1/8 traps vs. 1/4 traps
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TECH Senior Member
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From: Tampa Bay
1/8 traps vs. 1/4 traps ok first from my understanding, the trap speed of a 1/4 mile track is the AVERAGE last 60' of the 1/4 mile? is this correct? that is why your trap speeds are lower than what your car is actually running at the end of the finish line.
at a 1/4 mile track, the 1/8th mile marker mph is an average or is it the actual speed you are hitting at that point in time?
i was thinking about this today. why was my 1/8th TRACK trap speed so much less than my 1/4 mile TRACK speed at the 1/8th mile MARKER. it would make sense if the marker was the speed and not an average.
i run about 99 mph TRAPS at the 1/8th mile track.
i run about 103 mph at the half way point at my 1/4 mile track.
at a 1/4 mile track, the 1/8th mile marker mph is an average or is it the actual speed you are hitting at that point in time?
i was thinking about this today. why was my 1/8th TRACK trap speed so much less than my 1/4 mile TRACK speed at the 1/8th mile MARKER. it would make sense if the marker was the speed and not an average.
i run about 99 mph TRAPS at the 1/8th mile track.
i run about 103 mph at the half way point at my 1/4 mile track.
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Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Fort Collins, CO
The computer takes the amount of time it took you to travel the distance between the MPH markers, and will calculate a MPH. It's lower because the computer cannot account for the acceleration that occured inside of those MPH markers.
Rate * Time = Distance
Rate * Time = Distance
i think 1/8 mile mph is measured between 30 ft before and 30 ft after the 660 mark so you would think a 1/4 would be the same way. i've ran 1/4 mile in bg, atl and rt 66 and all were close to the same as the local 1/8 th milers.maybe someone that works at a track will come to the rescue and enlighten us.
Interesting question......I can't say for sure that the distance over which your speed is averaged is the same for the 1/8 as it is for the 1/4 (pretty sure it is, although 60' doesn't sound right, I thought it was less than that), but it definitely is the average speed BEFORE you reach the 1/8 or 1/4 marks. The 1/8 mile tracks should MPH the same as the 1/4 tracks.
Some tracks though (non sanctioned tracks) sometimes do weird things. Like one of my local tracks told me their MPH cones are a few feet further apart than typical NHRA tracks so my trap speeds are usually higher. Why they do this, I have no idea.
FYI, there are 7 cones going down the track....60', 330', X?' before 1/8, 1/8, 1000', X' before 1/4, 1/4.
Some tracks though (non sanctioned tracks) sometimes do weird things. Like one of my local tracks told me their MPH cones are a few feet further apart than typical NHRA tracks so my trap speeds are usually higher. Why they do this, I have no idea.
FYI, there are 7 cones going down the track....60', 330', X?' before 1/8, 1/8, 1000', X' before 1/4, 1/4.
From Top Fuel driver "Fast" Jack Beckman's site www.gofastjack.com
That answer that question, both are spaced out 66' for MPH calculations. These specs are NHRA requirements.
From his Trivia section:
Question:
4. How many orange boxes are located on the centerline of a contemporary dragstrip? Where are they located?
Answer:
4. Seven. They are located at 60-feet, 330-feet, 660-feet, 1,000-feet, 1,254-feet, and 1,320-feet. (The 594 and 1254 are used to calculate mph)
Question:
4. How many orange boxes are located on the centerline of a contemporary dragstrip? Where are they located?
Answer:
4. Seven. They are located at 60-feet, 330-feet, 660-feet, 1,000-feet, 1,254-feet, and 1,320-feet. (The 594 and 1254 are used to calculate mph)
