bassn_07

Hey guys, this might seem lame but I often here about people talking about staging deep or shallow and instead of guessing what the benefits are I though I would ask. I assume staging shallow would allow for higher trap speeds and deep staging would be for better ET's. I'm a totally rookie when it comes to drag racing and I'm still trying to learn the tricks of the sport.

chiromikey

shallow staging is for better et's and trap speeds. deep staging is for better reaction times (at least until you get very good/consistent with your launches...which is a bit more difficult with our throttle-by-wire vehicles).

cpais

That's exactly right. By staging shallow you get a head start before you break the beams.

Exotic-metal55

I thought it was Deep to make boys and shallow to make girls? Y chromosomes (that make boys) swim faster but die quicker.

prodigymb

def want to shallow stage since you just barely trip the laser and the ET clock starts when you are already in motion which will give you a faster ET and better trap.

lowprofile

LOL Just don't RED LIGHT!!!

bassn_07

Thanks guys! I'm lame, I have been staging deep thinking that it would help my ET's...damn!!!

cahiil55k

I deep staged once at TNT just for fun and ran .3 slower 60', .4 slower ET, and almost -1 mph trap compared to the shallow stages. Stage shallow and leave on the last amber light.

bassn_07

What's up Kou!!! When do you get to come out and play again??? Let me know whenever you're up to it and we'll bang out Sacramento.

sneakyneon

I thought deep staging shortens the leangth of the track by the distence from the leading edge of your front tire to the trailing edege, maybe a foot and a half or so. This in my mind reduces ET but and reduces MPH. So the car go's faster but at a slower MPH. Granted is a minor amount.
I think to be effective you would need someone to help you stage to get it right since the stagging lights would be on the whole time, plus at your level you really should have help at the track anyways, you should have someone to push your car in the stagging lanes and to get you in the water box.

Hammer Down

Hmmmm I don't know if I stage shallow or deep??? I just creep forward until the 2nd light comes on and then I stop.

bassn_07

That's basically what I do....!

cahiil55k

Hey Alan, I think I'm heading up there in the later half of November. Do you have an extra set of DRs I can borrow? I'll let you know when I plan to drive up to Sac.

Basics for anyone new to drags:
To shallow stage (meaning your wheels are still blocking both the shallow and deep beams), and you all should, creep up to the start line. Trigger the first yellow light. Inch ever so slowly to trigger the second yellow light and stop as soon as it comes on so that the first yellow is still lit. If the second yellow comes on and the first one shuts off, your wheel no longer blocks the first (shallow) beam so you are now deep staged. If you're like me at a Test n Tune and you accidentally deep stage before your opponent has started lining up, just back up and retry until both yellows are lit again. (Note: At a non-Test and Tune, proper etiquette is to not trip the second yellow until your opponent has already tripped his first yellow light) If you choose to remain deep staged, do NOT roll on the last amber light or you will likely get a red light. When deep staged you have no choice but to wait for the green light (no head start for you ).

If you're shallow staged and there are two yellows lit on your side of the Christmas tree, start your race on the last amber light instead of the green light. This does not hurt your ET because the clock does not start until your wheels clear the second beam. Think of it as a free 2/10 to 3/10's. In bracket racing however, most pros will tell you to deep stage.

Hammer Down

Cuz that's how we roll in Northern Cali

sneakyneon

Thats what 99% of what everyone does, I thnk the differance is minor from deep stagging and could be lost pretty easy in the 60, just think, you try and deep stage but insted of running a 1.66 60 you end up running a 1.69 the differance would eat up any gain seen by deep stagging. your best bet is stick with your normal. Then again if the track is not crowded and you dont have to worry about the number of passes your going to get then might as well play around with it. Here the track is always packed and you might get 3 passes all day so I always baby the launch so I dont screw my self.

Mikesamg

You need to come down to Sac then sneaky and run with Alan and I. Except the last time which was Grudge night I always had over 10 runs. First time was 16 passes but I was working on the launches and didn't care about heat soak.

chiromikey

lol...that's shallow staging young grasshopper!

cahiil55k

If you shallow stage and launch perfectly you give yourself a 0.500 second head start before the ET clock. Therefore a 2.1 second 60' becomes a 1.6 second 60', and a 12.5 second ET becomes something like 11.9. The ET and 60' clock (same clock actually) does not start counting until your clear the second beam even if you sleep at the line for a few seconds after the green light. RT is the time from the last amber to the moment you clear the second beam, and ET is the time you clear that second beam until the 1/4 mile beam. My last drag day I snoozed at the line and had a 1 second RT and it did not affect my ET at all.

cruzinquick

Without taking the whole page I'll try to help out.

This is normal staging. Shallow staging is when you roll in turn on the top bulb and inch in and the second bulb barely flickers, an inch more and it barely stays on. Takes lots of practice. Remember to watch for that flicker.

There are 6-10 inches for you to travel after you have lit the 2nd yellow bulb. Depending on the diameter of your wheels this is an advantage if you can't cut a good light to save your life. The downside is worse ET and trap speeds. The possibility of red lighting is greater. The upside is a possible reaction time advantage over your opponent. Unless your bracket racing and you suck at the tree there is no advantage to do it for just test n' tune. All the talk of the pros doing it is because they sandbag, although don't ever tell them that. You might get shot. They like to pad their dial in times and deep stage to pad it even more. When they are ahead at half track they left off and pump the throttle the rest of the way just enough to stay ahead of you.

Some truth some myth. Yes shallow staging will yield you better ET's and trap speed, but it won't magically turn your car into an 11.5 car just by shallow staging. Not going to happen.

True you can stay at the light without breaking the 2nd beam for as long as you want and it won't affect ET.

My recommendation for you test n' tuners is to concentrate on your launch instead of the deep stage light. Even a slight slip of the tire will knock a few tenths off your time. If you spend that kind of money on a MB AMG and then mod it to boot, heck toss $700 to needswings for a drag setup or your local tire shop. A good set of mickeys or hoosiers allow you to see what your car really runs.

Once you have those on see how far you can load the SC before the car moves forward. Remember if your deep staging, to allow room for that nudge when your SC is engaging. I've gone too far at times and been pushed thru the beams causing a redlight.

cahiil55k

Very valid points, but I have to disagree with you on just this one. Alot of folks go to test n tune to achieve PBs, and shallow staging can help ETs and MPH if the driver can capitalize on it. For example if you stage shallow and mess up your launch burning 0.5 seconds before your tires clear the second beam, that 0.5 seconds does not count against your ET. If you deep staged and had the same bad launch, some or most of that 0.5 seconds counts against your 60' and ET. The same could be said for a good launch, but I'm realizing now that the gains would be less with a good launch. There's got to be a mathematical formula somewhere that can show the gain or loss given an identical launch.

chiromikey

i think he's saying there's no advantage to deep staging...

cahiil55k

Damm I think you're right! There's 4 minutes I'll never get back.

jturkel

evan.....you are a dragstrip genius

320 dreamer

well its my time at the track tonite and i just learned more here than i ever thought i knew!
now if i can only remember to do this while im trying not to look like a newbie and shoot my car across the track before the first yelow light!!! :}

nrgy

I remember reading on one of those drag racing forums that it takes around .3 seconds just to go the first foot. So it would make seem to make sense to shallow stage. I will try it next time for sure.