Drag Race Trivia Quiz Questions and Answers

Drag race trivia quiz with answers.

Drag Race Trivia Quiz Questions and Answers

What is drag racing?
A: Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles or motorcycles (usually specially prepared for the purpose) compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line.

Electronic timing and speed sensing systems have been used to record race results since when?
A: Since the 1960s.

Push starts to get engines running were necessary until what?
A: The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) mandated self-starters in 1976.

After burnouts, cars would be pushed back by crews; this persisted until when?
A: Until the NHRA required reversing systems in 1980.

Who was the first to do burnouts across the starting line, which is now standard practice?
A: Don Garlits.

Each driver then backs up to and stages at the what?
A: The starting line.

Before each race (commonly known as a pass), each driver is allowed to perform a burnout, which does what?
A: It heats the driving tires and lays rubber down at the beginning of the track, improving traction.

Modern races are started electronically by a system known as a what?
A: A christmas tree, which consists of a column of lights for each driver/lane, and two light beam sensors per lane on the track at the starting line.

What lights do current NHRA trees have?
A: They feature one blue light (split into halves), then three amber, one green, and one red.

When the first light beam is broken by a vehicle's front tire(s), the vehicle is what?
A: Pre-staged" (approximately 7 inches (180 mm) from the starting line), and the pre-stage indicator on the tree is lit.

When the second light beam is broken, the vehicle is what?
A: Staged, and the stage indicator on the tree is lit.

Vehicles may then leave the pre-stage beam, but must remain in the stage beam until what?
A: Until the race starts.

Once one competitor is staged, their opponent has a set amount of time to stage or they will be what?
A: Instantly disqualified, indicated by a red light on the tree.

Once both drivers are staged, why does the system choose a short delay at random before starting the race?
A: To prevent a driver being able to anticipate the start.

What measurements are taken for each race?
A: Reaction time, elapsed time, and speed.

Reaction time is the period from the green light illuminating to what?
A: The vehicle leaving the starting line.

Elapsed time is the period from the vehicle leaving the starting line until what?
A: Crossing the finish line.

Speed is measured through a speed trap covering the final 66 feet (20 m) to the finish line, indicating what?
A: The average speed of the vehicle in that distance.

Except where a breakout rule is in place, the winner is the first vehicle to do what?
A: To cross the finish line, and therefore the driver with the lowest combined reaction time and elapsed time.

Because these times are measured separately, a driver with a slower elapsed time can actually win if that driver's advantage in reaction time exceeds what?
A: The elapsed time difference.

In heads-up racing, this is known as a what?
A: A holeshot win.

Most race events use a traditional bracket system, where the losing car and driver are eliminated from the event while the winner does what?
A: Advances to the next round, until a champion is crowned.

Events can range from 16 to over how many car brackets?
A: 100.

Drivers are typically seeded by what?
A: Elapsed times in qualifying.

A popular alternative to the standard eliminations format is the what?
A: The Chicago Style format (also called the Three Round format in Australia), named for the US 30 Dragstrip in suburban Gary, Indiana where a midweek meet featured this format.

All entered cars participate in one what?
A: Qualifying round, and then are paired for the elimination round.

The two fastest times among winners from this round do what?
A: Participate in the championship round.

Depending on the organization, the next two fastest times may play for what?
A: Third, then fifth, and so forth, in consolation rounds.

What is the standard distance of a drag race?
A: It is 1,320 feet, 402 m, or 1/4 mile.

However, due to safety concerns, certain sanctioning bodies (notably the NHRA for its Top Fuel and Funny Car classes) have shortened races to what?
A: 1,000 feet.

Some drag strips are even shorter and run how many feet?
A: 660 feet, 201 m, or 1/8 mile.

The 1,000 foot distance is now also popular with what?
A: Bracket racing, especially in meets where there are 1/8 mile cars and 1/4 mile cars racing together.

Some organizations that deal with Pro Modified and "Mountain Motor" Pro Stock cars (Professional Drag Racers Association) use the 1/8 mile distance, even if the tracks are what?
A: 1/4 mile tracks.

What organization oversees the majority of drag racing events in North America?
A: The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA).

The next largest organization is what?
A: The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA).

Nearly all drag strips are associated with what?
A: One sanctioning body or the other.

Besides NHRA and IHRA, there are niche organizations for what?
A: Muscle cars and nostalgia vehicles.

The Nostalgia Drag Racing League (NDRL) based in Brownsburg, IN, runs a series of 1/4 mile (402m) drag races in the Midwest for what?
A: 1979 and older nostalgic appearing cars, with four classes of competition running in an index system.

NDRL competition vehicles typically include what?
A: Front Engine Dragsters, Altereds, Funny Cars, early Pro Stock clones, Super Stocks and Gassers.

The National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) races electric vehicles against what?
A: High performance gasoline-powered vehicles such as Dodge Vipers or classic muscle cars in 1/4 and 1/8 mile (402m & 201m) races.

The current electric drag racing record is what?
A: 6.940 seconds at 201.37 mph (324.0736 kph) for a quarter mile (402m).

Another niche organization is the VWDRC which run a what?
A: A VW-only championship with vehicles running under 7 seconds.