1st Annual MN Cars & Cafe 1/4 mile Drag Day (Sat May 1st @ Rockfalls Raceway in WI)

Our Cost is $50 per driver for the day (Regular price is $69), $10 for all spectators. We are leaving the Motorplex at 10:30am sharp. Make sure that you have gas prior to departing at 10:30am as our group will not be stopping for anybody to get gas. We will run from 1pm to 4pm when we will have an elimination round with trophy’s after that. Bring a helmet. Helmet rules are below. Please no racing on the way there or back, save the racing for the track. All cars must have Seat Belts.

Clothing: Long pants, shirt, shoes (not sandals)

http://www.rockfallsraceway.com/
N1790 1000th Street
Eau Claire, WI 54701

Directions To Rock Falls Raceway From Minneapolis/St. Paul:

Take I-94 East to the 2nd Eau Claire Exit (#65 - WI 37/WI 85)
Exit on to Hwy 37 South and travel approx. 3 miles until you reach Hwy 85.
Turn right on to Hwy. 85. Travel approx. 6 miles in to Caryville.
Take the first left hand turn in Caryville on to 190th Ave.
Travel approx. 1 mile and take a right on 1000th St.
Go up the hill and Rock Falls Raceway is located on your left hand side.


Do I need a helmet, and if so, what kind?

A helmet is required for ALL drivers of any vehicle down the racetrack. Most drivers can use a helmet meeting SNELL 2000 or 2005 specifications. It is important to note that the helmet rating must be designated on a tag INSIDE the helmet, or sewn to one of the helmet straps. The designation stenciled on the exterior of the helmet is insufficient for NHRA technical inspection. SNELL K98 and Snell 95 HELMETS ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTED!!


IMPORTANT TECH UPDATE: Effective 1/1/09 Snell K98 Helmets are no longer valid for use in drag racing. Also as a reminder, any of the Snell 95 Helmets which are still floating around are also no longer valid for use in drag racing. Please check your helmet and if you have a Snell K98 or a Snell 95 you will need to replace it prior to competing in any competition at any NHRA sanctioned racetrack. The Snell K98 and Snell 95 helmets are expired and no exceptions will be made for use of this model of helmet if you are running 13.99 and quicker in the 1/4 mile or 8.59 in the 1/8th mile. Acceptable helmets are the Snell 2000 and Snell 2005. Please also remind your fellow racers to check their helmets as well!! Thanks.


General Rules
1. Alcohol consumption by participating drivers is strictly prohibited.
2. No alcohol is allowed in staging lanes or starting line area.
3. No glass bottles are allowed on track premises.
4. The speed limit in pit area and return road is 10 m.p.h.
5. No skateboards or roller blades are allowed in pit area.

6. 4-wheelers, mopeds and bicycles are to be used for race support only.
NO JOY RIDING during the racing program.
7. Children under the age of 16 are NOT allowed to operate any motorized vehicle. This includes 4-wheelers and mopeds.



When do I need a roll bar or roll cage?

A roll bar is mandatory in all cars (including T-Tops) running 11.00 to 11.49, in convertibles running 11.00 to 13.49, and in all dune buggy vehicles running 12.00 seconds and slower. The rollbar must conform to the diagrams referenced in the NHRA Rulebook.

A roll cage is mandatory in cars running 10.99 or quicker or any vehicle running 135 mph or faster (regardless of E.T.). In full-bodied cars, with unaltered firewall, floor and body (from the firewall rearward, wheeltubs permitted), running between 10.00 and 10.99, roll bar permitted in place of roll cage. In convertibles running 10.99 or quicker or exceeding 135 mph, roll cage mandatory. Cars runing between 7.50 and 9.99 must have chassis inspected every three (3) years by NHRA and have a serialized sticker affixed to the cage before participation. Plating of chassis prohibited for all cars manufactured after 1/1/2003. Rear-engine dragsters must conform to SFI Spec. 2.7A; vehicles running 8.49 to 7.50 and/or exceeding 180 mph must meet appropriate SFI Spec for body used. All others must conform to specs for body style used, as listed in General Regulations 4:11, 10:6 of the NHRA Rulebook.




.
What is a Drag Race?

In basic terms, a drag race is an acceleration contest from a standing start between two vehicles over a measured distance. The accepted standard for that distance is a quarter-mile These contests are started by means of an electronic device commonly called a "Tree" (or sometimes "Christmas Tree"). Upon leaving the starting line, each contestant activates a timer which is, in turn, stopped when the same vehicle reaches the finish line. The start-to-finish clocking is the vehicle's ET (elapsed time), which serves to measure performance and often serves to determine handicaps during competition.




Who Can Drag Race?

Virtually anyone can compete in drag racing. Drivers MUST have a valid state-or-government issued driver's license beyond a learner's-permit level or, in some cases, an NHRA competition license and must be capable of the safe operation of the vehicle. The vehicle must meet basic safety criteria (brakes, seat belts, etc.). This applies to most street vehicles. Faster, all-out race cars, must meet more stringent requirements as outlined throughout the NHRA Rulebook.


Where Can I Race

Come out to Rock Falls Raceway!! We are a NHRA sanctioned 1/4 mile drag racing facility located approx. 6 miles southwest of Eau Claire, WI near Caryville. We are approx. 80 from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Further Information about Drag Racing:

THE TRACK
Burnout Box
Small depressions in the track surface just before the starting line which are sprayed down with water. You pull the car forward until the rear tires are just at the edge of the water, then do a quick burnout to warm up the tires and get rid of any debris lodged in the tread.
60-Foot Timer
Measures the time it takes the car to cross the first 60 feet of the quarter-mile. This shows you how well the car launches, which effects your elapsed times. Most street-tired cars have 60-foot times around 2 seconds.


660-Foot Timer
The 660-foot mark is the halfway point of a quarter-mile track. Your elapsed time is recorded. At some tracks, speed (in miles per hour) is also recorded. Some tracks also have 330 and 1,000 foot intervals. Rock Falls Raceway has all of these timed intervals.

Mile Per Hour Timer
Also known as the speed trap, this timer is located 66 feet before the finish line. It records the car's average speed between it and the finish line. This is the mile per hour figure on your timeslip.

Finish Line
When you cross the light beam at the end of the quarter-mile, you stop the ET clock. The amount of time (in seconds) between the timer was activated and when it stopped is the ET figure on the timeslip.

Shutdown Area
Beyond the finish line is the shutdown area, usually a quarter-mile or more in length, where you can safely slow the car down to take the turn off that takes you to the timeslip booth. If something goes wrong and you can't stop the car, most tracks have a sand trap, net or other setup at the end of the shutdown to stop you. Rock Falls Raceway has two turn offs as well as a sand trap at the end of of the shutdown area.


THE TREE

Essentially, drag racing is a pairing of two vehicles against one another in a race through a straighaway course. Hence, the start is the key to its uniqueness, because all races start from a standstill. Today's modern starting system, commonly referred to as the "Tree", is a product of continued development, designed to provide each competitor with the fairest start possible. The system features a vertical series of lights, displaying a visual countdown for each driver. Most drivers try to make their move between the last amber light going off and the green light coming on. Technique in staging and starting is one of the most vital skills and E.T. Handicap drag racer can develop, since a majority of races are won or lost at the starting line. Close observation and lot of practice pays off.

Two separate performances are monitored for each run: the elapsed time and the speed. On an elapsed time run, the vehicle leaves the starting line "breaking" the light beam which activates the electronic timer. As the vehicle continues through the course, the timer records the elapsed seconds and fractions of seconds until the vehicle breaks the finish line beam and stops the timer. Top speed is determined by the vehicle tires breaking two additional light beams, at the finish line.

Getting a good reaction time at the starting line (better known as cutting a light) all starts with the Christmas Tree. A "good light" will give you a big advantage over your opponent, especially if you are running the slower car.

In simple terms, the Tree is a set of vertical lights that gives the driver a visual countdown to the start of a race.



Pre-Stage Indicator Lights
Round yellow bulbs that warn you when you are getting close to the starting line and the "staged" (ready to race) position.

Stage Indicator Lights
Second set of round yellow bulbs that tell you when you are on the starting line and ready to race. The bulbs light up when the front wheels of the car cross a beam of light that goes to a set of photo cells. These cells trigger the timer when the car leaves the light beam.

Countdown Lights
Round amber floodlights that count down to the green "go" light. There are two types of countdowns, or starts. The pro start flashes all three light simultaneously, with a .400 second difference between the amber and green lights. This is called a Pro or .400 tree. The bracket start flashes one light at a time, with a .500 second difference between the last amber and the green light. This is known as a .500 or Sportsman Tree. All races held at Rock Falls Raceway are run using the .500 or Sportsman Tree.


Green Light
This is the one you're waiting for. When the green light flashes, it means you're free to mash the gas pedal and make a run. This is called the launch.

Red Light
If this bottom bulb flashes, you're out. The red light will go off when you leave the starting line before the green light is activated, resulting in disqualification. Known as redlighting, this action automatically gives the win to your opponent.

Most drivers try to begin their launch just as the last of the three amber lights goes off. That puts the car in motion when the green light activates. This is where most bracket races are won or lost, so time practicing your staging and launching techniques is time well spent.


THE TIMESLIP
After you make a run, the guys in the little booth at the end of the track will hand you a piece of paper with numbers all over it. This paper is called a timeslip.

The timeslip provides a wealth of information about a run. It tells you how well you launched, how quick and fas you went at various points on the track, and what your final ET and mile per hour were. And if you were racing against an opponent, the timeslip tells you how he did, too.

Lane
Shows which lane you are in

Car Number
Cars are assigned numbers at the races to determine who is who

Class
Marked if running in an official race. Not used for "test and tune" sessions.


Dial-In
This is the elapsed time you think your car will run

Reaction Time (R/T)
This tells you how quickly you reacted to the green light on the Christmas Tree. In most cases at the Rock, it is set as a .500 second or Sportsman Tree. You want your R/T to be at or as close to .000 as possible. If you react faster than that, you've just redlighted.


60', 330', 660' or 1/8, MPH and 1000' ET and MPH Times
These figures give you the elapsed times at the 60 foot, 330 foot, 660 foot or eighth mile, and 1,000 foot marks. You also get the mile per hour figure at the 660 fot mark, which is half-track.

1/4 and MPH Quarter-Mile ET And MPH
These are your finishing elapsed time and mile per hour numbers. When it comes to bragging rights, these are the ones that count!!

 

Thanks to all of you that made it out (sorry to those of you that had issues with parking) The lot was full by 8:30am.

The drag day was amazing. I was able to run a 10.73 @ 129mph in the black Evoms EVT650 2010 997.2 TT. (In fact I ran about 10 back to back runs in the 10's) That thing is a beast. Anyways, here are the pics:

http://picasaweb.google.com/bellus.alex/CarsCafe5110#