Good Reaction

[69bananabeast]

What do you do to get a good reaction time?

[gsmopar]

 
Practice
Leave on the last yellow
Deep Stage
Slicks
Solid Engine Mounts
Ladder Bars

I'm sure there is a bunch more, but this is what I've tried so far.  Of course I still suck, but you may have better results!

Later,

Greg

[RD]

i freak out and try not to red light. hehe j/k

i get myself into a rhythm with the lights. i actually tap a finger on the steering to sync myself.  I split the light flash into quarters:  0=light not on, 1/4 initial flash, 1/2 full flash, 3/4 diminished flash and 1= light not on.

i know it sounds funky, but by dividing the lights on and off and with the rhythm of my finger, i can leave on the 3/4 side of the light every time.  i usually get a .560-.580 light everytime this way.

But I can almost guarantee it wont work for everyone.

[69bananabeast]

I've always been told to hit it when you see the third yellow . only been down track 3 times and had some bad reactions  1.30, 1.23, 1.35

[morepower]

those are pretty sucky times by both of you i range between .025-.200 depending on if im asleep or not...and i do not deep stage either.

[69bananabeast]

its impossible to get those times seeing as perfect is .500   

[morepower]

a perfect light is .000

[Troy]

Actually, .000, .400 (Pro) and .500 would be perfect depending on who you ask.
As we said earlier, a Full Tree counts down at half-second intervals. The cycle goes: Amber on, .500 second delay, amber off and next bulb on. In recent years, tracks everywhere are switching from the old ".500" perfect light tree to a ".000" perfect
http://competitionplus.com/2005_02_03/reaction_times.html

More info:
http://www.asmartin.com/b_react.htm
http://www.staginglight.com/guide/react.html

Troy

[RD]

those are pretty sucky times by both of you i range between .025-.200 depending on if im asleep or not...and i do not deep stage either.

so, if you are going off a .000 as perfect, then you are in between a .525 and .700 light in comparison to me.  Now who is sucky?   consistency gets wins and that is a big variable you have there.  Of course, I just bracket race.

[Jon Smith]

on a sportsman tree I go on green for my first run of the day, then look at the reaction and work back from there the lights are at half second intervals
on a pro tree i Go when I see the yellows and its still usually pretty bad

[Runner]

nhra is moving more towards a .000 being considered a perfect light, however it really depends on the track that you race at weather its .000 or .500.    i think the move to a .000 perfect light is to help the mathmatical challenged racers figure out there time slips.   

    i know several board members are from the spokane area and srp runs a .400 pro tree.   the nice thing about runnung on a pro tree is there are very little red lights, the downside is it is very hard to get a mid 12 second b body out of the beams as fast as you can get say a high 9 second transbrake car out.  i have a buddy that cuts ok at best lites in his street car but in his 9 second race car that yanks the tires out of the beams he can cut .040s on a protree.

    around here not many tracks alow people to deepstage, and honestly on a bracket tree you shouldnt need to.  the shallower you can stage the faster the car will be. however the most important part is to stage in the same spot every time.

   i have a small practice tree that i use. i have my moments at the tree that i can cut good lights like when i was in woodburn i cut a bunch of .016 or better lights, but then ive also cut some stinkers like .150   for me the best frame of mine is to be relaxed, not excited and not tired.  for me, id rather cut a .350 light than a red light,  i HATE redlighting.

[morepower]

i dont understand what any of that means....so my reaction time isnt actually .125 itwould be .625?

[RD]

i dont understand what any of that means....so my reaction time isnt actually .125 itwould be .625?

its .125 on a .000 tree and .625 on a .500 tree

[morepower]

how do know what kind of tree theyare using?

[69bananabeast]

if the rack you go to has a website it should show up there in the basic racing info or something of the sort

[Runner]

      there is no differeance in the way the trees come down, just how it shows up on your time slip. just the tech official

[Ghoste]

It's a case of when they call it.  NHRA used to list .500 as a perfect light to indicate that if you left less than a half second sooner, you'd have beat the light (remember the .5 between bulbs).  Most of the fans could not understand how you could redlight with a .499 so they just changed the way they call it.  Some tracks still use the .5 terminology and some are using the .000 but the result is the same and consistency is still the name of the game.

[69fuchs]

I am not a pro racer,but I have the answer to the numbers question.   The tree changed from regular light bulbs to LED bulbs, which is why .000 is perfect now. It used to be .500 because the old bulbs took that long to light up.   It was like learning all over again for me!!!

[Ghoste]

Are you sure?  I'm positive I saw some sort of press release from NHRA stating that it was to make it easier for the fans to understand.

[69fuchs]

like i said, I am not a pro, I race about 5 times a year.   I race at tri state raceway in earlville Ia, and last year they changed from regular bulbs to LED, and I was informed of the .000 r/t.   The LED lamps are very hard to get used to after years of regular lights. They do change quicker.   There could be more to it though, because I would think that nhra could have kept the delay in the LED lamps as well.  

[Ghoste]

Well, now it's got me wondering.  The LED thing makes sense too and it wouldn't be as though NHRA has never misled anyone before.  I'm going to ask around, somebody has the definitive answer.

[Headrope]

It's been a while. Here's what NHRA is telling folks via its Web site:

http://www.nhra.com/basics/basics.html
"Depending on the type of racing, all three large amber lights will flash simultaneously, followed four-tenths of a second later by the green light (called a Pro Tree), or the three bulbs will flash consecutively five-tenths of a second apart, followed five-tenths later by the green light (called a Sportsman, or full, Tree). "

http://www.nhra.com/basics/glossary.html
Full Tree: used in Competition, Super Stock, and Stock, for which a handicap starting system is used to equalize competition. The three amber bulbs on the Christmas Tree flash consecutively five-tenths of a second apart, followed five-tenths later by the green starting light. A perfect reaction time on a full Tree is .500.

http://www.nhra.com/basics/glossary.html
Pro Tree: used in Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, Pro Stock Motorcycle, Top Alcohol Dragster, Top Alcohol Funny Car, Super Comp, Super Gas, and Super Street, which feature heads-up competition. All three large amber lights on the Christmas Tree flash simultaneously, followed four-tenths of a second later by the green starting light.