Andrew_Bettencourt@kingston.com wrote:
> The whole point I'm trying to make to the experienced drag racers is that
> it really isn't a similar experience (having done both).
On the contrary, having drag raced off and on for about 10 years, it's damn near
identical. The only big difference is that ProSolo doesn't give you a reaction
time, so the only source of positive information you get for tuning your light
is the redlight.
In other words, pick your launch trigger, and stage progressively deeper until
you redlight, then go back to as deep as the previous green run. If you have
trouble finding how deep that spot is, pick another, earlier, tree event as the
launch trigger and start all over again.
I had an old Chevelle Laguna that had a VRT you could measure with a calendar.
My stage procedure (for drag racing) wound up being staging just when the
pre-stage light would go out, and leaving as the second-last yellow went out. It
needed to be that deep and that early to get a decent light out of it.
Mind you, it hurt the ET a couple of tenths, but in bracket racing raw ET
doesn't matter - hitting your dialin and minimizing reaction time does.
Now in a heads-up race like the qualifying rounds in ProSolo, deep-staging
probably isn't worth the loss of the "running start" that shallow staging gives
you, so I'd expect stage points to remain fairly shallow as an average -
although the length of the front straight plays into this. Shallow staging is
worth more as the front straight gets longer, and worth less as the straight
gets shorter.
However, time lost at the light is gone forever, and I suspect there's a LOT of
time being thrown away at the lights. I started off as a V8 musclecar drag
racer, so I got taught how to stage by the old fart drag racer guys. When I go
to Import drag races, those kids didn't have the old farts around to teach them
the ropes, and they suck. Your average riceboy Honda Civic Type R (heh) driver
cuts a .800 light and calls it a good day. I suspect that - especially with no
reaction timer to ever show the difference - that most ProSolo folks with no
drag race experience are in the same boat.
I actually soft-pedal my lights a bit at ProSolos to keep away from redlighting
(that "no reaction timer" thing again), and I figure I'm cutting .600-ish
lights. That gives me a .2 second head start, on average, if my assumptions are
correct.
Lord knows I need it. ;)
> what detracts from Pro Solo is that I could have a faster run that
> Erik Strelnieks but he could get back before me because he cut a better
> light.
Nahh, what detracts from ProSolo is that I can absolutely crush someone on the
tree, and still lose. :P
I wish there was a cash prize for the fastest practice start on Friday night. I
might actually make a little money this year. ;)
> Getting back to the original thread, the PS light is necessary in Drag
> Racing, it is only a convenience in Pro Solo.
I disagree, the pre-stage lights are another tool - you just need to know how to
use them.
DG
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