Re: Top End Tactics
 

I used to have my brake lights hooked to a button on the steering wheel. Every once in a while I`d hit it just before the speed light,some let me go,some didn`t.

Re: Top End Tactics
 

Michael, very well said. I don't get to race a whole lot maybe 6-8 weekends in a year. I joined Luke's site a couple years ago and it is an unbelievable wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. I know in the first year I joined my approach and success changed dramatically. I'd had some success up to that point but after spending time there I've been able to regularly put together better runs with more success in my limited seat time. We also are lucky enough to have Scotty doing a class in our area this year and I fully plan on attending that as well. The money spent here is every bit as important as the money spent on a new converter or transmission or any other part to the car. You don't have to employ all the tactics that are discussed and used, but it does give you more options and also allows you to recognize and diagnose things more quickly as it's happening.

Rick Ryan

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Maybe we could get them Lang boys to give up some top end secrets?

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I'm new to this stuff. Whats this thing called DIAL-IN you guys are talking about. I'm trying to learn this class racing thing. I read alot on this board and I'm trying to understand this technique.
Is it something similar to what those scum bag Bracket racers do?

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We need a smilie that rolls its eyes. This is rediculous.

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Chad,
You know it made you laugh.
Chip

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works every time

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x2

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U go .009 on da tree n 10.909 on a 10.90 dial flat footin it. I go .010 on da tree n take .006 thou ridin ya. So your theory of cut da lite n run da number is flawed at best...Just sayin!!

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I'm trying to figure out how any of these guys have ever lost a race. It looks like it doesn't matter what the other guys do they have an answer for them. There was an article in the national dragster a few years ago and in that article it said that if you have a dial on your car that allows you to run it right out the back door, then you have the wrong dial in on your car, and I agree with that statement. So with all this cutting a light and running your number, when was the last time any of you have lost a race?
Chuck

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Everyone can say they will cut a .010 light and take .006 stripe but not even the best of the best do that on a consistent basis in a stocker.

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No one does that on a consistent basis in any class, but I do believe it would be much harder to do in stock. Wouldn't be easy in super stock either, but with a button it would help it some.
Chuck

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And you are rolling the "DICE" if you think you can do that everytime..............

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My point is that if i leave with you on the tree and you are running above your number out the door, odds are i'm gonna send you to the cooler. 10.909 on a 10.90 is dead slow if thats all you got. I highly recommend listening to Mr. Beards advice. My driver averages 50 passes per week-end 9 months of the year every year. Sometimes more. Get out to your local track n race before you hit the road. Practice does make some drivers pretty close to perfect. Trust me!!

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Dice,
I'm calling BS on the 50 per week 9 months a year. Thats 1800 passes a year. Who is your driver?
I would say Nobody makes that many. I normally put out anywhere from 500-800 a year and I race a good bit.

I do agree maybe some of these racers need to get out more but that would require BRACKET RACING.

2 sides to Top End Tactics. I had a well known racer tell me I was to predictable. I would cut a good light and depend on my car to run the Number. I learned from that statement. I may now be holding or I may not Do ya feel Lucky?

Chip Johnson

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I have been following this thread "Top End Tactics" trying to pick up some pointers,and have yet to see any tips on what to do when you are in a "Heads Up" race with NO breakout and your opponent is ahead of you?

What should you do in that situation?

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hit the nos at 1000ft.......oops, was that a secret?
I mean...push the pedal harder...

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442,
In that situation you go to the bank get more money. It may help next time.
In some situations you may have an outdated combo with No hopes of spending enough money to catch up. When that happens you buy more shoe polish, and head in a different direction.
Chip

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X2 - almost BS to the BS

Well - I doubted that as well and not to start anything but at 14 rounds a race (2 classes 7 rounds) it would be 35 races for the 500 number - I guess some weekends there could be two

The 800 number would 57

Hell we are lucky to do 15 races a year with school, jobs, travel time, costs, etc.

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What would your driver do if his car (to run the number) was 60 mph faster (plus giving the car 4+ seconds) than the car in the other lane to run the number? Do you think he could take 6 inches or a foot of stripe?

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My driver is my son. He has won multiple divisonal championships in nhra super street. Now is a multiple champion in nhra brackets. All i'm sayin is if there is a race to run friday saturday or sunday he is double entered and going rounds. He will take .006 thou stripe and make racers who run .009 slow look very very bad!! Luke and scotty do tha same on a weekly basis...just sayin...

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I'm not sure Slate could do that consistently. LOL

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I know why you reference the 10.90 et now.

Driving in Super Street, you have the luxury of knowing if you opponent was late or not because you both leave at the same time. Try leaving 1.32, maybe even 3.32 seconds before or after your opponent, it's not so easy to judge what kind of a light your opponent had. Trust me, if you leave 3.32 seconds after me, you are not "gona hang a fender on me and ride me all the way down".

I am going to guess that just like Super Street, you run your throttle stop in brackets as well. Stock and Super Stock do not have throttle stops.

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Dial up .5? :)


-Toby

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This is a subject that is really easy to overthink. Think about it too much, and you will lose.

A wise ex-Super Stock racer once told me "It's easy, just cut a .500 light and run exactly what you dial. You will win every time!"

There you go! Haha!

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Dice,
You still did'nt answer the question.
Chip Johnson

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This is funny maybe i can do the I have a DREAM speach on how to race another racer?

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From people I know, if they horn toot about packing numbers they usually dont.. Usually the guy that doesnt say anything is the guy that knows the game..

Do what works for you dont try to follow the leader.. I know some guys that dial there stuff and win regularly, and I know guys that go .20's in time runs and never dial faster than a .35 in eliminations and win regularly..

Chip I would do what you do it apparently works you win on a regular basis!

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I agree with what Dice is saying. The "cut a light and run your number" isn't an instant win against some of the really good drivers. It's much more difficult to win in any class these days, so the driver's theory is to set up real tight on the tree and make it close at the other end. So in theory, if you cut a light like a .007 and run dead on 7 you have a real nice .014 package. But when the black and decker tree wreckers like Biondo or Bertozzi leave with a .005, they have .009 to get in on you and they are good enough drivers to do that on a regular basis. They don't do it everytime, but these strategies dramatically improve their odds of the win light coming on. They are risking a red light and risk giving it back on the other end, but they are racing to win, not playing it safe so they won't lose.

Also, the more you practice hitting the tree that hard and driving the stripe that hard, the better at it you get.

Manny Sousa

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Manny's dead-on.

It's more likely that the top tier drivers are going to be .007 take 7 than it is for Joe Average to to be .007 dead-on 7. It's more likely for a top tier driver playing dialer to be .007 dead-on 7 than it is for Joe Average trying to hold and be .007 take 7. Regardless of strategy, the game still favors the better driver statistically. Does the little guy throw out a great package sometimes and beat them? Absolutely. It happens. What's the percentage chance of that happening? Does the top tier driver give one away sometimes? Absolutely. It happens. What's the percentage chance of that happening?

Increasing your knowledge base will improve your chances... regardless of what your skill level is now. Any of the schools, live or online, are probably cheaper than the next .03 you find in your car. Learn the skills that will turn on a few more win lights, and you'll make more money, which you can *then* go buy the latest go-fast parts with!



50 passes in a weekend = double-entered and run yourself in the finals every day, Fri-Sat-Sun. :rolleyes: Although obviously exaggerated, there is a lesson to be taken from it... seat time is invaluable. It's going to be tougher for anyone to race 8-12 times a year and be competitive against someone running 37 weekends a year, many of which include multiple races and/or entries.

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LOL! I was going to reply with that.

Or shoot the other car with the Maxwell Smart Electrical Nullifyer gun. Just hide it good.

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When I take my kids to a carnival, those carny's sure make that ring toss look like a piece of cake. I can spend a $100 on ring toss with my 4 kids and not one of us will make one land on a coke bottle. The carny's do it day in, day out. The odds are decidedly in their favor.
Exactly why a professional, full-time "this is my life" racer racing against sportsman, part-time, "I have a job outside of the race track" will always have the upper hand.

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Pretty much says it all there.

The package closest to perfect will ALWAYS win ... regardless of games that are played.

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One word: IMPLEMENTATION.

Everyone knows what the goal is. The trick is accomplishing it, consistently and repeatedly. Even the guy that doesn't get to race often enough can improve his driving. If you don't try to improve, you probably won't.

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Dont get seduced by whos in the other lane that when you mess up

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This.

A former world champ told me something recently that makes sense. I've had a string of going -.00something red 1st round last year. He told me "treat first round like another qualifying pass". Now that's not exactly true, but the point is, don't get amped up.

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Right on .Thats me! For once I wanna be a "carny"- just not crazy about smelling like cabbage.

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The best advice I ever got was from the late Jim Harrington. He told me to stick a piece of tape inside the door on both sides in the same place about a foot and a half behind the front wheel....if you are chasing someone and get the stripe beyond their front tire...it's time to tap tap tap it in....if you are being chased, discretion must be used of course but if the vehicle reaches that tape, of course, you need to keep that pedal exactly where it is. If they do not reach that tape, then you need to give him back until you can get that taped line about even with his front tire. Something simple and easy that is remarkably easy to duplicate and achieve consistent results from. (and just for the record, i don't believe in that whole hold a half a second and ride the fender...too much chance. leave 3-5 hundreths padding for yourself and ride her til she bucks ya!)

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All this talk and no Texas Twister?

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This ^^^^^^^ !!!!!!!!!!