Wondering what trips the lights at the end of your run?Tires like at the start .or a bumper?or a fender?at the end?CURIOUS,Guzzi Mark

Mark, Same as the start, Your front tires

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Part of Tyrde-Browne Racing

so my 10 inche longer front end wont make me go faster?looks faster,Thanks Mark

Actually it depends on how the lights are mounted at the end. If the track is flat and the lights are mounted low the tires will get the beams. If the lights are mounted above track surface level the bumper will trip them. Also, if you have the tendency to jam the brakes at the stripe it is possible the bumper dives enough to hit the beams too.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

Airdam?

Get one that drops lower after the start...............

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

If you could break the start beam with your front wheel and break the finish lights with a part of your car 10" in front of the wheel, you could improve your ET by about .006. If you could figure out how to increase your starting line roll out by 10" you would really have something. The rules are designed to discourage this by maintaining 3" of ground clearance except for the tires.

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If you didn't drive it there, it's not a street car.

Sounds like cheating to me. Or, at least, a cheap way to win

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<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2992308402_5481afb26e_t.jpg">

We tried that on my stocker, back in the 7o's. The old Clifford long tube headers for a 66 down slant hung very low, and forward of the tire. We lowered the front suspension enough, so the header would trip the stage beam, and that distance add to the wheel dia, gave more rollout.

The problem was finding out, after staging, When I came up on the converter, the header would lift out of the beam and light the dreaded red eye. Took about 5 tries to figure what was happening,

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 170 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170
64 Valiant 4dr 225

You can legally run a "stripe taker" which is a flat piece of plastic or sheet metal that hangs under the front end. It has to be at least 3" off the ground at rest, but will come down at the big end as the car settles or you tap the brakes. If your opponent doesn't know you have one, he will get a big surprise when he puts a wheel on ya and you still get the win light.

I know a lot of cars that have the front end staggered side to side to get more roll-out. The bad part with too much roll out is that it makes it a biotch to cut a light.

At Kearney the lights used to be mounted 10 or so inches off the ground to make up for the crown of the track. Street tire cars had to line up in the outer lanes so they didn't tear up the good rubber on the starting line. I could stage my PT Cruiser with the front fender.

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Official Cookie and Mater Tormentor.

I never thought of myself as a cheater,,,A thinker who tries different stuff to get the most out of the combo he has in my opinion is a RACER,My car is full of cheats,slicks,sub frame connectors,lexan windows,aluminum radiator.aluminum wheels,1 seat,chopped 3 inches.plastic 10 gal tank,alum master cyl,small starter,no undercoating,no heater or wiper motor,,,,dont think I am cheating,just trying to get more out of what I have,Mark

Nothing wrong with that at all. That's why Im building my car extremely light. I want to get the most out of my low buck engine.

Mark, I wasn't saying your a cheat or anything, I was responding to Exner Geeks post (not calling him a cheat either).

My thought is that the light should trip at the same spot on the car that it is staged.

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<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3173/2992308402_5481afb26e_t.jpg">

I think that if anyone was caught with a "stripe taker" at my local track there would be a beating that evening. People around here tend to use violence to keep people honest

If I remember right, 1" of stagger is legal in the NHRA rulebook. I have yet to see anyone measure a wheelbase

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Chris'
Autobody
Restoration
Service

well i know for a fact numerous cars can dip at the finish line to trip the light but its questionable if its desirable. At the start line many guys have a hedder pipe or something else that blocks the beams behind the tires giving you more roll out. There are lots of things one can do,but somehow the good racers keep winning by the old basic ,cut a light and run the number .