Christmas Tree

A Christmas Tree in motorsport is an electronic starting device used in drag racing that features a vertical column of colored lights to signal the start of a race.

The Christmas Tree contains blue lights to indicate when drivers are properly positioned (staged), amber lights for the countdown, a green light signaling the start, and a red light showing a false start. Racers watch these lights carefully, as reaction time to the green light can make the difference between winning and losing.

Two main timing sequences exist: the Sportsman Tree (sequential amber lights with 0.5-second intervals) and the Pro Tree (simultaneous amber lights followed by green after 0.4 seconds). Introduced in 1963, the Christmas Tree replaced flagmen, bringing consistency to drag race starting procedures.