Drag racing is an extremely popular automotive sport

that starts with many competitors until one is left. Some of the common features found in drag racing are tracks, or dragstrips. The length is defined before starting. A common race can be completed on a 100 foot strip. Two vehicles compete in what is called elimination races. The winner goes on; the loser is eliminated.

Professional drag racing

is sanctioned by the National Hot Rod Association, better known as the NHRA. Once the sport became formalized, standards became the norm for competition. A device nicknamed the Christmas Tree is an electronic set of lights. The lights are set on each side of the 'tree' and consist of, from the top down, 2 amber lights, 3 LED lights, a green light, and a red light. Those lights are set to let the crowd, the judges, and the drivers know the status of the race.

Usually the first vehicle

across the finish line is the winner. Like any type of race, vehicles can be disqualified. Some of the most common reasons for disqualification include early departure from the starting line, going outside the lane boundary, or hitting a fixed object on the track. Vehicles in NHRA competition are weighed at the end of each run. Fuel is also checked to make sure compliance with fuel regulations have been kept. The vehicle fortunate enough to be the victor is subject to a complete teardown of the engine after the event.

Two of the most common types of drag racing events are the Funny Car races, where speeds of 330 mph are common, and Pro Stock drags, which are subject to many regulations including weight, maximum engine size, number of carburetors, and the type of fuel allowed.

So what is new in drag racing?

Throw a few famous names together with spectacular events and end up with a winning card in Joliet in June! It's the Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing. Included in the event will be SVT Lightning and Harley Davidson F-150 trucks. Tire designs continue to upgrade as the action gets hotter and hotter. Four-ply polyester tires enable that faster competition to be completed safely. There is a new crossflow aluminum radiator available for the all new Ford Mustang.

Cease to worry about things shifting and changing when the dragster is being moved. Straps to hold things tight have been upgraded in capacity. No one wants to arrive at the drag racing track and discover one of the tie downs broke under pressure. These new straps will ease your mind.

Real Top Fuel Dragster doing a Burnout !  Turn up Your Volume!