Door Car Staging Procedure

Good Day!

I realize that this is not a Bracket Racing Forum but this is really the only place that I go on a semi regular basis. This is also the race and engine tech forum so I would expect the majority of you race or have raced. If this topic is not appropriate please remove.

I have a question about staging! I have been racing competitively for more than 30 years and I saw something on the live feed from the SFG race at South Georgia that I have never seen before.

I race in Western Canada so we are in our own little world up here and the majority of us have little opportunity to travel to the big races that we are now seeing streamed on line. However, some of the more fortunate have been going to some of the big races. The popular one for our guys go to is the Spring Fling Million in Vegas. Based on their experiences, some of the guys are bringing back and using some interesting tactics that they witnessed down there. (the only people that steal ideas more than drag racers are the Chinese!!!!).

One of the tactics that I have been seeing recently is when I race certain Dragsters (and for the record the number of them is getting ridiculous!) is they burn out past the starting line and then as they back up they turn on both the stage and prestage lights and the moment they turn off the stage light they stop. Put the dragster in low then stage. The first time I saw it I thought that is a novel Idea and another thing that a dragster or car that can burn out past the start line can do that I cannot in my slow door car.

However, Yesterday over my morning coffee I was watching the 1st round of the free race at South Georgia Motorsports Park and a slow door car did a standard burn out. Stopped. Rolled forward quite quickly through the lights. Stopped then backed up and did the reverse staging thing like a dragster. If I had been in the other lane I would not have staged expecting that he would be ejected for rolling the beams. If I had staged and lost I would have fully expected a rerun at a minimum.

Am I completely off base? Is this something that I just assumed was a rule? Can any car go past the starting line and back up. Is this a sanctioning body rule that is or is not enforced at these new big bracket races?
Inquiring minds want to know! If this is in fact the case and it is legal to do that would definitely be something to throw at your arch nemesis in a big round!!!!!!

I have never seen this done. it seams for us guys that run the torque flights that would not be good on the sprag not being seated going forward. I would never do it, not sure what and why its done. new one for me thanks for sharing

If he drove through far enough for the stage light to go out I think at my track the red light would've came on for him.

Wait til you see a dragster lite both the pre stage and stage lite and never move the car, just the steering wheel and front tire to turn off the top beam Stage Lock is a way to prevent that tactic as well as well as those who love to flicker the bulbs. Lots of ways to skin a cat. Most these big races are nothing more than track rentals and as such can have whatever rules they choose.

Justin 61. I totally agree with you and that was the result that I would have expected. I was extremely surprised.

Al. I have never seen that done at a track I was at but I did see Johnny Bracket Racer do in at the Million a couple years ago.

weeeellllllll there was a time some guys ran a real time rimming system on their car and thats how they reset the computer
Twelve bracket racers from the former Norwalk Raceway Park were branded with the nickname “The Dirty Dozen” and banned from the facility for life and from the IHRA indefinitely. Those dozen bracket racers were alleged to have performance-enhancing devices that would enable them to accurately monitor elapsed time during bracket races
now could be just a game

By the rule .. all staging motion must be in a forward motion ,

The rules do not apply to private track rentals, thye can choose the rules that apply and those that dont, outside of safety rules like say at an NHRA sanctioned track

he may have been playing head games or just went in to far. at our track if you double bulb before opponent stages they will back you out. up to the track starter to enforce any rules , I doubt they would have given you a rerun if it happen to you

Technically you are still moving forward to stage. Same as when the dragsters are doing it. I just did not think you could roll the beams if you did not burnout past the starting line.

I totally agree on the track rental rule deal!

Courtesy staging - both top bulbs on before either can turn the stage bulbs on - is the rule most places, but not all.

Over the line burnouts are usually legal for all or legal for none. Sometimes door cars with front brakes will be prohibited from going across the line. Depends on the class, track, sanction.

Rolling across the line during a burnout may be allowed. I would think that stopping behind the line after the burnout, then rolling through the beams and backing up would be frowned upon.

Different reasons for backing into the prestage and stopping. Notice that they usually just backup far enough to turn the stage bulb out, Now you know a just bump will put the car back in the stage beam. Easier to get it in the same spot everytime than bumping in through both bulbs normally. In top bulb/pro tree racing, the race really begins when both prestage bulbs are on. If you can consistently get in first, set, and on your spot some people see that as an advantage.

Not picking up junk on your tires. Controlling the tempo of the starting line. Being able to get on your spot on the tree without having to bump into and through the prestage. When top bulb or pro tree racing, getting the top bulb turned on and set consistently the same everytime is more important than leaving on the bottom.