Breakout

A breakout in drag racing occurs when a driver completes their run faster than their predicted "dial-in" time, which typically results in losing the race despite running a quicker time.

This rule is fundamental to bracket racing, a popular drag racing format that allows cars of different speeds to compete fairly. Before each race, drivers must predict how long their car will take to complete the quarter-mile run. This prediction is called their "dial-in time" and gets displayed on their vehicle.

The breakout rule creates an interesting challenge: going too fast can be just as bad as going too slow. If you dial in at 12.00 seconds but run 11.95 seconds, you've broken out by five hundredths of a second and will lose the race, even though you were faster than your opponent.

However, there are exceptions to the breakout rule. If both drivers break out, whoever came closest to their dial-in time wins the race. Additionally, more serious violations like jumping the starting light (called a "red light") or crossing into the other lane override a breakout violation.

This system promotes consistency and strategy over pure speed. Experienced bracket racers become skilled at "driving the finish line," meaning they can adjust their throttle input near the end of the track to avoid breaking out while still running as close to their dial-in time as possible.

For example, if two drivers dial in at 12.00 and 14.00 seconds respectively, the starting lights will be staggered to give the slower car a head start. If the first driver runs 11.98 (breaking out) and the second runs 14.01 (not breaking out), the second driver wins despite being much slower overall.

The breakout rule transforms drag racing from a simple speed contest into a game of precision and prediction, rewarding drivers who truly know their vehicles' capabilities.