The Lincoln Tech High School Drag Race competition will take place tomorrow. The Gearhounds will be competing. 

Gearhounds sponsor Zachary Jones said, “(We will) get ready for the race just like how we do everything else…This (race) is not just for Gearhounds, so we normally just set up a station, grill out and let people know what our club is about.”

Peter Resener, Gearhounds member and sophomore, said, “It’s not really a team event. But we’ll help change tires, change their oil and make sure things run properly.”

In a drag race, two cars race down an eight-mile straightaway. The cars are timed to the nearest thousandth of a second. To determine who wins a drag race, the difference of the dialed-in time (a time used to claim how fast a racer’s car is) and the time a car takes to go the eight miles are considered. If a car takes 7.5 seconds with its dialed-in time as 7.4 seconds, then it beats a car that takes 6 seconds with its dialed-in time as 5.5 seconds. If the time for a run is faster than its dialed-in time, then the driver is disqualified.

Jones said, “Any time we’re drag racing, it’s all about dialing in your car. So the strategy for this bracket race is to get as many runs in the morning as you possibly can. Then you know what your time is going to be.”

The two main events will be a student race and a parent-teacher race. There will also be scholarships and other prizes at the drag race, as well as contests for the longest car, shortest car, ugliest car and burnout, which is when the car stays stationary while the tires move. Last year, Gearhounds won three trophies,  and one student won $5,000.

“This race is designed around using everyday cars. . .you can race a minivan, or even a Mustang. . .It’s all about your dialed-in time, so it’s a good level playing field for everybody,” Jones said.

Resener said, “I’ll make sure my car is in good working order, make sure I know how I’m going to do everything and not screw anything up.”