I have been trying to figure out the difference in 1/4 mile times vs. the speed someone finishes it in. Imagine this scenario: two guys go to the drag strip in identical cars and race each other. Guy 1 gets a time of 13.8, with a speed of 99mph, and Guy 2 gets a time of 14.1 with a speed of 102mph. How does this work? I have seen people post timeslips showing results like this scenario. Two guys, same distance, longer time = faster?? The latest one I saw Guy 2 had a slower 60' time, slower 1/8 mile time, slower 1/4 mile time, but a faster speed than Guy 1. And I have seen different people run 14 second 1/4 miles, and trap speeds anywhere between 98 and 102mph. Doesn't that defy the definition of time/distance = speed?

Thanks for all of your replies

 

basically your time is very dependant on your launch. think of it this way, the lght can turn green and you can sit there as longas you want, for lets say 30 seconds. then you run and your trap is 102mph, but your time is 45 seconds.

The time is how fast you covered a distance, and its dependant on launch. the et is more reflective of the power your car has, and its pretty much an averagd of how fast you were traveling at the end point of the 1/4 mile. lets say 2 cars raced one got 13.9@100 another got 13.9@107, the car doing 107 is blowing the 100 guy away. so its really a faster carm h just didnt get good traction, or has other problems.

 

Up to a certain point, I would say;

Trap = Power
E.T. = Excecution

 

Ok, next dumb question; what's the difference between an ET (extra terrestrial?) and a trap?

 

Elapsed Time (E.T.) is the time it takes your car to go the length of the 1/4 mile track. It starts when your car trips the staging lights and ends at the last point of trap.

Trap Speed is the time it take your car to pass through two points near the end of the track. (A Trap) Then that time is translated into miles per hour.

 

You could sit at the line for a full minute and still run a 13.9 E.T. @100mph. The E.T. doesn't change if you leave the line when the light turns green or wait for a minute. The timing of your run doesn't start until you leave the line.

Contrary to many people's beliefs....reaction time does NOT affect E.T.

 

More people need to read this post!!

 

Also contrary to many people's beliefs, the 1/4 mile is not about speed, how fast you are going when you cross that line is irrevelant whether you are going 1 mph or 1000 mph. Its all about how QUICK you are.

1/4 Drag Racing is ONLY about TIME and MPH does not have a direct bearing on the outcome.

Of course the MPH does tell a story but the fastest is not necessarily the quickest and way too much attention is given to speed when folks should be spending more time concentrating on improving their ET.

This is akin to the argument about HP vs Torque, for a primer read this. http://vettenet.org/torquehp.html

 

Well, I think I understand, let me put this out and see if I have it right. You get two guys who have identical driving skills. You give one a Subar WRX, and the other a Honda S2000. The Subaru has all wheel drive and 225hp, the Honda is RWD and has 240hp. Because of its AWD, the Subaru gets an excellent 60' time, and does well in the 1/4 mile, say 13.8 The Honda doesn't launch as well because of it's RWD, but towards the end of the race it's peaky engine pulls hard and at the very last part gets a higher speed, but a longer time, 14.0.

Logically, if you stretched the race out to 1/2 mile, the Honda would walk all over the WRX, which can't keep pulling at high speed. So it seems that whoever can accelerate hard at the beginning, and keep accelerating well at the end will get the best time, compared to someone who can accelerate hard not at low speed but at high speeds, who will get a faster speed. Do I have it?

 

Not a lot of people go to the track around here... lol
This is something you learn on day one...maybe two if you don't have friends with you.

Trap speed is your speed at the end of the race.
ET is how long it took you to go 1/4 mile.
If you spin your tires a little too much your trap speed will increase.
If you spin them too much your ET and Trap will decrease.
Many factors come into play when racing.
Launch is the NUMBER ONE factor to master...then switching gears fast and smoothly. (at the right time as well)

 

In a nut shell...