what is meant by "dial-in"

[ausie]

I was reviewing the rules at the Englishtown Raceway park, They mention dail-in. Of course there was no glossary to look it up. Perhaps I will look at a different track and see if that is defined elsewhere. Any help in what this means would be great, thanks for any replies.

[cobrabitn]

"Dial in" - This is the time you give the track personnel that you think your Cobra will run at the track.

For example, if you tested and tuned all day and the best you could do was a 12.7 @ 110 mph. Then you would tell them your dial in would be a 12.65 or 12.5 depending on how close you want to go to your best time. THis is for bracket racing, which I am assuming that is what you will be doing.

The way it works is you have to do the following in order to continue as the race is a "process of elimination".

1. Tell them what time you think your Cobra will run without going under that time or else your busted and will be out. You have to get as close to the time without going under.

2. You have to beat the guy next to you to the finish line without going under your dial in time.

3. You have to come closer to your dial in time then the person next to you.

4. You cannot redlight!

If you dial in a 12.65 and run a 12.72 then you are .07 off. If they person next to you dials in a 10.5 and runs a 10.48 then they win because they were closer. This is also under the assumption that he doesn't redlight and he beats you to the finish line. A lot of factors involved but ultimately, it's a lot of fun and a fair way to do things. Just watch out for the sand baggers. :thumbsup:

[rpalmer]

But if the guy next to you ran a 10.48 on his 10.5 dial-in, wouldn't he bust out and you'd win?

-RP

[ausie]

I see now. That would also explain a few things that I have seen at the track. I always thought it was a handycap when one lane gets the light while the other sits and waits a few seconds. It was obvious that both cars were not matched. The one that left last crossed the line before the car that left first. I have only been to the track maybe three times with my 01 and have not run. The 04 has not been to a track yet. Sooner or later I will run it.

[cobrabitn]

Yes Randy, you are right. I meant the guy runs a 10.52 then the statements would apply. Thanks for the correction. :) :thumbsup:

[P Machy]

I got into bracket racing a few years ago.

Heads Up Racing
Now these races are almost impossible to find around my neck of the woods. Finding another Cobra or any other car that can win based of react time is not an easy race to find and when they do come around, it is a very fun race down the track. To this very day, the closest heads up race I lost to was by .002! My friends Terminator won, but until I picked up the slip, I SWORE I won! :rolleyes:

Index Racing
This is like bracket racing IMHO. You have a field of cars that can go say low 10's or even 9's, but yet they slow their cars down to run 12.5 or even 11.5 or what ever a track may host ET Catagory...this form of racing doesnt really compute with me and it has some serious sand baggers.

Bracket Racing
Like the few above who have posted and Id like to add that R/T is more important than a Dialed In ET 80% of the time. A race can be won or lost at the christmas tree 9 out of 10 times IMHO, but an entire package is what matters the most. You have folks who dial hard all day long and those who dial back mildly and then you have some serious sand baggers waiting at the top end to push you out at the back door.

Unlike Indexed Classes, Bracket Racing can be for serious runners and for sand baggers...it is a mixed bunch.