Adding a stop box to the end would add to the vehicle requirement and skill. I like that idea. side by side, turning away from each other, and stopping in a stop box at finish. There'd have to be a runoff at finish in case of brake failure, so the stop box would just be marked with cones.
SVreX wrote:jmthunderbirdturbo wrote: upon further consideration, i have a few more thoughts. first, there would need to be concrete wall separation between both lanes, all the way, no doubt. i also like the 1/8th mile idea. there would also have to be run-out on BOTH ends, not just the current 'big end'. that way if the brakes fail on the first leg, you have somewhere to go. i also agree with the random direction for the turn thing, but that's built in to the lane choice. right lane goes right, left lane goes left, closest to dial gets lane choice. im in! -J0NSo, you have 2 cars on the track simultaneously, both trying to switch lanes with each other while pulling a hairpin 180 through the burnout box at the same time? This keeps getting better.Have you been drinking?
Don't know where you get the lane change from... have you been drinking? ;-)
Maybe. 
Ok, so they turn away from each other.
Does that mean the track is essentially 4 lanes? (2 up, 2 back)
Or are they trying to realign and head back on the lane they came on?
That would not be a 180 hairpin. It would be more like a 270, followed by a 90* cut the opposite way to get back in the lane. (P shaped track)
I'm gonna need a heck of a lot of popcorn and beer for this.
Two lanes, they head back on the one they came in on. And yes, more popcorn and beer, it sounds like a hell of a spectator event. My Roadmaster would have been good for it, that thing would do smokey 180s easy as pie.
There's no way to envision this without the car pointing directly at the crowd, a concrete wall, or both under full throttle. Even NASCAR isn't that dumb.
Like I said in my first post, the insurance companies (and attorneys) would have a field day.
Not to mention, the cost to build the track would be astronomical.
Because in any other form of racing you are never pointing at anything besides wide open spaces while full throttle 
SVreX wrote: There's no way to envision this without the car pointing directly at the crowd, a concrete wall, or both under full throttle. Even NASCAR isn't that dumb. Like I said in my first post, the insurance companies (and attorneys) would have a field day. Not to mention, the cost to build the track would be astronomical.
I already said a facility would likely have to be purpose built for it. Most racing has cars pointed at something, yet it still occurs.
Funny anecdote time, only vaguely related: I've been to super moto races where the bikes were headed straight for me and then set up a rear wheel drift going around a turn and I was on the other side of a hay bale and chainlink fence. That was fun, but I was shocked they let spectators stand there. It was a blast to get wafted by the race gas fumes shortly after the bike whizzed by.
It a risk management question.
600 lb supermoto 250 hp bike crashes into crowd vs 4500 lb lb drag racer with 1400 hp crashing into the crowd.
I realize there is almost no difference if you are the guy who gets hits.
But drag racing facilities are expensive, and are not built without sanctioning bodies, financing, investors, and insurance coverage.
This idea would cost as much as twice the cost of a typical drag race track to build, and no one would insure it, therefore no one would finance it.
Enjoy your bench racing, fellers, but this idea really is kinda silly.
On dirt, sure. A purpose built track? Absolutely no way.
600lb 250hp supermoto bike? Where can I find one of those? 
SVreX wrote: drag racers (who are not generally rocket scientists or safety engineers)
Up yours.
to clarify, yes, two separate lanes, you stay in your lane, and turn away from each other. yes, you re-align and go back down the way you came. no, you are not WOT at the crowd. the crowd would have to be on opposite sides of the track, not behind the start line like some current drag facilities are. the drag strips that have stands directly behind the start line wouldn't work, cause you would need a few hundred yards of sand run off on BOTH ENDS, not just the current 'big end'. a current track with the land available to the 'rear' of the start line, and no stands behind the start line, could set this up without too much difficulty. add a second run off (all sand), divide the lanes all the way down, including the u-turn boxes, move the tree to the other end. sure, this stuff aint free, and it will never happen, but its also not impossible or astronomically dangerous, like some are insinuating. in a normal top fuel event, there are spectators at the finish line with cars going by at 320, with nothing but a chain link fence and luck between them and a crashing/rolling funny car. this would not be THAT much more dangerous. hell, you could even leave the current tree, so the switch from down and back to drag would be easier. most current facilitates that i know of could set this up in a month, given the cash and motivation.
oh, and funny cars wouldn't be able to do this, so 1200HP is a bit far fetched. hell anything with drag slicks wouldn't get it done, too much sidewall for an 'under power' 180*. most drag cars have trouble turning in the pits at 2 MPH... so anything with out 12" brembos, wide sticky track tires, suspension designed for cornering and high speed stability, and a low COG, wouldn't pass tech for this event. this is more toward drift cars, AWD subarus and the like. be realistic guys! :P
i know its a fantasy, but it's a good one in my book.
-J0N
Appleseed wrote:SVreX wrote: drag racers (who are not generally rocket scientists or safety engineers)Up yours.
It's kinda weird having someone say that to you and it feel like a compliment! 
Around here, of course, my statement is pretty far from accurate! 
Love you guys- especially the drag racing engineers! 
I thought I was all in with the whole idea of this up and back racing, but now that it seems to be a race between engineers in drag, I'm not so sure.
wae wrote: I can recall having some rallycross events like this when there was just way too much mud on the field for anything else.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9CgxGLYEFk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceUETO8abv8
better idea: put them in the same lane, let them beat and bang each other trying to get to the best place to make the u turn, then race like hell for the return down the other lane..
or just build a track just like the one where the NHRA runs the fuel classes 4 wide- Charlotte, i think- and just make them run the "down" leg in the middle lanes and the "back" leg in the outer lanes so they are turning away from each other..
or be lame about it and do it as time trials where they try to beat the clock, so there's only one car running at any given time.. maybe with dial ins like the bracket racers do...
I'm surprised Fire Truck Drags aren't more popular.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMe8splCn6c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrjfkLmFg3g
914Driver wrote: I'm surprised Fire Truck Drags aren't more popular. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMe8splCn6c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrjfkLmFg3g
do the ambulance drags start as soon as someone gets hurt?
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