The bump box, is it legal?

[James Sessoms]

Ok Fellow Super Class racers since we are always the ones being questioned about the use of electronics I would like some opinions and I apologize if this has been covered in a previous thread. Over the last 2 years or so I have being seeing a staging action that I wondered about. And to let me point out I have not seen it in the Super classes. It might be there but I have only seen it in other classes of racing. The product being used is called the bump box. I just read an article on Dragzine.com Under the electronic section about it. It explains how it works, Very good article too. You can go to the companies web site and watch videos of it in action. Most of the videos are pro mod style cars. One video is of a bracket car. I understand that this device was developed to overcome the turbo lag in staging a turbo combo car. With that in mind I have a question. How is this legal. The following is a quote from the 2014 NHRA Rule book. Section 2 page 2 "The application or use of any device, mechanical or electronic,that permits the driver to ascertain the position of his or her vehicle in relation to the starting line is prohibited. Only visual observation of track equipment may be used to ascertain the vehicle’s position. With the use of this box you are overcoming the auto start time out function of the staging system. You can take all the time in the world to turn on the first light. Then the bump box will roll you a preset amount into the stage light. This will control the effects of deep or shallow staging on your ET. Any opinions from the racing world?