Top end racing tips??

[68camaroSS]

Lots of good advice from a lot of good racers here. Sometimes a particular thing you try may work one time and sometimes they don't. Every run can be different. It also depends on the level of competetion at your track. Dialing .010 hard can be a good strategy as a safeguard from breaking out, but realize it does not guarentee you will win the round against a dragster or a good door car if he runs dead on. (But I agree dragsters, which I distain and would never own one personally, have several built in advantages we have to overcome.) Where we race, seems like about all the dragsters and the majority of door cars fast or slow are capable of laying down a .00 light and running dead on at any given time. I have had .00 lights along with my competetor but lost as I ran high up on my dial (dead on) in the thousands and he ran lower in the thousands. Sometimes it has went into the 4th digit, (ten thousands). Bottom line, winning rounds is tough. It is a lot of hard work, and at times you do your best and lose by a fraction and can get discouraged. Your car has got to be deadly consistent so you know what to dial, and the driver has got to nail the tree. When you come to the line, concentrate on your own race. If you happen to be lucky enough to be ahead at the first MPH light, then dump. Another thing, we only have 1/8 mile tracks where I race. I think it is a lot tougher than 1/4 mile, as no time for top end games. The guys who like to dial soft and play waaa waaa games don't last long. Just some thoughts that I hope fit in with what everyone else has said.

[mannymen]

Hate to say this, but all the top bracket racers play the waaa waaa game and dial soft all day long. SR starts pumping the gas at the 330 mark, but he's one of a kind

[TinSoldier 3215]

All the racers on here have a good point on driving the finsh line,but what it all comes down to is how well you know your car!!! the better your package is,you will win rounds and races. Me racing my car on dailing hard or soft depends on how tough the racer is!!! S.R is one of the best he does it for a living, but he puts his pants on like us and he can be beat!!!!! Happy Hoildays!!!!!

[ET6201]

Lotsa good comments here but I'll add my $0.02 worth. I run an 11-second doorslammer in Pro Bracket, where there are many 8-second dragsters. With a top speed of just over 118 mph vs a dragster running 150+ mph, it's very tempting to brake or back off the "loud pedal" when charging the finish line. It's hard to see a low-slung dragster coming up on you... it's even tougher when it's a night race! That said, the best thing I've found is to:

• try to make the car as consistent as possible
• don't dial (too) soft
• cut a good light
• don't brake/decelerate until you're almost at the finish line (assuming you're ahead)

"Bye-Run"
'68 Barracuda 340-S 4-Speed
11.34 @ 118.6 mph

[Kris Kristofferson]

Good advice boys/(likely girls here too??),

I lost a race by backing off too early, I totally let off the pedal and all my momemtum was lost. He then burst ahead of me and got the stripe.

I have heard the "brake pedal method" (ie one foot on the pedal one tapping the brake) of slowing down is better because you keep your "moe"...

I haven't tried 1/4 bracket racing as I am limited to racing at my 1/8 home track. It must be better to play the top end game..

Kris

[Chris1529]

there are just more ways to lose on 1/4 mile than 1/8th.

[Bob Verwold]

Originally Posted by chris1529

there are just more ways to lose on 1/4 mile than 1/8th.

amen