Good or Bad Idea
 

Wayyy back when handicap racing used to be a 5 yellows then the green, than switched to a 3 yellow and a green.

Would it be a good or bad idea to switch to: 1 Yellow than the Green.

Might cut down on Red Lights.....

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Essentially a pro tree. No problem here.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Run your car in Super Street one time, see how you like that tree. That is a .5 pro lite, just what you are describing.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

we use to run one yellow and green back in the old AHRA & IHRA days. Who all remembers those day?

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Well, it would do away with pretty much every Stocker from O or P on down.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

The guys that are using a blinder are used to that scenario. That's how I race.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Except the stick shift cars. :D

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Or the 77 T/SA Gremlin which cuts decent lights when blocking.....might just be a special car.

Eric

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

hello, yes I remember those days. If I remember correctly, AHRA was .30
tree. deep staging was allowed. other wise you were very late!!!!
this was before trans brakes were invented. also, when super gas first came out, a stick car was beating up on automatics, some one invented trans brakes. leveled playing field.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

A far more serious problem is the insanity of continuing a “first” red light system in handicapped races.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

I remember first day of 1987 season at Mt.Park Dragway, George Poynter who was the announcer there and at Bluegrass Dragway from the sixties till it closed, said Gene Barker who was track operator had needed some firewood that winter and now the tree just has 3 ambers instead of five.LOL

It ain't broke don't fix it.
Mike Taylor 3601

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Oh geez,not AGAIN! That dead horse has been beaten so badly it can't even been made into dog food.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

X-512...John

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Why would you want to take away more from the slower cars? There are very few left now.
If you want to do something constructive, you could lobby to bring back deep staging.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Why not do both? Tilt the process towards it being a driver's race more than a mechanics race at the starting line. Make it possible to adjust the mechanics in the driver-car to have the same level of difficulty to produce reaction time regardless of the car.


Then do away with reaction timers.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Or, just go back to a flag.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

10-4 on the flag

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Okay...I'd trade top two ambers for deep staging.

That's the point of it anyway.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

OK how's about this? It would take a real long track to do it. Both cars stage opposite each other,that's 2,640 feet apart, facing each other. They both race to the finish line. No having to turn your head 180 degrees (that will help the slow guys).Of course you'll have to move the timing boards and have an extra starter. Now that would make things interesting
What do you think Billy?.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

I would'nt mind seeing both cars leave at the same time...that would take care of the first red scenario. Put a dial on each car and the best package wins...that would force all to dial honestly and eliminate excessive braking and eight second cars coming up from behind thirteen second cars at the stripe. ;)

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Only if both cars are in the same lane!

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If we're going to start racing for a best package then why go to the Event? Just go to your local track, make a few runs and phone-in your results. No traveling expenses, I win!

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

That could start a trend for some sports! Imagine no more Masters event; golfers just go to their local course, shoot a few rounds, phone in the results. Think that would work? Or remote competition for track and field. Or the Kentucky Derby!!! Naah . . . .

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I really can't see the negatives with my premise. You still have the normal heads up racing when paired with like cars. All the negatives are stacked against a lower class car when paired with a higher class entry. I know it would be a rather radical departure from what it has become over the years, but I would like some specifics on why it is totally unacceptable. This would even work at the local bracket racing level.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

No ambers, instant green. Start ET clock when light turns green. This way the playing field is level for all cars.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Not exactly...transbrake cars do have an edge on a Pro tree. I don't have a problem with the current tree as it is...would just like to see all cars leave at the same time.

Most of your spectators are at the tree and I guarantee they would not be more confused than they are already vs the current system. Another plus is you would not have very fast cars running up your backside down track...and no heavy braking with spinning vehicles past the stripe. Let's not forget no more loose harnesses so one can spin around in their seat to view what is coming up behind.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

If you start the ET clock when the light turns green you do not have a separate RT. The ET is the RT + ET. So there is no advantage to having a hard-leaving car.

Also, most new spectators believe the clock starts on green, not when the beams are broken.

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Regardless how it is instituted the transbrake is always going to be the quicker reacting to any given stimulus. The current set-up makes them "guess" just like we do footbraking...to a degree.

I used to could cut .000 lights in my dually tow truck leaving on the second amber. Would freak out many beside me seeing the truck move so soon lol.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

I could live with 2 ambers, one won't work for me, either the car or I'm to slow.

Jim Mantle V/SA 6632

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

I do, Joe, and when NASCAR went drag racing they had the same thing...they called it the "leavers Lose" system. First ran it at Atco then again when I moved to South Texas I ran it in the AHRA at old Alamo Drag Strip.

JimR

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Joe, we ran at Paris Tx strip for years with the .5 yellow Green pro tree. I pulled into a IHRA race (first National event @ Dallas International) and guess what tree they had. I was ready. Won the race & so much for the sticks not being able to run on it. My car was a 69 Z-28 Stick Ran NHRA F/S at the time. I like that tree.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

I would like to see both top yellows come on at the same time then start the handicap down.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

Think of a pro start with a handicap. You might blow up your
engine waiting for your light or you'll probably be late.
I did that back in the 1970 at the Grove at a either IHRA or
a AHRA Summer Nationals.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

I like the heads up pro start same class and heads
up pro start in class run off.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

That would be cool, pro start for class or a heads-up run, but then you have a conflict of having different trees to get used to.

I can understand the slower cars have a point; they probably need 2 yellows cause they can't leave hard enough to have a decent R.T.

Re: Good or Bad Idea
 

The slow cars are not that much slower for the first initial few feet if everything is work right.
My boy's O/SA-P/SA Aspen runs 1.5s 60 FT. that I ran at Pomona last week which is not all that much slower than a lot of the bracket cars at our local track. I did not notice a problem leaving on last Yellow on same
spot as my E/SA car that goes 1.3s

Jody Lang seems to do OK with a slower stocker.