STANDARD TIMING EQUIPMENT MEASUREMENTS

The following dimensions are guidelines in timing equipment placement.
CHRISTMAS TREE

• Distance from start line to tree: 40 to 42-feet.
• Height of tree: 94-inches from ground to center of pre-stage bulb.

LIGHT BEAM PLACEMENT

• Distance between pre-stage and stage: 7-inches.
• Distance between stage and guard beam: 16-inches.
• Height of 60-foot beam: 10-inches.
• Height of interval time beams, speed trap beams, and ET stop beam - all 5-inches.
• All interval increments and quarter-mile finish lines are measured from the guard beam.

ROLLOUT

• Height of beam approximately 1 9/16” adjusted as necessary (and possible) to provide 11½ to 12-inches of roll using standard dragster wheel/tire (22-inch diameter). Beam height must be low enough to accommodate 3-inch clearance rule as per NHRA Rulebook.
• NOTE: An 11½-inch rollout equal on both lanes may not be possible due to track crown. The single most important thing with rollout is that both lanes be as equal as possible

With that being said, and thank you Mr. Science for the measurements (lol), do you folks feel the 60' times at Thompson are a little quick ? Our cars times at most tracks is in the 1.00 to 1.02 area, but any time we run Thompson it's always in the .98 to .99 range. Plus, we always run .02 to .03 quicker 1/8th mile times. I know Jim and his crew do a super job at keeping a sticky starting line, but we think something is amiss with the light placement.

Also, what is the track elevation at Thompson ?

I'm just an unedjeykated weatherman.lol

I've held slips from the Trails that were the same as Thompson. I think Thompsons is at the top with the best around myself. My fastest pass ever was on a Wednesday night street car TnT at Thompson a few months ago, I went 1.171 an 1.172 60ft @ 3000#'s on 29.5x11.5's. If ya want a fast timeslip, go to Empire Raceway Park in the cool fall air. I've always do my best pass when I have time to go there.

Thanks Don, your information is very much appreciated. I know we're done going to Norwalk for the Door Wars (if they contiinue to still have it next season) because of the piss poor track prep. We raced there 2 weeks ago in the ADRL race and they bring their own track prep folks. On our first run we took timing out thinking the track wouldn't hold and we dead hooked and shook the crap out of the car. After that we just let her eat but we still had some minor problems not track related. But the track temp. on the final session Saturday morning was 67* and the right lane was junk. And guess what lane we had to run ?

Ya don't want to get me started on Norwalk, if ya think they don't take care of the track well ya should wear the shoes of a customer that they don't treat very well either, lots of us around. Bader only cares if the race is to be on TV now, the little guys an their race cars mean nothing to him anymore. You guys need to go to Milan's Friday Night Heads Up an get in the Run What Ya Brung class, same as Door Wars class. The track is similar to the burg in size except the shutdown is longer an the bite is the best in the country, they treat the full 1/4 mile like it was a National event every race!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even on the Saturday Shootout its 1/8 mile an the full 1/8 is treated fully. They got a tractor with a road broom on the front , a big rubber contraption to drag the track on the rear right after the broom has cleaned it an a tanker mounted above the rubber contraption full of VHT with enough plumbing to spray about 10ft wide pass, it looks like a NOS Fogger going down the track. The back of the tractor an rear tires are wet with glue!!!! Its a one man job an he does it fast an very well with other spotters looking for troubled areas. I'd say goodbye to the Bader family an head west an hour to Milan next season if I were you.

Don, yep we've heard that about Milan and actually wanted to there this season and give it a try. The problem is that it's such a long haul for Kevin since he lives in Clarksburg, WV. He has lots of irons in the fire right now and I should find out more this weekend at PRP. For sure we'll be running the local ADRL races and now we've been invited to race withe MMPSA organization. They've relaxed the rules and now will allow automatics along with the clutch cars. Again, these will all be somewhat local races for us since Kevin does have a business to run and needs to be in the office on Monday.

Last year was my first time at Norwalk and although the pits are great and the workers treated us very well, it lacks that "homey" feel of the local tracks. And I think you're right that Bader wants the place to get more TV time. So fine, have that kind of stuff and we'll race elsewhere. Plus, I've heard so many horror stories about how he's alienated the racers (like yourself) and that's not right.

Thanks Toot. The 15th-17th we'll be at VMP for the IHRA national meet. And that'll be it for our season.