Hotrod: Championship Drag Racing FAQ 1.0

• What is Hotrod: Championship Drag Racing?
  
• What are the system requirements?
  
• Is Hotrod an arcade game or a simulation?
  
• Is Hotrod too complex or difficult for non-technical people?
  
• So what is drag racing anyway?
  
• What is "bracket" or "handicapped" drag racing?
  
• Where can I find more information about bracket racing?
  
• What is the limit to how fast I can make my car go?
  
• What tracks are included in Hotrod?
  
• What cars are included in Hotrod?
  
  
  

What are the system requirements?
We suggest a minimum of:

Is Hotrod an arcade game or a simulation?
It is a simulation. Hotrod uses very complex physics to model the car and suspension in full 3D. The engine simulation uses a gas flow dynamics algorithm and the tires use a very complex formula. You can modify nearly a hundred different parameters on your car.

Is Hotrod too complex or difficult for non-technical people?
Absolutely not. First of all, you never have to tweak your car to compete and win in Hotrod. The style of racing used in the game (bracket racing) equalizes all competitors. Second, all the components in Hotrod have preset lists of common configurations. To change your street tire to a drag racing tire all you have to do pull down the menu and select "Drag Race Only" and it will automatically set all the parameters for you.

So what is drag racing anyway?
A drag race is an acceleration contest between two vehicles from a standing start, over a measured distance. The accepted standard for that distance is either a quarter-mile (1,320 feet) or an eighth-mile (660 feet). A drag racing event is a series of such two-vehicle, tournament-style eliminations. The losing driver is eliminated, and the winning driver progresses to the next round until one driver remains.

What is "bracket" or "handicapped" drag racing?
Bracket racing uses a handicap starting system to equalize competition in certain categories. Basically, this system enables vehicles of varying performance potential to compete on an equal basis. The anticipated elapsed times for each vehicle are compared, and the slower of the two cars is given a head start equal to the difference of the two e.t.s. BOTTOM LINE: Bracket racing lets any two cars race. Here's how it works. Car A has been timed at 14.78, 14.74, and 14.76 seconds for the quarter-mile, and the driver feels that a "dial-in" of 14.75 is appropriate. Meanwhile, the driver of car B has recorded elapsed times of 12.27, 12.22 and 12.26 on the same track and he has opted for a "dial-in" of 12.25. Accordingly, car A will get a 2.5-second headstart over car B when the tree counts down to each car's green light. If both vehicles cover the quarter-mile in exactly the predetermined e.t., the win will go to the driver with the best reaction time (quickest reaction to the green light on the tree). However, if a driver runs faster than his or her dial-in, it is called a "breakout" and the driver is disqualified. If both drivers run quicker than their dial-in, the win goes to the driver who breaks out the least. A foul start, or red-light, takes precedence over a breakout. A driver who red-lights is automatically disqualified even if the opponent ends up breaking out.

Where can I find more information about bracket racing?
There are several good books and many excellent sources on the Internet. Take a look at The Staging Light at http://sl.rconcepts.com for a great on-line reference.

What is the limit to how fast I can make my car go?
I doubt the limit has been found yet but testers have been able to build cars with more than 2500 horsepower and capable of sub six second runs at more than 250 mph. Building a car with that much power and keeping under control is the challenge.

What tracks are included in Hotrod?

Atlanta Dragway, Commerce, GA
Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, CA
Beech Bend Raceway, Bowling Green, KY
Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, FL
Great Lakes Dragaway, Union Grove, WI
Hawaii Raceway Park, Kapolei, HI
Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, KS
Houston Raceway Park, Baytown, TX
Indianapolis Raceway Park, Clermont, IN
Maple Grove Raceway, Reading, PA
Moroso Motorsports Park, West Palm Beach, FL
National Trail Raceway, Columbus, OH
New England Dragway, Epping, NH
Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ
Orlando Speedworld Dragway, Orlando, FL
Pomona Raceway, Pomona, CA
Rockingham Dragway, Marston, NC
Seattle International Raceway, Kent, WA
Texas Motorplex, Ennis, TX
Texas Raceway, Kennedale, TX

What cars are included in Hotrod?