how to run a 9

[twolanes]

thought i would run you lot through what we do for a run.
 Get car to staging lane and climb in.Check all switch,s are on or off as necc, Get helmet/gloves etc on, Pete do,s the safety belts up (tight), fire up engine,check burn out rev limiter is ON (4500rpm), come round to burn out box, watch Pete and stop when he says, check with marshals,select first gear and mash the throttle grab 2nd gear, look at sky (mmm nice clouds), pull on brake lever hard as i can, manage to stop about 10/15 feet past start line, turn OFF burn out rev limiter, select reverse, wait for Pet and press trans brake button, watch Pet to reverse me up, wait for Pete to remove and show me the parachute safety lock,select 1st gear, move up into stage and press trans brake button, bring the rpm up to 5,000, watch lights, on green release trans brake, look at sky again (mmmm that cloud looks like a really rude thing), shift into 2nd (top) around 6800 rpm with throttle hard down, pass the end traps keeping the throttle on (for good speed), release throttle and pull on the brake lever hard as i can, miss the 1st turn of again, bash my crash helmet on the roll cage as i hit the bumps, undo my belts and turn on the cooling system, look behind to see if the other car is next to me, turn right as hard as i dare to, pull over and wait for the crew to tow the car back, reach our pits, check car over and get ready to do it all again.

[65nova]

is that it?? so when can i hava go LMAO     YOU FORGOT TO MENTION have brain removed first  lol
 NICE!!!!!

[Manky Monkey]

 
Thanks Dave.
That's actually very interesting. I've been watching drag racing for years but never really understood what goes on at the startline. Didn't know there was a rev limiter for burnouts for example. Might use that as the write up for the Nostalgia Nats photos.
So explain to me what a trans brake is -does it do the same job as a clutch, only electronically? And just what is the sequence for the lights? Taz had a go at a run what ya brung meet recently & was told there's 2 different light sequences for different meets -? Do you roll the car forward until it breaks a light beam to "stage" it? Are the lights then automatically set in motion as soon as both cars are staged, or does a marshal set them off? 
And what's "dialling in" your times all about? I thought it'd just be the fastest car that won but not necessarily so? Is it better to be consistant, rather than just fast? Tell us more.

[twolanes]

mmmm, will try and answer all mate,
REV LIMITER= we use a 3 stage rev limiter. 1 for the burn out,4500rpm, 2nd for staging 5000rpm, and 3rd for max rpm 7200.

TRANS BRAKE= this engages reverse electronically, you move the shifter into 1st gear,engage the trans brake and the gearbox is locked and the car cant move till you release the trans brake, i launch at 5000rpm.When i need to reverse the car i move the shifter into reverse position but nothing happens until i press the button.

CHRISTMAS TREE (the lights)= there are 2 different settings, sportsman, the lights count down to green. pro tree, all the lights go at once to green (much easier to muck this 1 up), on both you musn,t move before the green or you RED light and lose.the marshal triggers the lights.

STAGING= there are 2 white lights at the top, you roll forward untill you break a beam that triggers the top light, then inch forward untill the second "staged" light comes on.

DIAL IN= this is used for "bracket racing" if you get 2 unmatched cars ( say 1 runs 12s and 1 runs 9s the track crew use your dial in (in this case 1 car dials in a 12, other a 9) to start the slowest car first so hopefully they pass the end timing lights at the same time, "bracket racing is all about being consistant.This is the type of racing Steve was doing on sunday.
HEADS UP= this is where both cars leave at the same time and go for it, this is what you see on the drag racing from america, with the funny cars, top fuel etc.
hope that helps mate.

[brock]

     "manage to stop about 10/15 feet past start line, turn OFF burn out rev limiter, select reverse,"     

      sorry Mate   

[twolanes]

     "manage to stop about 10/15 feet past start line, turn OFF burn out rev limiter, select reverse,"     

      sorry Mate   

am i missing something here mate, i keep reading it and it looks ok to me.

[brock]

   it is OK Dave, I was just thinking that if we had all that stuff going on in our car I would probably forget to do something at some stage, you know, flip a switch or something....
   Mind you, I still don't have a nine four to brag about.

[twolanes]

I did forget to turn the burn out limiter off on 1 run mate, its still all new to me. Wait till the mopar nats, i will have the nitrous on it by then, even more things for me to forget.

[brock]

   yeah, I know, just teasing. I try to get down and watch when you guys run but didn't quite make it for "that" run, but I was close enough to hear it though , and I thought, either that fella's got a proper steady foot or there's a lot of swearing going on in there.
   So, we take a low nine car, add perhaps a little air to the tyres, put the big chip in the brake, blow it full of nitrous and ...............YEEEEHAAAAR!!!!!! , can't wait.