It is an almost stereotypical scene. Two vehicles are standing side by side, a flag carrier is in the middle of both – and suddenly tires screech for the running start and they are off, off, off! With such a blur, the only way to actually know who wins the race is when one of them pulls out far enough to be distinctly identified or in cases of close calls, through video monitoring.
Drag racing, or to be more precise professional drag racing is sport where vehicles race down a set distance down a track. Naturally, whichever car finishes first is the winner. What makes this sport different from the other auto races is that entrants to the race have to accelerate only when given the go signal. In short, this is more of an acceleration contest than anything else. In some cases though, cars with rather poor acceleration eventually catch up by the use of sheer engine power and speed – and of course, a few driving tricks up the racers’ sleeves.
Very powerful engines are needed for such vehicles, and some of the rides here have enough technology to land themselves on the moon. Although amateur drag racers often pair up for competition almost randomly, professional racing cars are classified and paired only according to the matching modifications done of the vehicles. This is one way to make sure that drag racing cars are at par with each other, ensuring the integrity of the races.
Some of these modifications may include: configuration of cylinders; engine capacity; frame type; horsepower to weight ratio; make and model of a select number of cars; number of cylinders; vehicle construction materials; vehicle type; and wheelbase. In some cases, the use of power adding devices like nitrous oxide, superchargers and turbo chargers are also taken into consideration. There are also instances when elemental adjustments to the vehicles are given serious praise or offense; and in a few cases, even grounds for disqualification or handicap, like the use of specialized fuels – particularly, higher octane gas and methanol. Advancement in vehicle suspension is also somewhat a gray area when it comes to comparison.
As a rule, drag racing vehicles are supposed to be extremely lightweight, but there are some cases where heavier vehicles like monster trucks have been entered for professional (but exhibition) drag racing – and of course in the amateur field, almost any vehicle is up for grabs. However, some of the standard drag racing vehicles include: diggers or rail dragsters; floppers or funny cars; pro mod or pro modified vehicles; and pro stock cars and bikes.
As for the actual acceleration contest, there are a few favored modus operandi that experienced drivers often use. One of them is called the burn-out method of acceleration. Basically, the driver of the car wets the vehicle tires, either by backing it in a puddle of water or his maintenance team sprays it with liquid. The driver revs up the engine burns the water out from the tires. This actually makes the tires adhere or hug tightly to the concrete, making maneuverability a lot easier. At the same time, this makes the vehicle jump forward when the go signal is given.
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