DragFire Tree – free drag racing practice tree
DragFire™ Tree is a free online practice tree for drag racers. It recreates the starting “christmas tree” used at every drag strip, so you can train the skill that wins more races than horsepower: your reaction time. Pick a pro tree or a full sportsman tree, stage, wait for the ambers and leave on the green. A bot races you in the other lane, so every run is a fight for the holeshot. Save a time slip of your best lights and share it.
It works in any browser on a computer, tablet or phone. No app, no sign-up, no cost.
Who is it for?
- Bracket racers who want to sharpen their lights between race weekends.
- New drag racers getting ready for their first test and tune or street legal night.
- Sportsman and junior dragster drivers working on consistency.
- RC and slot car drag racers who need a starting tree for their own strip.
- Anyone who wants to know if they would cut a better light than their friends.
How to use the practice tree
- Choose a tree: pro tree (.400) or sportsman tree (.500).
- Click or tap the tree once, then press Space or Enter (or keep tapping) to pre-stage and stage.
- Wait. The tree activates after a random delay, just like at the track.
- Leave as close to the green as you can without going red.
- Read your reaction time, see how far you were from perfect and run it again.
Pro tree vs. sportsman tree
On a pro tree, all three ambers light at the same time and the green follows 0.4 seconds later. A perfect light is .400. Pro trees are used in the professional classes and in many sportsman and bracket classes, so it is worth practicing both.
On a sportsman tree, also called a full tree, the ambers count down one at a time, half a second apart, with the green half a second after the last amber. A perfect light is .500. The countdown gives you a rhythm, but it also tempts you to anticipate too early.
What is a good reaction time?
Reaction time is measured from the moment the last amber lights until the car leaves the starting line. That is why perfect is .400 on a pro tree and .500 on a sportsman tree. Leave before the green and your reaction time drops below perfect: a red light, and the race is lost.
Nobody can react to a green light in a few thousandths of a second. Good drag racers learn to anticipate it and start moving on the last amber. What wins rounds is not one lucky light, but cutting the same good light run after run. DragFire Tree shows how far each run was from perfect and keeps your session average, so you can see if you are getting more consistent.
Practice tree vs. the real thing
A practice tree trains your timing and your nerves, not your car. At the track, your car’s rollout, launch method and any delay box change when you need to hit the button or pedal. Browsers, screens and keyboards also add a few milliseconds of delay. Use DragFire Tree to build a consistent rhythm, compare runs on the same device, and fine-tune at the track.
Use it at your own track
Put DragFire Tree in fullscreen on a tablet, laptop or TV and it works as a visual starting tree for test sessions, small club events, RC drag strips and slot car drag racing. It does not detect cars, so pair it with your own timing system for elapsed times. DragFire Tree comes from MagDragster, the people behind Mag Drag Racing and 1/24 scale RC drag cars.
FAQ
Is DragFire Tree free?
Yes. It runs in your browser, needs no sign-up and costs nothing.
What is a perfect reaction time in drag racing?
Reaction time is measured from the last amber light. A perfect light is .400 on a pro tree and .500 on a sportsman tree. Anything lower is a red light.
Can a practice tree make me a better bracket racer?
It can make your lights more consistent, which is a big part of winning in bracket racing. Combine it with seat time at the track, since your car’s launch and rollout also affect your real reaction time.
What is a holeshot?
A holeshot is winning the start: leaving the line with a better reaction time than your opponent without going red, and sometimes winning the race even with a slower car.
Can I use DragFire Tree as a starting tree at my track?
Yes, as a visual starting tree in fullscreen mode. It does not detect cars, so use your timing system for elapsed times.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes. Tap the tree to stage and tap again to launch. A keyboard gives the most consistent results.
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