James Bond

In drag racing, "James Bond" refers to a driver's reaction time of exactly 0.007 seconds at the starting line, named after the famous fictional spy Agent 007.

Reaction time measures how quickly a driver responds when the green light signals the start of a drag race. The timer starts counting the moment the green light appears and stops when the car's front tires leave the starting line. A perfect reaction time would be 0.000 seconds, but this is nearly impossible for humans to achieve.

A James Bond reaction time of 0.007 seconds is considered exceptionally quick and demonstrates excellent reflexes and timing. Most amateur drag racers have reaction times between 0.040 and 0.100 seconds, making a 0.007 quite impressive. Professional drivers regularly achieve reaction times in the 0.010 to 0.030 range.

The term also has a negative counterpart called "James Bond red." This occurs when a driver reacts too quickly and leaves the starting line 0.007 seconds before the green light appears. The negative reaction time of -0.007 seconds triggers a red light foul, which typically results in an automatic loss regardless of how fast the car runs down the track.

Red light fouls happen when drivers anticipate the green light too aggressively or guess at the timing sequence. The electronic timing system detects any forward movement of the vehicle before the green light activates, immediately displaying a red light to indicate the violation.

Understanding reaction times is crucial in drag racing because races are often won or lost at the starting line. Two cars with similar performance capabilities will see the driver with the better reaction time gain a significant advantage. The James Bond reaction time represents the sweet spot between being quick enough to gain an advantage while avoiding the dreaded red light foul.