I've heard both yes and no to this.

I dont really see how it could. If you dont break the light beam when staged and set the timer starting how could it affect the overall timeslip? Or does the timer start when the light goes green and it doesn't matter :confused:

If you are just going for personal time, it doesn't matter when you move.

In bracket racing, reaction time is a factor.

Originally posted by Zahnster
In bracket racing, reaction time is a factor.

But not a factor in the time ran. A Pro Stock car could lose to an Hummer H2 if the reaction time was 22 seconds. The Pro Stock car would still run a 7 second pass.

I asked my dad, he is real into drag racing, he said in a race situation, you need to have a better RT to win the race. Pretty much you could run a 5 sec 1/4mile and the guy next to you ran a 4.90, but you had alot better RT, you would win. I think thats how he explained it to me. He said it is a Whole Shot Win. Now if you are just going to the drag strip to play around, it doesn't matter what your reaction time is. You could sit there 30 seconds past the light turning green, then go. There is an electric eye that senses your car moving and starts the timers. So if you were going to run 13.5, it pretty much doesn't matter if you have .5 RT or a 30.5 RT, you would still run the same 13.5. I THINK!

Its Hole shot, and in bracket racing and in a heads up street race type situation your reaction time would matter.

Legal drag racing other than Brackets and it has no effect on the ET shown on your slip.

Larry

"does reaction time affect 1/4 mile time?"

The answer is, NO! You can leave the starting line perfectly or leave several hours later, your 1/4 mile time will still be the same with everything else being equal.

Stage very very shallow and your ET will be a little quicker. The difference between deep staging and not is easily .05, with our cars maybe a little more. How many out there are just .05 from the 12 second club?