You mention this is your first time to the strip , and you are going to see what it is all about. That is EXACTLY what you should do the first time..........go and observe.

Stand as close as you can to the burnout box and the staging lanes and watch every move all the other guys do. Watch how they do their burn outs, watch how they roll to the lights. Watch how they trip the first and second lights., etc.

You will want to know as much about starting line technique as you can BEFORE you ever take your car there.

In your case, you will want to avoid the water box, and just back into the damp spots. Do as much of a burnout as you can, and let the car spin out to the dry area. Then stage.

Pay NO attention to the guy next to you RACE YOURSELF, and pretend he isn't even there. Put the car in drive, and let the tranny shift when it wants to. Focus all of your attention on the lights, and leave when you see the last amber light up. Once underway, bury your foot into the floorboard and concentrate on the finish line.

Now, your heart is going to be coming out of your chest, especially the first few times, and you may even make a few mistakes when staging. Don't worry about it, everybody has this same reaction until you get comfortable with it. But that is why the bracket classes are so cool, because it gives you and me a chance to play Don Garlitts.

Above all, remember it is just a race, and everybody gets smoked every once in a while. But at least you tried, and will keep making your car faster and faster.


JMO,


Don