A motorsport where two cars accelerate from a standing start over a quarter-mile or eighth-mile straight course. The fastest car wins.
Drag racing is a motorsport where two cars accelerate side-by-side from a standing start over a measured straight course. The standard distance in the United States is one quarter mile (1,320 feet); some events use the eighth mile (660 feet). The car that crosses the finish line first wins. Times are typically reported as elapsed time (ET) and trap speed (the speed at the finish line).
Drag racing has multiple categories. Top Fuel and Funny Car are the most extreme professional classes, using nitromethane-burning supercharged engines making 11,000+ horsepower in cars that complete a quarter mile in 3.7-3.8 seconds at over 330 mph. Pro Modified, Pro Stock, and various sportsman classes cover progressively more accessible vehicles. Bracket racing (where racers predict their elapsed time and the closest prediction wins) is the most accessible amateur format.
Drag racing is the original American grassroots motorsport, dating to the 1940s and 1950s when young drivers raced on dry lakebeds and abandoned military airstrips. Modern professional drag racing centers on the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) series. Major venues include the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis, the Winternationals at Pomona, and the Gatornationals at Gainesville.