Race Lights.

[EOR1488]

Looks like my first race in about 10 years will be the SNORE Midnight Special.

Looking for any advice or experince with the new lighting options out there. Last time I raced we didn't have LED bars and really the HID stuff was still new.

So what are some of the setups out there? Hid? Led? Mix? Anything I should consider or stay away from? Just looking for recent experince since I haven't been racing for a while.

 

[mgobaja]

Lighting technology has made huge jumps in the last 10 years. LED lighting gets rid of the " warm up " that HID's require, as they are instant on. Seems a lot of teams use a few HID lights for high speed distance lighting, but one of LED manufacturers has really made some big leaps even solving that issue.

The Baja Designs website has some really helpful " Science of Lighting " tips to help lay out your lights.

Offroad LED, Dual Sports Kits, LED & HID Lighting | Baja Designs

 

[green787]

I don't like my lights mounted anywhere but on the grill where stock headlights would be... I am so used to driving with standard height headlights, that the shadows cast in the whoops helps me determine how deep they are....
When everything is all lit up bright, I can't judge the depth of the whoop de doos.... Then the moths, and bugs annoy me.... I want to catch some of them, because I was a bug collector.... So identifying flying insects does not help me concentrate on the track....
I don't like my hood to be lit up by the roof lights making my pupils smaller when I'm trying to see off into the darkness....
Just a few things to consider.... For me a nice bright set of headlights in their usual place is all I need.... I just want to see the scenery out in front, not the whole cinemascope show with the truck hood and everything all lit up.

 

[Slippery P]

LEDs, Baja Designs is the only way to go if you have the cash to spend. Personally I do not, and for my driving style the cheaper versions of LEDs do not quench my thirst for more light. I run large HIDs a mix of flood and spot beam in the 55watt flavor. They throw more light further down course than the cheap LEDs do which is what I like.

I Agree with Green about the glare off the hood, this is the worst thing for night vision. I run a bumper full of 8" lights, (spots centered and floods outside), and 2 8" lights (spots) one on each A pilar which end up being at eye level. Lucky for me my hood is not visible so glare is not an issue.

Another thing to take into consideration is how many amps the set up you choose will be drawing when they are all fired up.

I drive better at night so for me the set up is critical and takes some time to get just right. But I'm picky.
Good luck.