking at the bottom bulb. I wonder how you can legally get your car to delay enough to leave off the top bulb like that...

No, not at all. I'd be more surprised if he didn't leave. We've had practice tree races where one lane had the bottom bulb burned out. I took that lane, and my reaction times did not change. Most people anticipate the 3rd bulb, whether they realize it or not. You can learn more about the how's and why's on my guest editorial on www.thisisbracketracing.com.

[billy leber]

@ Racin Mason ... I remember seeing your run and feeling you got Effed . Can't wait to hear the response as to why yours was not a re -run as well.

[Michael Beard]

After studying the three different videos presented here from different incidents, and the Div. Director comment, it appears that they have added some kind of lockout in the system so that once it thinks the car has left the starting line, it keeps the pre-stage and stage from lighting again. If you look at older videos, you can see the stage bulbs flicker when the rear tires roll through the beams, so presumably they have tried to eliminate this "problem" (possible distraction for the faster car?) by locking them out, as Rice was describing. I stepped through Mason's video like the previous one, and the same thing happened: The red-light comes on instantaneously with the power going off to the pre-stage and stage bulbs (and since they are incandescent, they appear to go off *after* the red-light)

It may be a coincidence, but in these particular videos, it appears that the red-light is activated at about the time that the slower opponent's rear wheels are crossing the starting line.

In troubleshooting, my gut feeling would be to look at something related to this pre-stage/stage lockout as being the culprit.

[Erik Jones]

Mike did an awesome job. He is a stand up guy and in my opinion he won that race! This same thing happend to another customer of mine and we were told that it was a legit redlight and that there will be no re-runs............... Its a real bummer this ended up like it did!!!

Never the less Congrats to Mike and Paula for a runner up!

Erik Jones
Jones Engine Development

[SuperStockDodge]

Dang it, looks like we are forced to reinstate the flag drop again until we get this electronic glitch worked out...

[Jeff Teuton]

Several years that happened to me in St. Louis. I got the wrong end of the treatment until Mike and Paula told me to take the slip to the tower because it was all fowled up. They looked at it, pulled up the run on their computer and just said re-run. I guess it was my lucky day, but without Mike and Paula, I would have left. I had already brought my wife and kids to the airport. Anyway I unloaded and went to the final round.

[Andys dad]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

No, not at all. I'd be more surprised if he didn't leave. We've had practice tree races where one lane had the bottom bulb burned out. I took that lane, and my reaction times did not change. Most people anticipate the 3rd bulb, whether they realize it or not. You can learn more about the how's and why's on my guest editorial on www.thisisbracketracing.com.

I agree - thank you - I thought I was the only "old guy" that needed to be leaving by anticipating the last yellow ... just not very accurate

However - when ever anybody is that good conspiracy theorists abound...

Ron

[Brad Plourd]

It's ok guys and gals....now we know if it happens to us we ALL get a re-run!!!

Not taking anything away from Jimmy, he deserved the re-run...but NHRA, please figure out a solution to this BS and make it fair for everyone that this happens to. (or figure out the problem so it never happens again)

[KThomas]

Originally Posted by Brad Plourd

It's ok guys and gals....now we know if it happens to us we ALL get a re-run!!!

Not taking anything away from Jimmy, he deserved the re-run...but NHRA, please figure out a solution to this BS and make it fair for everyone that this happens to. (or figure out the problem so it never happens again)

Thats true----- New rule...... When it happens again, We ALL get a re-run !!!!!!!!!!!