When your opponent loses his harmonic balancer, it hits your car .. starter thinks it comes off your car and shuts you off at the line ..

I have more, add yours

Generally speaking for me of late it just requires unloading the car. Its all downhill from there

Opponent forgets to turn on his fuel pump, and his car noses down at the 1/8th, but you run it out the back and break out by .01.

My theory is to over build for the power produced, figuring that it would take some time to break or need to repair something. Always something small needs attention with that theory. I had a 2nd hand 340 Dart with 10K miles when I got it. That car lasted the best with little issues other than normal maintenance. Is there some sweet spot that exists?

Went to the Twin 10K race at 41 last year. Ran the Blind Squirrel race Friday night, car ran great. Unloaded Saturday morning and warmed the car up. Get the call for our only time shot and head to staging. Shut the car of and get my belts and helmet on. Fire the car to pull up and the trans now has all neutrals. Broke the lugs off the pump gear.

Hoping for better luck this year.

Neutral safety switch harness boot got hard, and would wiggle loose. I added a ground wire while waiting for the replacement harness. Got the call for my round, car won’t crank. I use the aforementioned external ground, and cranked the car reaching in from the outside. Oops, neutral wiring is fine, THE CAR WAS IN GEAR. Fortunately, it only went driverless for 10 feet and didn’t hit anything.

Racing Bruce Kaul. 1/8th mile, CFR. I’m dialed 6.50 or so, Bruce 4.90 or so. Tree flashes, I react, What? Bruce is launching almost right with me? Morel of the story, check the crossover more closely.

2016. Hadn’t been racing in several years. The Dark Ages. Having a great time, even being a Duck. Until, tree flashes, let go of the button. WHAT? The steering wheel is loose in my hands? Morel of story: Double check the removable steering wheel lock more carefully.

Broke the throttle pedal at the hit, factory pedal. Broke the throttle cable attachment at the carb, 2 different cars. Blabbing in a friends trailer, missed the call.
doug

Used to run Ram puck style disc and came out of the water a little hot and a piece of the sintered bronze disc jammed between the plate and disc. Car stuck in gear and no clutch pedal. Had to abort start and lost going into third round after having near perfect runs in the first 2 rounds. Stopped using a Ram puck style disc

Gus

Twice in one weekend in Ohio...missed a dial in board error, and next day misread my TT ticket and dialed a tenth off.

Not me but a good friend of mine has run out of the gas in the final more than once!

red light ....... .0004 4th number

Final for a $2,000.00 purse. My opponent's car would not start when it cam time to do the burn out. So being the sportsman, I told his pit crew to get it going, they jumped it and it fired. I reached up and hit my start switch, Click , click, The guy shrugged his shoulders and pulled into the burnout box.

Seen this happen way too many times. Nice guys always seem to take it in the shorts. But when it works to your favor you can stand even taller.

Happened to a buddy of mine: R is for reverse, not Race...... lol

How about...having gone 3 rounds at Pomona in class eliminations, meeting up with the slowest car in the class and having him covered by +.3, cut the light and have him by a car length at the tree and pulling only to shift into 4th and have the rear u-joint fail and roll the drive shaft...he passes at the 1st mph light and BING, you lost! That being the pits, same car goes into the finals for an Eliminator runner-up...GRRR!!!! Hahaha, that's racing!

Stand the car up on the rear bumper for 300 feet 'til the carb hiccups.
(Early 2nd gear swat to calm it down was a mixed-result tactic.)
Won the popularity contest, though.

Years earlier, humiliated myself by getting distracted & rolled the beams.
Basically a rear-wheel stage, sure didn't feel right, starter's expression as he looked in my window is unforgettable.
Fixed it but deserved to lose, and did.

Just recently I ran a young man in a 7.30 car and mine is 6.50. He had a better light but did a whomp-whomp at the finish line, while I kept my foot down and took the stripe by .006. He bought back I I went over to talk to him, told him I've done the same thing and worse but we keep trying.

I am sure there are closer to 10,000 ways to lose a drag race
I'm up to # 8999,, I think