King of the Track

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August 21, 2008 (3:00 pm)
15th Annual AHDRA Salem Harley-Davidson NW Nationals
August 22, 2008 (All Day)
15th Annual AHDRA Salem Harley-Davidson NW Nationals
August 23, 2008 (All Day)

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JDRL 8 & 9 YR

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King of the Track

Steve Kelly, from Ridgefield, WA earned the title of King of the Track in a run-off between the four VP Fuels Championship Series track champions on Sunday, September 23^rd.

He faced Brian Carr on his 83 Suzuki in the finals. Kelly used a .036 reaction time and ran 10.265 (10.26 dial-in), making a .042 package for his win. In the other lane, Carr had a .024 reaction time and ran 10.088 (10.07 dial-in) which was an identical .042 package. The computer measures, but does not print out the reaction times and ET’s to the ten-thousandths of a second. And that was exactly how close it was -- .0012 – twelve ten-thousandths of a second. Carr had earlier defeated Sportsman champion, Kathy Figini. Kelly earned his way into the finals by defeating Super Pro Champion, Tim Schillereff.

Today’s feature race, The National Dragster Challenge, was sponsored by RPM Chassis, Inc. In addition to the “Wally” earned by each class winner, RPM Chassis provided gift certificates for race tires, as well as fuel jugs and T-shirts to the four major winners. The highlight-of-the-day was the two full quarter-mile wheelstand passes by Rick Markum in his 1986 Cheverolet Pickup. His two passes of 13.76 and 13.84 at 87 mph were real crowd-pleasers.

Sunday’s winners, runners-up, and semi-finalists are listed below:

SUPER PRO
W: Paul Nero, Eugene, OR ('04 Undercover) - 8.063, 162.74 (8.01 dial).
R/U: Mark Dawson, Sutherlin, OR ('27 Ford Roadster) - 9.629, 133.82 (9.56 dial).
Semi's: Bill Bityk, Salem, OR ('63 Dodge);

Ken Woodward, Lyons, OR ('70 Nova).

PRO ET
W: Ken Stevens, Springfield, OR ('67 Camaro) - 13.076, 104.06 (13.05 dial).
R/U: Nicholas Shepherd, Tigard, OR ('62 Chevy II) - 10.527, 123.05 (10.53 dial).
Semi's: Steve Kelly, Ridgefield, WA ('67 Camaro);

SPORTSMAN
W: Garry Heinrich, Boring, OR ('65 Olds) - 12.780, 103.85 (12.80 dial).
R/U: Stephanie Gross, Oregon Dity, OR ('72 Chevy) - 13.475, 98.95 (13.50 dial).
Semi's: Lavonne Goodman, Canby, OR ('75 Corvette);

BIKE/SLED
W: Dallas Payne, Vancouver, WA ('83 GS 1100) - 9.592, 127.67 (9.55 dial).
R/U: Jeff Lilly, Aloha, OR ('73 Kawasaki) - 8.817, 141.46 (8.80 dial).
Semi's: Mark Kosler, Newberg, OR

RUN TUFF
W: Mark Canty, Vancouver, WA ('02 Yamaha) - 9.911, 130.56 (9.94 dial).
R/U: Bob McMillan, Milwaukie, OR ('68 Dart) - foul.
Semi's: Raymond Rippe, Portland, OR ('74 Plymouth);

KING OF THE TRACK
W: Steve Kelly, Ridgefield, WA ('67 Camaro) - 10.265, 125.99 (10.26 dial).
R/U: Brian Carr, Clackamas, OR ('83 Suzuki) - 10.088, 126.84 (10.07 dial).
Semi's: Tim Schillereff, Portland, OR ('94 Mullis);

Kathy Figini, Oregon City, OR ('76 Maverick).

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Drag Racing School - What is Bracket Racing?

Bracket, or ET, racing is a great way to get into the sport of drag racing. You don't need a lot of money or special equipment to get started, but it helps to know "the basics."

What is a Bracket Race?

A bracket drag race is a straight-line acceleration contest between two cars, usually starting at different times, from a standing start over a specified distance, usually a quarter mile or an eighth mile. Racers line up in front of a countdown device, called a Christmas Tree. When they leave the starting line, timers record how long it takes them to reach the finish line. This is called elapsed time, or ET for short. Top speed is also recorded.

Getting Started

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 fee, you can practice your starting line procedure, learn how the car reacts to tuning changes, and make passes down the track without the pressure of racing against someone.

You should also take time to watch how other racers do things, and most importantly, ask questions. Most racers will be happy to give you pointers on improving your technique.

Competing

When you're ready to race against other people, you can compete in your track's weekly series. Your car will be put in a category, or class, based on the elapsed time of your car. Top speed is not a factor in bracket racing.

You will need to determine how quick you think your car will be. This is called the dial-in. When you are matched up with another car, the dial-ins are compared and the slower car is given a head start equal to the difference between the two. To win, you want to run as close to your dial-in as possible without going faster, or "breaking out."

You can also win if both cars run faster than the dial-ins (called running under) and you are closest to your dial-in. If both of you get down the track exactly at your dial-in or have the same breakout, the driver who reacted quickest to the Christmas Tree - called reaction time, or RT - wins the race. Here are possible outcomes for a race betwen 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?

Woodburn Dragstrip, of course!! Come on down!