The perfect dial...

[driller]

This weekend at the Mason Dixon Dragway, I participated in the Mid-Maryland All-Ford event. I entered in with the MN12 guys in the Cougar/Comet class which included Thunderbirds, Supercoupes, Cougars, Marauders, Lincolns, oh and Comets. LOL

Short version...

First time trial I ran a 13.789 @ 98.38. My reaction time was 0.068.

Second time trial... 13.907 @ 98.06 with an RT of 0.023. ???

In the 1st round eliminations I dialed a 13.82 and ran a 13.844 @ 98.53. With a 0.078 RT, I'll take that!

I left the dial the same (13.82) for the 2nd round, and when I picked up the slip I had run a 13.820 @ 99.09 with a 0.041 RT!!

That run was against a solid racer in a 12 second Marauder who had dialed a 12.3 and ran a 12.351 with a 0.085 reaction time.

All good things must end though. Like they say, if you don't red light once in a while, you're not trying hard enough. Well, the next round was the semi-finals, and against another Marauder who consistenly runs in the 11's.

It was a double red-light start and I found myself on the short end as I had an RT of -0.123 against his red light of -0.117. I also succeded to breakout of my 13.82 dial with a 13.799 ET.

The worst part of the last run was I knew I had messed up before I left the line. As I lit up the second stage light, I proceeded to 'bump into the beams'. When I did, I mistakenly went too far and knew it immediately. I was still cursing myself when the tree started to come down and I was caught distracted. The distraction and 'being too deep into the beams' ended my racing for the day.

 

[XLRVIII]

As I lit up the second stage light, I proceeded to 'bump into the beams'. When I did, I mistakenly went too far

The dragstrip owner that took us under his wing and put on 2-3 "bracket clinics" was the guy that taught us about "bumping into the beams".

Then at a later race, I did the same as you did... bumped too far and redlit.

When I went to the track owner and told him what had happend, he said without hesitation..

"live by the sword, die by the sword"...

he warned us.. when he was talking about bumping in.. said.. dont try and cut a better light than you NEED to..
If the field is cutting .600 lights and you try to cut a "low O" light then you are not doing yourself any favors.

BUT... looking at JP's races.. he "needed to cut" "0h's"...

GOOD JOB JP!

I had tiff run "dead on her dial" against me once.. in the final round.
We still have that timeslip framed and hanging on our wall.

 

[XLRVIII]

JP...
Here is what that track owner told me in regards to "bumping too far".

IF you feel you have bumped in too far.. then go right on thru the beams.
That will deactivate the tree.
Dont wait.. and think.. just Roll on thru.

you will be able to do this "ONCE".. after that you will be Dq'd for "breaking the tree".
most of the time, the starter will chastize you for screwing up.. and warn you not to do it again.

What happens is the tree wont go active unless "3 lights are lit" and if you "roll thru prestage and turn that light off" the tree should "stop" or break.

Starter should back you both out and have you both restage.

This is a "one time" deal, you'll only get ONE shot at it and if they think you are doing it on purpose they will DQ you on subesequent mistakes on the starting line.

I've done it 3 times.. at 3 different tracks.. I wouldn't attempt to do it twice at one track in one day though.

 

[maxmk8]

Nice job JP. Sorry to hear about the red.

Damn those marauders are fast. Are they those supercharged ones (trilogy)?

Love those cars

 

[junkman306]

Good job!!! I would've never made it past the first round. I couldn't cut a good light at the tree to save my life.

 

[XLRVIII]

I couldn't cut a good light at the tree to save my life.

Practice, consistancy and adjustments..

you can cut good lights, you either need to adjust the car, the driver or both.

the first hurdle in cutting good lights is getting the car staged precisely in the same spot in the beams.. until you can do that, no reaction techinques will help.

Do this..next time out.

Dont TRY to cut good lights, just try to be "consistant" on the tree.
Once you get a consistant reaction time.. for example
5 passes back to back in the same RT range.. be it .500-.600-.700 lights

Bring us 5 timeslips with the same RT and we'll get you wittled down into "good lights".

..consistancy is your first hurdle, let us know when you've cleared that one.

 

[driller]

"live by the sword, die by the sword"...

And that I did!

IF you feel you have bumped in too far.. then go right on thru the beams.
That will deactivate the tree.
Dont wait.. and think.. just Roll on thru.
...
What happens is the tree wont go active unless "3 lights are lit" and if you "roll thru prestage and turn that light off" the tree should "stop" or break.

I think I've done that once... accidentally. I stalled the converter too high and couldn't stop after bumping into the beams.

Does that mean I have to roll through and turn off both lights? I think I'm hearing you right.

Damn those marauders are fast. Are they those supercharged ones (trilogy)?

Yep, Trilogy Motorsports. The two at the track are regulars I run into at several events. The one that runs 11's still has the vanity license plate from his first Marauder(wrecked) that says "I DO 12S". He took off all the go-fast parts and built a second one better, faster and stronger(with a cage) that now runs low 11s.

Practice, consistancy and adjustments...

0.063
0.023
0.078
0.041
-0.123

Not counting the red light, statistically that is a mean of 0.046 RT with a 0.019 second average deviation, or rounded to the hundredths... 5 hundreths of a second plus or minus 2 hundredths. I still consider myself "practicing" and constantly work on the tree and/or launch of the car.

XLRVIII has this down pat.

When I get to a new track or have a new setup on the car - my first few stages will be just barely lighting the second stage lamp and focusing on launching the car consistently. Once I have a feel for the RT by doing this, I will then adjust the car's position forward after lighting the second stage lamp and thus lowering the mean RT. But by this time we are talking a few hundredths of a second and a scant inch or two at the line.

 

[junkman306]

Practice, consistancy and adjustments..

you can cut good lights, you either need to adjust the car, the driver or both.

the first hurdle in cutting good lights is getting the car staged precisely in the same spot in the beams.. until you can do that, no reaction techinques will help.

Do this..next time out.

Dont TRY to cut good lights, just try to be "consistant" on the tree.
Once you get a consistant reaction time.. for example
5 passes back to back in the same RT range.. be it .500-.600-.700 lights

Bring us 5 timeslips with the same RT and we'll get you wittled down into "good lights".

..consistancy is your first hurdle, let us know when you've cleared that one.

This is true. I don't race at any sanctioned events. Just test N tune and reaction doesn't matter much then.

 

[Burbank 98 LSC]

Wow Nice Job.I want to try bracket racing next year with my white car as it's easier to drive it than the black car.I think I have over 300 1/4 mile passes in my cars and it was all test and tune passes.

 

[XLRVIII]

This is true. I don't race at any sanctioned events. Just test N tune and reaction doesn't matter much then.

well considering I was smacking 12 second WRX's with my 14 second Lincoln in Test N Tune.. I "consider" that relevant.

You can wipe the track with much faster cars if you can get a handle on the tree.

Especially in a heads up race.. RT's are pretty important.

Just a "tip".

 

[XLRVIII]

Does that mean I have to roll through and turn off both lights? I think I'm hearing you right.

.

yea.. you have to turn off prestage AND stage.. if you roll deep and only turn off prestage the tree will still activate and you'll be RED as soon as the tree starts to come down.

Just "roll on thru" and put on your "newbie mistake face".

 

[driller]

Just "roll on thru" and put on your "newbie mistake face".

I've seen that face! LOL

That's actually a good tip, and it's likely that it could've saved me from a loss. Oh well, it was a wonderful day at the track anyways.

The density altitude averaged 3452 feet at the track, ranging from 3245 to 3585 feet with temps pushing 90. Gusty conditions were present all day with the direction of the breeze constantly changing. Considering those conditions, I was happy with the way the car ran. I didn't understand the 13.9 run but it appeared to recover after that so I just figured it to be a fluke.

 

[XLRVIII]

While it will work.. it might not save you from a loss..bear with me.

Same thing goes when your opponent doesnt "courtesy stage".. and you instruct the starter to "back them out".

I "used" to back out drivers that didn't courtesy stage, but then I noticed that everytime I did this.. I would LOSE.
Because.. by the time you get the starters attention, and then he gets the opponents attention.. and gets the guy "backed out of the beams"... so much time has passed that my car "wont run the number"... or it "changes the starting line procedure" so much that the "run it blown".

NOW..I dont back em out.... if they light "both bulbs" I just "stay in my lane" and focus on getting MY car staged, while waving OFF the starter who is wondering if I "want the guy backed out"...

Same goes for "rolling too deep" and breaking the tree... the couple of times I did it.. I probably would have been better off.. just "riding it out", and "taking a little off the hit".
That way.. my starting line procedure doesnt get altered.. and the car doesnt "heat up" while the starter gets the other guy "backed out" so he can reset the tree and get you both staged again.

Just wanted to follow up on this..to let you know it wasn't the "be all end all" solution.

TIP: try and adjust the car, rather than your position on the starting line.
it's alot easier to add or subtract 5PSI from the front tires than it is to "accurately BUMP" into the beams.

I use both techinques.. depending on the level of competition.
If I'm at a "MOD ET" race.. I wont "bump".. I adjust tire pressure.
IF I'm at "Street tired/Street Stock race" I'll "bump".

I've found that 2-3PSI will add or subtract .03 from MY RT.
Some TNT will let you know how much front tire pressure will affect your RT.

(note) I always pump my front tires up to 50 PSI that way I have 20LBS of adjustment in front tire pressure..
After 3-4 TNT I'll make adjustments..while concentrating on "Shallow staging".

hope some of this rambling novel helps.

 

[driller]

hope some of this rambling novel helps.

It always does.

Here's a vid from the event.