Come along to the LAFM Dragway promoted by the drivers!

Watch out for the 2010/2011 season

More spectator information below....

WELCOME

Welcome to TDRA Dragway. We welcome your attendance at meetings, and look forward to comments you might have - compliments or otherwise. The Tasmanian Drag Racers Association is operating the drag racing track that some may recall as Tarmak Dragway, Motors Dragway, Coca Cola Dragway or possibly some other names. For those unsure of the track location, we are on Powranna Rd, approx. 1km south of the Symmons Plains Raceway.

HISTORY

This drag racing track is the oldest continually running track in Australia, having been in operation since 1978. After all these years being managed by the track owner or their appointed manager, this year the drivers' are taking control! We hope this means we will offer you fantastic drag racing, and work hard at improving the facilities.

TICKET PRICES

• ADULTS $15

• CONCESSION $12

• CHILDREN (UNDER 12) $5

• CHILDREN (UNDER 5) FREE

• FAMILY (2 ADULT/2CHILDREN) $35

• ENTRY TO THE PITS $5

These prices are reduced from previous seasons and include concession prices. Show your current health care of pension card.

INTRODUCTION TO DRAG RACING

ANDRA drag racing is one of the most popular spectator motor sports in Australia. At the off-street meetings run by TDRA Dragway as an ANDRA member track it's also one of the most accessible forms of motor sport. For those interested, there isn't a great step-up from street car racing to competition levels.

From the outside drag racing looks fairly simple - two cars or bikes racing each other to the finish line after getting a green light. There's a bit more in it than that and newcomers to the quarter mile race can find it a bit daunting with pre-stage and stage lights, red lights, reaction times handicaps, breakouts and so on.

DIAL YOUR OWN RACING

Most racing at TDRA Dragway is "dial your own" competition. It handicaps fast cars or bikes against slow ones and as the name suggests, drivers nominate the time they think they will take to complete the quarter mile. The slow vehicle gets a head start which is programmed into the start line "Christmas tree". The "dial-ins" for each lane are displayed on readout boards for the respective competitors.

As you watch the cars come up to the start line, you will see that the front wheels light up first one (pre-stage) and then the second (stage) of the white lights at the top of the Christmas tree. When both cars have their two staging lights on and the starter is happy that they drivers are ready, he will press the start button. 

Then each of the three yellow lights will come on for each lane according to their dial in time at intervals of exactly 0.400 seconds. With different dial in times you will see the yellow lights operating at different times for each lane unless the dial in times are the same. Finally the green light will come on exactly 0.400 seconds after the last yellow light goes off.

A significant skill for the driver is to anticipate the green light coming on and leave the start line as close as possible to that moment. This is called the reaction time. Doing this very well has a few names: A holeshot, or "cutting a good light" are common terms. A perfect light is a very rare occurrence, where a driver starts the car moving at the exact moment the light turns green, or 0.400 seconds after the last yellow light. A driver can get a significant advantage with a good reaction time. Even half or a quarter of a second advantage on the reaction time can turn a loss into a win. A slower car can win by having a good reaction time.

If a driver leaves the start line before the green light comes on, then the red light comes on and that driver is disqualified. If both drivers get a red light, then the one who left the start line first is eliminated.

To prevent a competitor getting an unfair advantage by nominating a "dial in" time they can easily do more quickly, there is a disqualification for going faster than your dial in time. Put simply, if a driver nominated a 14.00 dial in time and ran 13.999 or quicker that driver loses the race. If both drivers get a quicker time than their dial in, then the driver who "breaks out" by the greatest amount is eliminated. The computer timing equipment works all this out instantly. Once again, the fastest driver doesn't always win.

So with some understanding of how racing works at TDRA Dragway, why not call along and watch the action.

YOU CAN COMPETE TOO!

You can even join in and compete in the street category. In this category you only need a roadworthy car, and a civil licence. Come along with long pants and long sleeve top, wearing socks and closed shoes (no thongs or open toe shoes) and bring a helmet if you have one. Contact TDRA for more information. We will do all we can to get you started.