need help on bracket racing
- Thread starter kenneth
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US-1
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No, it would not be good. IF the car is deadly consistent then you could go with a 13.14 or 13.13. Sixteen hundredths is way too much leeway in a bracket race. Anyone who can cut a half-ass light will run you down at the 1000 foot mark and beat you. Figure on two or three hundredths as a maximum.
At HRP we usually get three time trials. I use the first two for practice at the tree and the third to dial the car. The first round is going to be run close to your last time trial so that is the one you should use for your dial in.
One thing you should absolutely keep on hand is a log book. If you can afford a weather station (even one of the inexpensive three gauge units) then get one and use it! By keeping track of the weather conditions (more importantly the air conditions) along with your information from each run you will have a good database to draw from in the future. Another thing to keep in mind......bracket racing isn't easy. Keep records and get lots of seat time. Always look at each race for things you did wrong and things you did right. Not only you...but your competition. What did he/she do wrong or right? Write it down. Read your notes a few times each week.
Good luck!
At HRP we usually get three time trials. I use the first two for practice at the tree and the third to dial the car. The first round is going to be run close to your last time trial so that is the one you should use for your dial in.
One thing you should absolutely keep on hand is a log book. If you can afford a weather station (even one of the inexpensive three gauge units) then get one and use it! By keeping track of the weather conditions (more importantly the air conditions) along with your information from each run you will have a good database to draw from in the future. Another thing to keep in mind......bracket racing isn't easy. Keep records and get lots of seat time. Always look at each race for things you did wrong and things you did right. Not only you...but your competition. What did he/she do wrong or right? Write it down. Read your notes a few times each week.
Good luck!
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Charlie Sheen
Armed and Hammered
Great advice here.
terry5357
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THis was my first experience bracket racing
I was in my first "bracket" feature last night and I really got off on using technique more than just brute horsepower.....not that having a bunch of hp is bad.......lol. Fortunately I was familiar enough with bracket racing to know not to "burn" myself by just putting down a time that I knew I woldn't break out of. The first run was against a guy who had a much superior car to mine but killed himself by putting down a time that was like .4 than his car would ever run. I saw that happen to about half the group, they were more worried about "breaking out" than the extra time they were going to have to wait before they got the "green".
I still had the BEST TIME I have ever had at the drag strip. I really want to try that at a 1/4 mile strip.
smiled all the way home!!!!!!!!!
I posted this in another string and it gets right back to what US-1 is saying, you need to capitalize on the competitions mistakes or inexperience. THis event was total chaos or I wouldn't have known what some of the other guys were dialing in at. THey were telling each other.
I realize things are happening pretty quick after the burn-out box but you HAVE to pay attention to what is happening, but at the sametime staying in your own little world. Don't pay any attention to the otherguys lights, focus on your and only yours. Until you are off the starting line you are racing the clock.
I am like you though, I dig the bracket stuff cause its totally a technical thing.
I was in my first "bracket" feature last night and I really got off on using technique more than just brute horsepower.....not that having a bunch of hp is bad.......lol. Fortunately I was familiar enough with bracket racing to know not to "burn" myself by just putting down a time that I knew I woldn't break out of. The first run was against a guy who had a much superior car to mine but killed himself by putting down a time that was like .4 than his car would ever run. I saw that happen to about half the group, they were more worried about "breaking out" than the extra time they were going to have to wait before they got the "green".
I still had the BEST TIME I have ever had at the drag strip. I really want to try that at a 1/4 mile strip.
smiled all the way home!!!!!!!!!
I posted this in another string and it gets right back to what US-1 is saying, you need to capitalize on the competitions mistakes or inexperience. THis event was total chaos or I wouldn't have known what some of the other guys were dialing in at. THey were telling each other.
I realize things are happening pretty quick after the burn-out box but you HAVE to pay attention to what is happening, but at the sametime staying in your own little world. Don't pay any attention to the otherguys lights, focus on your and only yours. Until you are off the starting line you are racing the clock.
I am like you though, I dig the bracket stuff cause its totally a technical thing.
ChevyKiller
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Wheeler had some great advice. The only thing I will add is to make sure you always watch for the words 'deep' on the car next to you. Always be mindful if someone is deep staging on you, especially, if you are leaving first.
Other than that, look at my sig for a great quote someone made...
Don't worry about fender racing and don't listen to those who tell you it's the way to win. The good bracket racers focus on cutting a good light and running their number...period.
Example last week I knew my car was running a 6.47 and I dialed in a 6.50 cause the car next to me had a whopping 11.44 dial (1/8 mile)
I was worried that it being the 1/8, I wouldn't catch him till too late and figured I would get ahead of him and lift. Well the result was I did lift right as I passed him and I ran a 6.492 and broke out by .008! After I got the slip, it turns out I smoked him off the tree anyway and would have easily won with the correct 6.47 dial.
There is a little different approach when you have a break-out rule in effect but for regular bracket racing, I learned my lesson - Focus and stick to my number and not worry about the other guy at all.
Other than that, look at my sig for a great quote someone made...
Don't worry about fender racing and don't listen to those who tell you it's the way to win. The good bracket racers focus on cutting a good light and running their number...period.
Example last week I knew my car was running a 6.47 and I dialed in a 6.50 cause the car next to me had a whopping 11.44 dial (1/8 mile)
I was worried that it being the 1/8, I wouldn't catch him till too late and figured I would get ahead of him and lift. Well the result was I did lift right as I passed him and I ran a 6.492 and broke out by .008! After I got the slip, it turns out I smoked him off the tree anyway and would have easily won with the correct 6.47 dial.
There is a little different approach when you have a break-out rule in effect but for regular bracket racing, I learned my lesson - Focus and stick to my number and not worry about the other guy at all.
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flaming70vw
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consistency is what makes bracket racing fun. It puts everyone on a even field whether they have stock car or a trailered full-tilt monster
scramblr
Senior Member
Great Thread
This is a good thread. Lot's of threads out there about cutting lights, hooking, and getting down the track, but not much on the technical aspects of bracket racing.
This is a good thread. Lot's of threads out there about cutting lights, hooking, and getting down the track, but not much on the technical aspects of bracket racing.
terry5357
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Practice makes perfect
CK you are dead on. I myself like to stage shallow, THis lets me leave between 2nd light off and 3rd light on. I have a bit of hesitation when I nail the trottled, but by the way I stage I over come the hesitation and also cut some good lights.
THe guys who stage deep get that "extra little bit", and if they are cutting good lights..........beware, they will jump your ass out of the hole and sometimes it's hard to make up that little jump the other guy got.
THe best thing to do is make one trip to the track on a T & T night and dedicate it to nothing but launching. you will red light a few times but after 20 consecutive launches you should know exactly what to do and when (which tree light) to do it. I did this and it cut my R/T from.7 -1.0 to .3 - .5 and thats not great but you can work with that driving the sleds that we drive........lol
HTH
CK you are dead on. I myself like to stage shallow, THis lets me leave between 2nd light off and 3rd light on. I have a bit of hesitation when I nail the trottled, but by the way I stage I over come the hesitation and also cut some good lights.
THe guys who stage deep get that "extra little bit", and if they are cutting good lights..........beware, they will jump your ass out of the hole and sometimes it's hard to make up that little jump the other guy got.
THe best thing to do is make one trip to the track on a T & T night and dedicate it to nothing but launching. you will red light a few times but after 20 consecutive launches you should know exactly what to do and when (which tree light) to do it. I did this and it cut my R/T from.7 -1.0 to .3 - .5 and thats not great but you can work with that driving the sleds that we drive........lol
HTH
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