Hey everybody. I'm new here. I work at a dragstip.

"Justin is driven" (justinisdriven)
04/15/2014 at 20:06 • Filed to: Drag Racing, Jet Cars, New guy

Dear God, please accept me.

Contrary to popular (largely justified) belief about drag race officials, I have all of my teeth, I don't think that Japanese cars are built with chopsticks, and I try my hardest not to pronounce the word "wheelie" as "wully".

DISCUSSION (40)

Brian Silvestro > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:07

try my hardest

But still fail? YOU'RE NOT WELCOME

Just kidding, clearly. Welcome to Oppositelock.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:08

Kinja'd!!!

Timmy - MINI With a Big Blower > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:09

Leave.

Just kidding. Welcome! I think you'll like it here.

Merkin Muffley > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:09

since you recognize me as your god, I accept you. I require a tribute of 10w30 every 5000 miles.

lone_liberal > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:09

Do you smell faintly of nitromethane, VHT and sweat? If so you'll do fine.

1337HPMustang > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:10

what yuh drive, mate?

Justin is driven > Timmy - MINI With a Big Blower
04/15/2014 at 20:10

I already do! I have been lurking dutifully for at least 2 years. My penance is paid.

jkm7680 > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:11

Welcome! Don't drop the soap.

Kidding. Enjoy your stay!

Oh, and anything including Working and at a Dragstrip is a fuck yes here.

Timmy - MINI With a Big Blower > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:12

Kinja'd!!!

That's good. You know how things work. So have some deliciousness.

Anima > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
04/15/2014 at 20:13

Kinja'd!!!

Come in.. We need to get you up to speed!
Welcome!

Justin is driven > 1337HPMustang
04/15/2014 at 20:13

The Jalopnik special - 1985 Volvo 240 wagon. Turbo. Manual. It's black, but 2/4 isn't too bad is it?

Justin is driven > lone_liberal
04/15/2014 at 20:14

Oh God, "faintly" isn't the right word. I could kill someone with my work shirts.

YSI-what can brown do for you > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:15

So like drag racing is really easy right? You know go in a straight line, zoom zoom. Maybe you should have picked a real sport to play. . . like Starcraft.

#thisispossiblysarcasm

AthomSfere > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:17

Drag racing? You mean the racing that people who suck at cars do?

Shudders at the thought... But at least its not NASCAR! Welcome aboard.

(author is too sarcastic for his own good 99.87% of the time)

PRBot II > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:17

Welcome to Oppo! Beer's in the fridge.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Anima
04/15/2014 at 20:17

Did you respond to the wrong person?

Kinja sucks.

Supreme Kiwi Zorro > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:18

Kinja'd!!!

Welcome aboard! I hope to read about jet-powered dragsters from you. Cheers!

Justin is driven > YSI-what can brown do for you
04/15/2014 at 20:19

Yes? I mean kind of. For most guys, the driving is the easy part. It's unique in that aspect - the only thing you really need to be an awesome bracket racer is incredible reflexes and the ability to drive straight for up to a quarter mile while judging what kind of start your opponent got, how far they are from you, how likely it is you'll break out, and if you should lift. As for the heads up stuff you need most of that crap and also a massive pair of brass balls. :)

I understand your sarcasm and accept it.

Article ideas - I has them.

Vince-The Roadside Mechanic > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:20

you drive a Volvo and work at a dragstrip I already like you welcome I am Vdynamo

Anima > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
04/15/2014 at 20:21

Yeah.. it seems i did.. I can either blame vodka or Kinja.. So DAMN KINJA! ( But I can honestly swear I did respond to the right person :/)

YSI-what can brown do for you > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:22

How difficult is it to set up a car. I know people come to autocross and start messing with tire pressure and damper settings and that is usually the extent of it. I feel like there is more prep going into a 10 second drag race than a 1 minute long autocross run.

ly2v8-Brian > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:22

Cool 'spose you see some neat rides.

Justin is driven > Supreme Kiwi Zorro
04/15/2014 at 20:23

They're crazy! Even in the context of a drag strip they're loud.

$kaycog > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:25

Welcome! We always look forward to new victims friends.

Anima > PRBot II
04/15/2014 at 20:26

Just stay away from the one's labeled "Spiegel'.. You don't wan't to drink those.

Believe me... You don't want to drink THOSE!

Justin is driven > YSI-what can brown do for you
04/15/2014 at 20:29

It really depends on what kind of drag racing you're going to do. Really, for bracket racing, there is no setup as such. You need a consistent car that you can drive consistently Something automatic, not so powerful that it'll spin on the line, or at least with tires good enough to hook whatever power you do have, and easy to drive. There's a guy who always cleans up in sportsman class at our strip who drives a mostly stock Buick Roadmaster with full interior.

As for the heads up classes - more traditionally what people think of when they think of drag racing - the sky is the limit. Depending on the platform it can be really easy to set up a car to do tens because so many other guys have done it. Buy a foxbody, do any number of cookie-cutter builds depending on budget and goals, buy some slicks, and run for a season or three on the same engine.

It only really gets crazy when you get faster than 9.0. Then there's usually some fairly impressive tech and engineering present int he guys that can show up every weekend and win.

Sn210 > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:33

you've taken the volvo down said drag strip, right?

Ps. Welcome!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:34

You have to be a pretty hefty bellend to not be accepted around here. Welcome to the fold :)

Justin is driven > ly2v8-Brian
04/15/2014 at 20:35

Yeah, but it can get kind of ridiculous. Like... when I'm working and some crazy turbo'd Shelby Gt500 or something shows up, I don't even blink anymore. I don't even get excited until people start going <9 seconds, and 99% of those guys won't break 10.

There have been some surprises though. A guy showed up one day in a Jeep SRT8 that was loud. I figured he had just straight-piped it or something. He rolls up to the line, the tree comes down, and it spins all four off the line and runs down like a 10.20 or something completely ridiculous. No cage, no jacket, not even a helmet on that first pass. It was hilarious, impressive, and terrifying all at once.

ly2v8-Brian > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:37

ballsy

Justin is driven > Sn210
04/15/2014 at 20:38

Yes, grinding third and everything. Once a season we do an employee bracket race. I got 4th, losing to the new guy (oh God, the ignominy) but beating my good friend who was driving a $400 Saturn at the time. I rolled down my windows and blasted NPR at the starting line. Only one guy got the joke.

Bird > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 20:56

I've had the pleasure of running a fully loaded Ryder truck down a wet drag strip...

I never knew a quarter mile was so long...

Justin is driven > Bird
04/15/2014 at 21:02

Yeah it can feel pretty long in anything horrendously slow like that. I've probably gone slower (golf cart) but I don't think I've ever driven anything larger than that down the 1320. I have driven ambulances though!

tromoly > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 21:05

What area? I'm at a track in the MidWest myself.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 21:38

I thought nitromethane exhaust was somewhat toxic?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 21:39

Welcome to the funny farm! Quintessential drag strip car is needed.

Kinja'd!!!

EL_ULY > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 21:47

Welcome to OPPO :] Long live all forms of motoring and motorsport

now featuring a die-cast related section called HWEP :]

click here to take a quick look if you are interested.

oh, and long live track burgers!

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Justin is driven
04/15/2014 at 21:49

welcome! hope kinja doesn't scare you away too quickly!
I kid, I kid. Still welcome! :D
Oh and remember: don't be a dick. That's the main rule about this place!

Makoyouidiot > Justin is driven
04/16/2014 at 01:00

AWESOME! Dragsters are so metal. Literally and figuratively. I really need to go down to my local dragstrip and embarass myself in the 500, I think.