Delay box for bracket racing

I just had a conversation with one of the Div 6 Tech guys that was at my shop replacing the Pro tag on my new car with a 25.1e tag and he stated in no uncertain terms that the ignition wire cannot be hooked up to ANY delay box in ANY NHRA class. He also told me that they suspect a few racers are using some sort of converted Gmeters that actually work as "pedometers" for lack of a better word. It measures the Gforces durring a test pass and averages it and then you basically watch the meter to try to make that average. Its confusing. I think I'll keep trying to make the car consistant instead.

without naming a name because they aren't racing anymore, but i talked to a racer one time that said they used a readout style indicator to tell if he was fast or slow. he hid it in his firesuit. he said between the hassle of messing with it and the fear of being caught, he quit using it after a race or two. he also said he didn't do any better than when he wasn't using it.

it's hard to think that there couldn't be a gps device accurate and quick enough to map the 1/8 or 1/4 mile from the start point where you hit the button and predict a time you're going to reach the finish line.

with some racers taking home $200,000 plus a year in winnings, and little to no tech at most of these races, kinda leaves the door open....with sufficient motive...

A current NHRA hero in super comp was banned from one organization for life for using a Matty Box to win big money bracket races years ago, according to the old drag racing monthly mag. With the Matty Box a set of magnets in the right front wheel of a dragster would count the revolutions down the track and the speed of the wheel to determine where you were on the track. The tach was used as stated before to show whether you were ahead or behind your perset standard. However, any car can be made very consistant so I doubt many racers still use that system. However, the MSD box with the slew rate rev limiter could easily be used to "cheat" be keeping the rev range the same no matter the track conditions. On a slick track with a car prone to a little tire spin it would be used to match the rpm's of the box even if the car tried to spin the tires. You could tell it to take 1.5 sec to go from 4000 rpms (launch) to 7200 rpms (your shift) and then take another 3 sec. to go from 6500 ( your stall ) back to 7500 rpms at the finish in the 1/8, or whatever your combo liked the best. Some racers may consider this using avalible tech. not cheating. In Moto GP bike racing all bikes now have traction control so that riders only need to pin the throttle at the turn apex and hold on, five years ago that kind of riding would have launched your a*# into orbit on the high side.

lots of good reading

here is the site ...more good reading

http://www.insidefastbrackets.com/showthread.php?t=704

That's all good stuff, Nick. But I don't see how any of those cases used a starrting line delay to cheat. Electronic cheating, yes...delay box cheating...?

i couldnt tell you what a delay box is if it slap me in the face ......... all i did was google bracket racers are cheaters and thats what pulled up ....

you can Cheat with them if you know what to do, I did an experiment and built a light sensor for mine and I could click each light dead on but I took it out cuz it was to deadly...... and I figured they would question all day near perfect lights....
when our track went to the LED Lights I had a sensor in a tube that pointed to the First bulb and it would detect the light and start the timer. kind of like a high beam sensor for headlight.... I had sights on it to aim it but they were outlawed....... but it can be done.... Now just learn to dial the box. and you can hit it close......


Randy

the Coug wrote:you can Cheat with them if you know what to do, I did an experiment and built a light sensor for mine and I could click each light dead on but I took it out cuz it was to deadly...... and I figured they would question all day near perfect lights....
when our track went to the LED Lights I had a sensor in a tube that pointed to the First bulb and it would detect the light and start the timer. kind of like a high beam sensor for headlight.... I had sights on it to aim it but they were outlawed....... but it can be done.... Now just learn to dial the box. and you can hit it close......


Randy

That's cheating with an optic sensor, they are illegal in all drag racing and can be used with out a box. We had a local guy racing heads-up Radial stuff with one hooked directly to his trans-brake.

Not saying that I would ever accuse someone of cheating, but if someones lights appear to be better than average, I will have my wife take pictures of them as soon as their staged. With flash of course.

Curt wrote:Not saying that I would ever accuse someone of cheating, but if someones lights appear to be better than average, I will have my wife take pictures of them as soon as their staged. With flash of course.

Curt that would not work on the setup I did cuz I had my sensor in a 8 inch long tube, only way you could do it is flash it directly down the tube........


Randy

Nick

All of that is OLD news to those of us that run dely boxes. Those examples are the reason the NHRA has an "approved" list of delay boxes you can run.

As for the tach wire to the delay box..same deal...several years old at least...

Back to the original question........I use a skuzzy old Dedenbear SCO1. Nothing fancy. Reliable as an anvil. Allows 3 hits on the tree if you're so inclined (I am not). My favorite use of the box is crossing over and leaving off the slower guy's top bulb. Had lots of success that way.

Maverick I love the cross over delay also nice when you have a slower car to catch...



Randy

Yeh, Randy. You've always got the poor bastard in sight. Leave early, put a fender on him and push him under. Easy money.

maverick wrote:Back to the original question........I use a skuzzy old Dedenbear SCO1. Nothing fancy. Reliable as an anvil. Allows 3 hits on the tree if you're so inclined (I am not). My favorite use of the box is crossing over and leaving off the slower guy's top bulb. Had lots of success that way.

I have one of these for sale, damn near new............

the Coug wrote:Curt that would not work on the setup I did cuz I had my sensor in a 8 inch long tube

Come on Randy, didn't say it would work, or that there are cheaters out there. It would just make me feel better. LOL

Curt wrote:

the Coug wrote:Curt that would not work on the setup I did cuz I had my sensor in a 8 inch long tube

Come on Randy, didn't say it would work, or that there are cheaters out there. It would just make me feel better. LOL

Curt I was just trying it to see if I could get an edge but then I felt guilty, so I took it off....



Randy

One of my best friends is a electronic whiz. He knows nothing about race cars OR delay boxes. He was over to the shop the other day and I was telling him about buying the new BTE TB for my glide. well, he was asking me why we used them and I was explaining to him about the delay box and why we use them. He went to his car and brought back this really small timing devise that you could hold w/2 fingers, and said this will do the same thing, just not as many bells and whistles. he said they have some real fancy ones at work. I thought to myself, some of the bracket2 guy's would sure like to get their hands on that

mustangjeff wrote:Well guys I guess I am a p***y, but I bet I could put bad notch on the trailer the first round. Oh wait a minute it is probably not even fast enough to require a trailer. Thanks for the help from the rest of you guys.

Don't have to worry about him, he can't get a car to go down the track.

Curt wrote:

QtrWarrior wrote:LOL Not the deaded "Matty" box !!!

We changed the name of that to the "May box" in these parts.

Curt wrote:Not saying that I would ever accuse someone of cheating, but if someones lights appear to be better than average, I will have my wife take pictures of them as soon as their staged. With flash of course.

Well don't come to "the Edge" you will mess me all up......

Ha!

Note to self,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,possible cheater at edgewater.

Curt wrote:Ha!

Note to self,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,possible cheater at edgewater.

Just one Davis technogoly test field.

I'll be at edgewater watching.. this year, hope to see you and your car there...