HKS Drag Series

The racers who have entered the HKS Drag Series 2008 are on the 2008 Racers page.

About The HKS Drag Series

The HKS Drag Series ran for the first time in 2007. It was born from the Pro Shootout events that run at the JapShow events, and this in turn was born from an argument that started at the very first Japanese Performance show, way back in October 2003, where two big on-track rivals were running head-to-head to win the Run What Ya Brung competition. One ran fractionally quicker than the other, but detonated his engine, and it was clear this rivalry was no longer “Run What Ya Brung” but a serious competition between racers.

The HKS Drag Series takes things to the level of true drag racing with Japanese Cars, and it’s no longer good enough to just turn up, run one decent time and go home with a trophy. Real drag racing is about being quick on the lights, having reliable power and consistent speed. Breaking down will not be an option, and dozing on the lights will see you lose.

In addition to providing exciting real drag racing for fans of Japanese cars, it’s also a chance to bring some safety to a potentially dangerous sport. Santa Pod has the finest safety features of any drag strip in Europe, and with terminal speeds of over 170mph in 2007, it has to be safety first and safety FAST!

2008 Rounds:

2008 Class Updates:

Pro Class: Full tube chassis permitted. Detail changes only from 2007.

Factory Modified (FacMod): New class for “back-halfed” and “tubbed” cars. Natural step between “Pro Class” and “Street Class”. Chassis can only be modified behind drivers’ seat. This class will only be introduced once there are sufficient cars, until then FacMod cars will run in Pro Class.

Street: Road legal cars only. Must show MOT and use road legal tyres. Must have full original floorpan. 10-second index has now been removed, but cars must be equipped with suitable roll cage as detailed in the rulebook. New specifications listed for dual-purpose “Time Attack” and Drag roll cages.

Front Wheel Drive: Streetable full original floorpan cars- detail changes only from 2007

About the classes:

Pro Class: The top flight drag class, with the fastest cars being pure drag machines. BHP has to be over four figures to be competitive, and tube frames are essential for the best times. Four wheel drive and rear wheel drive is the only way to go, and ETs are now in the low-8’s, sure to go even lower in 2008. All cars have to have the original configuration engine to match their body.

Factory Modified (FAC MOD): New class for 2008 that is the natural step up from the Street class, where drivers are allowed to modify the rear-end of the car for a more drag-focused set-up, and run with slick tyres. Depending on numbers, this class may run alongside the Pro class for its first year, 2008.

Street: Set to be the most competitive and varied of all classes, this class is purely for road-legal cars with unmodified chassis, which allows genuine road cars and even circuit racers to compete. You don’t need a dedicated drag set up, but you do need mega power and great driving and tuning skills… especially if you want to run reliably. This class allows every type of quick jap car a level playing field, so Evos, Subarus, Skylines, Supras and RX7s can race side by side. Cars are currently dipping into the 9’s in this class, but can theoretically run as fast as 8.5 seconds.

Front Wheel Drive: Since the majority of modern cars are front wheel drive, it’s great to see what can be achieved with this as the limiting factor in drag racing. Currently, all cars in this class are 4-cylinder, turbo or supercharged, and highly “streetable”. The big challenge is transferring power to movement, but the top runners are already in the 10’s. Racing is competitive, affordable and still heads-up.

How to Enter

If you are interested in competing in the HKS Drag Series, you can download the HKS Drag Series 2008 rulebook from the Rules page, where you will find information on what is needed to make you and your car eligible to compete.

Points System:

In the event of a tie between two or more competitors after the 4 rounds the following sequence will be used to obtain a result. 1 - most win points, 2 - most runner up points, 3 - most number 1 qualifier points.                

Race numbers for the season will be issued and must be displayed clearly on the rear window screen. Racers will win the right to hold a top 10 number in the following season depending on where they finish in the championship.

There will be a set of class rules for each class which have been taken from the MSA Drag Racing White Book. If you interested in competing in the Japanese Drag Series and would like a copy of the provisional rules please complete the Contact Form. The MSA Drag Racing White Book can be obtained from the Santa Pod Racers Club.

A technical inspection will take place prior to a racers first run on the race track. The technical inspectors are there to help and racers will be allowed a certain amount of grace. But the inspectors will fail cars if they believe that there is a safety issue.

All drivers must show a valid driving licence when signing on at each round before they can compete.

Why do racers have to qualify in drag racing?

Not only does qualifying narrow the field down if there are more cars entered than there are spaces in eliminations (the knock-out rounds), but qualifying gives you a chance to earn championship points. On top of this, the number one qualifier will go up against the slowest qualifier in round one, and so on, theoretically giving him an easier run to the finals. The better your qualifying position, the slower the people you will race.