Race your car at the Drag Strip

How to Race Your Car at the Dragstrip

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Many people like to take the car that they drive everyday to their local drag strip and make a few passes down the track. Some build dedicated track-only, non-street legal cars, and still others modify their street-legal cars to be a cross between a race car and a street car. These cars are most often referred to as Street/Strip cars. This article is mainly for those that have never raced before, and outlines the basics of drag racing your car, whether it's your daily driver or a street/strip car. Dedicated racecars usually have special equipment installed, such as delay boxes, trans brakes, and dry-sump oil systems, and will not be covered here.

Steps

1. If you are new at this, it's best to go on a day or night when the track is hosting a "street-legal drags" type of event, where all street-legal cars are welcome regardless of engine size, tire type, etc.
   
2. Call your local dragstrip and ask them if they are holding an event where you may bring your street-legal car to race just for fun. Ask about the price of admission and any additional charges (tech card, parking, etc) and also inquire as to whether or not they will be giving out time slips after each race. Most of the time they will, however during some events your time will only be displayed on the board at the end of the track, and no timeslip will be given. If this is the case and you want to know how fast your car is, you should have a friend stand near the track to record your time and speed after each run. If you've never been to a dragstrip before, ask if they have a website you can go to and view a layout of their facility so that you may familiarize yourself with the individual areas that make up the track. If not, ask for a map once you arrive.
   
3. Get your car set up to race. Inspect, change, or top off all oils and fluids. Check your brakes, steering, and suspension for wear and repair if needed before you race. If you have a nitrous system, have your bottle filled before you go. Alternatively, most tracks have nitrous available on site, however expect to pay more for it, as well as for fuel. Put whatever tires you are going to race with on your car, and set them to the proper air pressure. If you are going to drive to the track on one set of tires and install race-only tires when you arrive, set the tire pressures on both sets to the proper specs. Don't fill your fuel tank all the way, as it will make your car heavier than necessary. Ideally, you want to race a street car with a 1/4 tank or less depending on the vehicle and size of the tank. Be careful not to run out of fuel completely. Once you feel your vehicle is ready to begin racing, drive to the track.
   
4. Once at the track, pay your entrance fee, find a spot to park and walk to the signup area. Depending on the event there will be some paperwork there for you to sign, and you will probably get an arm band or similar identification indicating that you've registered and are authorized to race. Go back to your car and move to the staging lanes if racing has begun.
   
5. If you've never raced before, look at the layout you obtained and see where the staging lanes are. These will be located at the beginning of the dragstrip, and are clearly marked with painted lane stripes and numbers. Ask a track attendant for help if you can't find them. Follow all directions from track attendants carefully to avoid a collision, and remember top speed is 10 MPH in this area at most tracks. A track attendant will come alongside your car to make sure you've registered, and depending on the event, you may or may not get a number on your car window. Mentally prepare to go racing at this point, and make sure your car is set up to do so also. You may wait a while in the lanes, so although it's okay to get out of your car and chat with other racers, make sure to stay near your vehicle so that you can move it forward at any time. Don't be afraid to ask other racers questions. With few exceptions, they'll be willing to help and provide advice to you.
   
6. Near the end of the staging lanes, watch other cars from your lane and see where they pull up to. Some will drive through the "water box" (wet area for doing burnouts), others will drive around it. If you have street tires, it's best to drive around it and proceed onto the dragstrip. With slicks, drive into it and wait for the signal to do your burnout. In either case, don't do anything until a crewman signals you that it's okay to proceed. Generally, one person will signal you to pull out of the staging lane onto the track, where another will wave you forward. Slowly drive around or into the water box, and continue to follow hand signals. If doing a burnout, wait for the signal from a crewmember.
   
7. Now, pull up to the starting line and watch the "Christmas Tree" (display of lights at the beginning of the track, between the two lanes.) Each lane has it's own set of lights in order from top to bottom: 2 small bulbs at the very top of the tree (Pre-Stage), 2 identical small ones under that (Stage), 3 large amber bulbs, a green bulb, and a red bulb. Roll you car forward slowly until the first set of bulbs are lit (Pre-stage), this indicates your front tire are approximately seven inches from the starting line. Continue to creep forward until the second set of small bulbs are lit (Staged), then stop.
   
8. Depending on the tree, either all three amber bulbs will light at once followed 0.4 seconds later by the green (this is called a Pro-Tree), or the three amber bulbs will flash consecutively 0.5 seconds apart followed by the green coming on 0.5 seconds after the last amber (this is called a Sportsman or Full tree.) When you see the green light, GO! Keep racing until you reach the finish line, at which point you should begin to slow down and decide which turn-off you are going to take. If you have smoked your competitor, make sure you have his/her vehicle in sight before you turn off...you don't want to hit him while turning because he was in your blind spot!
   
9. If the track is giving out timeslips, there will be a shack on the return road where you can stop and your time will be given to you on a slip of paper. If it doesn't make any sense to you, ask another racer to explain it, but basically it shows your reaction time (R/T), time until your car reached the 1/8 mile mark, your speed at that point, time until you car reached the 1/4 mile mark, and again your speed at that point.
   
10. You can go around to the staging lanes and race again, or park for a while and get some food/drink or watch others race.
    

Tips

• Some events (those that are set up to replicate street racing) have a Christmas Tree that resembles a traffic light like you would find on the street, instead of the traditional Tree. If you encounter this type, treat it like any other traffic light. GO on green!
  
• Practice "launching" your car (getting it moving from a dead stop quickly), in a safe, legal place. It does take practice, and other racers who drive the same or similar vehicles can be a great source of information.
  
• Instead of waiting for the green light to come on, try leaving on the last amber light. By the time your car starts moving, the green light will have come on.
  
• If you get a red light on the Christmas Tree, it means you left the starting line before the green light came on!
  
• Try different setups with your car, like changing the tire pressures, running more or less fuel, different launch techniques, etc.
  

Warnings

• This IS a dangerous sport! Although many precautions have been made by the track to prevent serious injury, you can still be hurt by yourself or by others. Be careful, and if your car is not able to handle racing because of faulty brakes, fuel, oil, coolant, or other leaks, bad tires, etc then DO NOT RACE IT. You run an increased risk of injury to not only yourself but others.
  
• Consider some safety equipment like an approved helmet, fire extinguisher, and protective clothing.
  
• It's bad if you leak any type of liquids onto the track. This includes water dripping from your A/C, so be sure to switch it off well before you get out of the staging lanes.
  

Things You'll Need

• A car or truck that is capable of handling the increased stresses of racing.
  
• Extra oil and coolant, some rags, and a flashlight.
  
• Money to get into your track event and to cover drinks and food.
  
• Driver's License
  
• A friend (optional, but most "for fun" events allow you to bring one rider along for the race. Even if they can't race with you, they still provide good company.)
  
• Camera or video recorder (optional)
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Make Your Car Run Faster on Uphills
  
• How to Do Handbrake Skids
  
• How to Spin an Automatic Car
  
• How to Double Clutch Downshift
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Race Your Car at the Dragstrip. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Fight a Parking Ticket

How to Fight a Parking Ticket

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

There are many ways for fighting a parking ticket. In New York it can be slightly easier.

Steps

1. Review your ticket carefully for mistakes.
   
2. Look for a mistake of fact on the ticket. If you can provide evidence to prove a mistake, this may be enough to have the ticket or your court case dropped.
   
3. If you contest your ticket, try to get a court date that interferes with the police officer's schedule (find out when his shifts are, etc.) In most places, if the officer who issued the ticket does not show up in court, the ticket will be thrown out.
   
4. Adopt an attitude of contrition when you go before the judge for your hearing. Say you know you were wrong and that you have learned from your mistake. The judge is more likely to be lenient with you if he or she knows you are going to try to do better in the future.
   
5. Provide defending evidence. If the wording is unclear about a parking area, or paint is too faded to generally recognize, a photo of the area can provide the judge with more information about the situation.
   
6. Try using one of the following tricks to avoid getting a parking ticket all together (these methods are not guaranteed to work and you are likely better off paying the meter fee or abiding by the parking restriction rules):
   
   • Leave a hand written dated note on your dash stating that you put money in the meter and it did not account for it. Technically you are entitled to the maximum time allowed by the meter. You're car will be marked and the time noted by passing bylaw enforcement officers as is done if the parking zone was a timed zone. This may not work if the bylaw officer does not notice the note on the dash so be sure to make it as visible as possible.
     
   • Pop the hood of your vehicle and apply your emergency blinkers; this classifies you as an abandoned vehicle on a highway and you are less likely to receive a ticket as it requires different paperwork by the officer.
     
   • Park on private property instead of city property. Restricting the use of private property for the purposes of parking requires that the owner of the land erects proper signage indicating that you are not allowed to park there and the signage MUST include the bylaw number and the specific wording accepted by that city as suitable no parking wording (for example simply saying "no parking" is not enforceable as there is no consequence indicated so one could say that he/she didn't know that they would receive a ticket if parking there). The best most cities can do is give you a citation indicating that you have 72 hours to remove your vehicle from the location. Be careful with this option though, as the owner of the land can have you towed by a private towing company and you will be liable for the expense. Your vehicle may also be subject to vandalism by the property owner as a subtle warning to never park there again. By using this option you are likely inconveniencing the property owner and you shouldn't do something to someone else that you wouldn't want done to you.
     
   • Park in a space that's already been paid for and has room for two. If you drive a very small vehicle (such as a hatchback, motorcycle or scooter) and you discover an unusually large parking space, or one where another small vehicle has parked, you can get away with parking your vehicle in the same spot. Putting money in a parking meter is the equivalent of leasing that space from the city for the indicated time on the meter. Most jurisdictions don't outline any restrictions as to how many vehicles can be parked in the designated area for the time leased. Be sure your vehicle does not hang over the designated parking area lines or you may be ticketed and towed. Also, be careful not to block the other vehicle in the parking space or your vehicle may be damaged when they try to remove their vehicle from the space.
     
   • If the spot is a timed spot with no meter, move your vehicle a few inches forward or backward before the allowed time has expired. A bylaw enforcement officer chalks your tire with an 'X' and documents where it was marked on the tire and at what time. Upon his/her return to ticket you after the time has expired, if the chalk mark is in a different location he/she cannot prove that your vehicle remained in the space and did not leave and return (which entitles you to the maximum time allowed by the space again). He/She must chalk your tire again and allow the maximum time to expire before returning to ticket your vehicle. Be careful that the chalk mark indeed is in a visibly different location than it was previously as the officer's paperwork is only an approximation of where it was marked. Ensure that the chalk mark is unarguably in a different location by being at least a quarter turn of the wheel away from where it was before.
     
   
   

Tips

• 1. If you would like to argue about the validity of the ticket, it doesn't help to contradict the police officer. So do not say something like "I didn't do it", or "I wasn't parked there" if the police officer is going to say otherwise.
     
  2. You need to find a MERIT to let the summons be dismissed.
     
  3. If there is a scribbled correction this is called a Alertation and can sometimes warrant a dismissal.
     
  4. If it is a street sweeping ticket, you can sometimes get a dismissal if there is graffiti on the sign. A bumper sticker placed in the right position would be considered graffiti.
     
  
  

Warnings

• In some places, courts are giving people court dates based on the officer's schedule, so he will be able to appear in court.
  
• Trying to cheat the law by exploiting parking loopholes can have undesired consequences that are sometimes worse than the ticket itself.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Avoid a Traffic Ticket
  
• How to Fight a Traffic Ticket
  
• How to Avoid a Speeding Ticket
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Fight a Parking Ticket. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Deal with a tailgater

How to Deal with Someone Tailgating You

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

There is nothing as frustrating as driving on a two-lane road and having a vehicle so close behind you, that you fear to brake lest they hit you in the rear. On a four-lane highway, the fear is less, but the sight of another car so close makes for nervous driving.

Steps

1. Pull over and allow the vehicle behind you to pass, if it is safe to do so. If the car behind you is catching up, there's a good chance the driver wants to go faster. If it's safe to do so, let him/her.
   
   • On narrower roads, use turnouts to allow others to pass when it is safe to do so. In many places, it is required that slower traffic use turnouts. Elsewhere, it is simply polite.
     
   • On a winding road, do not speed up so drastically at passing lanes that others cannot pass. Many drivers go slowly and cautiously around curves and then get on a straightaway and feel that they have the space or visibility to dart ahead. Have the patience to let others past.
     
   
   
2. Slow down gradually. If somebody is following you too closely to be safe, slow down, but do not make it a sudden move. Most likely they will take the opportunity to pass you when it is possible and take the hint to give you a bit more space until then. Should an accident occur, at least it will occur at a slower speed.
   
3. If you are comfortable driving a bit faster and it is safe, then try speeding up. It might be that you are driving too slowly.
   
4. Look in the rear mirror, and use your hand on the mirror, as if you were waving back and forth, to signal him to get off your bumper.
   
5. Tap your brakes lightly a few times, so that he/she sees your brake lights, but not so hard that you actually slow down. This is another signal to back off.
   

Tips

• Do not allow the other driver to make you nervous. He or she will move away or slow down, pass, or turn off eventually.
  
• Be courteous to other drivers and avoid crowding behind them or following too closely.
  

Warnings

• Tailgating is very dangerous, and even more so if the weather reduces visibility or makes the road surface slippery.
  
• Never start speeding to get rid of a tailgater; if you do not feel comfortable driving faster, use other means to discourage him/her from following. Until then, keep driving at a comfortable, safe, and legal speed.
  

Related wikiHows

• How to Drive
  
• How to Drive a Car
  
• How to Test Drive a Car
  
• How to Drive Safely in the Rain
  
• How to Keep Right Except to Pass
  

Article provided by wikiHow, a collaborative writing project to build the world's largest, highest quality how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Deal with Someone Tailgating You. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.