Getting a great launch at the drag strip takes more than horsepower and sticky tires. Drivers also need to time their start perfectly; even a tenth of a second can make a difference. Now, General Motors has patented technology that could take that last bit of human involvement out of the equation entirely.
The system uses the vehicle's cameras to watch the drag strip's Christmas Tree, predict when the light will turn green, and launch the car automatically. Better yet, it can actually begin preparing the launch before the green light illuminates. We might be about to see the age of push-button drag racing.
The technology is detailed in U.S. Patent 12,780,203, titled “Methods and Systems for Coordinating Launch Control for Vehicles for Racing.” Originally filed in January 2025, the application was published in July 2026 before finally receiving its patent grant on November 3.
At its core, the system builds on the launch control technology already available in modern performance cars. Right now, most launch control systems work very similarly: the driver applies full brakes and full throttle, and holds both pedals until it's time to go; they let off the brake, and the car rockets away. GM's proposed technology takes over most of that process.
The craziest bit is just how it manages all of this. First, it uses on-board cameras to identify the Christmas tree at the drag strip. Once it recognizes the lights, it notifies the driver and prompts them to activate launch control. Those who want to try this new method could control it much the same as they do with existing systems; the patent describes drivers putting their feet on both pedals and then, once the automatic launch system takes over, the driver can remove both feet and let the car work.
The car can maintain braking pressure and staging torque automatically, even after the driver releases the pedals. The clever part comes next: rather than simply waiting for the green light, the software identifies the sequence of yellow lights and compares it against stored timing patterns to calculate precisely when the race will begin.
That's key, because different events run the lights at different times. For example, a Pro Tree illuminates all three amber lights simultaneously before turning green 0.4 seconds later, whereas Sportsman Tree illuminates the amber lights sequentially with half-second intervals. GM's system could account for those differences automatically. The system is even capable of calculating the delay between commanding movement from the vehicle and the vehicle actually moving forward.
That all said, this is just a patent for now. GM doesn't mention any specific vehicle or plan for production in its filing. If it does bring it to market, we'd be eager to see how close it can come to cutting a perfect light.
