Race season continues in many parts of the country, and many new 350Z drivers will be taking their cars to the track for the first time. This is a primer on the different types of races and not meant to be compressive or provide advice.


Test & Tune: A popular type of practice that's not a true race. The objective is for new racers to “see what their car can do” or for drivers to gage the effects of new modifications. The time slip above is from a test & tune run. Notice that there is no WIN marked on the slip.


Summit ET or eliminations or handicap race: The most popular type of racing because it allows two cars of varying capabilities to compete on equal ground. Each car selects a dial-in, and writes their estimated ET on the windshield. The difference between the dial-ins is essentially a handicap for the faster car. Half the cars are eliminated in the first round, half in the second and so on until there is one winner remaining. An example is the time slip above. Car 602 selects a dial-in of 13.85 seconds, while car 1782 selects 15.70 seconds. The count down on the Christmas tree begins first for car 1782: 1.85 seconds before car 602. The car that crosses the finish line first wins.

Heads-up or grudge match: There is no dial-in. Both cars get the green light at the same time and the one which crosses the finish line first wins. Comp-u-link automatically sets the dial-in for both cars to 0.0 seconds.

Quick-8 or Quick-16: The objective is to select the fastest cars in a particular class, then have them compete heads-up against one another. There are usually 2 trial runs where each car is given the best of the 2 ETs. Then the cars are ordered by ET with the fastest 16 selected. The ET that is required to compete in Quick-16 is called the bump: if you make the bump - you race. The 16 cars are matched against one another using a NHRA ladder. This may seem a bit unusual, but the fastest car is matched against the slowest. Racers compete until one car remains: there is no dial-in. Usually the tree is a pro rather than a sportsman: instead of the usual 3 amber lights with 0.5 seconds between each light, the pro tree will light the 3 amber lights at the same time.

Some of this stuff might sound a bit confusing, but when you do it 2 or 3 times its pretty easy to understand. Have fun and race safe.

 

also, as shown above on test and tune nights, they SHOULD have the air temp and humd. but that track sucks and there sensors are broken or something and its not on the slip

 

LOL. I just go over to one of the dragster trailers and ask a crew member about the weather. They have more weather information than the weatherman.

 

going in a straight line isnt alot of fun... i will stick to my "touge"