You may have heard of it before, although it isn't nearly as big as NASCAR or Formula One racing. Despite that, it's popularity is growing rapidly, and it may someday be just as popular. The concept of drag racing is simple: Go from start to finish in as little time possible. However, in some types of drag racing, such as bracket racing, this is not always true.
A typical track that drag races are held on (called a drag strip) consists of a straight line of asphalt. Most drag strips are 1/4 or 1/8 mile long from start line to finish line, and then they have an area at the end of the track called the shutdown area. Also, drag races can be held on the streets. Be advised that any form of racing on the streets is illegal, and unsafe.

Layout of a drag strip
Starting line- This is where cars stage. Normally they do a burnout to warm their tires, then they move up to the starting line. On most drag strips, there is a laser that triggers the lighting system. When the tires move into the beam of the laser, it activates the lighting system.
The Lighting system (a.k.a the "Christmas tree")- So named because it is shaped like a Christmas tree, it consists of 2 sets of each lights, so that both drivers can see them when they are staged. At the top, there are "pre-stage" lights, then "stage" lights. Both drivers have to trigger both pre-stage and stage lights before they can proceed. Once the 2 top sets of lights are on, 3 pairs of Amber lights flash, and then 1 pair of green lights. As you may have guessed, that's the GO signal. Reaction time is critical in a drag race. In some cases, it can determine who wins and who loses.
The Finish Line- This is where the clock is stopped, and the drivers' times are posted. The driver with the lowest time wins. Note that it's not always the first person to get to the finish line that wins. Sometimes a wholeshot win occurs, and the driver with the better reaction time takes the win because their time was less.
The Shutdown area- The race may end at the finish line, but the track doesn't. The shutdown area is where the cars slow down to make the turn and exit the track. Tracks that have fast vehicles need longer shut down areas, so it allows more time and distance for the vehicle to slow down. Some vehicles even need parachutes to slow down.
The "Sand Trap"- This area is at the very end of the track, and it is only used if a vehicle can't slow down in time to exit the track safely.

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