Drag racers often use line lock allowing them to activate only the front brakes. I assume that you have to apply just the right amount of pressure to spin the rears without it. Also the rear tires are in water.
Line locks are for wimps.
This is for a Corvette/Camaro/Mustang/Viper or similar:
In the pits, Vaseline the fender behind your rear tires to make the rubber easier to clean off. Trust me.
Aim your side mirror down at your tire.
Wait until you are signaled to proceed onto the track.
Drive around the water box if possible to keep front tires dry. Basic procedure is the same if you can't.
Back all the way through the water box with your back tires, careful to keep fronts dry. A tire is about 80" around, you want the whole tire wet so you don't start on a dry spot.
Roll slowly (don't sling water into your wheelwell) through the standing water, and stop on the damp concrete, NOT in the standing water.
Wait for the official to spin his finger.
First gear, clutch in. Thumb on top.
Right foot ball on the brake, roll your foot or use your heel to operate the throttle.
Hold at 5500-6000 rpm.
Drop the clutch and put your left on brake while applying throttle to hold 4500-6000 rpm.
Glance at mirror to make sure you are spinning the tire. Don't laugh. I've spun the tire on the wheel before, and others have torched their clutch when they thought it was the tires.
The tires will start to pull down. Takes practice. You will notice you are needing to apply more throttle.
Or just make a ton of smoke for kicks.
Slowly release the brake and throttle, spinning the tires about 10 feet out of the water.
Clutch in.
Creep forward aligning with the 2 tire tracks. That is pure rubber you see on the ground.
Light a single pre-stage light. Wait for the other driver to light that beam.
Now creep SLOW until the second light just flickers then stays on. Heard about 'rollout' distance. That's where it starts.
When all 4 pre-stage lights are lit, the track official will start the tree.
For amateurs, there are 3 yellows, a green, and a red.
The lights come on 0.500 seconds apart.
Hold at ...
this comes down to tires and track prep... 4500 rpm to start if things are sticky.
Stare at that 3rd light down. Try to turn it on with your mind. You are one with the light.
The first 2 yellows are to trick you. Ignore them. They are evil. They are from the Devil, hence the Red Light on the bottom.
When that third yellow lights, immediately go to the floor while bringing the clutch up at the same time. If you ace it, the tach will not move until the clutch is out.
If you wait for the green, you just got spanked HARD. It takes about 0.500 sec for a sharp person to react and move the car far enough to break the beams and start the timing.
PULL on the gearshift HARD. It can't pop out of gear.
Tachs have a lot of lag in 1st, with a 6500 redline, shift at 6000 as follows:
Stab the clutch to the floor and drop it. Do Not Lift The Throttle. The clutch will unload the trans, and allow the car to shift into 2nd.
Now open your hand fingers up. Like you're saying STOP. Palm on knob. Push hard straight way from your torso. Do not grip knob.
At 6300, stab the clutch, BANG.
Turn your hand upside down. Point thumb at ground. Grip knob and pull back hard. This keeps you from finding second. That's no fun.
At a hair under 6500, stab the clutch, Bang.
Keep into it all the way past the painted lines by at least 100'. A common mistake is to lift too early. Again don't laugh, everybody does it.
Push the clutch in and let off the gas, pop into neutral. Don't use your rods as brake pads. Test brakes gently, quickly, to make sure the car goes straight under braking. Apply brakes more aggressively. The driver who is on the turnout lane leaves the track first. Always.
If you are unfamiliar with a track, do a shake out run, launch then short shift, watch the car in the other lane. The turnout lane is always on the side where the pits are. Don't take a turnout at high speed. A lot of the worst crashes are after the traps. There are usually more than one turnout.
If you break during a pass, carefully pull to the side of the lane in case you are leaking and stop ASAP and get out of car. Look for leaks. The Safety Safari will head out. They can get you to the pits usually.
Cliff notes: The rears will spin with the rear brakes applied. If you do it without water, the fronts can slide.