Interesting night at the dragstrip last night

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
MPH is a mathematical calculation at the track. You trip a sensor at 66 feet before the finish and then the finish. The time it takes you to go between the two is how you get your speed. Some tracks also have an 1/8 mile(660 feet) speed sensor, which of course, is how you get your 1/8 mile MPH.

I know I have discussed this at the track. It was explained to me as follows, whether or not it is true I cannot say.
If you leave tires spinning(within reason not half way down the track), you have a bad 60 foot, so a lower ET but when you hook you are higher in the RPM band thus making more power and MPH, so in the same distance you pick up some mph. Seems plausible but I cannot say for sure.


Strange as it may seem, THIS^^^ is also the explanation I was always given as well when questioning how is that possible.

 

[ls1mike]

I have seen it in my own car. Lousy 60 foot, Bad ET Same MPH or more as if I ran a good clean pass.

 

[Cujet]

I think the trap speed is not really changed much by the launch technique and/or traction issues. This is because there is plenty of distance to accelerate to speed. Trap speed is a better indicator of actual HP.

I don't mean to imply that spinning tires results in better trap speeds. I simply mean to say that the Hellcat obviously makes a lot of power, because the trap speed is very high.