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Drag Racing - The Idea

 

The idea of ¼ mile sprinting, or 'Drag Racing' is simple.

1/ Line up.

2/ Wait for the green light

3/ Race the competitor at the side of you to the other end

The 1st to get to the other end is the winner and the 2nd looses,

its as simple as that .... well almost

 

The start line consists of 3 beams generated by photoelectric cells which pass across each lane, and a 'Christmas Tree'

 

The 'Christmas Tree' is used to control the approach of both racers to the start line, start the race when both racers are lined up and even advise if a racer leaved before the green light comes on

 

The 1st White or 'Call Up' lights flash to call you up to the start line. As you roll up to the line and break the first beam with your wheel the 'Call Up' light stops flashing and goes constantly ON, you are now in 'Pre Stage'

 

You continue inching forward until you break the second beam at which time the 2nd White light also goes ON, you are now 'Staged'. Once both racers are 'Staged' the Race Starter will push the button to begin the sequence of Yellows and then Green to start the race.

 

The Yellow lights light up from top to bottom one at a time at 4hundredths of a second intervals. After the bottom Yellow is lit the sequence continues with a 4 hundredths of a second gap before lighting the Green. Once the Green is lit the race is on and you GO!

 

The idea is to follow the Yellows and try to anticipate the Green. Gaining even a fraction of a second on your competitor can win you the drag race

 

However, if either racer anticipates the Green wrongly and actually leaves breaking the 3rd beam before the Green is lit the Red light will automatically light up and that racer will not record a time or speed for that run

 

At the end of the ¼ mile there is the "Finish Line" where 2 further photoelectric cells are spaced 80 feet apart, which when broken record your terminal velocity

 

 

Bracket Racing

 

When you turn up to your 1st race meeting you will be given time to race your vehicle a number of times before being allocated a "Bracket" to race in

 

Most of the top tuned scooters tend to run the ¼ mile in a time quicker than 14 seconds, so race in the 13.3 second bracket. This means to compete in the 13.3 bracket they must not run the ¼ mile any faster than .... you guest it, 13.3 seconds

 

Any quicker than 13.3 and you "Break Out" and automatically move into the 12.3 bracket, and so on. If a racer "Breaks Out" he/she will only race in the next bracket for that race meeting, at the next race meeting he/she will race in their allocated bracket again

 

You can see fantastic examples of bracket racing at every race meeting where the racer sets of as quick as possible to gain a lead on the competitor and then backs off the gas making sure he/she goes over the line 1st but without breaking out of the bracket

 

Some racers can be seen braking heavily just before going through the timing beams at the finish to bring their Elapse Time down so as not to break out

 

At Elvington, 16 April 06 I "Broke Out" and moved into the 12.3 bracket and managed to make the semi finals in the eliminations. Unfortunately for me I was drawn against Dave Smith on his 1200cc ZXR12R Kawasaki Trike. We got the Green light and went for it! The Dragster accelerated better than the Trike off the line and Dave for a while was playing catch up. Once Dave passed me he spent the rest of the race looking over his shoulder at me making sure he stayed ahead and went over the line in front but without going so quick that he broke out. He did the same thing in the Finals and won the meeting

 

Dave Smith with his Trike are a perfect example of Bracket Racing

 

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