This is where you can run your car for free.  That’s right free.  This night is where you can test and tune your car as many times as you like.  You can grudge race your friends and have a ton of fun.  Guaranteed to stop any speeding tickets from the street.  Drive safe! Do it at the track!  Only $7 bucks at the gate to run down the track all you want.  Test and Tune ends at 10:00 P.M.  If you are new to drag racing, continue reading below↓

1. Come out to the track on Wednesday’s for a "street night", or "test and tune". For complete beginners, it is best to avoid bracket racing events unless you want some real practice. On street night, almost everyone running is just as new to this as you are! The track officials know this, and are ready to help. It is also a much more relaxed atmosphere.

2. If possible, call a few buddies, and go to watch the first time.  Check out the "lay of the land".  Ask the racers in the pits how everything works. Remember, everyone there is a car nut just like you, AND EVERYONE THERE WAS A "FIRST-TIMER" ONCE THEMSELVES! Every time you go, you can get asked questions by new guys!

3. When you decide you are ready to give it a try, go to the staging lanes, you will not need to inform them that you intend to race.  Lanes one and two are for cars and 3 and 4 are for motor cycles, Jr. Dragsters and four wheelers.

4. Go find a pit space. Only take up one space, as the night goes on, it can get very busy. Unload any loose items in your car (I would suggest you leave what you can at home). It’s a good time to make new friends, and enjoy looking at all the great cars!

5. Some obvious things you need: seatbelts, safe tires (no cord showing), radiator coolant overflow catch canister (the factory one is fine), no blatant fluid leaks pouring out, etc! This is about it for a street car. 

6. The track announcer will come over the PA system, and say that the staging lanes are open. On Thursday street nights at Baileyton, we just say lanes are open, and everyone just forms two lines.  The staging lanes go slowly, then quickly, so STAY WITH YOUR CAR.  DO NOT RUN YOUR AIR CONDITIONER! The  condensation on the system will drip down onto the track. BELIEVE ME, we look for this, and if  they see something dripping, then will pull you off the starting line.

7. At the end of the staging lanes, there SHOULD be a track official.  Watch carefully, and when it is time, he will point at you, and then point where he wants you to go. His job is to pair up cars to race, then put them into correct lanes.

8. Just before you enter the water box, there should be a track official. He will make sure that your seat belt is on, all windows are rolled up, and will hold you until it is time for you to do your burnout. If it is near sundown, turn on your parking lights. This is a required RULE. This is how the officials can see where you are on the track, so they don't send another pair of cars while you are broke down at the other end, ON THE TRACK!

9. Since this is for beginners, I will assume you are on street tires.  Your treaded tires will just pick up water in the treads, and when you do your burnout, it will sling water all over inside the wheel well. You will then track the water all the way down the track, and water will be dripping down onto your rear tires, making them VERY slick!  If you do this, you make the track dangerous for everyone. The water is for slicks, not treaded tires. Back up slightly if needed. For street tires, a burnout does much at all.  Street compounds are hard, and high performance tires are specifically designed to not heat up. Heat causes high speed tire failure, that is why you paid big bucks for "Z" speed rated tires. Now your trying to heat them up??? If I run my street tires, I do a quick, short burnout to clean the tires off.  Buy a cheap set of slicks when you can.

10. Do not pull up to the tree! Every beginner does this. The staging beams are actually about 15 feet or so BEFORE the tree! Hopefully, you took some advise and watched the other cars run first, and looked to get an idea where everyone else was pulling up to. Look for the blue light in the top center of the tree.  Only when it is on can you stage.  If you can’t figure it out, don't worry, the starter knows it is "street night", and will help you. When he realizes you can’t find the staging beams, watch  him.  He will walk up next to your car, and motion to you to either pull up, or back. Again, don't get embarrassed, or upset. The starter has to do that probably 20-30 times a night. SLOWLY pull forward until  you see the very top, small yellow light come on.  You are now "PRE-STAGED".  It is considered a racers courtesy to wait for the other car to pre-stage, before staging. Then gently roll forward a few more inches, and the other small yellow light right under the top one will come on. You are now "STAGED" and the computer is counting. Do not roll forward too far, or the "PRESTAGED" light will go out, and you may be required to pull back, to relight that light. That is called "deep staging", and is not allowed unless you get there first.  The tree will start when both stage lights are on.  If you do accidentally pull forward too far, and deep stage, DO NOT PULL  BACK UNTIL YOU ARE SURE NO ONE IS BEHIND YOU!  Now, watch that very bottom, large yellow light!

 

11. The computer will activate the tree, and the yellow lights will come on, one at a time .5 seconds (5 tenths of a second) apart. When the last yellow light comes on, GO! By the time you react, then your car reacts, the green light will be on. Trust me. If you red light, it is no big deal. Afterward, check your reaction time, and adjust. .500 is a perfect light on a standard tree.

12. If you only take one piece of advice, please let it be this: DON'T TRY TO SET A NATIONAL RECORD ON YOUR FIRST RUN! If this is your first time at the track, PLEASE make at least one pass where you are only running at 80%. This will give you a chance to see what the track feels like, what your car feels like, where the finish line is exactly, where the turn off is exactly. Your senses get overwhelmed when trying something like this the first time. A mistake you would have caught easily any other time can cause you to wreck your car. I've seen excellent drivers wreck great cars from a simple mistake that would have never caught them otherwise. It can happen to you too. This is the most fun you can have with your clothes on, but it is serious stuff too. Treat it that way. Stay in your lane at all costs.  The right lane has first rights to the return road.

13. Make sure you know exactly where the finish line is! Most new racers brake WAY too early...the speed trap beams are located 66' BEFORE the finish line beams. Make sure you are not mistaking the speed trap for the finish line!

14. Hopefully, you took some advice, and made your first pass at 80%, so you don't have to worry about figuring out this next section while running flat out....We have plenty of run out area. However, as soon as you pass the finish line, you need to get on the brakes. When running the eighth mile, you could be running close to 100 mph in a 7.00 car at the finish line. If you slam on the brakes at those speeds, it is VERY easy to upset the chassis of the car and loose control, so be careful to not brake too hard.

15. READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY!!! Before you run, know where the return roads are located. We have 2 turn offs, with one of them located at the very end of the run out area.  The turn offs go to the right side of the track and THE CAR IN THE RIGHT LANE HAS THE RIGHT OF WAY! NEVER, EVER TURN IN FRONT OF ANOTHER CAR, CROSSING THIER LANE!!!!

16. After you turn off, look for the timing shack at the bottom of the hill.  This is where you can pick up your time-slips. When they hand you your time slip, DO NOT READ IT YET! Wait until you are back to your pit to do that, for right now, you need to get out of the way! Continue back up the return road (speed limits of 10 mph in the pits). If you
want the seasoned people to look down on you, then go roaring around in the pit area. That is also a sure fire way to get asked to leave or other means of corrective action.

17. CONGRATULATIONS! You just made your first pass down a drag strip!  I assure you that you will be hooked after just one time!
There is nothing like a few G’s…  Next week it is time for parts to improve on that E.T.