Bracket, or ET, racing is a great way to get into the sport of drag racing.  You don't need a lot of money or special equipment to get started, but it helps to know "the basics".

What is a Bracket Race?    A bracket drag race is a straight-line acceleration contest between two cars, usually starting at different times, from a standing start over a specified distance, usually a 1/4 mile or an 1/8 mile.  Racers line up in front of a countdown device, called a Christmas Tree.  When they leave the starting line, timers record how long it takes them to reach the finish line.  This is called elapsed time, or ET for short. Top speed is also recorded.

Getting Started

     The best way to get your feet wet is to come out to a Thursday street legal event or a Friday "test and tune" session.  For a small fee, you can practice your starting line procedure, learn how the car reacts to tuning changes, and make passes down the track without the pressure of racing against someone.

     You should also take time to watch how other racers do things, and most importantly, ask questions.  Most racers will be happy to give you pointers on improving your technique.

Competing

     When you're ready to race against other people, you can compete in our monthly bracket races.  Your car will be put in a category, or class, based on the elapsed time of your car and vehicle equipment ( electronics, non-electronics ).  Top speed is not a factor in bracket racing.

     You will need to determine how quick you think your car will be.  This is called the dial-in.  When you are matched up with another car, the dial-ins are compared and the slower car is given a head start equal to the difference between the two.  To win, you want to run as close to your dial-in as possible without going faster, or "breaking out."

     You can also win if both cars run faster than the dial-ins (called running under) and you are closest to your dial-in.  If both of you get down the track exactly at your dial-in or have the same break out, the driver who reacted quickest to the Christmas Tree -- called reaction time, or RT -- wins the race.  Here are possible outcomes for a race between Car A with a 14.50 second dial-in and Car B with a 15.25 second dial-in.

     Car A runs 14.55 seconds, Car B runs 15.35 seconds

     Car A wins (runs closest to dial-in without breaking out)

     Car A runs 14.0 seconds, Car B runs 15.20 seconds

     Car B wins (both cars run under, Car B runs closest to dial-in)

     Car A runs 14.50 seconds with .510 RT,

     Car B runs 15.25 seconds with .505 RT

     Car B wins (runs at dial in, has better reaction time)

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The Track

Burnout Box

     This is an area on the track surface just before the starting line which is sprayed down with water.  You pull the car forward until the "drive" tires are just at the edge of the water, then do a quick burnout to warm up the tires and get rid of any debris lodged in the tread.  Be sure that burnout light is on green and not red.  When light is red, do not advance forward to starting line nor begin burnout.

60 Foot Timer

     Measures the time it takes the car to cross the first 60 feet of the quarter-mile.  This shows you how well the car launches, which affects your elapsed times.  Most street-tired cars have 60 foot times around 2 seconds.

660 Foot Timer

     The 660 foot mark is the halfway point of a quarter-mile track.  Your elapsed time is recorded.  We also have timers at the 330 and 1,000 foot intervals.

Mile Per Hour Timer

     Also known as the speed trap, this timer is located 66 feet before the finish line.  It records the car's average speed between it and the finish line.  This is the mile per hour figure on your timeslip.

Finish Line

     When you cross the light beam at the end of the quarter-mile, you stop the ET clock.  The amount of time (in seconds) between when the timer was activated and when it stopped is the ET figure on the timeslip.

Shutdown Area

     Beyond the finish line is the shutdown area, approximately a quarter-mile or so in length, where you can safely slow the car down to take the turnout that will take you to the timeslip booth (ET booth).  Please note that we have three turnouts in the shutdown area, if you miss one, go to the next, DO NOT TURN AROUND ON THE TRACK.  If something goes wrong and you can't stop the car, we have a sand trap set up at the end of the shutdown to help stop you.

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The Tree

     Getting a good reaction time at the starting line ( better known as cutting a light ) all starts with the Christmas Tree.  A "good light" will give you a big advantage over your opponent, especially if you are running the slower car.

     In simple terms, the Tree is a set of vertical lights that gives the driver a visual countdown to the start of a race.

Pre-Stage Indicator Lights

     Round yellow bulbs that warn you when you are getting close to the starting line and the "staged" (ready to race) position.

Stage Indicator Lights

     Second set of round yellow bulbs that tell you when you are on the starting line and ready to race.  The bulbs light up when the front wheels of the car cross a beam of light that goes to a set of photo cells.  These cells trigger the timer when the car leaves the light beam.

Countdown Lights

     Round amber (yellow) floodlights that count down to the green "go" light.  There are two types of countdowns, or starts.  The pro start flashes all three lights simultaneously, with a .400 second difference between the amber and green lights.  This is called a Pro Tree or .400 Tree.  The bracket start flashes on light at a time with a .500 second difference between the last amber and the green light.  This is known as a .500 Tree, Sportsman Tree, or Full Tree.

Green Light

     This is the one you're waiting for.  When the green light flashes, it means you're free to mash the gas pedal and make a run.  This is called the launch.

Red  Light

     If this bottom bulb flashes, you're out.  The red light will go off when you leave the starting line before the green light is activated, resulting in a disqualification.  Known as redlighting, this action automatically gives the win to your opponent.

     Most drivers, try to begin their launch just as the last of the three amber lights goes off.  That puts the car in motion when the green light activates.  This is where most bracket races are won or lost, so time practicing your staging and launching techniques is time well spent.

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The Timeslip

     After you make a run, the guy in the little booth (ET booth) after the turnout at the end of the track, will hand you a piece of paper with numbers all over it.  This paper is called the timeslip.

      The timeslip provides a wealth of information about a run.  It tells you how well you launched, how quick and fast you went at various points on the track, and what your final ET and mile per hour were.  And if you were drag racing an opponent, the timeslip tells you how he did, also.

Lane

      Shows which lane you ran in.

Car Number

      Cars are assigned a number and marked on windows.

Dial-In

      This is the elapsed time you think your car will run.

Reaction Time

      This tells you how quickly you reacted to the green light on the Christmas Tree.  If running a Full Tree, it is set as .500 second.  You want your RT to be at or as close to .500 as possible.  If you react faster than that, you've just redlighted.

60, 330, 660, 1,000 ET, and MPH Times

      These figures give you elapsed times at the 60 foot, 330 foot, 660 foot (1/8 mile), and 1,000 foot marks.  You also get the mile per hour figure.

1/4 and MPH Quarter Mile ET and MPH

      These are your finishing elapsed time and mile per hour numbers.  When it comes to bragging rights, these are the ones that count.