Drag Racing

[Marcia]

Me and the BF are going to meet a couple of friends at Santa Pod for the FIA European Finals next month for my birthday,never seen Drag Racing live before,really looking forward to it.Only booked the tickets yesterday aft and they've arrived this morning already
What are you're experiences of Drag Racing?

[4mo]

Take some nice comfy chairs unless you want to pay to sit in a cramped grandstand, plenty of beer, and lookout for us with the biggest windbreak at the top of the bank, come and say hi

[Marcia]

We will be on the banking,apparantly you get to see more from there,will look out for you.

[Flying Toilet]

Have a look in this forum:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/forum.asp?h=0&a...

Drag Racing is my sport of choice and you have chose the best event of the year to attend. It will be awesome!

[LordGrover]

How's it work then?
Thurs-Sat practice & qualifying then finals on Sunday?

[Flying Toilet]

LordGrover said:

How's it work then?
Thurs-Sat practice & qualifying then finals on Sunday?

All qualifying Thurs-Sat. Sportsman racing all day Thursday then Sportsman and Pro classes Fri and Sat.

Sportsman classes usually then run 1st round Saturday night and Pro/Sportsman eliminations all day Sunday.

If you have never been, give it a shot, you will be blown away.

[Nick M]

Marcia said:

Me and the BF are going to meet a couple of friends at Santa Pod for the FIA European Finals next month for my birthday,never seen Drag Racing live before,really looking forward to it.Only booked the tickets yesterday aft and they've arrived this morning already
What are you're experiences of Drag Racing?

IT CAN BE VERY, VERY LOUD !!!


Seriously, take some ear plugs / defenders for the really noisy stuff, because it's not much fun to have your ears ringing for two or three days after the event


But it's pretty addictive, and way more sophisticated than the relatively simple nature of the racing would suggest. If you can get someone to explain the various classes and how / why they race as they do then it starts to make sense. For example, for a long time I didn't 'get' bracket racing.

[hornet]

Take earplugs, your own food and drink, some bin bags for rubbish, something to keep you occupied in the event of any downtime and get there EARLY. Far better to mooch round the pits with a cuppa than sit fuming in the queue to get in. I've always enjoyed seeing and hearing the place come to life, and have found the crews are happy to chat if they're not busy. Be prepared to pick your jaw up off the floor on a regular basis.

[Marcia]

Nick M said:

Marcia said:

Me and the BF are going to meet a couple of friends at Santa Pod for the FIA European Finals next month for my birthday,never seen Drag Racing live before,really looking forward to it.Only booked the tickets yesterday aft and they've arrived this morning already
What are you're experiences of Drag Racing?

IT CAN BE VERY, VERY LOUD !!!

The noise is'nt a problem,went to Silverestone for the 2008 F1 GP,that was VERY loud,didn't need earplugs,but thanks for the warning

[MajorLucky]

haha, F1 loud, your in for a shock

ENJOY

[Slyjoe]

Marcia said:

Nick M said:

Marcia said:

Me and the BF are going to meet a couple of friends at Santa Pod for the FIA European Finals next month for my birthday,never seen Drag Racing live before,really looking forward to it.Only booked the tickets yesterday aft and they've arrived this morning already
What are you're experiences of Drag Racing?

IT CAN BE VERY, VERY LOUD !!!

The noise is'nt a problem,went to Silverestone for the 2008 F1 GP,that was VERY loud,didn't need earplugs,but thanks for the warning

Ha - F1 is loud in that it makes your ears ring a bit - Drag racing will make your internal organs shudder! sometimes make you unable to breath - seriously - take some ear defenders!

[chevronb37]

Grand prix cars are really very quiet compared to Top Fuel dragsters. I instantly regretted not taking ear defenders of some kind when we were wandering round the Santa Pod paddock - it's borderline unbearable when you're close to the cars. My datum point for a loud racing car is the Superleague car and that is rendered mute by comparison. The advice is valid.

[SeeFive]

I agree with the noise bit.

I have only been to a run what you brung day once. I have lots of very close quarter experience of F1 car noise, that level of noise is about the same as I experienced that day being 2-300yds away from a top dragster in it's marquee.

They are noisy beyond comparison. Listen to these people and take earplugs.

[Flying Toilet]

F1 cars loud? Nah...they are like hair dryers compared to these.

The bark will take your breath away if stood too close.

Check this guy at the Finals last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yKA1N2wyoM&fea...

[Flying Toilet]

Flying Toilet said:

F1 cars loud? Nah...they are like hair dryers compared to these.

The bark will take your breath away if stood too close.

Check this guy at the Finals last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yKA1N2wyoM&fea...

Also, make sure you go to the pits to watch the guys rebuild the cars between rounds, its amazing how efficient they are:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUK3uXI1YbY

[Nick M]

Flying Toilet said:

The bark will take your breath away if stood too close.

Check this guy at the Finals last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yKA1N2wyoM&fea...

LOL

I lived in the US for three years and used to go to Firebird Raceway (Phoenix) for all the NHRA racing and pre-season events. Just a truly awesome (in the proper sense of the word) experience to see those cars running and to *FEEL* the noise, not just hear it.

And I could never quite work out why everyone crowded close to the cars when they were running up the engines and getting the clutches located - the pit crews wear ear defenders and respirators for a reason !!! It's properly noxious stuff that comes out of those engines - a sort of green haze rather than smoke, and I think one of the by-products from burning nitro-methane is CS gas (or something very close to it).

And do, PLEASE, take some ear plugs / defenders - it'll spoil the day if you don't. I tried, once, to watch a car go past just shy of the 1/4 mile marker without earplugs, and trust me, I didn't do it again !!

[Flying Toilet]

Nick M said:

Flying Toilet said:

The bark will take your breath away if stood too close.

Check this guy at the Finals last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yKA1N2wyoM&fea...

And I could never quite work out why everyone crowded close to the cars when they were running up the engines and getting the clutches located - the pit crews wear ear defenders and respirators for a reason !!! It's properly noxious stuff that comes out of those engines - a sort of green haze rather than smoke, and I think one of the by-products from burning nitro-methane is CS gas (or something very close to it).

When Nitromethane is burnt it turns into Nitric Acid which is what the police use for Tear gas.

[Mini1275]

To be honest, it's more the thump in the chest as the top fuels leave the line than the noise, in my opinion anyway, it physically hurts!.

[V8covin]

I was standing by a top fueler in the pits at the pod once when they fired it up and it backfired.Never mind the noise,I nearly had a heart attack !
Unless you're a very hardy sole you really should take some ear plugs.....for children they should be mandatory !

[Marcia]

Thanks for the advice,will invest in some ear defenders