[77TA]

I had something happen for the first time in my life and I don't know if it was a nervous clutch leg, dragging clutch, or the car just rolled but in two rounds after staging the car rolled in deep. I was lucky I had time to back it up to re-light the prestage light.... Nothing was said by the track, my opponent was upset later about it, anyway I won both races but it was just a little club race and heads up pro tree at that, I was wondering would I have gotten in trouble at a bigger race or in brackets ?

I don't have a line lock and just set there with the car on the clutch no brake at all.

[prostreet64]

70 lemans, you are right about it taking forever at Gainesville Raceway. Didn't use to be so bad; they had an old pro who worked the top of the staging lanes and a gal at the waterbox who really kept things moving along. Several years ago there was a major personnel turnover and a lot of people coming and going since then. I guess every track has its issues but I sure wish they could get things sorted out. You are lucky if you can get in more than 3 runs on a typical test and tune night.

[punisher#1]

Originally Posted by PONTIAC DUDE

That it is an automatic red light.

Watching Sundays NHRA event. Forget which class. I saw a car ligth both stage lights immediately, not allowing the other car the option of pre staging. Then the other car bumped in. No red light. What's up with that?
Down here it's a automatic redlight.

our local track and most of the other tracks we race at enforce "courtesy staging". that means if you turn on both bulbs before you opponent has lit any they back you out and give you one more shot. then they red-light you.
pro rules are different. the way i understand it, you only have to light your first bulb in what the starter determines to be a timely manner after the other guy is in. but after three bulbs are lit you have a minimum of 7 seconds to stage. the tree can come down any time after that.
could you immagine trying to back out a fuel car once it has staged?

[dwallace]

Originally Posted by PONTIAC DUDE

That's why I was asking. Not that the track mighta changed the program. But all 4 of my previous lights were in the .047 to .053 range all night. The last pass seemed like an eternity till the lights went green. 4 O pro tree. Made me hold that button longer then I felt I was use to all the previous rounds. Then I think not wanting to go red, mighta held it longer for a .102 light. Just out of the norm for the night as far as the time it SEEMED to take. The dude that beat me went on to win it all. But will never know if auto set or manual.

Can it be reset auto or manual during a round or once set that's it for the night? Or set for each class?
Just gotta keep on truckin.

Sounds like the Starter was manually controlling the starter switch.

The computer operator can switch from Auto-Start to Manual, and vice versa, but, does have to go between computor screens, so, normally isn't done between pairs of cars, usually just between classes. I suspect that you were started manually all evening, it just was very apparent that the starter gave you a slow tree. That's what makes Auto-Start nice, you take human interference out of the equation, whether intentional or not. And as John stated, your time slip should state "Auto-Start" if it was active.

Our track enforces Courtesy Staging. We will back the racer out the first time, and eliminate them from competition the next time. Helps control head games.

[Probird]

Is autostart controlled by the computer or by the starter, meaning once 3 lights are lit the starter hits the switch that activates the autostart function and then the computer takes over. I was under the impression it could be done either way. Is that true?

[dwallace]

Originally Posted by Probird

Is autostart controlled by the computer or by the starter, meaning once 3 lights are lit the starter hits the switch that activates the autostart function and then the computer takes over. I was under the impression it could be done either way. Is that true?

The computer is in control of activation of the tree in AutoStart. Usually the function of the starter while AutoStart is in effect is to watch starting line procedures, as well as, watch for safety issues from the starting line to the finish line. Normally, in AutoStart, the starter doesn't hold the switch during races, though it needs to be readily accessible when safety issues are present, at which time the starter pushes the red button on the switch which will flash the tree red lights on both sides, to alert the racers that there is a problem.

[Cliff R]

When it happened to me, the guy I was running knew EXACTLY what he was doing. He actually raced to the line and almost simultaneously lit both yellow lights.

I saw him take off like a bat out of hell, but thought nothing about it. I did my usually short burnout, rolled up. Nearly as I can remember, I just barely bumped on the first yellow light and immediately the red light came on and the other guy took off. I actually got out of my car and argued a bit with the guy running the starting line. I went to the tower and raised some more hell, it went on deaf ears.

The other guy should have been DQ'd for lack of common courtesy. I never go flying up to stage. I always wait till the other guy has completed his burnout and started to work his way to the line.

There is a good ending to the story, the race we got runner up in wasn't a big dollar race. I got even a few weeks later, at the same track, we won the APEX Performance Street Car Race, took home all the bananas!......Cliff

[Old Goat Racer]

Dry hops used to be the norm. I used to do it 20 years ago. I still see a few racers doing it today & they're good racers.

[Cliff R]

Nothing wrong with a "dry hop", but it puts another run on the converter. We quit doing them at least 10 years ago. I concentrate more on lining up the car in the "groove" and staging it in exactly the same place on the starting line. With modern tires, it's gonna hook unless someone laid down a bunch of fluids on the track ahead of you......Cliff

[PONTIAC DUDE]

Originally Posted by TIN TIGR

bracket racers..thats why pontiacs go nowhere..thats why people left the yak ranks and went ford or chevy..i cant wait for my cv-1s and a fighting chance to make hp/cube with the big dogs..

and if somebody redlit me while staging in the finals..my crew would be having a serious talk with the track "officials"..those guys were ghey..somebody would be eating thru a straw for awhile..

Such love.