Door Car
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Every single time....
-I pull through the water, sometimes I will spin in the water just enough to rotate my tires and get them as wet as possible.
-set line lock, pump the brakes to build up good pressure
-Make sure the shifter is in 2nd lay it on the wood, go straight to high this gives me about a 2 seconds to turn off the line lock
-turn off the line lock and start easing off the throttle, by this time the car starts to go forward away from the water box, Im letting off the throttle as I can feel the tires getting sticky and the rpm is starting to fall/engine starts to load.
-I proceed to pre-stage the car, after the top bulb is on I go to neutral clean the engine out then I drop into 1st....
I do this also to insure I am in 1st..

Dragster
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I make sure the 3 step is on and trans is in high roll through the water making sure Im headed straight...I lay it on the wood 6K on the chip and anticipate the tires hooking cause it jerks the crap out of you...I lift right after this happens...
People are intimidated by a dragster, and staging....IMO its as easy as pie..it doesnt take two people to do this.
But a 2nd pair of eye's looking and watching for debris, leaks, anything that has the potential of saving your or someone else life.