"Bracket racing? Aw, I know all about that." If you've spent much time around the local dragstrip, chances are you probably do. But can you explain how a bracket race works to the guy next door without confusing the heck out of him? And what about all of your buddies who have never been down the quarter mile, but would love to try if they knew how the deal worked?

Boys and girls, Drag School is now in session.

We're going to explain the basics of bracket racing: what it is, how a race is run, how a typical track is set up, what a Christmas Tree is, and more. In fact, the best thing you can do before you do your first burnout is read this, then go to the track and just watch. You'll see how a Christmas Tree works, how a car launches, and what goes on in the pit areas.

Most importantly, ask questions when you go to the track. There isn't a racer we know that doesn't love to talk about his car and how he drives, and that talk will teach you more about racing than we ever can.

What is a Drag Race?

A drag race is a straight-line acceleration contest between two cars. The races are conducted from a standing start over a specified distance, usually a quarter-mile or an eighth-mile track (click here to read about the track layout). Started by an electronic countdown device called the "Christmas Tree", each racer activates a timer when he leaves the starting line. The timers record how long it takes for the racers to reach the finish line. This is called elapsed time, or E.T. for short. Top speed is also recorded. These are presented to you after the race on a timeslip.

The NHRA groups racers into categories according to the performance of their vehicles. At an official drag race, each racer is allowed to make a certain number of runs to determine his performance. This is called qualifying. Then a series of two-car, tournament-style races, or eliminations, are conducted to determine the overall winner. The losing drivers in each race are eliminated, with the winners progressing through succeeding rounds of competition until one racer remains. That's the guy you want to be.

Bracket Racing Explained

Race categories are one of two types: class racing, where cars are built to specific rules (classes such as Pro, Modified, and Hot Rod in the Summit Racing Import Drag Racing Series), and bracket racing, where cars are grouped into classes based on their elapsed times. These are known as E.T. classes or simply "the brackets." The cool thing about bracket racing is you don't need a purpose-built race car to play-anyone with a car or truck that meets basic safety requirements (good brakes, seat belt, etc.) can compete.

Here's how a typical bracket race works. You designate the elapsed time of your car according to previous runs or your best estimation of how quick it will go. This is called the dial-in. You are then matched up with another car and the elapsed times are compared. The slower car is given a head start equal to the difference between the two E.T.s. When the cars leave the starting line, the timers record each racer's elapsed time in seconds and fractions of a second until they cross the finish line and stop the timers. Top speed is calculated when the cars cross two additional light beams at the finish line.

There are several ways to determine the winner of a bracket race. If you run closer to your dial-in than your opponent without going quicker, or "breaking out," you win the race. If both racers run faster than their dial-ins (called running under), the winner is the one who breaks out the least. If both of you get down the track exactly at your dial-in time or have the same break out, the driver who crossed the finish line first is the winner, probably because the driver reacted quicker to the Christmas Tree and received a quicker Reaction Time (R.T.). Top speed is not a factor in E.T. racing.

Confused? Here are some different outcomes for a race between Car A with a 14.50-second dial-in and Car B with a 15.25-second dial-in:

Car A runs 14.55 seconds, Car B runs 15.35 seconds
Car A wins (runs closest to dial-in without breaking out)

Car A runs 14.40 seconds, Car B runs 15.20 seconds
Car B wins (both cars run under, Car B runs closest to dial-in)

Car A runs 14.50 seconds with .510 RT, Car B runs 15.25 seconds with .505 RT.
Car B wins (runs at dial-in, has better reaction time)

Where Can I Race?

Before we tell you where you can go to learn the drag racing ropes, there's one place you shouldn't race: the street. Yeah, street racing has that glamorous outlaw image, but in reality it's dangerous, illegal, and doesn't really give you a true measurement of your car's potential.

With that said, there are drag strips all over the place; chances are there's one within a couple hours' drive time from you. The best way to get your feet wet is to go to a "test and tune" session (most tracks have them weekly). For a small entrance fee, you can practice your starting line procedure, learn how your car reacts to tuning changes, and make a bunch of passes down the track without the pressure of racing against someone.

When you're ready to do some serious racing, you can begin competing at your local track. You can find the nearest NHRA-sanctioned track by contacting the NHRA at (626) 914-4761 or at www.nhra.com. With a little race experience under your belt, you'll be ready to take on the big boys in the NHRA Summit Racing Import Championship Series before you know it. <back to the top>