So you want to go drag racing? Read on for all the info on what you can expect and what you will need to do come race day.

At The Gate

First stop is the front gate which opens at 8.am. Here you will need to pay your entry fee ($60 to race and $15 for each crew member) and collect you entry form, drivers briefing and supplementary rules. You are allowed one tender vehicle and trailer. If you have family or friends with you they must park in the general admission area.

In the Pits

Once in the pit area, follow the directions of the attendants to your allocated spot. The pits can fill very quickly so get your self set up by unloading your vehicle and taking your trailer to the designated trailer parking area. For your safety and the safety of other please abide by the following rules:

• One tender vehicle per entrant. All other vehicles are to park in the general admission area.
• Do not exceed the speed limit of 20km. Other racers and fans will be walking around the pit area.
• No alcohol. The consumption of alcohol is strictly forbidden.
• Be respectful and courteous to your fellow competitors, volunteers and fans.

Scrutineering

After you have set up, fill in your entry form and head over to scrutineering. Here your vehicle will be checked to make sure it complies with the various safety regulations.

Below are tables outlining* the requirements for each race vehicle based on elapsed time over the 1/8 mile. (If you have raced over the 1/4 mile, divide your ET by 1.58 to give you an approximate 1/8 mile time. E.g. 12.00 1/4 = 7.59 1/8).

*Please note that requirements are subject to change as required by ANDRA. The requirements listed below may not be absolute and vehicles my require ANDRA inspection.

Time For Trials

After your vehicle has passed scrutineering it's time to head to the staging lanes and get a few passes in. Time trials allow you to get an idea of how quick your vehicle will run so you can get an idea of what your dial-in will be when eliminations begin latter in the day. Time trials are usually run between 10am and 1pm.

Seeding

During the lunch break, competitors will be seeded into brackets based on quickest elapsed time. The 16 quickest in 'A' bracket, the next 16 in 'B' bracket and so on.

Take this time to work out your dial-in. Your dial-in is used to determine handicaps during eliminations. Lets say for example, you had three time trials with elapsed times of 8.15, 8.23 and 8.14. Now, you must nominate a dial-in that best indicates how quickly you think you will run during eliminations. You can only nominate one dial-in and it is fixed during eliminations. In this example you might fix your dial-in at 8.14 as this was your quickest pass. Remember, you cannot run any quicker than your dial-in. If you run quicker than your dial-in (known as a breakout) you will lose the race, unless of course your opponent red lights or breaks out by a larger margin. Confused! You'll get the hang of it.

Eliminations

Now the fun begins. During the lunch break, club members will have put your bracket letter on your window along with your dial-in. When the race controller calls your bracket make your way to the dummy grid. Here you will be paired up with your first round opponent and move into the staging lanes. In handicap racing, the idea is to concentrate on your side of the tree, get as close as you can to a 0.4 reaction time, cross the finish line first and not breakout. Easier said than done.

At the end of the race pick up your time slip. If you win you go through to the next round. If you lose then you can either sit back and enjoy the rest of the racing or, if time permits, have a few grudge runs.

Trophy Time

Trophies are awarded to bracket winners, runner-ups and the best presented vehicle on the day. A cash prize is also up for grabs for the best burnout during eliminations.

B & B

After a hard days racing there is nothing like some B & B; barbecue and beer. Once racing has been completed, competitors and spectators are invited back to the club rooms for some refreshments and serious bench racing.

ANDRA Permit This event is staged under the sanction of the Australian Drag Racing Association Inc. and is covered by the rules and regulations of ANDRA and the supplementary rules herein. Any debate as to their interpretation will be determined by the meeting director and ANDRA personnel. Breakages To assist in seeding of brackets the meeting director must be notified of any breakages or withdrawals. Brackets will not be reseeded. Breakages on Track Any competitor that breaks whilst on the track should move to the outside edge of the lane to minimise possible fluid spills on the racing surface. Braking Area / Return Road At all times the vehicle in the right lane has right of way when turning off the track onto the return road (return road is located on the right side of the track). Burnouts No static burnouts allowed. Vehicle is only allowed one burnout across the start line. Bye Runs Are allocated as per the ANDRA seeding sheets. Dial Ins As brackets are run on a dial in basis, they will be clearly marked on both sides of the vehicle prior to eliminations. Drivers Briefing There will be two drivers' briefings, one before time trials and one before eliminations. These will be done over the pit p.a. system. Please listen for them. Licenses All competitors must have a valid ANDRA license for the type of vehicle being driven. Motor Cycles Leather gloves and jacket are mandatory (preferably full leathers). Public Relations Release By entering the event you agree to make yourself available for any press or media exposure and approve the use of any video footage or still photos connected with you participation at this event. Qualifying All competitors are required to make at least one qualifying pass prior to the lunch break to be eligible for eliminations. Tender Vehicles Only vehicles that require a parachute (1/4 mile) will be allowed tender vehicles. Time Cards Time cards are handed out at the return road / pit entrance. It is your responsibility to collect them. Traction Compound / VHT The use of traction compound is NOT ALLOWED. The track is prepared with VHT by our officials. Trailers After unloading, all trailers are to be removed from the pits and placed in the area provided; workshop type trailers require approval from the meeting director for their use in the pits. Vehicle Presentation All the vehicles must be of neat appearance. We reserve the right to refuse entry / participation of any vehicle deemed to be of an unacceptable standard. Staging Lanes Super Gas, Junior Dragster and exhibition vehicles are to us the staging lanes located at the return road / pit entrance. All other vehicles to use the main staging lane. Crew As you may be aware, insurance has effected many sports / events and drag racing is one of those events. Therefore, no crew members will be allowed on the start line except those crew that are with exhibition vehicles and have signed the indemnity form. All drivers are to follow the instructions of the start line officials. Any queries should be made to the meeting director.