Drag Racing 101: Dragstrip Etiquette

This is for informational purposes only, rules take presidence!!!!

Staging Lanes

1. Make sure you get in the right staging lane, and make sure that you don’t attempt to run in a class where your car would not be appropriate. Ask if you are unsure.

2. Don’t pass/go around cars in the staging lanes unless he motions you around.

Burnouts

1. Don’t start your burnout until directed by an official. He’ll usually give you some sort of hand signal. Also make sure you are all the way on the track and facing directly forwards.

2. Don’t do burnouts in the water with treaded street tires. Water gets into the treads and tracks all the way to the starting line. This makes the drivers with slicks very angry. It won’t help you’re 1/8 mile times either.

3. Don’t do a John Force-style burnout (i.e. spinning the tires through and past the starting line, forcing you to back up) unless you don’t have any front brakes and/or you are John Force.

Courtesy Staging

1. Some tracks employ a Courtesy Staging rule, at the MSHS Courtesy Staging is enforced. This means that the first car into the staging beams should light only the pre-stage light. When the second car is is pre-staged, then either of you can move up slightly into the staging lights.

Index and Bracket

1. If you are Index/bracket racing, don’t lock up your brakes at the end of the track in an attempt to not “break out”. Locking ’em up at this speed could be very dangerous. This isn’t an issue for test-n-tune nights, but be sure you leave plenty of room to brake at the end of the track without doing a massive ABS stop.

2. Make sure your numbers and Index/dial-in are visible from the tower.

Have fun, and if you have a question, ask a fellow racer or MSHS team member… Dan LOVES questions.

MSHS Staging Etiquette