Dragstrip

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Car racing facility

title: "Dragstrip" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["drag-racing-venues"] description: "Car racing facility" topic_path: "general/drag-racing-venues" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragstrip" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Car racing facility ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/DragStrip_Nitrolympics_2005.jpg" caption="The [[Hockenheimring]] dragstrip, 2005"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/Dragstrip.jpg" caption="Looking down a drag strip. Note the Christmas tree countdown lights in the center"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/WIRDragStreetEliminators.jpg" caption="Drag racing vehicles ready to race"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/'AMC_dragstrip_2001'_meet_in_Cecil_Maryland_l.jpg" caption="Bring your own cars waiting to run down the dragstrip"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/WIRDragSnowmobileProBike2.jpg" caption="Snowmobile vs. Motorcycle"] ::

A dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile (1320 feet, 402 m) is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile (201 m) tracks, and the premiere classes will run 1,000 foot (304.8 m) races. The race is begun from a standing start which allows three factors to affect the outcome of the race: reaction time, power/weight ratio, and traction.

Features

A dragstrip is a straight, purpose-built racetrack, typically an eighth, ten feet longer than three-sixteenths, or a quarter of a mile long (660/1,000/1320 feet, 201/304.8/402 m), with an additional shutdown area to allow vehicles room to stop after crossing the finish line. Common features also include a 'water box' where vehicles and motorcycles start their burnouts for tire clean-up and also to heat up their tires to improve traction. There is a set of lights known as a 'Christmas Tree' that counts down to the start. There are also return lanes for the vehicles to return from the end of the track to the pit area.

Vehicle equipment requirements

Like all other motorsports, drag racing has many safety requirements for the vehicles that compete. These can be found in the applicable governing body's rule book. Most rules do not apply until the vehicle exceeds a specified time, such as 10.99 seconds. This allows anyone with a regular production vehicle to take part for very little cost, and encourages participation of many people who cannot afford a proper racing vehicle. The grassroots efforts are primarily bracket racing cars. Many classes allow drivers to drive their street cars and participate in an event.

Dragstrip locations

Quarter mile times

Acceleration times differ even between identical vehicles due to widely varying factors - vehicle tune, elevation, driver/rider differences, payload, track surface conditions, weather conditions.

::data[format=table title="Racing vehicles"]

Vehicle	Elapsed time	Notes
Rocket dragster	3.2 s at ~390 mph	Kitty O'Neil, 1977 in the Mojave Desert
Top Fuel Dragster	ET: 4.443 s at ~335.32 mph	title=History Made in 400 Thunder Early Qualifying
Speed: 4.485 s at ~338.35 mph	title=Lagana's run at US 131 among the best in 1/4 Mile History	url=https://us131msp.com/laganas-run-at-us-131-among-the-best-in-%C2%BC-mile-history/
Top Fuel Dragster (1000 foot)	ET: 3.701 s at ~328.78 mi/h	url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904032000/http://www.nhra.com/points/national-records.aspx
Speed: 3.802 s at ~332.18 mph	Spencer Massey, 15 April 2012, Concord, NC
Top Fuel Funny Car (1000 foot)	3.901 s at ~325.69 mph	Jack Beckman, 22 August 2015, Brainerd International Raceway
Top Alcohol Dragster	ET: 5.103 s at ~284.75 mph	Bill Reichert, 1 April 2007, Houston Raceway Park
5.2 s at Speed: ~285.23 mph	Donald St. Arnaud, 10 November 2016, Auto Club Raceway (Pomona)
Pro Modified Top Doorslammer in Australia	5.745 s at ~252.24 mph	John Zappia, 8 June 2013, Willowbank Raceway
Pro Stock	6.455 s at ~214.48 mph	Jason Line, 29 March 2015, at zMax Dragway
Top Fuel Bike	5.799 s at 245.36 mph	title=Top Fuel Dragbike racing, fastest speed
Pro Stock Motorcycle	6.75 s at ~199.26 mph	Eddie Krawiec, 10 March 2012, at Gainesville Raceway
Electric Motorcycle	6.94 s at ~201.37 mph	Larry McBride, 4 May 2012, at Virginia Motorsports Park
::

NOTE: Nitro Funny Car records set at 1000 ft, which since 2008 in the US by NHRA, 2012 internationally by FIA, and 2017 in Australia by IHRA is the official distance for both Top Fuel and Funny Car in the respective sanctioning bodies.

All official records must be backed up within one percent during the same race meet in order to be claimed. The official records for terminal velocity and elapsed time are different in the professional car categories, and only the elapsed time run (and respective speed of that run) is listed. There have been some cases where a car has run faster than the official record, but because they were not backed up within one percent during the same meet, they are not recognised by the NHRA, IHRA, or FIA. The Top Fuel record listed as the final quarter-mile record in IHRA prior to off-season rule change at the end of 2016–17 season that shortened Top Fuel to 1,000 feet.

References

"History Made in 400 Thunder Early Qualifying". Willowbank Raceway.
[http://www.nhra.com/points/national-records.aspx NHRA] {{webarchive. link. (4 September 2015)
"Top Fuel Dragbike racing, fastest speed". [[Guinness Book of World Records]].
[http://www.nedra.com/200mph_club.html NEDRA]

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::