How To Drag Race Legally

JEGS Tech Specialist

Pete Mitchell

Welcome to the world of drag racing. If your knowledge of this sport is primarily garnered from movies and news reports, you might think that it’s an illicit, underground affair that takes place under the cover of darkness on city streets, dispersing at the first sign of the law. The truth is, drag racing is a properly recognized motorsport that takes place on NHRA tracks. Legal drag racing can even take place on streets, in the form of street drag racing, albeit under strict conditions and safety precautions. So cast aside the bootleg image of drag racing, and learn how to pursue it safely, legally, and best of all, find out how fast you can pull your best quarter mile.

One area to prepare your car for drag racing is to install the right drag racing wheels and drag racing tires, since that’s how power gets to the road, and you need to waste as little of it as possible when gunning it for the finish line. JEGS has everything you can think of to make your car a drag battle contender, while remaining street legal and friendly if it’s your daily.

Is Drag Racing Legal?

Let’s ask a broader question, is motorsport legal? What about NASCAR? Formula 1? WRC? Of course, they are legal. In the same vein, drag racing is perfectly legal when performed under the relevant conditions. After all, you can’t drive a NASCAR, Formula 1, WRC, or other purpose-built racing machines on the streets, can you?

Locations For Legal Drag Racing

Where can you legally drag race? There are many venues across the country, and there might be one closer than you’d expect. The NHRA website is a good place to start. Since drag racing typically takes place over a quarter mile straight, you might also find legally organized events taking place on cordoned-off city streets, with the full permission of the authorities and relevant safety precautions in place. 

If you want to find out what’s happening in the drag racing scene near you, the best bet is to find a drag racing club and join it. There are clubs for beginners, intermediates, and seasoned pros, and we’d strongly recommend you start at the beginner level. Drag racing isn’t just about lining your car up and mashing the gas pedal. There’s a fair bit to it, actually. Treat it like any other form of motor racing, and learn the ropes the proper way. 

We strongly oppose illegal activities, and we recommend that you never try to drag race or drive dangerously on public roads, even if it’s the middle of the night and there’s no other traffic or pedestrians around. Save your adrenalin for the track and legally organized events.

Official Rules

What are the official rules for drag racing? Well, they vary depending on your experience, vehicle type, and class, but to dip your toes in the waters, you need to possess a state-issued driver's license (or an NHRA competition license for fast classes), a car that’s in working order, and complies with all NHRA regulations plus traffic safety requirements. Of course, there’s a bit more that you need to legally drag race, and let’s get into that next.

What You Need To Legally Drag Race

Apart from the items described above, these are a few of the things that you need to legally drag race. Note that the list may vary depending on which class your car falls into, and as you advance into the higher and faster classes, the list of requirements becomes more exhaustive. Note that your car will be inspected after you pay the entry fee, and your driver registration will be completed post-inspection. Familiarize yourself with the process of drag racing, including your allocated staging lane, whether you are allowed to do a burnout or not, and how the Christmas Tree lighting system works. YouTube can be a great avenue for these.

Here's the list. 

• Your car’s documentation including any parts certification as well as insurance need to be present, correct, and up to date.
• Check your insurance, as some insurance policies do not cover motorsport activities.
• You must wear personal protective equipment including a properly fitting and certified helmet, cotton clothing, closed shoes with socks, and gloves, depending on class requirements.
• Your car needs to be on DOT-approved street legal racing tires or race slicks, depending on the class.
• Your seat belts need to be working and you must wear them when in the car. Safety harnesses are needed in faster classes.
• Your car must have a muffler – it can’t be unmuffled at street or beginner events.
• If you’ve installed a Nitrous Oxide kit, the NOS bottle has to be properly secured.
• If you’ve made any modifications to your car, you need to declare them at the time of application for the race, in order to be allocated into the correct class.
• If you have any health conditions, you will be required to disclose them, and if you wear glasses or contact lenses, you must be wearing them when behind the wheel.
• Can you take passengers? The simple answer is no. It’s not recommended by some events, and absolutely forbidden by others. Let us put it this way, do you want to add extra weight that could slow you down as you power down the strip? 
• If you’re planning to drag race in a convertible, it must have a roll bar and SFI seat belts.
• Open cars must have arm restraints.
• There should not be any loose items in the cabin that can come loose and fly around.

Drag Race Calculator

(Enter the engine horsepower and vehicle weight at the starting line)

Estimated Time Slip Results:

(Based on vehicle weight and horsepower only)

Get To The Finish Line First With JEGS

JEGS has been providing the best array of performance parts to discerning enthusiasts across the country since 1960, when founder Jeg Coughlin couldn’t find many choices for his car. Hence, he founded JEGS to ensure that no one else would have to face the same difficulties. Today, we’ve got a comprehensive online store allowing you to browse, compare, and purchase from the comfort of wherever you are. A physical store in Columbus, Ohio is still maintained for those who like to shop in person. Whichever avenue you choose, we offer competitive pricing, great after-sales service, and expert advice.