front tire pressure can become a fine line. higher pressure means less roll out which means the clock will start after moving a shorter distance. lower pressure = longer roll out = longer distance moving before clock starts. You will reach a point (most likely a HP factor) where you benefit more from roll out then you do rolling resistance. one of the easiest things to do is stage as shallow as possible! pull in VERY slowly until you just flicker the bottom bulb on.
heres real world evidence on the subject, i bracket race my truck and test this in many different ways. I can usually cut a pretty killer light. If i go deep (just flickering the top staging light out) like i usually do and leave on 3rd yellow i will cut a .020-.030 light go 1.88 60ft and run 12.08 IF i keep everything else the same but stage "shallow", just flickering the bottom stage light on I will cut a .200-.210 light, 1.70 60ft and 11.90 Notice that it takes the truck .180 seconds to travel the distance from shallow stage to deep stage. this takes much longer in a slower truck that doesnt leave hard. so you could be giving up at least .2 from carelessly staging.

not to ***** out my video but here is a great example of me and 99silversled (joe) racing last weekend. I staged shallow, joe was deep. you can see my truck, the one the video is from, move before him but yet i went .009 green to his .012 red
Supercharged GMC VS Nitrous Chevy - YouTube

 

So you would leave the tailgate on and accept the extra weight but remove your brakes to save weight.??? Looking at it another way, you would leave the gate on for aerodynamics, but hang a huge set of side pipes off the side creating drag there. Your post always amaze me.

 

Tailgate weight is in the absolute best spot possible. Front brake weight is the absolute worst place and type of weight you could have. Rotational and near the front of the truck.

I have see .2 gained with the headlight out. Consistently over 12 runs over two nights I always pull my light now.

I have never gained anything from the gate like I said before. I forget but someone posted in the last gate? thread that in there 10 or 11 sec. truck the gate up dropped them .2 I think and a few mph.

So yes, I absolutely would take the lightest front brakes possible and leave my tail gate on! I don't have 500 runs of scientific data but I have plenty of information the be VERY confident that would most commonly be the best set up. Phantom's set up appears to like no gate but I think he is the first I have seen to show any gains(or loss) by taking the gate off.

 

I run with the gate on. I think it looks retarded without it

dirt_track_racer_81 dropped a full tenth by taking the gate off. 11.5x to 11.42 with a 1.60 60'. Next time out, no gate 10.6x with a 1.60 60'. The weight loss on 10second and slower trucks is more effective than whatever aerodynamics are gained by leaving it on. IMO

 

This is the third part of the equation I didn't mention. If it wouldn't be with .3 or better I would rather not look retarded. And still then I would run with it on most of the time.

 

That's weird. It seems that removing the tailgate would be more aerodynamic because wind would smack right into it after rolling over the top of the cab
. I could see it reducing traction because there's less weight over the rear wheels which I think could be inconsequential since I'll be launching in 4wd.

 

Traveling down the highway with the tailgate on creates a vortex in the bed. Even notice in the fall how some leaves will just float around in the bed for awhile before eventually flying out? The vortex makes it easier for the air coming over the cab to flow over the tailgate.

All the TnT runs I did this year showed that the tailgate off didnt do much time wise but did help slightly on the mph. The gate has to weigh a good 40lbs maybe more?

 

When I ran my ls1 truck earlier this year I was very consistent 12.97-12.95 within 7 passes in a row. I wanted that 12.8x so bad so I took off my tailgate. Ended up running consist and 12.98-12.99 runs next couple passes. Taking off the tailgate slowed me down just a tad bit so I never bother taking it off anymore. I would rather take out the passenger seat all the floor mats and wat ever else u can take off real easy

 

Mine is full of Oklahoma red dirt and probably weighs 80+ LOL

 

Lets not forget the spare tire...lol