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Leatherneck · 02-13-2010, 07:51 PM

Hey there, I'm curious what the numbers and letters mean that are put on the windows with shoe polish or even sometimes painted on drag race cars? I'm guessing it's a classification method, but never really learned what they all meant?
I just saw some old pics in a magazine and finally wanted to know once and for all.

Can anyone translate "drag race" language into " po-dunk fella" language for me?
Thanks!

Sarge.

Wedwagon · 02-13-2010, 09:21 PM

Numbers on the windows of a drag car are just numbers.....each car has to have unique a number so that a time/miles per hour/winner or looser information can be assigned to the correct car via a times slip given each driver after the race. Letters indicated the class the car has been entered to race in.

David aka "Wedwagon"

moses · 02-13-2010, 10:29 PM

it can also be their license number for their racing body NHRA IHRA if required.

jcheavens · 02-13-2010, 11:20 PM

Sarge
That is a great question. The pro classes in NHRA will have their number as to where they finished for the previous year. The sportsman classes would refer to what class they race in. The letter in the beginning is the et they will run the higher in the alphabet the faster or quicker the car runs. Such as a stocker class would look like this ES/A this would mean that car would run in E stock automatic trani. The E means how quick the car runs in the quarter mile, this is how they do handicapped racing. If two cars run against each other and one car is quicker the slower car gets to leave first then the quicker car goes and has to run the slower car down ,but not run quicker than his dial, this is called breaking out.

Hope this helps
John

Tune in on Sunday on espn2 for the NHRA winternationals

Frisco 57 · 02-14-2010, 01:19 AM

For bracket racers, the time bracket (or dial in) that each car is competing in is painted on the windshield with shoe polish. Run faster than your dial in time...you "break out" and you loose.

Leatherneck · 02-15-2010, 05:01 PM

Great stuff. Thanks for the info. Every time I would see those encrypted things I would spend a few minutes trying to decipher but never quite figured it out. Sometimes it's obvious, they have their quarter mile time on there. Other times it's straight off the walls of King tuts tomb to me. heh.

So this makes more sense to me now.

I appreciate it, as always.

Sarge!

02-13-2010, 07:51 PM	#1
Leatherneck Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Leatherneck's Garage Posts: 99 Member #6842	Drag Racing Rosetta Stone Hey there, I'm curious what the numbers and letters mean that are put on the windows with shoe polish or even sometimes painted on drag race cars? I'm guessing it's a classification method, but never really learned what they all meant? I just saw some old pics in a magazine and finally wanted to know once and for all. Can anyone translate "drag race" language into " po-dunk fella" language for me? Thanks! Sarge.

02-13-2010, 09:21 PM	#2
Wedwagon RIP: 06-04-2012 Join Date: Dec 2006 Wedwagon's Garage Location: Weeki Wachee, FL Posts: 1,071 Member #1573	Numbers on the windows of a drag car are just numbers.....each car has to have unique a number so that a time/miles per hour/winner or looser information can be assigned to the correct car via a times slip given each driver after the race. Letters indicated the class the car has been entered to race in. David aka "Wedwagon" __________________ Last edited by Wedwagon; 02-13-2010 at 09:23 PM..

02-13-2010, 11:20 PM	#4
jcheavens Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 jcheavens's Garage Posts: 153 Member #3190	nhra numbers Sarge That is a great question. The pro classes in NHRA will have their number as to where they finished for the previous year. The sportsman classes would refer to what class they race in. The letter in the beginning is the et they will run the higher in the alphabet the faster or quicker the car runs. Such as a stocker class would look like this ES/A this would mean that car would run in E stock automatic trani. The E means how quick the car runs in the quarter mile, this is how they do handicapped racing. If two cars run against each other and one car is quicker the slower car gets to leave first then the quicker car goes and has to run the slower car down ,but not run quicker than his dial, this is called breaking out. Hope this helps John Tune in on Sunday on espn2 for the NHRA winternationals

02-14-2010, 01:19 AM	#5
Frisco 57 Senior Member 1 Silver Star Join Date: Sep 2006 Frisco 57's Garage Location: Arlington, Washington Posts: 954 Member #1135	For bracket racers, the time bracket (or dial in) that each car is competing in is painted on the windshield with shoe polish. Run faster than your dial in time...you "break out" and you loose. __________________ David

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02-13-2010, 10:29 PM	#3
moses Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 moses's Garage Location: fla Posts: 149 Member #9671	it can also be their license number for their racing body NHRA IHRA if required.

02-15-2010, 05:01 PM	#6
Leatherneck Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Leatherneck's Garage Posts: 99 Member #6842	Great stuff. Thanks for the info. Every time I would see those encrypted things I would spend a few minutes trying to decipher but never quite figured it out. Sometimes it's obvious, they have their quarter mile time on there. Other times it's straight off the walls of King tuts tomb to me. heh. So this makes more sense to me now. I appreciate it, as always. Sarge!

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