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.