Diamond Jim Racing
Racing throughout the WorldWhat is Drag Racing?
What Is Drag Racing?
The incredible thunder and vibration of two 6,000-horsepower race cars launching at 6Gs of acceleration. The spectacle of two 25-foot Top Fuel dragsters bending against the downforce in a struggle to keep all four tires on the ground at 330 mph. That’s Drag Racing. But to fully appreciate the world’s motorsport, it helps to know the basics.
So......What Is Drag Racing?
A drag race is simply a quarter-mile contest between two vehicles racing side by side in a straight line. In most drag racing categories, the first vehicle to finish line wins. In some cases, such as Jr. drag racing, the course is an eighth-mile instead of a quarter-mile.
A drag racing event is made up of a series of individual two-car races called eliminations. Winners of each two-car race advance until only one winner remains.
NHRA offers two types of drag racing: heads-up and handicap. Heads-up is the easiest to understand because both cars leave the starting line at the same time, and the first to cross the finish line wins. Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Bike, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and some Sport Compact race heads-up.
In handicap racing, the object of the game is to predict how many seconds it will take the car to get to the finish line, then try to run as close to that number as possible without going quicker, or “breaking out.” The driver who comes closest is usually the winner.
Handicap racing allows cars of different speeds to race each other because the slower car gets a head start. In some categories, the driver chooses his or her own handicap, or dial-in/dial-under. These classes are Super Stock, Stock, E.T. brackets, Jr. Dragster, and some Sport Compact categories.
In other categories, the class handicap is predetermined, and all cars in that class must try to “run the number.” These are Comp, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street.
What to expect at the drag races:
When you spend a day at the drag races, you'll see much more than the action on the track. Because most every ticket is a pit pass as well, you'll be able to watch racers and crews up close at work, meet them, and get their autographs.
The incredible thunder and vibration of two 6,000-horsepower race cars launching at 6Gs of acceleration. The spectacle of two 25-foot Top Fuel dragsters bending against the downforce in a struggle to keep all four tires on the ground at 330 mph. That’s Drag Racing. But to fully appreciate the world’s motorsport, it helps to know the basics.
A drag race is simply a quarter-mile contest between two vehicles racing side by side in a straight line. In most drag racing categories, the first vehicle to finish line wins. In some cases, such as Jr. drag racing, the course is an eighth-mile instead of a quarter-mile.
A drag racing event is made up of a series of individual two-car races called eliminations. Winners of each two-car race advance until only one winner remains.
NHRA offers two types of drag racing: heads-up and handicap. Heads-up is the easiest to understand because both cars leave the starting line at the same time, and the first to cross the finish line wins. Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Bike, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, and some Sport Compact race heads-up.
In handicap racing, the object of the game is to predict how many seconds it will take the car to get to the finish line, then try to run as close to that number as possible without going quicker, or “breaking out.” The driver who comes closest is usually the winner.
Handicap racing allows cars of different speeds to race each other because the slower car gets a head start. In some categories, the driver chooses his or her own handicap, or dial-in/dial-under. These classes are Super Stock, Stock, E.T. brackets, Jr. Dragster, and some Sport Compact categories.
In other categories, the class handicap is predetermined, and all cars in that class must try to “run the number.” These are Comp, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street.
What to expect at the drag races:
When you spend a day at the drag races, you'll see much more than the action on the track. Because most every ticket is a pit pass as well, you'll be able to watch racers and crews up close at work, meet them, and get their autographs.
