There are a few more things involved in staging the car in the exact same place to get the exact same result. What does create change/challenge is the inconsistency of the ground level between lanes, not so much the length (if your car immediately goes in to a wheel stand at the same rate of climb).

I look at video of the tire wrap on successful consistent (.400) reaction time cars and there is a common action, more so dealing with tire pressure and side wall construction, particularly how far that siffness extends from the edge of the rim.

Up, immediately is the key on a .400 tree.

To sort of answer Curly's statement, so far a tree reader is still conjecture, to my limited knowledge still not proven. There is however good argument watching some drivers absolutely kill a tree run after run.

Thousands of runs, knowing your car, your ability to maintain focus AND harnessing your emotions are a large part of consistency. Fall short in any of this and you diminish you odds of winning. Statistics prove that the first movement (RT) is you best opportunity to win. Yes, driver experience, skill and a solid plan can mitigate the damage of a poor light but the odds (%) are still against you.

Bob
ps: Curly, if I do discover/invent a tree reader you will be the second to know, it'll just be in a few more years.

The device(s) is / are real, probably 15 years or more ago a company in California was selling a vehicle reaction test rig, but it was bulky. Shown on their website attached to a dragster.
Can't find it anywhere now.

In an effort to test for the dreaded lazy starting line infrared, a local track owner built a rig that used a photocell and mechanical shutter to test the system. That is how we discovered the built in variance of LED lamps using AC voltage to fire. In about 1200 test firings, we found variances of up to .016, which is right on the 60 hz voltage switching.
(1 divided by 60 = 0.0166666666666667)
If you remember seeing LED lamps pulsing when viewed through high frame rate video, that is what we were seeing.

That was why I questioned repeatedly why the systems were using AC voltage to power the tree, when literally every other part of the systems use DC voltage. Even the LED lamp converts AC to DC to function, for the life of me I couldn't understand why they were still using AC current to run the lamps. I assume Compulink might have corrected that since you'll now see the LED stage lamps flickering, but not the Ambers or Green and Red lamps.
Maybe Jeff Foster could chime in on that.

Sorry, sidetracked again.....

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Goob,

quote:

Originally posted by RPROGAS:


Bob
ps: Curly, if I do discover/invent a tree reader you will be the second to know, it'll just be in a few more years.

Lol, and I will do the same for you.

In all seriousness that makes sense that at 60 HZ there is the potential for .016 variation and some racers are consistently close to or better than that.

I do remember some blaming their bad lights on the AC kicking on in the tower at Texas Raceway some years ago. - We've got to blame them on something other than the driver. lol

I was racing at many of the same races as the "Dirty dozen" back in the day. I knew they were up to something but didn't know what. Today I suspect certain racers whose reaction times are minus .010 every hit. As far as being consistent at the finish, I can run dead on 9 out of 10 times and I am usually in the way. I would like to know how a foot brake racer needs 5 buttons on his steering wheel?

quote:

Originally posted by Mopar Traitor:
I do remember some blaming their bad lights on the AC kicking on in the tower at Texas Raceway some years ago. - We've got to blame them on something other than the driver. lol

LOL, our local track legend was that someone flushed the toilet, and the well pump kicked on, skewing the timing system.

quote:

Originally posted by ferndaleflyer:
I was racing at many of the same races as the "Dirty dozen" back in the day. I knew they were up to something but didn't know what. Today I suspect certain racers whose reaction times are minus .010 every hit. As far as being consistent at the finish, I can run dead on 9 out of 10 times and I am usually in the way. I would like to know how a foot brake racer needs 5 buttons on his steering wheel?

To live rent free, in your head.

Goob they don't get into my head. I wasn't even racing when I saw that. It just made me wonder.

quote:

Originally posted by ferndaleflyer:
Today I suspect certain racers whose reaction times are minus .010 every hit.

Nobody is sub .010 every hit. Round by round race results from tons of events are available at https://dragstory.com/forum/index.php



I've done this footbraking, and I'm not even close to the best. It's good, but it's not sub .010 every run. I'm sure delay box racers can do better, and have bump up and bump down functions available. A LOT of people will put together a LOT of good strings. They're not sub .010 every run, either.

quote:

I would like to know how a foot brake racer needs 5 buttons on his steering wheel?

A lot of people run multiple classes. Even I have two buttons in the car these days (neither on the steering wheel, and both disconnected when running Footbrake-only events)



POP QUIZ: You hear it all the time..."You have to be .00 and dead on every run!" What % of runs at the 2024 main event of The Million were .019 total or better?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Michael Beard,

But 5 buttons?

quote:

"You have to be .00 and dead on every run!"

You don't, but that's why your logbook ended at round 7 Nice laps bud.

Percent of total runs? Not winning runs ?

Total runs I’d guess 15%

Is it fair to have a Tesla run in Pro or Super pro?
Wasn’t there an NhRA rule that said no?

Correct me?

There has been a class for them at the bracket finals I know but I don't know if they can or can't run in pro. Pretty sure the WFC has a rule against them.

I've seen a Tesla running, Pro mostly, at several local bracket events.
They're deadly consistent. Obviously.

I believe they should be banned from bracket competition, for this reason: IT'S GOT WHEEL COUNTERS. A line or two of code in the programming and you could dial it to .00x every time. An electric motor has a commutator, you can make it "count" the motor speed, acceleration rate, and even armature rotations.

Obviously several things that are banned in any of our cars.

Guy on youtube has a channel, (Tesla Plaid Channel) runs T&T at Orlando every week and documents it. Got his butt chapped early on because it's going deep into the 9's, at 151-152 MPH. So they tell him he can't run quicker than 10.00, so he practices spot dropping and mostly avoids more problem, THEN somebody at NHRA got the idea that it's okay to run 9's, Tesla downloaded software update to his car and from then on it would only go 149 MPH in 1/4 mile track mode. He's already had a close call with a car from the other lane coming across his RR quarter, only busted the tail light, but it was fractions of a second from becoming a 2 vehicle 150 MPH crash, he's got stock belts and a helmet, (might be wearing a single layer jacket?) Those cars are extremely heavy, I bet one could take the wall / barrier down at an extreme angle hit.
No parachute for those cars, but mine would have to have one. WTF?

NHRA has been busy trying to placate the people buying these factory stock 9-10 second rides.
Years ago I watched a Cadillac run a high 9 @135 MPH, dude was in a suit, no helmet.

Big end safety crew DID have a chat with him, and I didn't see him anymore.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Goob,

Goob check your private messages

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Cmar:
Goob check your private messages

Gotcha.
Tried to reply from my phone the other day?

quote:

Originally posted by BP758:
Is it fair to have a Tesla run in Pro or Super pro?
Wasn’t there an NhRA rule that said no?

Correct me?

HELL NO….

quote:

Originally posted by DragRaceResults:

quote:

"You have to be .00 and dead on every run!"

You don't, but that's why your logbook ended at round 7 Nice laps bud.

There weren't any more rounds to be had. I won that day. ;-) Thanks! This is another example of "People only talk about the best performances, not the average or bad ones." LOL