Safety Tips For Drag Racers
Safety Tips For Drag Racers – Speedway has compiled a number of frequently asked questions and answers to help you better understand the rules, safety and technical guidelines of drag racing and maximize your enjoyment at our facility. If the following still does not answer your questions, please contact Kevin Rowe via this email link.
The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) establishes rules for every type of vehicle that can run down the quarter mile. All NHRA member tracks must follow these safety guidelines. Each year, a new NHRA Rulebook is published with revisions and updates. Rulebooks are available at the track for $10, and are highly recommended for anyone interested in getting more involved or building a car.
Safety Tips For Drag Racers
The basic items required to pass tech inspection for the typical street car include good tires, battery tie-down, radiator overflow catch, operable neutral safety switch, seat belts, and a valid state driver’s license or competition license NHRA required. for all participants. Don’t forget to wear long pants, shoes, and a shirt!
The Brain Bucket: Understanding Helmet Ratings
The basic items required to pass tech inspection for the typical street car include good tires and brakes, battery tie-down, radiator overflow catch, active neutral safety switch, seat belts, no drips or leaks, and a genuine condition driver . license (permits are not allowed). Don’t forget to wear long pants, shoes, and a shirt! If you plan to race a truck, the bed must be cleaned. If your vehicle is faster than 13.99, you will need a 2015 or 2020 SNELL approved helmet.
Valid state driver’s license or NHRA competition license required. 2015 or 2020 SNELL approved helmet (no open face helmets allowed), denim or heavier pants, leather jacket, leather gloves, and leather boots that rise above the ankle. Fuel shut off, chain guard and trigger snapback are also required. If the bike runs faster than 10.99 or faster than 120 mph, additional requirements apply.
A helmet is one of the first safety items you may need to purchase. Any vehicle running faster than 13.99 seconds, and all motorcycles and dune buggy type cars, must have an approved helmet. Helmets must have a SNELL rating of 2015 or 2020, or newer as well as those with an SFI rating of 31.1A, 31.2A, 41.1A, or 41.2A. (SNELL 2015 helmets expire on 1/1/2027, SNELL 2020 helmets will expire on 1/1/2032).
If you remove the padding and material inside your helmet, there should be a sticker on the inside with a date on it. Typically the sticker is orange, yellow or brown. The sticker is placed in different places such as the back or on either side depending on the brand. If your helmet has a sticker that says M2000, M2005, SA2005, or SA2010 your helmet is expired and will NOT pass tech. Helmets are available for rent for $5.00 at the Coors Light Tech Building should a racer need to borrow one for an event. (SNELL 2015 helmets expire 1/1/2027, and SNELL 2020 helmets expire 1/1/2032). If your helmet says DOT, this means nothing and will NOT pass tech.
Drag Racing 101: Understanding The Basics Of 1320 Racing
NHRA allows the use of nitrous oxide in bracket classes. Check the track specific class rules to be sure, but in most cases you can use nitrous. Nitrous bottles must be vented outside the driver’s compartment if installed in the same compartment as the driver. All bottles must be stamped with a DOT rating – 1800 lbs.
The following is a list of the main items needed by ETs and specific speeds. This list is a guide, and we recommend consulting the current NHRA rulebook for specific details, specifications and diagrams. 13.99 seconds (8.59 1/8ths) Line Drive Link with approved Helmet slicks (Full face in open cars) SFI 3.2A/1 Jacket in vehicles with non-OEM nitrous oxide, turbo-chargers or superchargers 13.49 seconds (8.25 1/8th) Roll bar in convertibles SFI Seat belts in convertibles 11.99 seconds (7.49 1/8th) Steel Valve Stems Arm Limiters (open cars) 11.49 seconds (7.35 1/8th) SFI 1.1 or 1.2 Flywheel / Clutch SFI 6.1, 3.1, 3 or 6.1, 3.2 or Flywheel shield SFI approved jacket 3.2A/1 Roll bar SFI approved seat belts Loop Driveline with Full Leather street tires on M/C, ATV and Snowmobile @ 120 MPH 10.99 seconds (6.99 1/8ths) or Super Street SFI 4.1 Broadcast Shield, or at 135 mph Locking transmission dip tube Aftermarket axles and axle holders SFI Harmonic Balancer Roll Cage with replaced floor pans, or 135 mph – Window net required Ignition source on all bikes / snowmobile exceeding 135 mph 9.99 seconds (6.39 1/8th) or Super Gas Chassis Certification or 135 mph NHRA Competition License Jacket and pants SFI 3.2A/5 neck collar and gloves SFI 3.3/1 SFI 29.1 flex / 30.1 flexplate shield (AT cars) Full Face Meets Snell or SFI specifications helmet Parachute 150 mph
A minor release form is available at Tech Inspection for children aged 14-17. This statement will allow them to be in a restricted access area. The restricted access area is defined to start at the back of the tower and extend through the track and return road to the ET Slip Booth. He or she is only allowed in this area while supporting a car that is running at that time. After completing the supported run they must leave the restricted access area. Anyone under the age of 14 or children who do not have a Minor Exemption on file must remain seated INSIDE a towing vehicle or not enter the restricted areas. No one under the age of 16 is permitted to operate any vehicle (including but not limited to tow vehicles, motorcycles or 4-wheelers) anywhere or ride in/on a running vehicle.
Call our office at 303-697-6001 and ask for Kevin or to speak to someone about a technical question, or email them to Kevin Rowe.
Drag Race Tips To Have Great Experinace
Sunoco Shootout ParticipantsOctober 2, 2023 July Bracket Racing Bonus Program WinnersAugust 2, 2023 Ford Fun Car Show WinnersJuly 30, 2023 NHRA recently released new safety standards for late model vehicles, which has caused some confusion about what modifications are acceptable and those that prohibit exceptions. The 9.00 ET and 150 mph limits are allowed for 2014-and-newer vehicles due to the OEM safety gear. Any vehicle modifications that impair the operation of those factory supplied safety devices will immediately change the classification back to the 10.00 and/or 135 mph limits. This includes adding a roll bar or roll cage as side bars and other components may interfere with the use of the door/curtain airbag.
Click HERE for a breakdown of safety equipment for specific ET and MPH breakdowns. The quick reference chart is not a new or absolute guide to safety and is provided as a convenience. All the specific safety rules and requirements are listed in the NHRA rulebook and that is the ultimate guide.
All events under the sanctioning bodies NMRA Ford Nationals and NMCA Muscle Car Nationals use NHRA safety standards, including the new 9.00/150 mph limits. These directly affect many of the street and index car categories and will allow for an increase in participation. For any questions regarding any specific NMRA/NMCA safety standards or rules, please feel free to contact the tech team at [email protected] or [email protected] Chances are, if you’re a car enthusiast, you you have participated in at least one stoplight race (or more) in your lifetime. While it’s certainly frowned upon (don’t worry; we’re not here to school you on the legalities and pitfalls), you have other options, which is to do it legally at your local drag strip. It’s easy to forget how far drag racing has evolved in the 60+ years since the car-crazy ’50s started it all. The early drag strips were funded mainly by fraternal social groups, such as the Elks or the Lions as an answer to rampant street racing and all the trouble that was often the result. The aim was to get the speed obsessed kids off the streets and into a better and safer location where they could feed their compulsion without danger to the public. It worked, and drag racing became extremely popular. Car clubs now had a place to settle their beef and once the flag fell, loudmouths were forced to put up or shut up. And not much has changed. For the minority of you who have never tried drag racing, or know the rules involved, here’s a breakdown of how it works in our Drag Racing 101:
A drag race is a competition between two vehicles racing side by side in a straight line over a distance of a quarter of a mile (sometimes an eighth of a mile), held on a monitored drag strip/race track – and in most situations , whoever does. first to the finish line wins. In a drag racing event, there is a series of individual matches between two cars called eliminations; the winners of these races continue until there is one winner left. A drag race is started by the Christmas Tree, an electronic lighting device that activates a timer for each vehicle, which is then stopped once that same vehicle crosses the finish line. The time