wadragracing
11-10-2007, 05:32 PM
With the Hi Tech Titles series coming up I thought I would give you guys this guide. Hope none of you beat me now haha.
How to DYO Drag Race
DYO (dial your own) is the most common form of handicapping in drag racing and the one most racers will experience. It is a way of combining many cars of different performance levels together.
Heads up drag races are the purest form, but an obvious winner is no fun for anyone.
DYO puts the focus more on the driver and the consistency of the car.
A quick time is not necessary, but in a nod of the head to the origins of the sport, it does give you an advantage.
OK so here's the how to.
A successful event starts in qualifying. If you intend on winning the event, then qualify as you will race. Personally I have an auto and I don't stall it up when I am racing at Fast Fridays or in eliminations because it is less consistant. It's about half a second slower (13.1 vs 13.5) but consistency is the aim of the game.
By qualifying the car in the same way you will race it in eliminations you can get an idea of what your car will run, which brings us to the next stage, dial ins.
A dial in is the time which you nominate to the bracket marshal to be your handicap. It is a time you think your vehicle will run. The aim is to get as close to your dial in time as possible, without going under it. If you go under you lose, unless the other car has red lighted, or has gone under their dial in by more.
Dialling in is an art in itself and is an important part of race strategy.
Let's say I run 13.50, 13.55 and 13.57 in qualifying.
Dial in based on your race strategy. If you want to be able to race the whole way through without backing off, then dial in "soft", for example with a 13.40 or a 13.45 dial in. If you want to race tight with maybe a need to back off the pedal, then dial in 13.55 perhaps.
This then all relates to tactics. The competition between drivers starts on the startline with reaction times. We've covered how to get a good reaction time before and it is vital if you are to have a chance at winning.
For example, if I have a .050 reaction time to my competitor's .200 this gives me a .150 advantage. This means when we get to the other end of the track, I will have enough of a lead that I can afford to perhaps back off the throttle to make sure I don't go under my dial in, whereas my competitor will have to chase hard all the way through, and possibly break out.
Finish line tactics can be just as important. You need to monitor where your competitor is in relation to you and judge whether you can afford to back off the throttle or not. If you have a big lead, then back off the throttle before the finish line, reducing the lead as much as you think is safe. Remember not to back off too much or your competitor could come flying past you and beat you to the finish line. Good racers will know exactly how much they can back off, even in tight races.
If you win the race then it is back to the staging lanes. You can change your dial in if you wish, just find one of the officials with some shoe white. Study up on your incremental times, especially 660 and 1000ft. Compare these to your earlier qualifying runs. If I ran a 9.00 660ft figure in qualifying with a 13.50 1/4 mile time, then I ran a 9.02 660ft time in eliminations but backed off, I would estimate this to about a 13.52. This gives you valuable information on how your car is performing in changing conditions and gives you an indication on if you need to add more time to your dial in or maybe take some off.
Vital Tips:
- Stay with your car in the staging lanes, especially after your last qualifier.
- Adjust your mirrors if you are the car being chased so you can see the opposite lane.
- Make sure you have good vision around your car to keep an eye on your competitor.
Anymore questions don't hesitate to ask!
How to DYO Drag Race
DYO (dial your own) is the most common form of handicapping in drag racing and the one most racers will experience. It is a way of combining many cars of different performance levels together.
Heads up drag races are the purest form, but an obvious winner is no fun for anyone.
DYO puts the focus more on the driver and the consistency of the car.
A quick time is not necessary, but in a nod of the head to the origins of the sport, it does give you an advantage.
OK so here's the how to.
A successful event starts in qualifying. If you intend on winning the event, then qualify as you will race. Personally I have an auto and I don't stall it up when I am racing at Fast Fridays or in eliminations because it is less consistant. It's about half a second slower (13.1 vs 13.5) but consistency is the aim of the game.
By qualifying the car in the same way you will race it in eliminations you can get an idea of what your car will run, which brings us to the next stage, dial ins.
A dial in is the time which you nominate to the bracket marshal to be your handicap. It is a time you think your vehicle will run. The aim is to get as close to your dial in time as possible, without going under it. If you go under you lose, unless the other car has red lighted, or has gone under their dial in by more.
Dialling in is an art in itself and is an important part of race strategy.
Let's say I run 13.50, 13.55 and 13.57 in qualifying.
Dial in based on your race strategy. If you want to be able to race the whole way through without backing off, then dial in "soft", for example with a 13.40 or a 13.45 dial in. If you want to race tight with maybe a need to back off the pedal, then dial in 13.55 perhaps.
This then all relates to tactics. The competition between drivers starts on the startline with reaction times. We've covered how to get a good reaction time before and it is vital if you are to have a chance at winning.
For example, if I have a .050 reaction time to my competitor's .200 this gives me a .150 advantage. This means when we get to the other end of the track, I will have enough of a lead that I can afford to perhaps back off the throttle to make sure I don't go under my dial in, whereas my competitor will have to chase hard all the way through, and possibly break out.
Finish line tactics can be just as important. You need to monitor where your competitor is in relation to you and judge whether you can afford to back off the throttle or not. If you have a big lead, then back off the throttle before the finish line, reducing the lead as much as you think is safe. Remember not to back off too much or your competitor could come flying past you and beat you to the finish line. Good racers will know exactly how much they can back off, even in tight races.
If you win the race then it is back to the staging lanes. You can change your dial in if you wish, just find one of the officials with some shoe white. Study up on your incremental times, especially 660 and 1000ft. Compare these to your earlier qualifying runs. If I ran a 9.00 660ft figure in qualifying with a 13.50 1/4 mile time, then I ran a 9.02 660ft time in eliminations but backed off, I would estimate this to about a 13.52. This gives you valuable information on how your car is performing in changing conditions and gives you an indication on if you need to add more time to your dial in or maybe take some off.
Vital Tips:
- Stay with your car in the staging lanes, especially after your last qualifier.
- Adjust your mirrors if you are the car being chased so you can see the opposite lane.
- Make sure you have good vision around your car to keep an eye on your competitor.
Anymore questions don't hesitate to ask!