Drag racing basics

Drag racing in its simplest terms is an acceleration contest between two vehicles from a standing start, over a distance of ¼ mile.

The main objective is to become the Eliminator winner in vehicles racing in categories. This is achieved by the winners of each round racing and eliminating other racers until the eventual winner is found. In these categories there are two basic forms of racing, one being “Heads Up” and the other “Handicap” racing. Heads Up is the purest form, where both competitors leave the start line at the same time and the winner is the rst over the nish line. This system is normally used in Group One racing ie Top Alcohol or Door slammer. Handicap racing is normally “Index Racing” or “Dial Your Own” (DYO). DYO involves the racer nominating the E.T. (Elapsed Time) the racer thinks they can achieve consistently before the race. The winner is the racer who gets the closest to their nominated E.T. This is normally done by a racer with a slower E.T. leaving rst, using a handicap system controlled by the lights. In theory both cars should cross the nish line at the same time. A car that runs quicker than racer has predicted, (or “dialed”), is said to “break out”. They lose unless their opponent breaks out by more or commits a more serious foul, such as leaving too soon or crossing the centreline. DYO is normally used in Super Street, Super Sedan, Modi ed and Super Charged Outlaw classes. Unlike DYO where the racer nominates their E.T., in Index Racing the E.T. is set by the national record for that class of car. The winner is the car quicker than their respective Index, so no

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breakouts apply. The third form of handicap racing is “Fixed Index”, where the Index is xed eg 9.9 secs. It is similar to DYO in that it operates a breakout system whereby the competitor runs under the Fixed index. But unlike Index Racing and DYO, Fixed Index does not have handicapped starts. Both racers break out and the winner is the one who breaks out the least.

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