The Christmas Tree pre-stage lights are connected to an infrared beam about two inches off the ground and about six to eight inches from the starting line. When the edge of your front tire rolls forward and "breaks" this beam the pre-stage lights will illuminate.

A second infrared beam is mounted on the actual starting line...When the edge of your front tire breaks this beam the stage lights illuminate. You can "nudge" forward at this point and "deep stage" which shortens the distance to your tripping the clocks. When the rear of your front tire clears the starting line infared beam, your time starts.

With the Sportsman Tree the three ambers march down in a .5 second sequence with the green illuminating .5 seconds after the third amber light. The goal is to "cut" a perfect .5 second light by anticipating the green. Anything under .5 seconds is a red light.

Your vehicle's reaction time (VRT) could be anything from .2 to .5 seconds and is obviously influenced by "how deep" you stage. In the real world this has to be factored into your strategy. The driver's reaction time (DRT) plus the VRT is your universe in Drag Racing. Races are won or lost on the starting line. It's not as simple as it looks!

For other technical issues related to performance visit the RB Racing Calculations Page. Whether you are drag racing a turbo, a nitro powered fueler, or a stock machine you have to maximize your starting line technique.

The Christmas Tree pre-stage lights are connected to an infrared beam about two inches off the ground and about six to eight inches from the starting line. When the edge of your front tire rolls forward and "breaks" this beam the pre-stage lights will illuminate.

A second infrared beam is mounted on the actual starting line...When the edge of your front tire breaks this beam the stage lights illuminate. You can "nudge" forward at this point and "deep stage" which shortens the distance to your tripping the clocks. When the rear of your front tire clears the starting line infrared beam, your time starts.

With the Pro Tree the three ambers illuminate at the same instant with the green illuminating .4 seconds later. The goal is to "cut" a perfect .4 second light by anticipating the green. Anything under .4 seconds is a red light.

Your vehicle's reaction time (VRT) could be anything from .2 to .5 seconds and is obviously influenced by "how deep" you stage. In the real world this has to be factored into your strategy. The driver's reaction time (DRT) plus the VRT is your universe in Drag Racing. Races are won or lost on the starting line. It's not as simple as it looks!

For other technical issues related to performance visit the RB Racing Calculations Page. Whether you are drag racing a turbo, a nitro powered fueler, or a stock machine you have to maximize your starting line technique.