8 second cars are fast

[R32R1]

Oh boy I hope you're sarcastic.

[PolskiHetzen]

I don't give a rats ass about drag racing (see my sig), but I am a stickler for stats.
Is gas that's $3.999 a gallon $3 gas?
Is a $24.99 shirt at the store a $24 shirt?

Just because it squeaks in at BARELY under whatever the spec is (dollars, time, etc), doesn't make it so. Mathematically, yes, a 8.99 second run could be considered an '8 second car', but in reality, there is a BIG difference between an 8 second car and a 9 second car.
The proper terminology, in my mind, is that the Mustang runs in the 8s, but it isn't an 8 second car.

It doesn't matter what you think. It matters what the drag racing community does, and how the terminology works. And according to the people that actually do it, a 8.999 second car is an 8 second car.

Again, it doesn't matter what you think.

[C4 A6]

Then what, good sir, do you classify as "an 8 second car?" One that runs 8.00?

For me, I'd say anything that gets lower than 8.90 because at that point it's not a good driver making a 9 second car dip into the high 8.90s but the car itself being fast enough to run that fast on its own.

But that's just me. I think the terminology is dumb and just a way for people to nutswing.

[PolskiHetzen]

For me, I'd say anything that gets lower than 8.90 because at that point it's not a good driver making a 9 second car dip into the high 8.90s but the car itself being fast enough to run that fast on its own.

How does that make any sense If it runs 8.999 obviously the car is capable of it. Or does it somehow defy physics because of the driver?

What if it's a crappy driver doing 8.999s, where a good one would do a tenth quicker?

The drag racing community has been using this terminology for ages. It's for a good reason. You're not going to reinvent the wheel.

[PolskiHetzen]

I'm not saying I could do it I was just saying when it comes to drag racing it still is more car than driver. Take away a pedal and its even less driver. I never said it was easy but if you want to go fast you have to spend more money and practice your take off.



Yes, my brother-in-law has a camaro that runs in the 10's.




This is basically what I was saying. If you give two people those bone stock mustangs with one driver that is good with a stick and another who is not it will come down to the driver. If both cars are automatics the race should be closer until some money is spend.

I never intended to imply no skill is required to launch an 8 second car, I was just replying to the OP's pointing out that it was an automatic.

Thanks for letting us know you've never driven a fast car

[bronson75]

It doesn't matter what you think. blah blah blah blah
Again, it doesn't matter what you think.

Thanks for repeating, I didn't catch it the first time.

[chris@revotechnik]

It doesn't matter what you think. It matters what the drag racing community does, and how the terminology works. And according to the people that actually do it, a 8.999 second car is an 8 second car.

Again, it doesn't matter what you think.

Key part bolded and a good example would be..

Guy runs 8.99 and his buddy runs a 9.00

The guy with the 9.00 will tell guy with the 8.99.. "great 8 second run.." Now if anyone should be mad about the major difference 8 vs 9 second portrays despite only being .01 second apart it should be the guy who ran the 9.0 but he won't be.


Go into the technical forums and dp means downpipe but you go into off topic and dp means something entirely different.. you use the term in the correct context for the community you are currently in.

Mathematically 8.99 rounds to 9 but that isn't the community you are in so you don't have to use their context.

[PolskiHetzen]

Thanks for repeating, I didn't catch it the first time.

[SVTDanny]

For me, I'd say anything that gets lower than 8.90 because at that point it's not a good driver making a 9 second car dip into the high 8.90s but the car itself being fast enough to run that fast on its own.

So a car that is only capable of making a 9 second pass is somehow "enabled" with the right driver to suddenly make an 8 second pass?

[ThreadBomber]

Key part bolded and a good example would be..

Guy runs 8.99 and his buddy runs a 9.00

The guy with the 9.00 will tell guy with the 8.99.. "great 8 second run.." Now if anyone should be mad about the major difference 8 vs 9 second portrays despite only being .01 second apart it should be the guy who ran the 9.0 but he won't be.


Go into the technical forums and dp means downpipe but you go into off topic and dp means something entirely different.. you use the term in the correct context for the community you are currently in.
Mathematically 8.99 rounds to 9 but that isn't the community you are in so you don't have to use their context.

Seriously dude some of your posts are amazing. You can always take what I am thinking and turn it into words about a billion times better than I can

[MAC]

Since we're getting all technical - has the run been backed up yet ? Cause until you do it twice its not an 8 second car.

[vasillalov]

Key part bolded and a good example would be..

Guy runs 8.99 and his buddy runs a 9.00

The guy with the 9.00 will tell guy with the 8.99.. "great 8 second run.." Now if anyone should be mad about the major difference 8 vs 9 second portrays despite only being .01 second apart it should be the guy who ran the 9.0 but he won't be.


Go into the technical forums and dp means downpipe but you go into off topic and dp means something entirely different.. you use the term in the correct context for the community you are currently in.

Mathematically 8.99 rounds to 9 but that isn't the community you are in so you don't have to use their context.

Chris,

We all understand that. The real question that boggles the mind (of the ordinary folk) is: Why on earth did the drag racing community decided to call 8.99 second car a 8 second car? There must be (hopefully) a logical reasoning to abandon 99 one-hundredths of a second...

[SVTDanny]

Chris,

We all understand that. The real question that boggles the mind (of the ordinary folk) is: Why on earth did the drag racing community decided to call 8.99 second car a 8 second car? There must be (hopefully) a logical reasoning to abandon 99 one-hundredths of a second...

.... because it didn't take 9 seconds for the car to go from 0' to 1320', it took 8 and a fraction. How is this so hard to comprehend?

[PolskiHetzen]

Chris,

We all understand that. The real question that boggles the mind (of the ordinary folk) is: Why on earth did the drag racing community decided to call 8.99 second car a 8 second car? There must be (hopefully) a logical reasoning to abandon 99 one-hundredths of a second...

The way I see, it's a mile stone. Once you start see the number to the left of the decimal change, it just feels good.

When you graduate 1st grade and go 2nd, you're in 2nd all year. you're now a second grader. You don't round down and say on the first day of 2nd grade that you're still a 1st grader because it's closer.

[CodeMan]

Chris,

We all understand that. The real question that boggles the mind (of the ordinary folk) is: Why on earth did the drag racing community decided to call 8.99 second car a 8 second car? There must be (hopefully) a logical reasoning to abandon 99 one-hundredths of a second...

Because it has nothing to do with rounding. It simply means that the car runs in the 8s.

[SchnellFowVay]

Chris,

We all understand that. The real question that boggles the mind (of the ordinary folk) is: Why on earth did the drag racing community decided to call 8.99 second car a 8 second car? There must be (hopefully) a logical reasoning to abandon 99 one-hundredths of a second...

There is. It means that the car runs in the EIGHT SECOND RANGE -- AS IN THE RANGE OF CALCULATED TIME FROM 8.00 - 8.99 seconds.

Put differently, because it is FASTER THAN ANY OTHER CAR THAT RUNS 9.00 SECONDS OR MORE, it is an 8-second car.

How would you break it down? 8.50 = 9 second car? 8.49= 8 second car?

How is this concept so difficult to grasp?

[MAC]

Because in drag racing you start at 60 minutes and work your way down. Every time the first digit changes is a milestone. Embrace it.

[ThreadBomber]

Chris,

We all understand that. The real question that boggles the mind (of the ordinary folk) is: Why on earth did the drag racing community decided to call 8.99 second car a 8 second car? There must be (hopefully) a logical reasoning to abandon 99 one-hundredths of a second...

If you had to explain a 10 second car is actually a car that runs 9.70's people would be all sorts of screwed up. It's like telling people the 15th century is actually the 1400's or on your 35th birthday you're actually starting your 36th year on earth.

[deucestudios]

Since we're getting all technical - has the run been backed up yet ? Cause until you do it twice its not an 8 second car.

Faith in TCL restored.

[Accidental L8 apex]

Chris,

We all understand that. The real question that boggles the mind (of the ordinary folk) is: Why on earth did the drag racing community decided to call 8.99 second car a 8 second car? There must be (hopefully) a logical reasoning to abandon 99 one-hundredths of a second...

Logically, the first number is an 8. Any further thinking into why is beyond stupid as it's not your world, so why do you care and since you're not a part of it, nobody that is cares about your thoughts on the matter.

Kind of like how scientists decided Pluto was no longer a planet. See, I learned way back in elementary school it was, but they don't care about that because I have no standing in the scientific community.

This is one of those times a non-hovering parent who insisted you get a participation ribbon even though you sucked should've told you about. "Nobody cares about you or what you have to say except me and I only care because of the whole birth-canal trip you took."- your mom.

[VR6GTI72]

can we just call it a high 8 sec car?

[DannyLo]

There's a video online of a FWD Manual VW race car from Argentina that's in the 8's. There's a in-car camera view of him 1 handing it down the track fighting torque steer, and shifting with the other hand. It's insane, I hope I can find it.

[MAC]

can we just call it a high 8 sec car?

Only relatives, friends and racing colleagues are allowed to expand on it. Like this...

Interested onlooker - "Whats it run ?"
Me - "10s"
Friend in passenger seat - "low 10s dude"

[chris@revotechnik]

Chris,

We all understand that. The real question that boggles the mind (of the ordinary folk) is: Why on earth did the drag racing community decided to call 8.99 second car a 8 second car? There must be (hopefully) a logical reasoning to abandon 99 one-hundredths of a second...

Mostly been answered but I always personally felt that this way of labeling came from the rules.

I haven't paid attention to the rules in a while and I know some where modified recently as factory cars got faster and faster so my break downs may not be technically accurate for each series right now.

If you have a car that ran a 12.0 you did not need a 5pt bar.

If you had a car that ran 11.99 or faster your car had to have a 5pt bar among other things.

This came to be said if your car runs 11s you need a 5pt bar. So an 11 second car whether it is 11.00 or 11.99 was very distinctly differentiated from that 12.00 car.

Again the context here isn't math it is drag racing, use their terms.

[deucestudios]

vasillalov, another answer is bracket racing.
If you have a 10 second car, you race other ten second cars.
If you break into the 9s, you're out.
Although, It's a little bit more convoluded than that with the dial in run.

[vasillalov]

Thanks for everyone who attempted to provide a logical explanation!

The technical details behind drag racing were always something I've been wondering about.

Chris, the equipment regulations based on time brackets makes perfect sense.

[VR6GTI72]

Mostly been answered but I always personally felt that this way of labeling came from the rules.

I haven't paid attention to the rules in a while and I know some where modified recently as factory cars got faster and faster so my break downs may not be technically accurate for each series right now.

If you have a car that ran a 12.0 you did not need a 5pt bar.

If you had a car that ran 11.99 or faster your car had to have a 5pt bar among other things.

This came to be said if your car runs 11s you need a 5pt bar. So an 11 second car whether it is 11.00 or 11.99 was very distinctly differentiated from that 12.00 car.

Again the context here isn't math it is drag racing, use their terms.

Thanks for posting that. I didnt want to get into the details. That .01 sec can change the rules and class for the car completely. To the point where the track will tell you that you cant run it there until its been fitted with the required safety items for that class/speed. Cage,driveshaft loop,battery hold downs, on/off switch, chute etc. are just a fraction of a second away from being required.

[vasillalov]

Thanks for posting that. I didnt want to get into the details. That .01 sec can change the rules and class for the car completely. To the point where the track will tell you that you cant run it there until its been fitted with the required safety items for that class/speed. Cage,driveshaft loop,battery hold downs, on/off switch, chute etc. are just a fraction of a second away from being required.

Thank you!

[KC Jazz]

No doubt.

Some of you guys are epically stupid.

couldn't agree more with you guys.

start talking about drag racing in TCL and it gets ridiculous

[warren_s]

Only relatives, friends and racing colleagues are allowed to expand on it. Like this...

Interested onlooker - "Whats it run ?"
Me - "10s"
Friend in passenger seat - "low 10s dude"

And yeah, it took me a while to understand why an 8.99 counts as an 8. You just have to draw the line somewhere when setting brackets... and in drag they use the pinnacle of the bracket for the name, not the "average" (e.g. 7.50 to 8.49 counts as "8").

We do this with age, too.... soon as you turn 30, you are "in your 30s". It doesn't matter of you're two seconds into your 30th birthday or two seconds before your 40th. (Of course, guys, this doesn't apply if you're talking about women who are insecure about their age.... they are "29.1" forever.)

[arethirdytwo]

Some of you are doing a lot of this. It's not a taxed item, if something is $24.99 OTD then it is $24.99 not $25. A taxed shirt that is $24.99 is not $24.99, here in Texas it would be $27.05. Terrible example.

So if you were on a road course and the guy next to you lost by .01, you'd give him the win, or at least tie right? Because .01 doesn't matter.

Do you know how much money is spent in the sporting world for .01?

[VR6GTI72]

Some of you are doing a lot of this. It's not a taxed item, if something is $24.99 OTD then it is $24.99 not $25. A taxed shirt that is $24.99 is not $24.99, here in Texas it would be $27.05. Terrible example.

?

Yea the dollar analogy isnt right. Its mainly for safety and setting the rules for the category it falls into.

[C4 A6]

So a car that is only capable of making a 9 second pass is somehow "enabled" with the right driver to suddenly make an 8 second pass?

If you say driver skill means that much, then yes. And don't forget about environmental factors as well.

[freddd]

The video title is "First 2011 Mustang GT 5.0L Factory Auto [/b]In The 8's[/b]! 8.99@153MPH"


It isn't OMG FIRST MUSTANG TO RUN A SET OF RUNS WITH A NORMAL DISTRIBUTION CENTRED AROUND THE MID 8 SECOND MARK.

[Air-over-water]

There is. It means that the car runs in the EIGHT SECOND RANGE -- AS IN THE RANGE OF CALCULATED TIME FROM 8.00 - 8.99 seconds.

Put differently, because it is FASTER THAN ANY OTHER CAR THAT RUNS 9.00 SECONDS OR MORE, it is an 8-second car.

How would you break it down? 8.50 = 9 second car? 8.49= 8 second car?

How is this concept so difficult to grasp?

Also, it is better for safety. If they say less than 11 seconds you need a cage, 11.99 covers more people.
This is also why people say they 'broke into the 10's/9's/8's/etc'