Drag racing, as we all know, is the dull form of motorsport where semi skilled drivers compete to determine who spent the most money on their car by driving them in a straight line for a handful of seconds. With the steady march of technology 1000 hp street cars are becoming the norm and drag strips are converting to 1/8 mile to try and slow the cars down.
I was a drag racer in my early 20's and even have a bracket racing championship, because I figured out the formula. It got very boring, very quick.
My suggestion is this. Add one more beam, 200 or so feet after the finish line. This is your stop box. If you break the beam, you lose. Now you have to think. You can't just show up in a hellcat and pretend you're a hero. You can't just pour horsepower and tires into a car and let it win for you. You actually have to do something.
Like the ultimate battle of late braking.
I dunno. It'll probably be too dangerous on account of people are stupid, but I'd like to see it anyway.
In reply to AClockworkGarage :
It should be added to the Challenge imho.
I thought you were going to suggest a slalom
In reply to RevRico :
My first idea was a 90 degree turn at the 1/8th mile.
No thanks.
You are seeing 1/8 mile is the pace is quicker and the insurance is cheaper, even if the radial vs the world are running 3.6x@220 in the eighth.
Make it really interesting... Instead of stopping before another beam, just use a concrete barrier.
I too immediately thought obstacles or ramps. Your idea is much smarter.
BMW uses a similar idea in their driving experience at the plant in South Carolina, or at least they did a few years ago when I did it. They set up an "autox" course, though it was more like a slalom. In the end, there was a stop box. You had to stop with your car fully in the box (the box was obviously a decent bit bigger than the car) otherwise your time was disqualified. It was quite an interesting decision to make. Carry more speed in but have to brake longer and still stop within the box, or carry a bit less speed and be able to stop at the beginning of the box. I thought it was cool.
NickD
MegaDork
5/25/22 6:13 a.m.
My idea that I posed a while back was having Lemans-style starts.
Best, in the top fuel and funny car ranks, is to have the competitors start at opposite ends of the track. The timing system will determine the winner since it won't be immediately obvious. The finish may not be quite as exciting but mid-track....oh boy.
You lost me at "drag racing is dull."
I have one thing to say to the guy in front of me and the original poster
I can honestly say, after bridging the gap, that the small tire drag racing stuff, while it is a cubic dollars (not cubic inches) deal, really brings out the best in competition. You're not seeing cars go down every single pass, there is a lot of work involved to make the small tire stuff as fast as it is.
That being said, I LOVE road racing/auto-x stuff, its a blast to do, but it is generally (with a few exceptions) EXTREMELY boring to watch. I'll watch the no prep/street outlaws/pro mod stuff all day vs watching someone auto-x, its very difficult to capture the thrill
Appleseed said:
You lost me at "drag racing is dull."
Agreed. This sounds worse than bracket racing. The not stopping or turning part is the appeal. Never have to buy brakes and tires can last a few seasons. Go through cases of spark plugs though 
This was the fun part of the SuperRallyX series. The winner was the first person to stop in the box.
Swap the tires after the start.
In reply to AClockworkGarage :
Aw I just want to borrow someones old rear engine, throw a V12 in and just see what it can do. 
Why not just do the Carrol Shelby 0-100-0 and see where the cars stack up?
If money is the issue, make a claim value on the car. The person that finished behind you can buy your car for a preset value. That will certainly change up the $$$.
