Test & Tune day information

A Test & Tune off-street event is usually the first place a novice racer gets to experience the thrill of quarter-mile

competition.

Entry to the event is done on the day as you enter the venue.

A $50- entry fee at our Teast & Tune Off Street events admits the driver & car only, crew & spectators are welcome, cost is $15- per person.

After paying your entry fee at the entry booth, located on the entry road, just follow the road around into the pit area. You should then park in a pit space of your choice and complete your entry form. Please note that entry forms must be

completed while you are in the pit area.

When you have completed your entry form, proceed with your vehicle to the scrutineering building to have your entry

form, and vehicle checked. At this point you will be required to sign an indemnity and your scrutineering declaration, and will then receive your wrist band. Crew members will also be required to sign an indemnity and will also be issued

with wrist bands.

Some basic personal safety equipment is needed to compete at off-street meetings. Drivers need a three-point lap

sash belt (as a minimum), an approved helmet, long sleeves, enclosed shoes and socks. Motorcycle riders need an approved helmet, a motorcycle approved jacket, long pants, gloves and boots.

If you want to race a particular person ensure they are in the same lane and behind you. When you get to the front of

the queue, let the staging lane official know and he will send you to the start line together.

When signalled by the official at the front of the lane, proceed toward the start line. Heathcote Park has a designated

“burnout box” at the front of each lane. For those doing static burnouts (locking the front brakes and spinning the rear tyres) the only place you can do this is on the concrete pads. Watch for the official’s instructions and proceed until

your back wheels are about to come out of the wet patch on the concrete, behind the start line, and do your burnout when instructed by the official.

After completing your burnout, back up as necessary or proceed toward the start line. At the start there are three photocells in each lane. The first is the pre-stage beam, which controls the top light on the Christmas tree. This lets

you know your front wheels have eight inches to travel before you reach the stage beam, the second light on the top of the tree. The race cannot be started until this second light is on. Proceed carefully forward until you have both lights

on at the top of the tree. The final beam is the guard beam, which starts the timers if the stage beam has not been cleared. The guard beam guards against very low cars, such as dragsters, from not properly clearing the stage beam

when they start a race.

When your vehicle is properly staged, with pre-stage and stage lights lit, you need to give your full attention to the

Christmas tree because you’re now about to race.

After the three amber lights, there are two more lights; a green “go” light and a red “foul” light. If your front tyre

moves out of the stage beam before the green light comes on, the red foul light will automatically come on. While this doesn’t matter in qualifying or grudge racing, in real competition it means you’re disqualified and “you lose!”

.

When the starter is satisfied both cars are in stage he presses a button which activates a countdown of the three

amber lights (each four-tenths of a second apart), and then the green. If you move before the green, remember that foul light – but don’t be tardy because if your opponent gets away from the start line before you, he has an advantage

which you will have to overcome if you are to beat him to the finish line. Your response time to the green light, or reaction time, will instantly appear on the scoreboard in your lane. If you want the quickest reaction time, the best

advice is to stand on the throttle as soon as you see the last amber light because by the time you’ve reacted and your

car has responded, the green light will just be coming on.

The finish line has two photocells. The first is 66 feet before the finish line. The second is the finish line itself. The time taken to cover the 66 foot gap determines your car’s speed at the end of the run and the second light stops the

elapsed time (ET) clock and provides the elapsed time for the run.

Remember, where the finish line is so you can back off the throttle at that point and commence to slow your car.

Proceed to the turn-off loops on the right hand side of the track and negotiate it slowly and safely.

Having completed the run, return along the return road and collect your time slip from the pit counter window at the scrutineering building.

Remember that the speed limit on the return road is 20 kmh.

Also note that it is illegal to remove your helmet before you are on the return road, or to use a mobile phone or

portable radio while the vehicle is in motion and you run the risk of disqualification from the event if you are caught.

All details of the run are shown on the time slip – your reaction time, the time taken to reach various points down the quarter-mile (60 foot, 330 foot, 660 foot, 1000 foot), plus your speed at the half-track (660 foot) mark, quarter-mile

ET and speed in mph and kmh, and in racing, the amount from your dial-in if you have been using one. Both lanes are

shown on the time slip.

Having collected your time slip, rejoin the staging lanes and get ready for another run!