Well ive always liked circle track and drag racing but i think i would rather drag race. At the place i work the one tech has been racing since the 60's and hes basically going to mentor me. My 68 should be done some time in July(well not done but atleast primered and driveable). Im not putting any cage or anything in it but im going to bracket race. Any advice from anybody here who does this is appreciated. I cant wait to start racing!

alex-68

My advice, once you start be prepared to become addicted! :thumbsup:
I love all forms of racing but have always been a drag racer, it was easy to get started and immediately I was addicted. I have drag raced since I was 16 and was into it before then (and all car related and non car related racing for that matter). Feel free to ask any questions and I and the many others that drag race on here will be glad to help, not to mention guys at the track, it's really like a big community that competes relentlessly against each other and will help wrench on your car to help you make the next round even if it's against them. :beers:

good luck with that:D

Angel...

l:) He said " Drag Racing" not getting into " Racing In Drag " l:)

Kev

Double Sean's views from me.
Consistency is the key.
One bit of advice is safety - yours and others is important not only on your car, but other actions about and around the car.
Being consistent.
Take the trip around the car - check everything.
Being consistent.
Watch others - their mistakes and triumphs.
Being consistent.
Relax and don't tense your body. It is proven a person with tensed muscles awaiting to do an action is slower in reaction than same person with relaxed muscles.

Just some of them. Good luck,
Did I mention being consistent?

First of all remember to have fun. I've been bracket racing for 18 years now & i've seen plenty of guys get all p---ed off on a sunday afternoon yelling at the wife & kids if things aren't working right for them. I use it as a stress release. As it was said before being consistent is the main thing in this type of racing. It will take a couple of races to get yourself & your car dailed in. Good luck & remember have fun with it.

Set a budget then be prepared to go over it. Not unlike restoring them.
You will get hooked and want to go faster as you go. I started out building a 12.0 street car and by the time it was finished was going 10.0. That motor blew up this year and my wife says I am like a drug addict looking for a fix.
Looking to go 9.3 this year with a new motor and the car is more strip than street now.
The new motor will require race fuel so the street driving will be short trips to the cruises and track and not alot of cruising.
It is very much a adrenaline high!
Good luck and above all have fun with it!

I've been messing with my car for a while trying to make it into a consistant racer. The "car" works great as I ran 12.08, 12.12, 12.10 & 12.11 this past Saturday at my first bracket race....The "operator" is not so great as my reaction times were not very good or consistant.

So...in the end it doesn't matter how fast your car is only that the car and the operator are consistant (as everyone has stated). So...build your car to be as fast as you want it, then work on making it (and you) consistant.

For me I wanted a car that I could drive anywhere on the street and also race when I wanted to. You have to figure out what you want...a race car that you trailer to the track or a cruiser that you can take anywhere including the track.

One last thing....Speed = Money, how much do you want to spend?

good luck with that:D

Nice...:D

One thing Everett forgot to mention, consistency is important in drag racing.......;)
You can also get into index racing, which in my opinion is even more fun, you leave together and try to be the closest to the index (like 10.50 or 12.00 for instance) It's bracket racing without the delayed start. Most tracks have a group with an index class now it seems. But either way you go it's a blast :thumbsup:

One thing Everett forgot to mention, consistency is important in drag racing.......;)
You can also get into index racing, which in my opinion is even more fun, you leave together and try to be the closest to the index (like 10.50 or 12.00 for instance) It's bracket racing without the delayed start. Most tracks have a group with an index class now it seems. But either way you go it's a blast :thumbsup:
Index racing is what I do. The 10.0 class is the toughest gotta cut a good light on a pro tree and be the first to the stripe without going faster than 10.0 My car is pretty consistent its my reaction time that usually kills me!

Yeah index racing is the ticket in my opinion. It's heads up still like racing should be but not as expensive as full on heads up racing.
I have raced my Camaro in the index class with the group we race with, but the classes are 12.50 and 10.50, my car runs 11.40 and has no cage so I have to sandbag to a 12.50, it's ridicules but still fun. I wish they would make an 11.50 class. The 10.50 cars are usuallly separated by hundredths, reaction time is everything.
I'm also involved as crew with true heads up pro street racing (outlaw 10.5), which is how most my time is spent at the track. That is my idea of true drag racing but you need lots of cash to compete, my buddy has a lot tied up in the car and we are small fish in a big pond. Bottom line all racing is fun, but heads up is the way to go :thumbsup:

Good Luck Alex, and Dont worry if you break some parts and consistency does not come quickly, heck I have been racing since 70 and I still dont got it rite.
Little Story for you -

Back around 70 or so I was in a speed shop in Calgary buying a camshaft and the guy asked me what I intended to do with this big ( at the time ) Sig Erson camshaft. Well being a smart alec 17 year old kid, I proudly replied - "Going Drag Racing"
Well this guy was a old racer himself and when I went to pay for the camshaft he saw a $50 bill in my hand and told me that I should go flush that $50 down the toilet! I said "WHAT" are you crazy? He Replied - No , but if it bothers you to flush that $50 down the toilet, dont go Drag Racing. Years later and lots of broken parts later, I am still doing it, so I guess it must be addicting, and he was rite. . LOL.

Yep, you're right, I did forget to mention consistency is the key. My bad.........
But as said by others, and I agree, its for fun and a great stress reliever.

^^^ Good story and so true!^^^
$50 wont do much now days.

Ya i cant wait to do it.. I have always loved it. The old guy at work been racing forever and always bring in pictures of him racing GTO's and Firebirds(used to be a pontiac tech before he came to chevy in 2002) and has pictures of him with Jungle Jim and what not. He still races his brothers 67 camaro a few times a year. I just think it will be loads of fun. After i get my 68 done ill bracket race that until i can afford to build a Nova drag car or if i have the courage (or balls) enough to tear apart a first gen Camaro.

Just remember when you run brackets, you're racing yourself and not the car in the other lane. Best package wins(lowest reaction time and closest to dial). I did ok this year, but would like to improve in '09. I was lucky enough to get a jacket with a 5th place finish in the "Real Street" class at E-Town. http://www.racewaypark.com/main/points/real_street.htm

Im hoping to start out in a beginner class to race other cars. Hopefully i can whoop on some Mustangs this year!

No knitting at the tree Alex ...... that's the best advice I can give you :D

Well, Pittsburgh raceway park is close enough you should be able to run quite often.
Maybe we will meet up come summer, then we can both make ass's of ourself at the tree.

Yes Keystone is not far from me at all.. Yeah we can go up and make some runs. Hell when my car is done it should be able to run high 11's to mid 12's based on driver. Ill be happy to be able to get the car to do 15's this year ahaha