HyperPAC™ User Manual
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Page 48 of 66
will be HyperPAC™-based only.
How a Drag Strip starting line works
A drag strip starting line contains two photo-electric beams positioned slightly
above the track’s surface and at some distance apart. (This is the distance that
contains the tolerance discussed in Track Calibration procedure.) These beams are
referred to as the "pre-stage" and "stage" beams. The set of lights that a driver watches
to know when to start a race is commonly referred to as a "Christmas Tree.” The
“Christmas Tree” contains lights to indicate when you have pre-staged and staged and
has 5 additional lights; 3 yellow, 1 green, and 1 red. Each of the two lanes on the track
has this set of lights.
When your vehicle moves forward and the front tires interrupt the first beam, the
pre-stage bulb on the track's "Christmas Tree” comes on , just to alert you that you are
approaching the second beam, the "Stage" beam . As you continue to slowly roll
slowly forward, the front tires will block the Stage beam and the Stage light will come
on, signaling that the vehicle is staged. The distance traveled from the point when the
stage light comes on until the vehicle’s front tires have cleared the stage beam is called
"Roll Out". If you stop immediately at the point when the stage light just comes on, that
is considered "shallow" staging . Shallow staging provides the most roll-out distance,
which allows the vehicle to make a longer “running start” before starting the timing
clocks, resulting in the quickest e.t.'s and fastest speeds.
If you move past the point where the stage light comes on, you are "Deep" staging. If
you clear the stage beam before the tree begins, the stage light will turn off, and you are
no longer staged. One method of deep staging is to move forward slowly until the
prestage yellow light goes out, and stage at that point. Deep staging is only used by
bracket racers to reduce their reaction times, but for quickest and fastest runs, always
shallow stage.
In general, most cars leave around the time the last yellow comes on, without red
lighting. A "perfect" start is when you leave at just the right moment to clear the stage
beam just as the green comes on, and that results in a .000 second reaction time . A
reaction time less than .000 seconds is considered a red light. If you are getting
reaction times of .100 to .300 seconds, you are "late" on the tree.
The best racers practice to try for reaction times between .010 to .030 seconds.
Even good racers will sometimes red light, and will occasionally "be late." Since the
HyperPAC™ provides reaction times, you can practice your starts on private property
and in a safe place, to develop that skill.
