Here's my take:

1)When arriving at the track have your a/c turned off if you have been using it (condensation will build up and dump it on the track - that's a no-no as the track has to be temporaribly shut down.

2) Make sure the car isn't already overheating (ie., overflowing passed the radiator cap) when you arrive. Also, make sure you have a radiator overflow can ("catch can") on the car.

3) Tire pressure: You are probably running 28 to 32 psi on them normally. Lower the air pressure in the rear tires to get better traction. I'm guessing there's nothing special about your rear end (I didn't mean it that way), so you probably will have power going to only one wheel. Get a GOOD air pressure gage from someone. While the tires are still warm from the drive, lower the pressure to about 20 lbs IN BOTH tires (not 1/2 more or less than the other). If you're still spinning with 20 lbs of pressure, lower them to 18 but no more. The car will not 'feel' right at the end of the track (smushy rear). Also, if you are spinning the rear tire for more than a second, LET OUT OF IT and simply cruise to the turn-road. You aren't going to gain any other information on that run and you will make a spectical if you cross the finish line with your back right tire on fire.

3) Upon entering the gates, tell them you are running the car. They will give you a 'tech slip'. You will have to fill that out PRIOR to going to the 'tech inspection' area. a 'tech' guy will ask you to pop the hood to inspect the engine. He will then write a couple of numbers on the pasenger side window and maybe on the front windshield of the passenger side. These numbers indicat which clas you are running and a sequential number specific for your car (ex: F45). If you are racing with a car club in a points bracket, they may ask which club you are running with (if none, ask him to make the choice for you - usually these guys are pretty accomodating about that.)

4) Go back to you 'pit' area until your class is called to the lanes. Most tracks have a (very) local FM broadcast station they use for people to listen to the races on and know when to go to the lanes. They will announce that your class should go to lane 'X', usually 1 through 10. The lanes are marked (from left to right, 1 through 10) No need to haul butt to the lanes like most kids. Usually there's plenty of time. In fact I don't mind getting in the back of the lane. That way I can get out, check the air pressure, calm my nerves etc. instead of blasting through the staging lanes to the finish line.

5) As you move the car closer to the two lanes that you will be racing in, he will indicate which lane you are going to be in by touching his right or left arm and pointing to you.

6) As you move even closer to the lanes, make sure you have your seat belt on, and 'yes' a helmet. It's not mandatory but like Mav indicated, you may be safe a can be - but what about the person next to you?

7) Look at all your gages. If the car is running hot (which is the case a lot of times as you've been inching up for the last 10-12 minutes. Which reminds me, if you have your passenger side window down a few inches when the tech guy writes the numbers, you'll have that little breeze if you need it when waiting in line. I wouldn't keep the hood raised till the last second or push the car, all that stuff. If you have to do all that then the car shouldn't be there to begin with. You can open your door as you ease up to get a little breeze going (remember to raise the passenger side window before going through the 'water box'). It keeps the tire smoke and noise level down when you're at the start lights.

9)Now your windows are up, seat belt and helmet are on, the gages are good. You feel comfortable all is well. If the car is running hot, you hear a horrible sound coming from the engine, etc. bring it to the attention of the starter. There's always an exit right before the water box.

10) The starter signals to you to move it forward.

11) You've already watched the guys in front of you go through the water box and do their Kenny Bernstein burn-out. You're not gonna do that.

12) You'll ease the car into the water box (the little dip in the track some greasy haired kid has been washing and washing and washing). Stop your car with your rear tires in (or near) the water box. Try to turn the tire(s) over just one revolution to get all the gravel you've picked up in the staging lanes off your tires. The reason for doing only one revolution is that f you perform the burnout in the box, you have water all over the underside of the wheel-wells and it's gonna continue to drip on your tires when you take off at the line, causing too much spinning.

13) Move passed the water box enough that your tires are out of any reminence of water.

14)Now come your cool burn-out. Hold your left foot on the brake pedal (please tell me it's an automatic??) firmly. With the gear shift in 1st, increase the rpm's until you 'break' the tires free. Now you can 'rev' the engine while spinning the tires, heating them up to get a good grip on the track. Continue to hold the brake on for about 4 to 5 seconds and let off the brake while you have the accelerator to the floor.

15) Your car should stop spinning and 'grab' the track and hopefully not launch you passed the staging lights. (relax, it won't). Move your shifter into the drive position.

16) As you've already been up close at the staging area earlier that day (you did, didn't you?), you know that the 'christmas tree' lights and the starting line ARE NOT on the same line. Look for the lights near the track surface. Those lights will guide you to the starting line. Now looking at the top yellow light (rather 'bulb'), ease forward, with your foot on the brake until you see the top yellow light 'bulb' come on. That indicates you're 4 to 6 inches away from the starting line.

17) Courtesy stage. If the car next to you has not lit his top light, wait on him to do so, then inch your's forward until you light the second yellow bulb by holding your foot on the brake with your rpm's up to about 1000 rpm's.

18) With your car in drive, hold the brake down and raise your rpm's to no more than 1000 (this will be high enough to keep your car from 'coughing' on take off but low enough that you shouldn't spin on take off.

19) The starter will press a button on his remote control and the yellow lights will begin to come on and go off from top to bottom.

20) There are 5 lights. Three yellow, one green and one red, in that order from top to bottom (not counting the two stage yelow 'bulbs'). When the second yellow light goes OFF, lift your foot off the brake and floor it.

21) Never mind if you 'red-lighted' or not. Your running a time-trial now. Also never mind if the car next to you is a haul butt car - you're not racing him, especially not now. TRY not let the other car be a part of your race! Pay no attention to him AT ALL. It will only break your concentration of what you are doing.

22) Now that you've left the line and got your beans about you, you realize your crusing down the track at a blistering pace of .... 45 miles an hour. As your car is straining to shift gears, you realize you've already done this on Saturday nights! You also think, 'I am the slowest person EVER to run on this track.' Honestly, the car will seem like its taking FOREVER to get down the track. It's a 'Sunday' drive now. Just cruise through the finish line (you may or may not chose to look at your flashing win light on the left).

23) As maverick5946 said, there will be two lanes to turn the car around. Most cars in your class will take the 1st turn around.

24) Etiquette, if you are in the left lane and the turn around is to the right, let the other person go first. NEVER cut across your lane in front of anyone. Also, be aware of where the other car is at all times. The other car may have gotten a bad start but now is doing 140 at the finish line while you're doing 75 miles an hour. He could be barreling down the track to turn at the second turn-around.

25) There's a small booth on the turn road. This guy is going to give you your white time slip (white is good - you won! Yellow is bad - you lost and they were kind enough to give you a carbon copy of the winners white slip).

26) Don't even look at the slip until you've gone back to your 'pit' area. Too many people try to read them and are not paying attention to that kid who's riding his scooter or a an $80 race car has just pulled out in front of them. Trust me, the numbers won't change before you park (I've looked).

27) Deciphering your time slip: look at two numbers in particular, 1)the 'RT' or 'Reaction Time'. The closer you get to .500 (which is perfect) the better. Don't be surprised if your first run is a 1.0 something. You remember what light you left on and will acommodate for it the next run. 2) The "ET' or "Elasped Time" - the time it took for you to break the beams at the start till the time you broke the beams at the finish line. It has nothing to do with the RT.

28) After you've run a few time trials, you have to chose a 'Dial In' number. This is what you think your car's ET will be the next time you run. This is where you may ask for some help on. If the weather has changed considerably since your last run, your ET will differ by as much as .200".

29) Put this number on your passenger side window and on the top right of the front windsheild, where the people in the tower can see it clearly. They are going to use that to give you or the other car a head-start. It's a 'handi-cap' race.

30) The idea of the dial-in's are that, theoretically, both cars will cross the finish line at the same time. Even though you've been give a head-start, the other car has more power than you and will be trying to catch you at the end of the track.

31) Break-out Definition: Your car went faster than your dial-in. Typically, you lost. However, there can be double break-outs. The other car ran faster than his dial in also. The person who broke-out by the least amount of time wins.

32) Sandbaggers: These guys will dial in a slower time than they know they can actually run. They will be watching your car's bumper, just staying ahead of you throughout the race. Pay no attention to these guys. Run your race. Don't let out of it.

33) Letting off at the end if ahead by a mile: If you know you have the other car beat as you near the end of the track, you should let off the accelerator, or even ride your brake a little to ensure you do not 'break out'. Even though the other guy spun his tires off at the start, you broke out. He/she wins.

34) As you may already know or have gathered by reading this novel, the race is won by two main factors: 1) How good of a light you can 'cut' (closer to .500) and how close you run to your 'dial in'

Other etiquette: Be a good loser AND a good winner.

Drag racing is a blast if not taken too seriously and is done with safety in mind. You won't be content with how fast your car goes - ever. You think "It'll always do a little more if you just add this or that. This and that cost money. You can go as quick as you want. More horsepoer = more money.

Be safe, have fun and let us know how you came out (even the funny stories - we all have them)