Dragstrip Dos And Don'ts
Here is a short guide to what you should and shouldn't do at the strip. These guidelines may vary from track to track, so if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask a track official.
This is the timeslip from our '08 Ford's race against the '03 H.O. 5.9L Dodge. The points of interest are "reaction" (reaction time), "I1" (60-foot time), "I3" (eighth-mile time), "e.t." (quarter-mile time), and "mph." As you can see, the Dodge driver got us with a better reaction time, but we pulled out in front with a much better 60-foot time (2.14 seconds versus 2.42 seconds) and kept leading at the eighth-mile and quarter-mile marks. The "m.o.v.," or margin of victory was 0.928.
* Have an overflow tank for your radiator that works and doesn't leak.
* In fact, don't leak anything. Leaking oil, fuel, water, or anything else will get you sidelined until it's repaired.
* If you plan on running faster than 13.99 seconds on the quarter-mile, bring a helmet. If you're running 13.99 seconds or slower, you're allowed to have passengers.
* Don't do a monster burnout. If you do, ask a track official if it's OK. Tell him your friend is taking pictures, and he'll probably let you. Doing a burnout past the starting line is also a no-no.
* Make sure your battery is securely held down. If it can bounce around the engine compartment, you won't be going down the track.
* Don't miss the return roads, turn around at the end of the track, and drive back toward the line. This will really aggravate the officials. If you're worried about doing this, make a slow first pass to see where the turns are to exit the track before doing it at speed.
* Practice improving your reaction time. Even if you aren't the fastest on the track, you can still be a great driver.
* Extra weight will slow you down. On our recent drag test with an '08 Ford, we were running two-tenths slower with a passenger.
* Don't cut anyone off to exit the track. The '70s musclecar with drum brakes might not be able to stop as quickly as you.
* Don't speed on the return roads. The dragstrip is the dragstrip.
If you do need a burnout, this is about what you are looking for-too little, and you won't get enough traction; too much, and the tires can actually overheat and traction will decrease. | 
Don't worry if this is the car next to you, just mind your own reaction time and lane. Besides, he probably only has about 500 lb-ft of torque. | 
This is an example of deep staging, where the racer will go far enough to turn off the first light. This can be used to make your reaction time look really good, but it's normally a technique only used by bracket racers. |